First, let me say I suck at sharpening knives. I have watched youtube videos and have read a lot of info but still cannot get it right. I have a couple of stones that do a pretty good job but I just can't get a razor edge. Maybe somebody out there can helpme with a question. When I was a kid, my Dad had a stone that he inherited from my Grampa (who was a farmer). When my Dad passed away years ago, I looked for it in his small tool shed and couldn't find it. It was a hemispherical stone about the size of half a soft ball as I recall. My Dad used to refer to it as a soap stone but I don't think that's what it was. All I recall is that it was very finely grained and had some natural striations in it so I am sure it was not man made as my Gramps probably inherited from his. My dad let me use it a few times as a kid to put an edge on my old Barlow knife and he would always use it to put a fine edge on a scythe or scickle or any blade. Does anyone have any idea what this stone might have been? If any help, we grew up in Southwestern PA (Pennsyltucky).
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Sidearms & Scatterguns knife sharpening info from the guru's out there
- Thread starter tomcat mv
- Start date
Old natural stones are usually Arkansas stones. They run from around 400-1400 grit and some do show striations. The round stones are usually used for tools like axes or scythes and are coarser grits.
The Worksharp tool is actually a miniature slack belt grinder and produces a convex or "apple-seed" edge. This is an excellent edge profile and is long lasting. For home use, the Worksharp is hard to beat, takes very little skill and is fast.
The Worksharp tool is actually a miniature slack belt grinder and produces a convex or "apple-seed" edge. This is an excellent edge profile and is long lasting. For home use, the Worksharp is hard to beat, takes very little skill and is fast.
So long as we're talking about sharpening knives...
I just got a practitioners-grade Katana, and it needs to be sharpened.
How is this best done? Do I need a really long stone, or do I just focus of 4-5" of the blade at a time?
Something I should just have a professional do? I understand knife sharpening principles, but I'm not particularly excellent at it either.
I just got a practitioners-grade Katana, and it needs to be sharpened.
How is this best done? Do I need a really long stone, or do I just focus of 4-5" of the blade at a time?
Something I should just have a professional do? I understand knife sharpening principles, but I'm not particularly excellent at it either.
For knife sharpening the Wicked Edge system is just perfect in my opinion, they're not cheap though.
Worth it for me as i get my knifes razor sharp in a few minutes, a lot of options in sharpeners (belts, waterstones and diamond) and the angled feature works great.
Turbo54:
Now depending on witch Katana you have, mainly it's price and blade construction.
It's certainly a job best left for professionals.
Sharpening a katana is best done with Japanese water stones,fitting stand and proper technique.
Don't need a really long stone, work over the blade in a concentric way a few inches at a time, there is plenty of videos on youtube of professionals that gives you a good idea.
If you're sword is relatively cheap and you're not worried about messing up the blade geometry just have at it.
The Kissaki (tip) geometry is certainly the hardest part to get right,and should be sharpened isolated from the rest of the blade.
If you don't have one already get a basic Japanese sword mainentance kit from fx Bugei, and it will keep you're edge serviceable for a longer time.
There is a reason though that a superior grade sword polishing job usually costs in the 3000 range.
If you want a professional polishing Ted Teonold (Legacyswords.com) is certainly one of best in the US, he fits, polishes and sell real Nihonto, and Gendai swords for a living, he is also Bugei regular polisher.
Keith Larmann (sommerchild.com) is certainly one of the most knowledgeable persons in the US when it comes to japanese swords,he mounts, polishes and sells Gendai (modern) swords. He is also a source for Bugei and has designed some of they're blades.
Not likely he will take on any new work,but his site has a good selection of links to people that does excellent work.
As for polishing mr Larman does not touch real a Nihonto, and advice to send them to Japan witch kinda says a lot really.
Beware though looking at these sites might end up costing you a lot.
A Howard Clark L6 blade is on the list of things i must have sooner or later.
Worth it for me as i get my knifes razor sharp in a few minutes, a lot of options in sharpeners (belts, waterstones and diamond) and the angled feature works great.
Turbo54:
Now depending on witch Katana you have, mainly it's price and blade construction.
It's certainly a job best left for professionals.
Sharpening a katana is best done with Japanese water stones,fitting stand and proper technique.
Don't need a really long stone, work over the blade in a concentric way a few inches at a time, there is plenty of videos on youtube of professionals that gives you a good idea.
If you're sword is relatively cheap and you're not worried about messing up the blade geometry just have at it.
The Kissaki (tip) geometry is certainly the hardest part to get right,and should be sharpened isolated from the rest of the blade.
If you don't have one already get a basic Japanese sword mainentance kit from fx Bugei, and it will keep you're edge serviceable for a longer time.
There is a reason though that a superior grade sword polishing job usually costs in the 3000 range.
If you want a professional polishing Ted Teonold (Legacyswords.com) is certainly one of best in the US, he fits, polishes and sell real Nihonto, and Gendai swords for a living, he is also Bugei regular polisher.
Keith Larmann (sommerchild.com) is certainly one of the most knowledgeable persons in the US when it comes to japanese swords,he mounts, polishes and sells Gendai (modern) swords. He is also a source for Bugei and has designed some of they're blades.
Not likely he will take on any new work,but his site has a good selection of links to people that does excellent work.
As for polishing mr Larman does not touch real a Nihonto, and advice to send them to Japan witch kinda says a lot really.
Beware though looking at these sites might end up costing you a lot.
A Howard Clark L6 blade is on the list of things i must have sooner or later.
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Thank you.
Honestly I think this katana is too nice for me to screw with myself.
I'll cruise some of the sites you mention and find someone who can do it up nice.
I have the Wicked Edge system, and is the best, rookie proof system out there. YouTube it and see. Great kit, J
I have used the work sharp one and it works very well. Going to get one of my own or just steal my dads
I'm no expert, but I had an old Arkansas stone I could do well with. I actually use this fine diamond "stone" now. It's an orange plastic block with a metal plate and industrial diamonds. Once it gets broken in, it works pretty well. If I can't get it razor sharp, shaving sharp, I don't want it.
As for sharpening Japanese swords, I saw a thing on this once. The swords were made by a swordsmith, but they were sharpened by expert sharpeners praised as highly as the swordsmith himself. They started with heavy grit, worked through several types of grit and materials, and finished using first a small piece of leather with fine grit in it, finally with BARE FINGERS AND GRIT along a 42" blade. Fuck that. It took two weeks to a month to get it sharp. They said accidents were very common. I don't see a way of duplicating this with technology.
I guess that's how you get an 8 body blade though.
As for sharpening Japanese swords, I saw a thing on this once. The swords were made by a swordsmith, but they were sharpened by expert sharpeners praised as highly as the swordsmith himself. They started with heavy grit, worked through several types of grit and materials, and finished using first a small piece of leather with fine grit in it, finally with BARE FINGERS AND GRIT along a 42" blade. Fuck that. It took two weeks to a month to get it sharp. They said accidents were very common. I don't see a way of duplicating this with technology.
I guess that's how you get an 8 body blade though.
I have a Wicked Edge also and I have never seen anything that can get a knife that sharp or even change the edge profile on a knife. I actually took and emerson cqc7v and made it into a true v grind and changed the edge to around a 22 degree and I'm in no way good a sharpening knives.
Chicago Cutlery Knife Sharpening Steel CL38W. Chicago Cutlery Knife Accessories.
I used to use stones before every hunting trip. I haven't touched a stone in ten years. I have butchered quite a few whitetails
putting an edge on a screwed up blade or starting from scratch I can see using a stone. but in most cases the edge just needs to be put back into shape, for this I use the steel.
give it a try you probably have one already
Knife Sharpening How To Use A Sharpening Steel Part 1 - YouTube
I didn't listen to the guy but you get the point but around 9:00 shows how to do it
I used to use stones before every hunting trip. I haven't touched a stone in ten years. I have butchered quite a few whitetails
putting an edge on a screwed up blade or starting from scratch I can see using a stone. but in most cases the edge just needs to be put back into shape, for this I use the steel.
give it a try you probably have one already
Knife Sharpening How To Use A Sharpening Steel Part 1 - YouTube
I didn't listen to the guy but you get the point but around 9:00 shows how to do it
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I got a set of Norton water stones and learned to sharpen. I can now make a blade shaving sharp. Slice through a towel and the end of your finger off without feeling it sharp (my poor dear wife). That said, it takes a long time and a lot of patience. At least for me. If I had not invested so much time and money and got to start over I would probably get one of the better gizmos out there today.
Sorry I can't help on the round stone but as someone else mentioned, it is probably an Arkansas stone and, IMO, would not have given you an optimum edge on a kitchen or carry knife.
Sorry I can't help on the round stone but as someone else mentioned, it is probably an Arkansas stone and, IMO, would not have given you an optimum edge on a kitchen or carry knife.
I got a Gatco kit with the diamond stones & added some natural stones. The whole trick to sharpening well is the angle used. It must match the steel & cutting job and be held at the same angle each & every time. This type helps to make a good edge. You can get carried away with things. I made some strops and got some diamond paste to polish the edge once I was finished with the stones.
http://imageshack.com/a/img163/7691/71v0.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img163/7691/71v0.jpg
Sadly this is one of the "things that every man should know" that has fallen by the wayside. It is a skill that has been lost to machines and gizmos. Every man should know how to sharpen a knife on a stone and maintain the edge with a steel, ceramic, Arkansas stone or other strop.
I use a reversible India stone for most sharpening, especially around the shop, though sometimes I'll use a wet drum sander.
1. Lay the stone on a flat stable surface.
2. Set the knife on the stone and tilt it until you have the angle you want on the blade. You can lay a couple of quarters on the
stone as a guide. put the spine (back edge) of the knife on the quarters and the cutting edge on the stone should be at a good
angle.
3. LOCK YOUR WRIST. Most edges are ruined because people move the knife with their wrist instead of the elbow and shoulder.
use a circular motion when sharpening. Some guys will tell you to only push or pull the knife, that's BS the stone cuts in any
direction and at this point you are sanding an edge into the blade. Spend equal amounts of time on both sides of the blade.
4. Once the knife is as sharp as you want it you can polish the edge if you want, this step isn't usually needed. A hard Arkansas
stone works well for this. Lay the blade on the stone at the same angle used before, you should use a circular motion at this
stage too.
5. Maintaining or really polishing the edge. Once a blade is sharp it usually doesn't need to be re-ground very often. When an edge
starts to dull it is usually just the very edge that has turned or bent. This can be polished out with the Arkansas stone as above
or stropped on a steel. The steel will pull the edge back into shape. Also a leather strop can be used, you don't really even
need leather, I've used paper, cardboard and even a muslin buff. If you use any of these buy some polish, green rouge or
Fabulustre work well with steel and will give a gleaming edge that nobody but you or a barber will appreciate.
Hope this helps.
I use a reversible India stone for most sharpening, especially around the shop, though sometimes I'll use a wet drum sander.
1. Lay the stone on a flat stable surface.
2. Set the knife on the stone and tilt it until you have the angle you want on the blade. You can lay a couple of quarters on the
stone as a guide. put the spine (back edge) of the knife on the quarters and the cutting edge on the stone should be at a good
angle.
3. LOCK YOUR WRIST. Most edges are ruined because people move the knife with their wrist instead of the elbow and shoulder.
use a circular motion when sharpening. Some guys will tell you to only push or pull the knife, that's BS the stone cuts in any
direction and at this point you are sanding an edge into the blade. Spend equal amounts of time on both sides of the blade.
4. Once the knife is as sharp as you want it you can polish the edge if you want, this step isn't usually needed. A hard Arkansas
stone works well for this. Lay the blade on the stone at the same angle used before, you should use a circular motion at this
stage too.
5. Maintaining or really polishing the edge. Once a blade is sharp it usually doesn't need to be re-ground very often. When an edge
starts to dull it is usually just the very edge that has turned or bent. This can be polished out with the Arkansas stone as above
or stropped on a steel. The steel will pull the edge back into shape. Also a leather strop can be used, you don't really even
need leather, I've used paper, cardboard and even a muslin buff. If you use any of these buy some polish, green rouge or
Fabulustre work well with steel and will give a gleaming edge that nobody but you or a barber will appreciate.
Hope this helps.
If you want the nice razor sharp edge, finish with a ceramic rod and then a leather strop. If you suck at sharpening then you need to sharpen more, so get a cheep knife and work on it until it can pop hairs off of your arm. Then get a quality knife and you will find it amazingly easy to put a razor edge on it. I have three grades of grit for stones that I picked up from goodwill and a ceramic honer I picked up from macy's (or some store like that), for a leather strop I use an old leather belt. Whole system cost less then $20. Or you can spend the money and not worry about developing the skill needed and buy a sharpening system. For the money I would buy the spyderco sharpmaker around $50 and works well. If you want perfection and don't care about money then I would look at the APEX Pro sharpmaker. That thing will put a perfect mirror edge that is so sharp the hair jumps off your arm before you touch it. It costs a bit of money.
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