r/sharpening

I don´t need a razor sharp edge since my main knifes will be kitchen and swiss army knife.
I want something simple that gets the job done and does not require a lot of effort to set up.
If I need 30 min prep time I will not use it probably.

I was wondering if anyone has any recommendations for stones/systems. I am not the best a freehand sharpening (but want to learn with the right stone) and got the precision adjust over a year ago. I was able to get sharp edges, but it made it really easy to get uneven bevels and causing the blade tips to roll. I’ve also found the clamp to be difficult when it comes to my spydercos. Are there any stones or sharpening systems you all would recommend that are beginner friendly, get the job done and that are not crazy expensive?

I heard about the sharpal 162n, but I am not sure where to start. Do you all recommend angle gauges/digital readers as well?

Hi everyone,

I’m currently hesitating between a Shapton RockStar 3000 and a Shapton Glass HC 4000.

I’m not looking for a polished edge. What I want is a stone that leaves some bite and good cutting feel.

My knives include SG2, SLD, Aogami 1 and 2, VG10, Shirogami, and I also have several European knives.

My current sharpening setup is:

Sharpal 220/600

Naniwa 400

King Deluxe 800

Shapton Pro 1500

bare leather strop

Would the RockStar 3000 be the better choice for a more toothy edge, or would the Glass HC 4000 still be a better all-around option for these steels and knives?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

I've been trying to get the hang of sharpening for years. I have various grits of oil stone, water stone, diamond stone, files and so on, along with strops and compounds.No matter what stone I use, or what blade I'm trying to sharpen, my skill seems to max out at slightly sharper than a hotel butter knife. I've read through the info on this subreddit and watched hours of YouTube videos (including pretty much everything on outdoors55's channel) but I just can't get it. I've tried Buck knives, kitchen knives, Leatherman blades, Swiss army knives, Kershaw, and at absolute best I can cut a straight line through printer paper.

I'm paying attention to the angle, keeping my finger on the back of the blade and the stone to maintain, keeping smooth movements and moving my whole body, and everything that seems like it should be the correct technique. I can get a burr on both sides, but as soon as I minimize it to the point where stropping would be the next step, the knife is dull enough that I can run my thumb down the full length of the blade and there's no risk at all of getting cut.

I have no idea where I'm going wrong or what else to try. It's like I'd be better off just buying cheap knives and throwing them away and replacing once they lose their factory edge because this skill seems permanently out of my reach.

if you're new and the knife still feels dull after a bunch of passes, try this before ordering a coarser stone:

1. color the bevel all the way to the edge with a sharpie.

2. make 3-5 light passes per side at the angle you were already using.

3. look where the marker came off.

marker gone near the shoulder but still black at the apex = too shallow.

marker gone at the apex but black behind it = too steep.

marker gone across the bevel = angle is close enough, now work until you can actually feel a burr.

takes less than a minute and it tells you if the problem is angle/contact, or if you just haven't spent enough time on the first side. way better than counting strokes.

I'm brand new to using a whetstone and looking for advice without spending a ton on gear right out of the gate. I've had a Wusthof Classic Ikon for a few years and I've got an Okubo aogami nakiri on the way, so a western and a Japanese blade to work with. I've seen many people say a Shapton Pro 1000 is a good all around starting stone if you can have just one, but I've also seen people grind finer on especially Asian blades. Knifewear/Naniwa has a combination 1000/3000 stone (and I know there are other combo stones available), so would that be better?

I would of course practice with cheaper blades before sharpening these knives, but what would you recommend here?

Selon vous, quel acier offre le meilleur tranchant ? Je veux dire celui avec lequel vous vous êtes le plus amusé à affûter et avec lequel vous vous êtes dis " ah ouai là c'est tranchant "

Je suis curieux de connaître l'avis de chacun 😉

Anyone any tips or tricks to getting this right? I seem to be great at bringing my main blades back to factory or even razor sharp with ceramic and a strop. The scissors are the same steel but, while I can make them noticeably sharper, I never seem to get back that clean cutting snip you get with new scissors