Sharpening
#11
I'd like to find a sharpening system for both shop tools and knives (kitchen, fishing, etc.).  I've watched several videos using stones.  That might work but the stones I'm finding are a bit pricey.  Maybe I just need to bite the bullet and pay up?

I've also read, and asked, about electric (worksharp).  Is there any consensus these days.  Any input appreciated.  Thanks, Bill
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#12
I use a wet grinder and follow up with a couple diamond stones and call it good for most things. But if you want sharp you need need a few water stones and yeah they are pricey but it's cheaper than using wet dry sandpaper of the same grits. 
     I sharpen allot with the Silicon carbide sandpaper because I have a bunch of it I bought at estate sales. It's old stuff and not flexible anymore but fine for sharpening.  

       If you are serious about sharpening skip all the other stuff and get some water stones. But for some stuff like reshaping of edges the wet grinder is very nice to have.

       One other thing. Don't do like allot of guys and ruin your stones.. Lots of old timers wear the crap out of them and they end up dished because they were never taught how to flatten a stone. Keep them FLAT and your edges will be sharp.
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#13
Ive used a number of systems, and for me, I have found wet stones are the best and most versatile (again, for me). I really think when it comes to sharpening, its all comes down to feel and what works for someone. 

I really like the King waterstones. I have the 800/4000 combo and a 6000 stone. I was going to get a finer one, but it doesnt seem needed.

I also have some DMT diamond stones....good stuff for heavy removal or flattening. Also like the diamond cards for touching up router bits quickly.

Once Favre hangs it up though, it years of cellar dwelling for the Pack. (Geoff 12-18-07)  



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#14
Waterstones for me, too, but I only use them for my shop tools.  I have 800, 1200, 3000, and recently bought an 8000 Sharpton.  That thing puts an amazing edge on chisels and plane irons, and makes hand tool use much easier and better; I highly recommend it.  I used to use the waterstones to sharpen my jointer/planer knives, too, but I bought a Grizzly knife grinder several years ago and now use that.  It's just a whole bunch faster and even though the edge is not as refined as with the waterstones I can't tell any difference in the quality of the cut or length of time between sharpenings.  

For the life of me I can't put a good edge on a kitchen knife with waterstones.  So I use a SiC grass scythe stone (honest) followed by aluminum oxide sharpening rods set in a wood block at 30 deg (I think).   With both of those the edge of the knife is in contact with the stone only at a single point, which might be why it's easier to use on curved knife edges, at least for me.    

If I were just starting out, I would go with the scary sharp system on a glass plate.  It's always dead flat and there is no maintenance.  And I've watched a colleague use diamond paste on machined steel plates; the edges he produced were top notch, too.  Again, little/no maintenance, and very cheap over the long haul.  You can even use MDF for the substrate if you want ultra cheap.  

John
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#15
One combo stone and a leather strop with honing compound will be more than adequate for your needs.  I think the best combo stone is a Norton 1000/4000.  If you ding an edge and need it repaired, that's when you can resort to sandpaper on a flat surface (glass, table saw top, jointer top, etc.) to restore the profile, then move to the combo stone and end up with the strop.  The Norton 1000/4000 will run around $67 from Amazon.  A King equivalent (800/4000) is a whopping $28.  IMO, Nortons are worth it.  King stones have a reputation for wearing quicker than most other brands.
Still Learning,

Allan Hill
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#16
(03-16-2017, 05:25 PM)AHill Wrote: One combo stone and a leather strop with honing compound will be more than adequate for your needs.  I think the best combo stone is a Norton 1000/4000.  If you ding an edge and need it repaired, that's when you can resort to sandpaper on a flat surface (glass, table saw top, jointer top, etc.) to restore the profile, then move to the combo stone and end up with the strop.  The Norton 1000/4000 will run around $67 from Amazon.  A King equivalent (800/4000) is a whopping $28.  IMO, Nortons are worth it.  King stones have a reputation for wearing quicker than most other brands.

Alan
Is that King Canada?
ABC(Anything But Crapsman)club member
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#17
(03-16-2017, 05:37 PM)chips ahoy Wrote: Alan
 Is that King Canada?

King made in Japan. The best water stones come from Japan imo.
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#18
I have Shapton water stones, and a WorkSharp 3000 and I love that machine for all chisels, and plane blades . I hardly get the Shaptons out anymore, but on really wide plane blades it's a better fit than the WS. For knives I use a hand held sharpener just for knives. Grinder for mower blades, and I'm set. I send TS blades out, and have never sharpened a BS blade. Maybe I should look into that. Lord knows I have some dull ones.
Big Grin I'm a happy camper when it comes to sharpening.
Worst thing they can do is cook ya and eat ya

GW
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#19
(03-16-2017, 04:16 PM)packerguy® Wrote: I really think when it comes to sharpening, its all comes down to feel and what works for someone. 

Absolutely, there is no wrong way, just different strokes for different folks. I think everyone ought to start at scary sharp, it's so cheap, and a lot of people never feel the need to move from there. Beyond that reach out to folks here. Everybody lives near somebody, find out who the locals are, and see what they are comfortable with, and they may have different methods to try. Going that way it may end up not being as expensive as it can be if you have to buy every method to just try it.
Worst thing they can do is cook ya and eat ya

GW
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#20
I have a fair amount of sharpening stuff,
from an old pedal powered wet stone (that I use often) to an expensive tool grinder, but for knives my favorite is paper wheels that I have on a dedicated grinder.

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