Stainless Steel

[pierre girard]

What are your recommendations for sharpening stainless steel blades? Most of my knives are carbon steel. I have not problem sharpening them. A few stainless steel knives have crept in - in recent years. They are not so easy to sharpen. Wondering if there's a better way, or at least easier, way?

 

[Longstrider]

"Easier" depends on how you are sharpening them at the moment Pierre.
Knives of stainless steel tend to be heat treated to a harder state than carbon blades so can be more difficult to remove metal from, but they should still be Ok to sharpen with wet-n-dry, oilstones, waterstones etc etc just like your carbon blades. They may take a little longer to get right due to them being harder, but you should get there without too much effort.
Personally I use DMT sharpeners for almost everything I ever need to put an edge on. The diamond hones cut steel like you wouldn't believe if you've never tried them, and they don't care whether it's carbon or stainless.

 

[addyb]

I've found that the "Five Pound Sharpening" kit works fine for stainless steel knives. The biggest thing to understand with stainless is that the carbides in the steel increase the wear resistance of the blade and so, coupled with a high degree of hardness (in some cases) makes the blades more difficult to sharpen. But, it's not like you'll break a sweat sharpening your average stainless blade, it just takes a bit more time than with a carbon blade.

I've got quite the collection of sharpening stones, strops and the like, and yeah, carbon blades are a little easier to sharpen but it's not a huge difference. To be frank, it's only when you get involved with the so called 'super steels' that the sharpening of a stainless blade requires grunt work. And we certainly can't forget about "Steel Snobbery" which goes hand in hand with super steels!

Adam

 

[OldJimbo]

I'd certainly second the advice to get a large diamond stone if possible. It'll speed things up considerably in setting up an edge. I find that once a good edge is set up then my usual cheap methods of emery paper and green buffing compound work fine if the blade is touched up after every day's use.

 

[weaver]

I use a fine (600 grit) DMT diamond plate (2.5 x 8 inch) for everything now. Even carbide sharpens faster and easier on it. Carbon steel is like smearing putty.

 

[pierre girard]

About ten years ago, I noticed that a friend's blades were always extremely sharp. He said the only thing he used on his blades were "razor" stones (the old stones used to keep straight razors sharp). He used these stones no matter how dull the blade was. Seems to work, and it's what I've used every since - along with a strop. Doesn't seem to work that well with stainless though.

I had two diamond stones, years ago, but it seemed like they wore out fairly quick (I have a lot of edges I like to keep sharp). Since then, I've just used the "razor" stones - which work quite well with most carbon steel (Solingen blades take a long time). The stainless steel blade I've been working on just doesn't seem to be coming sharp at all. Guess I'll have to work with some intermediate grit stones, something I haven't done in a while. Was hoping someone had come up with an easier way.

Problem I have with this blade is - someone used the edge for a pry bar and it is in very bad shape. I had to take it on the grinding wheel to get the dings out of it, and I think it will take a long time to make it right. I never put a knife on the wheel - because of the heat - if I can help it.

 

[OldJimbo]

The old EZ-Lap diamond stones wore out fast but the better new ones hold up. This Xmas it's my turn to get the biggest DMT stones!
Razor stones will work fine on stainless - but not for big re-profiling jobs, or you'll be at it for ever.
The best tool I ever got for big jobs was a little 1x30" belt grinder on sale. It's set up lots of knives and axes without worrying so much about heat as with a circular grindstone.

 

[demographic]

600 grit DMT benchstone.

I use it for my plane irons (blades to you lot) chisels, knives and even touch up router cutters on the odd occasion.

Larger grit for re-profiling though.

 

[weaver]

The old EZ-Lap diamond stones wore out fast but the better new ones hold up. This Xmas it's my turn to get the biggest DMT stones!
Razor stones will work fine on stainless - but not for big re-profiling jobs, or you'll be at it for ever.
The best tool I ever got for big jobs was a little 1x30" belt grinder on sale. It's set up lots of knives and axes without worrying so much about heat as with a circular grindstone.

This is the Gospel!

 

[Longstrider]

The DMT stones really are the dogs whotsits in my opinion. They now do a black colour-coded one that is rated as Extra Coarse, and oh boy does that shift steel or what?! I keep all 4 grades on me when camping by carrying 2 double sided Diafolds (They open out like a butterfly knife oe Balisong) One is Extra Coarse and Coarse, the other is Fine and Extra Fine. I've reprofiled axes with them more than once, and sharpened more steel than I could lift in total, but they are still going strong and doing what they were bought to do. A quick strop on some loaded leather once you're done with the Extra Fine and just about anything will shave your arm hairs.

 

[Shinken]

Have to agree they are the dogs, you get what you pay for. I am going to states soon and will be picking up a Dmt XXX coarse benchstone!

 

[scottishwolf]

I have a lansky basic system and yet still swear by the old oilstone my grandfather left me. It has a coarse side and fine side, although the coarse side seems to be a bit concave now (it had maily been used for wood chisels etc for about 40 yrs) but the fine side is cool . I'm fairly new to this and am prob doing it wrong but i can get razor edge just by taking my time with the fine side and finishing it freehand on the fine lansky stone. I'm prob doing it all wrong as the edge doesnt last very well, even razor sharp to start wth. But at the end of the day, most of the blades I have are cheap stainless and I manange just fine with them.

 

[John Fenna]

I recently helped a pal move house (I have a white van and lots of time as I am self unemployed) and he gave me a set of DMTs Blue ,Red and Green paddle like afairs. They are brill as a field set, while at home I use various mono crystaline diamond "stones" none more than 5" long as big ones are SO expensive. The small ones still make short work of S/S. I also use a Lansky system of wet stones but only for those times when I need to be sure of the angle, such as reprofiling and when I have a long job on and I am a little tired!
Fine grade wet and dry paper on mouse mats and leather on a wood block, loaded with polishing compound make fine strops for that "eeeek!" finish.
I use the same systems on my carbon blades - which I prefer!

 

[Silverback]

Yup echo all that has been said about DMT - the butterfly knife and small fold outs are fantastic for axes

 

[OldJimbo]

The DMT stones are monocrystalline, whereas the cheaper Ez_Lap stones are polycrystalline. All that means is that many of the diamonds came off the earlier Ez-Lap stones and a person was left with a very fine plate.
The only thing I have trouble accepting is that a single large DMT costs more than a cheap grinder and lots of belts...

 

[addyb]

Jimbo,

Yeah they're bl**dy expensive. I was in one of Nanaimo's knife shops a while ago, (ironically called "The Knife Shoppe." How original) looking at pocket sized diamond hones, something that I could take in the bush with me. Right. Twenty bucks for something about as long as a king size cigarette and as wide as a spoon. It was ridiculous!

Adam