All About Pocket Knives

I have many sharping stones and other sharping items, but have found my old Arkansas oil stone seems to be the most useful for many of my blase steels.
What do you use and how well does it work?

A lot of stones used by other members, and discussion about them, can be seen here. viewtopic.php?t=40335

Ken

I have posted it in that forum thanks.

I use the Lansky system. It works well on medium length blades. It gets clumsy for really flat angles and for short or long length blades.

https://www.lansky.com/professional-system.html

Work Sharp for touch ups. Wicked Edge for re-profiling.

Has anyone tried the Japanese water stones and if you have what do you think of them?

My favorite kitchen knife is a Olson filet knife my dad gave me, I can’t remember when. I keep it sharp enough that the better half whack her thumb last Sunday cutting onions for potato bake. I use it to filet the breast off the pheasant and debone the thighs while they’re on the bird. Anyway long story longer. Dad gave me this stone and I use it and it works wonderfully.
Have not done research on the stone to see how old it is.
Steve

LKSKNIVES,
I have not noticed or do not remember the trade name Crystolon. Norton stones have been in local hardware stores for a long time. I happen to have beside me a 6" x 2" x 3/8" medium Norton Carborundum stone with an original $2.50 price tag. I think that price dates it as old.

To answer the thread's original question I most often use my hard Arkansas stone or a white synthetic stone with a similar grit. I do about the same thing in the kitchen with honing rods. I have other stones that are coarser in varying degrees. My coarsest one was inexpensive at Walmart. It is a double grit. Its coarsest side is only good for hatchets and axes.

Again i am asking this question has anyone tried the Japanese water stones and if you have what do you think of them?

steeljustice wrote: ↑Sat Aug 31, 2024 1:39 pm Again i am asking this question has anyone tried the Japanese water stones and if you have what do you think of them?

They work well and can get a super sharp edge but they wear quickly and you need a flattening plate to keep them in good shape. I haven’t used them on s30/35/90 steel or d2 but carbon, 440 aus8 they worked great.

The retangular flat sharpening blocks with diamond sand on their surface might be best or last the longest sharpening the hardest steels but I haven't seen them with as fine a grit as I like for ordinary refreshing. For the limited amount I use knives I'm happy with common steels like Case's CV and the American Camillus company's 1095. They touch up quick and easy.

steeljustice wrote: ↑Thu Aug 29, 2024 4:18 pm I have many sharping stones and other sharping items, but have found my old Arkansas oil stone seems to be the most useful for many of my blase steels.
What do you use and how well does it work?

Nice looking sharpening kit.

Picked these up a while back
Don’t have much use to me because they are so small
I just thought they were cool

(Knife shown for size reference)

This is what it has evolved into for me. I recently retired all of my oil stones, some of which were over 100 years old and belonged to my Dad, Grand Dad, and Great Grand Dad. One of those old ones was a red stone that would put the final razor edge on most blades.The Lansky is the same one I have had since 1982, but the oil stones that came with it have been worn out and replaced with the Lansky diamond stones. The Lansky will sharpen the vast majority of pocket knife blades. It will not work good on very small or very large blades. The 2 diamond stones, coarse and fine, the double sided diamond file and the diamond needle file take care of the rest. I run all of these dry and sweep the stones occasionally with an old paint brush to remove the filings. I try to get most things to a 25 degree edge.

This is the result of bids on two lots at auction last December. The shipping was more than the purchase price and some arrived chipped, but the way my wife rolled her eyes when she saw the pile was priceless. The photo was taken after most were degreased. Many were nearly black with old oil, glazed and clogged. The pile includes mostly Washita and India stones. There's a couple of translucent Arkansas, Carborundum, A lonely diamond hone, an Escher razor hone from Germany, and a purple one I still haven't identified. Almost all were working stones, so most of their labels are long gone or barely readable. Many had wooden boxes that arrive beyond repair. The ones set in wood are mostly shop made from a single board that was first augured with a bit and brace, then chiseled out. One has the owners name paint on the bottom. Another says Stone, just so there's no confusion over what it might be. Maybe that too was the owner's name.