DC3 or 4 - worth the money?

[shep]

I found the DC's to be much to aggressive in removing metal. I now have a pocket arkansas stone.

Link

I agree. I've had a dc4 for a few years and quite like the ceramic side, but never use the diamond side, it's much too rough.

When out and about, I usually stay sharp by regular stropping on my belt. That has made do up trips over 5 days with general camp use.

Next time I feel the kit daemons biting I'll look into some of the alternatives mentioned above.

 

[robevs73]

do4 every time. but in my oppinion the dmt double sided diafolds are the best pocket sharpeners.

 

[Blades]

Ok so folk are saying you can use the blade for a week and it still won't need sharpening, I have the Gransfors mini hatchet and the carbon mora, I've only made one spoon with them both but before I did it they could do the sliceing paper thing happily but now both of them cut it but kinda tear at it it in the process, is the paper thing that important, should I try to touch them up with the ceramic side of the DC4 I got the other day or just leave them for a bit longer. I remember seeing the video where Ray says if its not sharp enough to cut paper then it needs sharpening. So......................

 

[Ratbag]

Ok so folk are saying you can use the blade for a week and it still won't need sharpening, I have the Gransfors mini hatchet and the carbon mora, I've only made one spoon with them both but before I did it they could do the sliceing paper thing happily but now both of them cut it but kinda tear at it it in the process, is the paper thing that important, should I try to touch them up with the ceramic side of the DC4 I got the other day or just leave them for a bit longer. I remember seeing the video where Ray says if its not sharp enough to cut paper then it needs sharpening. So......................

Before you get your stones out, just try stropping on a leather belt with some kind of stropping compound. (There are lots of threads about different ways to strop, by the way)You might be suprised at how quickly the edge comes back - and maybe you won't need to sharpen at all. That's the distinction i would make between sharpening and stropping.

I have had an Enzo trapper in D2 for about a year and I don't think its been touched by my sharpener (a DC3) since I first sharpened it. But I strop it probably once a fortnight and that keeps it paper-slicing sharp.

HTH

Rat