Sharpening stone

[theorsmeister]

Thought it might be good to have a thread on sharpening stones and steels, get some expert opinions.

I have a DC40 diamond and ceramic stone, doesnt need to be wet, very good indeed, i swear by it and not too pricy, only about 20 quid, so highly recommended.

Wonder if there's anything else on the market that might be good, possibly as a back up or for other tools as well.

 

[leon-1]

SpiderCo do combination ceramic stones, but be aware that they are of a considerably finer grade. Stuart and I were comparing his DC4 and my spiderco in Namibia and think that the medium ceramic is about the same as the ceramic on a DC4, the fine stone is very fine

Another option is to bond (using some form of cement or resin) a couple of Japanese water slipstones together.

You also have the option of various grades of Wet 'n' Dry bonded to a flat hard board.

 

[Andy]

Thought it might be good to have a thread on sharpening stones and steels, get some expert opinions.

I have a DC40 diamond and ceramic stone, doesnt need to be wet, very good indeed, i swear by it and not too pricy, only about 20 quid, so highly recommended.

Wonder if there's anything else on the market that might be good, possibly as a back up or for other tools as well.

you can use it dry, don't think it will complain if it has water on it though.

I still think my little spice pot is a great outdoor sharpening kit since it has enough space for lots of bit's of wet&dry, a film pot of beeswaxed based stuff to protect both the knife and sheath and a small bit of leather, it's big enough to hold, will do recurves on kukri/billhook and if you use the center you get a slight convex to the edge but if you use the bit closer to the end you get a flat bevel.

AND IT FLOATS

 

[tenbears10]

Combination japaneese water stones are only a tenner at axminster tools. I cut 3 inches off the end to give one 'home' stone and a smaller field/axe stone.

I am a big fan of stroping now though. Unless you dink the edge I rarely need a stone to get the edge back. Paste added to the strop works wonders as well.

And I didn't mention Starkie.

 

[Leon]

Last time I looked, Survival School were selling the DC4 but with the caveat that it isn't suitable for some carbon steel knives
The only possibility I have been able to think of for this is perhaps the problem of rust affecting the bond between the diamonds and the stone, which I seem to remember reading about with regard to some early diamond stones.
Any one know the actual reason?

 

[theorsmeister]

BTW, i have a dc4

i have a carbon steel knife and i t works great,
also the stone is not rusting and i have cleaned it with water

hope that helps, highly recomend the stone by the way

 

[leon-1]

BTW, i have a dc4

i have a carbon steel knife and i t works great,
also the stone is not rusting and i have cleaned it with water

hope that helps, highly recomend the stone by the way

I use both Carbon steel blades and stainless, if things work properly then you don't require water for either the DC4 or the SpiderCo stones.

I clean the SpiderCo with water all the time and don't have problems with rust, so this is not a problem as long as you look after both the knife and the stone there will be no problems and that is the same with all systems.

 

[The General]

The Spyderco products are superb, though bear in mind Aluma ceramic is brittle and will shatter if dropped.

I use the DMT range of Diamond hones for quick stock removal and workable edges when in the field. However a good strop and compound often prevents the need for this.

It is quite nice to have a couple of Spyderco ceramic sticks for quick touch up jobs, where stock removal is not required (or rather a lot of removal as any abrasive is sharpening by removing metal after all!) but where a strop is not enough.

 

[MartiniDave]

I like to use ths jap waterstones followed by a strop when at home. For away use I have a DC4 which works very well, but if you hand hold it do mind your fingers!
I found the DC4 a bit aggresive right from new, but promptly set about sharpening every kitchen knife in the house, and my full collection of every pocket knife I own (first time some of 'e have ever been truly sharp!). The DC4 now lives in my belt pouch all the time its not in use.
Incidentally Heinnie Heynes are doing them for £16.95 delivered.

Cheers,

Dave

 

[Marts]

I have:

Combination 1000/6000 Japenese waterstone
DC4
Spyderco sharpmaker
Gerber pocket sharpener
Starkie strop

Most of the time now I just use the starkie and it's great for carrying outside. The gerber is good but SO fragile - I have broken several of them now and it's very easy to do. If I need something more than the strop I tend to use the Spyderco. Still use a waterstone for my Axes though.

Thinking about making a Hoodoo hone - are they as easy as everyone says to use?

 

[Leon]

I emailed survival school for an expansion of their reservations re the DC4 and carbon blades. Got a very nice, prompt response: simply that their instructors have found it a little bit too coarse for some blades, not leaving the desired edge.
Shoots my theory down in flames, any way

 

[tanto]

I use the DC3. A bit coarse before you break it in. Like a lot of other people i have had problems with water getting in between the diamond and ceramic resulting in rust. Used a screwdriver to separate the two and sandpaper to take away the remaining glue and rust. Then i used alcohol to clean the surfaces before glueing them back together again. Havent had a problem since. I hope fällkniven fix the problem soon as this could undermine consumer trust in a company that (in my opinion) otherwise makes good quality products with an excellent customer service.

Why the DC3 and not the DC4:
Price, Size, Weight.

 

[theorsmeister]

By the way, i am talking about a stone for when you're out and about, not at home.

Sorry if I was unclear

 

[jim_w]

I've been playing around with convex sharpening for a while now - I've been using emery paper on a soft surface (my thigh), and getting pretty good results. The real advantage of this method is that you can carry several grades of emery paper in a very small space, and do a full 'at-home' sharpening cycle in the field if you need more than a strop.

 

[ssj]

I use a variation of the Hoodoo Hone. Instead of a mouse pad or softer rubber I glue a hard rubber sheet ( I get it at the hardware store, the red rubber sheeting used for gaskets) to a block. I like it a little better than the softer rubber for hollow, flat and scandi grind knives. As with other variations of the Hoodoo Hone, it's very light and you can take several grades of sandpaper. On the back side of the block, I glue leather for a hone. You may, of course, vary the size from field hone to bench hone.
Steve

 

[Celt_Ginger]

I use Jap waterstones, a traditional sharpening steel, and a leather strop at home. Result :- I can shave the hairs off my arm, and still have a strong edge. In the field, I use a Granfors Axe stone which is a little beauty for both my Axes and knives. Also, if you don't have a steel available, then lightly run the edge of your knive along the edge of your car window for better "bite"