Can anyone recommend a sharpening kit?

[robin wood]

I would advise learn to sharpen on stones or emery paper with a system like Hoodoo's photos or Southey's link. Why?
1 it allows you to sharpen a range of different things from kitchen knives to pen knives to woodcarving knives to bushcraft knives to scissors to axes easily and well.
2 there is great satisfaction in being in control of the process yourself rather than relying on a jig
3 it means you are empowered and not reliant on your jigs, I can sharpen anywhere I can find some flat abrasive material.
4 it is faster and takes no setting up time.
5 you look like you know what you are doing
6 sharpening becomes a beautiful craft in which you can get the basics in a few days practice but you can continue learning and improving for years.

I had the big professional edge pro, you see them advertised second hand occasionally on British Blades forum. It makes you look like a serious knife sharpening dood but it is a bit of a faff and not worth getting out and setting up for touching up one knife. I used it for a while when I have 10 knives all the same bevel to do after a course but even that is much faster with skill on stones. Crock sticks like Lansky and Spyderco are good at what they do, quick touch up of a secondary bevel but once you learn to use stones that is a simple job taking literally seconds anyway.

You never said what it was you wanted to sharpen.

 

[pauljm116]

You never said what it was you wanted to sharpen.

Just my f1, if I ever need to and kitchen knives. Did like the look of the lansky and edge pro jigs, possibly because I love gadgets, but it sounds like I could do just as well with a few stones and an old belt! Thanks for all the advice.

 

[ProjeKtWEREWOLF]

The spyderco Tri-Angle sharpmaker can NOT do convex edges. I don't think it can do Scandi grind either. According to the manual.

 

[Silverback 1]

The Sharpmaker will put a secondary micro-bevel on a scandi edge (which some people prefer) finished off with a strop and compound, it makes for a scary sharp edge that is

stronger than a zero scandi. If you have an already decent edge on a convex ground blade, it can be maintained easily with just a strop and compound.

 

[wizard]

I have heard that the sandpaper and mouse pad are the best method for a convex edge like the F1. Seems logical. I have an Edge Pro and only use it for knives with a secondary bevel like my SAK's or my Grohmann Boat knife. I use water stones on my zero ground Scandi edges. The water stones are very effective. They are also sort of expensive and they wear. I just bought a flattening stone to resurface my water stones, have not recieved it yet. I've been having trouble with my super fine waterstone, the edges are real rough from a lot of use.
For stropping I have a block with a piece of suede leather glued on which is then treated with green polishing rouge. It works wonders and is all I regularly need to use to keep an edge shaving sharp.

 

[ged]

...You never said what it was you wanted to sharpen.

Just my f1, if I ever need to and kitchen knives. Did like the look of the lansky and edge pro jigs, possibly because I love gadgets, but it sounds like I could do just as well with a few stones and an old belt!...

And some Autosol, or a similar abrasive paste, yes. It doesn't need to cost very much.

Ive already got a DC4 in my pack and got a strop/waterstone kit on order with shep for use when out and about. I was after a system more for multi purpose sharpening at home for my various sharp things and kitchen knives and for getting edges back on blunt knives etc.

Systems like the Lansky one aren't very flexible. As has been said they're little use for a convex edge. I don't think it's been said that you change an edge to something more easily handled by one of the sharpening tools if you prefer. You might even prefer the edge that way in use, I'm not fond of very strongly convexed edges like the one on the F1 but I do usually prefer a slight convexity on my folders as it makes the edge a little bit tougher.

For your kitchen knives a steel will be as good as anything, I've picked them up in charity shops for a pound or so.

To clean up a damaged edge where you need to remove a lot of metal, the diamond side of your DC4 will do almost anything. If you need to sharpen a 're-curved' blade (one where the edge has the opposite of a belly) then you need a steel or something like an india file.

 

[dixienormns]

i use japanese water stones 800 1200 6000 grit to keep my knifes and axes razor sharp

 

[robevs73]

I have a large selection of diamond and water stones but if I was starting again I would not bother with the expensive stuff just use the wet and dry on a block method from 120 to 2500 grit then a board mounted strop with starkie paste and Finnish with a board mounted strop with autosol.
If your techniques are right you will have very good results far better than a DC4 pocket stone.
I can get a mirror polish on a scandi grind with this method just as good as using 250+ pounds worth of stones .