Sharpening technique

[Theo01]

How do you guys like to sharpen your knives? Back and forth, side to side or in circulars motions.
I've only got a DC4 (quite small) so have always sharpened in circular motions, which works very well but the balde metal doesn't exactly stay looking neat.

You go...

 

[mace242]

I use larger stones. Really you'll struggle - IMHO - to get a good edge without proper stones. I did use a DC3 and found that back and forth, with the pressure only in one direction, worked best for me.

 

[addyb]

I tend to use a slicing motion across the entire length of the blade - and that goes for both rough grit and fine grit stones. Of course, I strop afterwards.

Adam

 

[mace242]

Exactly what I do now.

 

[Longstrider]

Hi Theo, The way I tend to work on an edge depends on the type of grind of the knife. If it's a Scandi where the grinding lines will still be evident even after stropping I keep the hone travelling at right angles to the edge all the way along. This leaves a neater looking knife when it's all done.
On knives where I'm going to strop away all evidence of sharpening with the hones (knives with secondary bevels or convex grinds) I normally find it easiest to work the hone in a diagonal fashion across the edge, alternating the angle from left diagonal to right diagonal between grits so I can see when each successively finer grit has removed the marks of the previous hone. Once stropped this leaves the edge as smooth and shiney as a mirror and wickedly sharp.

If you would like a few pointers on using diamond hones to get your knife as sharp as you could ever need it, and you plan on being at the Summer Moot take a look at ..... http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20985

 

[weaver]

When I have to use a small stone I hold the knife on the edge of a rest (table, tree limb) sharp edge up and tilted away from me. I hold the stone in my other hand face down against the blade. In this way I can see the action of the stone upon the blade. I usually work with a corse stone in a circular motion to begin with in order to work the metal down quickly. Then end with a finer stone and more of a perpendicular motion to smooth the edge.