Sharpening Stones/Kits - Purchasing advice please.

[Gearpac]

Hi,
Well I am probably like many folks.. Love bushcraft, but in reality I spend far more time in the kitchen using knives than anywhere near the bush.
I have a real fire, so axes a plenty and to date I have never bothered much looking after them, in fact I haven't realise quite how dull and blunt and damaged some of them were from my poor behaviour till reading some of the great threads on here, as they chopped wood "ok" and have done for years. It wasn't till I got my new axe for camping, that I realised how it differed from my neglected others.

Now. I own a few metal files, some wet and dry and that's about it.. oh and kitchen sharpening steel (that was cheap and cheer full).


So.. given I want to be able to sharpen the following;

A variety of kitchen knives and cleavers (these being about 90% of my sharpening need in a year)
A couple of bush craft knives (these being about 5% of my sharpening needs in a year).
A couple of hatchets, and a splitting maul (these being about 5% of my sharpening needs in a year).

I wondered what suggestions people might have for keeping them all sharp.
My requirements also mean. What ever solution I go for must last.. I hate being cheap and repeatedly. I would rather buy well, and buy once. That said I am not a limitless pot of cash (oh how I wish).

So.. views on a post card..(well on here please. )

Many thanks.

John

 

[mountainm]

I have one of these
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Professio...pt=UK_Kitchen_Accessories&hash=item2a2b87b5a1

Don't expect high quality components, but it does the job well and can be upgraded with your own boards/abrasives. Most of the time you should only be stropping anyway so you won't use it that often.

 

[dwardo]

I use a steel for kitchen knives unless they need re-profiling when I would use a diamond stone, just a cheapo one or maybe even my DC4.
For my scandi and bushy type knives I use a 6000/1000 Japanese water stone.
For my convex stuff like my axes, billhooks and draw knives I use Reds £5 sharpening kit.

I dont think you are going to find something that does them all well.

 

[Uilleachan]

dwardo is right, there is no one size fits all solution, for the knives perhaps but not the axes.

I'd only consider sharpening the hatchets, and a file will do that, or a 200-400 grade whet or oil stone.

A splitting axe is better blunt. In fact I don't even have an axe these days preferring a longer than normal plastic handled splitter, never gets stuck, doesn't need sharpened and still going strong after 22 years left outside, in all weathers and having split it's way through and average of 5 tonnes per annum in that time. From Greenheart to mono-block pulp, it won't be beaten by an axe.

 

[Gearpac]

Thank you. I think sadly I was probably being a bit over optimistic as such, hoping for a single solution as you rightly point out.
I am considering, getting an axe stone, lansky for the hatchets as I already have tool files and then a combination 1000/6000 or so Japanese wet stone for the knives.
If I go out in the field the axe stone and a bit of fine wet/dry would cope with any field sharpening of hatchet and even my field knife.
My field trips tend to be a few days at a time and not many weeks (how I wish), and the tools I have keep pretty good edges.
I don't know how long a waterstones last, I am certainly not going to be using it as often as the likes of professional chef, so hopefully one would last me many many years.

 

[copper_head]

I use one of these on my kitchen knives, got one at work and one for home. I wouldn't bother sharpening my kitchen knives with a set of bench stones, it's not required IMO. Just put a quick and dirty edge on it and repeat as required.

I have a set of Ice Bears for my camp knives, in 600 and a 1000/6000 grits.

 

[British Red]

Don't bother with an axe stone IMO, there are far better solutions for an axe. A mill file, couple of cheap diamond cards from the market that accept a curve and a sanding block with some wet and dry will get even the bluntest axe razor sharp. A file is only needed for cutting back an edge after a nasty ding. The rest should offer change from a ten pound note with ease. Take a look at the "how to sharpen an axe" tutorial in edged tools.