Show us your knife sharpening tools

[forluvofsmoke]

Here's my spread:

For All purpose knife sharpening, honing and edge straightening (left is a diamond honing sytem with course & fine), right is the stone wheel machine, center is my newly aquired interupted surface diamond hone/steel:

 

[the iceman]

I don't have any pics but I have a Chef's Choice 320. It works pretty well on my serrated & straight bladed knives. I had one carving knife that wouldn't cut hot butter without a lot of effort & the 320 brought it back to life.

 

[forluvofsmoke]

This is my course/fine sharpening wheel machine:

Diamond edge sharpener/straightener, with a fish-hook sharpener, the right-hand end contains knife sharpening stones, medium grade:

A ceramic dual action edge straightener, just draw the blade through it, easy:

And this lil' fella is a great addition for camping/hunting: Smith's Diamond Hone Sharpening Tool, complete with belt sheath (owned this for 20+ yrs):

OK, that includes everthing I use, I think, excluding the steel which came with the set of Chicago Cutlery Bio-Curve knife set I bought for the wife 25 years ago. We still have and use that full set.

Eric

 

[richoso1]

I'm an old school guy, so my tools are minimum. This is all I use to sharpen and maintain knives, except for the serrated blades.

 

[mulepackin]

I use a Gatko system for most knives. After 30 years I also finally feel confident with a stone, and use it for chisels, etc. The Gatco has a triangular stone that is great for serrated knives.

 

[bmudd14474]

Here's what I use. Its a little expensive but has been well worth it. I sharpen everyones knives. http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...set=ISO-8859-1

 

[bbq engineer]

I spent the summer between high school and college working at Iowa Beef Processors (IBP) on their production line...it did three things for me:

1. Reinforced why I wanted to go to school.
2. Turned me into a vegetarian for a few months until I got away from there.
3. Taught me how to keep a knife - this skill has followed me throughout my life, and I guarantee that I have some knifes that my hunting / skinning friends comment on that are scary sharp. I have some oil stones, a steel and a ceramic steel that I use.

One of the most important things are the knives themselves. I mostly use Henkels twin series knives...they are expensive but man do they hold an edge.

 

[killbuck]

I quess I'm from the old school too. I just use a big Arkansas stone, medium one side fine the other, a little 3in1 oil, and a Case steel. Been doing it this way since 1961 and can put an edge on a ham slicer or a USMC Kabar sharp enough to shave with. A lot of friends often ask if I can sharpen a knife or two for them. It just takes practice and the love of doing it.

 

[cman95]

mule...I have a lanskey set that looks like that. Works good.

 

[afreetrapper]

BBQ Engineer I see your from Desoto I'm born and bred Topeka living in Galena will eb back home in about a year. I have several family who were IBP Emporia. One of my cousins husbands worked there for awhile in slaughter then pulling clods. I recall he said when he hired on and they were taught the fine art of keeping a knife tuned that they were told to not go hone and put that same edge on the household knives. Don't know why I was told in scouts a dull knife is more dangerous than a sharp one. He didn't heed there advice and went home and practiced on the household knives and my cousin ended cuttin the crap out of here hand. Anyway i'm old school to will have to take pictures of my edged toys and post them.

 

[forluvofsmoke]

I'm all for you old school guys. I used to be one..I used to use nothing but, and still have a set of course , medium and fine grit Arkansas stones (packed away someplace in my stored bags).

I began buying the faster methods after I started realizing that I couldn't physically keep with all the cooking going on in our house several years ago. I have 5 kids, and 3 are cooking meals at random, doing pretty well at what they cook, too...it was just too much for a guy working 60+ hrs a week to handle.

Maybe I can convince a couple of them some day soon to learn one of the other necessary crafts inclusive of the art of cooking............creating & maintaining a sharp knife. I'm just greatful they are wanting to cook, that is a huge relief for me...I think they see what their mother and I can put together, and they want to learn to do something of their own...that makes me feel good!

Thanks guys!

Eric

 

[afreetrapper]

BBQ Engineer I see your from Desoto I'm born and bred Topeka living in Galena will be back home in about a year. I have several family who were IBP Emporia. One of my cousins husbands worked there for awhile in slaughter then pulling clods. I recall he said when he hired on and they were taught the fine art of keeping a knife tuned that they were told to not go hone and put that same edge on the household knives. Don't know why I was told in scouts a dull knife is more dangerous than a sharp one. He didn't heed there advice and went home and practiced on the household knives and my cousin ended cutting the crap out of here hand. Anyway I'm old school to will have to take pictures of my edged toys and post them.

 

[ncdodave]

Luv my warthog! got it from ISE show in Sacramento, ca best $100 i spent on a sharpener. most of my knives get the steel and nothing but. they only need sharpened every 6 months keeping them honed with a steel (no diamonds or ceramics! heres the dealer i work with.

Eric Pietz
po box 63
winter park, Co 80482
(970) 471- 4165
email: [email protected]
http://www.WarthogSharp.com

 

[pops6927]

I used a medium and fine stone, 2 sided with oil for 30 years until my stroke, then had to buy a Chef's Choice 310 and let it do some of the work for me. No where's near as good as hand-sharpening, but it works. I use a standard steel to set the edge.

About the best system I've ever used was at large chain stores called the Edge Pro system, you could get a terrific edge on a knife in no time flat with that. A little expensive for home use tho. But, it was very efficient and could handle from small boning knives to 12 and 14" steak and breaking cimeters.

 

[bbq engineer]

Hey Trapper,

Grew up in Iowa and worked for ~ 6 months at IBP in South Sioux City Nebraska. I needed a push of cash in the summer before I went off to college, and that was the job that I got. It really taught me how to keep a knife, because if you couldn't, work was really difficult. To this day, I use my oil stones, steel and ceramic to dress my knives. I know what you are saying about having a Kick A** edge on a knife in your home...it is fine if you are the one to use it, but if other people use it, I guarantee they won't be expecting something that slices like that. I don't let people in my kitchen, and am slightly concerned when Mrs. Engineer starts slicing things, even though she knows what to expect. My time spent at the "Beef" was that worst job I have ever had, but it really did teach me a lot too...all part of growing up.

 

[scubadoo97]

Ah, one of my hobbies

I started with an EdgePro Apex. One of the best guide systems out there. A novice can turn out some pretty incredible edges the on their first try. Then I got the bug for free hand sharpening. I picked up a set of Shapton glass stones which includes 220, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, 8000 grit stones, have a DMT diamond 220 grit stone for profiling and flattening and a 220 Norton flattening stone (not shown). I made a leather strop charged with chromium oxide for a 30,000 grit finish. I like my edges hair poping sharp!

 

[travcoman45]

The first is a combo, fine an medium stone, the second a fine arkansas stone an the third a very fine one fer the final edge. The steel was grandpas from the days a workin in Deckers packin house, more en likely that steel is from the 30's er maybe the 40's at the latest.

Makes fer some mighty sharp knives.

The trick, get em sharp an keep em sharp with that steel. Each time I pick up a knife, it gets a few swipes on the steel.

 

[killbuck]

I've heard of the glass stones but never used any. Can you tell me what the diff would be between that and the Arkansas would be? What grit would a glass stone be compared to an Arkansas Medium and it's Fine. That would give some starting comparisons. Thanks for the post.

 

[scubadoo97]

Killbuck, here's a site for a comparison chart that compares many different types of stones and sandpaper grits


http://www.knifeforums.com/uploads/1...rpnrCmpre4.JPG

I don't have experience using softer Japanese whetstones. Some people don't like the hard feel and no give of the glass stones but that would also apply to Shaptons Pro stones. There is no mud formed and they only need a spritz of water to start. I wanted stones that didn't need soaking and these fit the bill as well as being compact so storing was less of an issue. I also use a hard felt pad for deburring

 

[killbuck]

Thanks for the link. I appreciate that. Glass stones so look interesting. Hmmmm