Budget knife sharpening

[CurtisJohnson]

Hi all,

I'm relatively new to all this forum business, so I'll just get on with it
I have a mora companion that I've had for a while now and I can't afford to buy bench stones to sharpen it, so I'm really just looking for a compromise on the relatively cheap side. I'm currently using eze-lap LPAK diamond sharpeners by lying them flat on the bevel and just doing little circles until I'm satisfied, then the same with the ceramic side of a fallkniven dc3 stone. I'll then strop it with my belt, but won't put anything on the belt to assist with stropping. I just wondered what everyone's thoughts were on that and also if anyone had any other ideas I'd happily give them a try. I'll just stress I'm looking for functionality not cosmetics (the eze lap sharpeners leave no mirror finish but do leave rather brutal scratches, but I'm not that fussed :/ ) I'm probably going to give the £5 sharpening kit mentioned on another thread a go, seems like a cheap idea

All helps greatly appreciated

Curtis

 

[santaman2000]

I've seen people use the "little circle" method you describe. I've also seen them drae the blade backwards across the stone. However I was always taught to draw the blade FORWARd into the stone as if trying to slice it thinly.

I usually use a cheap carboundum stone available at any hardware shop. Many here on the forum use various grades of sandpaper (available cheaply at any DIY store)

 

[juttle]

Once you've done the main work with your DC3, try using various grades of wet and dry paper. If you work through something like 400 - 800 - 1200 grits, at only 50p ish a sheet, you'll end up with a smooth cutting edge that should hold quite well, depending on usage, and even a mirror finish if you really want one. At only pennies a sheet that will last for ages it's a cheap alternative to whetstones or whatever.

Works for me on most of my sharps!

 

[Toddy]

Have a look through the forum and find photos of wooden backed strops.
The Makers sell beautifully shaped and finished ones, but simple basic works very well indeed. Bound to be someone who'd send you a small chunk of stropping compound.

Most of the time knives don't need sharpened, per se. They will do very well indeed just stropped after use.
Tbh I don't remember the last time I sharpened a knife, but I strop them every time before I put them away after I've used mine.

Every time you sharpen you really do aggressively remove metal, I've seen woodlores that look almost like stilettos because folks just keep sharpening

cheers,
Toddy

 

[CurtisJohnson]

Thanks guys, I'm probably gonna try and get ahold of a strop, coz my belts pretty much useless :/ Juttle, the small diamond hones I use are actually 400-800-1200 grits, so am I effectively already doing that, or would wet and dry be easier?

Cheers all, greatly appreciated
Curtis

 

[Perrari]

You have already received some good advice. I agree that the wet or dry paper is the most economical way of doing it, providing you dont let your knife get too dull before doing it you could probably get away with 1000 grit paper (moistened) & leather. A piece of wood as a backing board will help you keep the edge flat. You could glue the paper on one side & leather on the other, or different grades of paper either side and continue to use your belt as a strop. This is also much lighter to carry than stones when out & about.
I find the best adhesive to do this is spray contact adhesive / carpet adhesive. You can usually pick it up in pound shops.
I have found this on ebay, you could make yourself a paddle shaped like this & glue the paper/leather to it.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HAND-RAZO...re_HikingCamping_Tents_JN&hash=item35bbf567ea

As Toddy said you dont need abrasives all the time, stropping will suffice to bring back the edge to shaving sharp. I probably strop my knife 8-10 times before it goes gack on the stone, this obviously depends how hard it has been worked, and quality of steel & edge in the first place. Mora's are good so it should be ok. I personally dont use stropping compound & it works fine.

Hope this helps.

 

[mountainm]

Stropping compound plus MDF - or for a wicked sharp edge micromesh sheets (£7-£10 per set on ebay)

 

[MartiniDave]

You can often pick up real bargain oil stones at car boot sails for 50p or so, just look at people selling tools in amongst house clearance stuff. The cheap hardware store stones wear terribly quickly in my experience.

Dave

 

[CurtisJohnson]

Cheers everyone,

I do currently have a Stanley oilstone my father used to use for sharpening chisels, but I find it doesn't give a fine enough edge, so use the mini hones along with that and the ceramic once a month to reshape the blade. Any advice on the oilstone would be appreciated too

Curtis

 

[forestwalker]

Budget? As in dirt cheap?

1. Fine wet-dry sand paper (600?) glued to a piece of plywood or chipboard. You could make a course side with a coarser grade. Also finer if you care to.

2. Piece of flat rock, rub it in circles on another flattish rock until both are actually flat and smooth. Slate or fine grained sandstone works fine for this, generally.

3. if it is stropping do as Toddy suggested. I have three strops. One I picked up in an second hand store, it has two sides, one balsa wood, one leather and was probzbly intended for a straight razor. The other is a piece of ply with a section from an old belt glued down ("meat" side up). The third is a piece of pine board planed flat. All three gets treated with Autosol, bought at at Claes Ohlsson (or auto part stora: it is for polishing chrome). One tube last me for years, the big 1 litre can would last many lifetimes.

Hmm, another. For a scythe I put some PPG on a stick and sifted fine sand on it before it cooled. Never tried it for a knife, bound to be too coarse, but could work for e.g. a butcher knife where a roughter edge sometimes is an advantage.

 

[Perrari]

Hi Forestwalker.
What is PPG ? Obviously some Kind of glue ?

 

[forestwalker]

Hi Forestwalker.
What is PPG ? Obviously some Kind of glue ?

Pine Pitch Glue.