All About Pocket Knives

I was just wondering what everyone's favorite sharpening system is. I have used stones, both traditional and diamond with good results. I have also used my father's Lansky setup which produces a very consistent edge.

I just picked up a CRKT slide sharp for really cheap on ebay so I'll report on it after it arrives. I look forward to your replies.

Nick

lanski, hard arkansas and a leather razor strop.

Only stones and a strop for me. Depends on the condition of the knife, if it is real bad, I'll use a Carbarundum (sp), then the Arkansas stones and finally the leather strop. Now that I have a Bader, I will use a worn out 80 micron belt and I can get it fairly sharp there, just avoid the heat.

Not very traditional, but it's the Spyderco Sharpmaker for me. I've not acquired a love of sharpening as yet, so the fact that it's quick and easy is what gets it my vote. Afterwards I strop on either the thigh of my blue jeans, or some cardboard. I really should just get a leather strop, but the jeans work pretty good!

This homemade inclined plane holds a sharpening stone at 20 degrees, I can change the angle by putting a piece of wood under one of the ends. I find it intuitively easy to hold the blade of a knife horizontal as I draw it along the hone thus maintaining the angle. I like to make double bevel edges, such as 15/20 degrees or more acute.

The hones shown are: hard Arkansas, Washita and ceramic, I have others including diamond and some cheap coarse stones for reprofiling.

The marker is for painting the edge of the blade and see what is removed when passing along the hone (specially useful when reprofiling), the 8X magnifier also helps to see the edge condition and progress as it is sharpened.

For fast touch-ups I use an old set of ceramic Crock sticks. I also strop on leather or cardboard, for a fine polished edge I wrap a hone with paper, place it on the inclined plane and strop at the same angle as the edge.

Luis

Hard Arkansas stone and leather for me. When it shaves the hair off my forearm I know I've got it about as sharp as I need.

EZ lap diamond stones for the rough stuff, over to a schrade honesteel, then finally a few laps on the strop.

muskrat man wrote:EZ lap diamond stones for the rough stuff, over to a schrade honesteel, then finally a few laps on the strop.

Me too

I carry a small EZ-Lap Dsteel to sharpen or touch up. I saturate the sheath the steel comes with, with a light machine oil and it becomes the strop. The more you use it the better it gets

Here is one thing you just might try.


http://www.antiquetools.com/sharp/sharp ... ml#leather

Thanks for the replies. I'm still waiting on the slide sharp- should be here any time now & I'll report back.
Nick

Well after using the slide sharp over the last week I feel I can give it a review. I am not impressed. The rods do not fit firmly into the base so they sorta wobble a bit while you use it. The actual sharpening movement used is somewhat awkward, but is easier with a little practice. The coarse rod has a few imperfections in it, almost like tiny bumps here and there. I could put a better edge on a knife with a stone in less time.

I paid about $15 for it including shipping, so I'm not that upset about it, just not impressed.

Nick