(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best sharpening stones

I've bought several things from Amazon for the shop, and they're just the sorts of things that /u/abnormal_human suggests; Woodcraft also sells through Amazon, so you can get some decent hand tools that way, but that's not really "amazon" per se. For a recent birthday my wife went a little nuts on my Amazon wishlist and I received two waterstones, a lapping plate, and this shoulder plane - very extravagant gifts.

Amazon is also a pretty good place to shop for some woodworking machinery if you want to buy new and especially if you happen to have Amazon prime; free delivery on a drill press or a band saw can be kind of a big deal. Those are on my "dream shop" wish list...not going to happen any time soon, but if I can't dream on the Internet...where can I?

Another neat thing that I didn't know about until recently is camelcamelcamel which is an amazon price tracker. Companies adjust their retail price on amazon all the time, and you can set thresholds at which you would like to be notified. For example, here is the price history for the drill press I linked above. Helps to see if it's a good time to buy, or if you should maybe wait.

Have fun!

>• Splash and Go vs. Stones that require soaking

A matter of taste, mostly. Splash and go means that you can apply water to the surface of the stone and begin sharpening immediately, soakers need to be soaked for a few minutes (half an hour at most). Some soaking stones need to be dried carefully or they may crack. If you don't have a lot of storage or counter space, splash and go will be more convenient.

>• Synthetic Stone vs. Natural Stone

For a first stone, you only need to look at synthetics. Natural stones are inferior to synthetics in the coarse and medium grits. Arkansas stones can make for good finishers. Japanese naturals are expensive and esoteric.

>• Fine Grain vs. Coarse Grain

Fine stones have smaller abrasive particles, coarse stones have larger ones. Fine stones tend to be denser and less porous. Coarse stones tend to cut faster, but it can be difficult to form a sharp edge using a coarse stone alone, thus the popularity of 2-grit combination stones. Most people start sharpening on a medium grit (~400-1200 grit) and finish on a fine grit (~3000-8000). The coarsest stones (80-300 grit) are mostly reserved for repairing damage to the edge and grinding large sections of the blade. Different stones, even those with the same grit rating, may grind at different rates and produce different finishes due to differences in the way they were manufactured (type of abrasive, type of binder, heat, pressure, scale used for grading, etc.).

>• Wooden Base vs. No Base

Again, personal preference. If the stones are to be kept permanently soaked, stones without bases are preferable. The stone with which this comes up the most is the Suehiro Rika, which many people prefer to keep soaked.

>What makes a quality whetstone?

Uniformity of scratch pattern, resistance to clogging, resistance to dishing (becoming concave), rate of grinding, auditory and tactile feedback. Dense stones are almost universally preferred, but it's difficult to generalize beyond that.

>What should influence my decision to purchase one over the other?

Budget, availability, the types of knives being sharpened. Knowing your boyfriend's temperament. Is he patient? Is he careful with his knives? Does he drop things all the time?


I use a King Deluxe 300 and a Shapton Ha no Kuromaku 2000 for most of my sharpening. Both are splash-and-go and very dense ("hard"). I have a dozen or so other stones that I don't use nearly as often.

Suehiro's vitrified stones are among the most user-friendly and least fussy. Almost all of them need soaking. The SKG-24 is a good combination stone on which to learn.

Naniwa makes a huge variety of stones, most of which are good. Their QA-0124 is a splash-and-go stone, although the fine side works better after a brief soak, and even then it dries out quickly. These stones can crack if soaked and then dried unevenly.

King KW-65P is a good, traditional soaking stone. It goes out of flat more easily than some of the newer types of stones but it's a nice size and easy to maintain. The KDS is also widely liked.

Imanishi/Bester can be all over the map. I like their Arashiyama, Latte, and Tamago stones but not so much the Besters. They make a lot of stones that are resold under other brand names. I suspect they're behind this combination stone, which I like—splash-and-go and wears slowly.

All the above applies to Japanese "waterstones" (I don't like that term). "Oilstones" (I also don't like that term) like the illustrious Norton India can also provide good results, and are less demanding in terms of maintenance (flattening, drying, etc.). There are also diamond plates—I like EZE-LAP and ATOMA the best.

Edit: Fixed links.

I personally use a KME and a Strop. But I'd recommend getting one of those Lansky Sharpeners with the Deluxe Diamond stones. It's similar enough to a KME; with limited angle choice but 30 25 20 and 17 are good enough IMHO. It runs for only $56 on amazon compared to the KME $180.

I'd also recommend grabbing the Ultra Fine hone on amazon for an extra $9 so you can put a nicer finish on your edges.

Lastly you'll need a strop. You can find one around on the internet or on /r/KnifeSwap occasionally, which is where I found mine. There's a user there that actually makes them by hand and includes compounds with the strop if you're ever lucky enough to grab one from there. But the best alternative is (again on amazon) the Knives Plus Strop Block. It comes preloaded with compound, and a lot of compound, and I've heard nice things about it. It's only $29, or you can go on the Knives Plus website and grab it for $23, but I think its worth the extra six bucks to get free/fast shipping, and have it all come in on the same day/in the same box as everything else.

Hope this helped! :)

HI there,

Congrats! hope you like working with your knife. i've been sharpening my knives on whetstones for about 2 years now and here's a few things.

1. you do not need 3, 4, 5 or however many stones with increasing grits. seriously, don't spend 150 on some natural 10000 grit stone from japan (not just yet) as its just not super useful to you. I would recommend one maybe 2 stone and a strop. personally i like the king stones (1000 and 6000) because the bang for the buck is amazing, and a stone fixer You can look up strops, they come in all shapens and sizes and you can normally make one from stuff you already have, even newspaper (see below.)
   
   
2. find a place where you can sharpen every now and again. i ruined tables and counter tops before i realized that sludge that comes off stones is super abrasive and scratches stuff real easy. you can either make a sink bridge from a 2x4 and some screws or buy one. or, alternatively, just get a good stone holder if you are going to be on counters. find something that works for you.
   
   
3. one more thing before i go all knife nerd. watch some videos, Korin has a channel on youtube that's really good, carter cutlery is cost concious and has a great technique stroping on newspaper... and you can look up bob kramer but his stuff is way way more high end.
   
   
   anyways that's my two cents. i got a 15 qt sterite container for all my stuff including the bridge and i offer knife sharpening to friend just to practice on different knives.
   
   Cheers and good luck. I think its a really nice time once you get a handle on it.

i am a big fan of DMT diamond stones. Course, Fine and Extra fine is likely all you need. I have the extra, extra fine as well and nice but you don't need it. A bit spendy but worth it. They are fast cutting, Stay flat unlike water stones and clean since you only need to use a little water to wash away the swarf. I keep a spray bottle of window cleaner near the stone to use.

Another option is Arkansas Tri stone setup I have used this set up and it works great. You still might want to get a cheap course stone if you have blades with a bad edge. But it is a good deal for a stone set and they are longer lasting and stay flatter then water stones but are the slowest cutting. Use a light oil like mineral oil or kerosene to help them cut quicker. Lubricating oils are the opposite of what you want.

Since I wanted to try out water stones I picked up one the Bearmoo combo stones in 1000/4000 grit for the kitchen. It works just as advertises, quick cutting, only needs water, good price. But like all water stones you do need to keep an eye on the flatness of the stones. But still a good deal.


Getting a good setup for stropping will also go along way in helping get that razor sharp edge.

So there you go a few options for you you to think about (get the DMT). let me know if you have other questions.

This guys list is pretty much what I was going to say.

So for some recommendations:

I've restored an antique 1930s No 5. Bought it for 45, and it is best for those on a budget. Any pre WWII Stanley just needs some light restoration work and a reworking of the blade and it will do 20x better than a harbor freight plane and roughly same as modern Stanley sweethearts at 1/3 the cost. It may not be as good as woodriver or lie Nielsen, but it's a 1/4 or 1/6 the cost respectively.

Paul sellers recommends Aldi Chisels, I got Narex instead for an additional $20. I love them, and will only upgrade out of them once I get enough money to go for some veritas or lie Nielsen. I got a set of 4 with imperial measurements for $60ish. I'd put any extra money into sharpening systems than upgrading them.

I bought David Barron dovetail guides and the Japanese pull saws he reccomends. Gyokucho 372 Razor Saw Dotsuki Takebiki Saw. Look at Amazon for the narex chisels I reccomend and the 'people who bought this also bought' section and you'll find it easily. While there you can find some leather for stropping and the green compound you need with it. Also while looking at these, you'll see a reccomendations for the Stanley disposable knife and the replacement blades. This is what Paul sellers recommends, and it works well. Stays ridiculously sharp, and can be rehoned with little effort and the blade cheaply replaced once it becomes to much work top get the thing sharp. Cutting layout lines is much more precise and helps prevent tearout. I bought narex marking knife and love it. I don't mind trying to hone it every so often. Ditto the scratch awl.

Basically took around the Amazon other bought recommendations and you'll find a bunch of fairly cheap quality things to get you up and running.

A cheap katana is a good one to start out with, since you won't feel bad when you screw it up. :)

Generally speaking, that maintenance kit has pretty much all the basics for general care. you'll probably want to oil it with the choji oil every few months if you're not using it. If you are using it for cutting practice or the like, make sure it's oiled at least once a week. (Or after each session, if you're cutting water bottles.) A few drops is plenty.

If you want to practice sharpening, there's the super-traditional way, which would take up several pages. Feel free to research that on your own - I don't really bother since it's a pain, involves taking out the mekugi pins and all, and I'm not quite comfortable doing that yet. Plus, don't have replacement pins, and the ones I've got aren't loose.

Katanas are supposed to be pretty darn hard steel. Depending on the kind of steel you've got, you might use different care than the traditional kit uses. For instance, if you've just lost a slight 'true' from your hard edge through use, the uchiko ball there is plenty enough to fix that. You tap it over the blade, and it releases some very fine powder from sharpening stones, which you then rub over the blade (carefully) with rice paper, and that re-sharpens the edge.

If you've got a regular steel (or even mild steel) blade like me, though, you'll need a whetstone of some nature to sharpen it. I do use Japanese water stones for sharpening. They're pretty easy to use, and if you've got rust spots from not oiling your sword regularly, you can actually take some of the slurry off the top of the stone and just rub down the rust spots with it using a small cloth and they'll come right off. That uchiko ball might also just do the same thing - I have to confess, I haven't used one.

If it's mild steel, though, you may just well develop nicks and dings in the actual blade itself. You can feel these running your fingers gently along the sides of the edge (not directly on the edge!). If that's the sort of blade you've got, well... fixing small ones is simple. Use a brillo pad, squeezing along the sides of the edges, and they come right out. If they're large, and you're CERTAIN you've got mild steel, you might need to file the edge back and then sharpen the whole thing.

Do you know what they currently have at all?

A really coarse stone with another side for finishing on would be this - useful for fixing chipped blades and overall getting a very sharp edge. It's diamond so it does not need maintained. It's quite heavy so it can be set down on something and used anywhere with a splash of water, or even without water. But better with..sorry it exceeds your budget a bit. It was 7$ cheaper a few months ago: Sk11-sided Diamond Whetstone # 150 / # 600 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003EIE8LC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_K765Ab44NE259


A good at home stone in your price range would be this one, you have to soak it in water for 5-20min before using (each time, until it stops bubbling in the water) but it's a great stone that is widely used: KING KW65 1000/6000 Grit Combination Whetstone with Plastic Base https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001DT1X9O/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_n565AbSFCV7EG

Anything 'bearmoo' or 'sharp pebble' or anything looking like those ones honestly is not going to be enjoyable or comparable in quality to the above.

Another great stone worth mentioning: Shapton Ha No Kuromaku Ceramic Whetstone Medium Grit #1000 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001TPFT0G/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_o-65AbB1PMZ8B

If they already have some bench stones, maybe they can use a holder - super useful!: POWERTEC 71013 Sharpening Stone Holder, 5-1/2-Inch to 9-Inch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NFB2MTI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_h.65AbP2HAJ5W

http://www.amazon.com/Norton-IM313-11-5-Sharpening-System/dp/B0001MSA72

I like the old school Norton triple oil stones. There is an art to using it, as opposed to the more controlled kits out there, but I like that. It also pretty much lasts forever.

For a handful of years in college I worked as a meat cutter for an old school local market. I would often volunteer to sharpen the older guys knives, as they would consider this a favor, and it often got me out of doing other less seemly tasks (like cleaning out the grinder or bandsaw). It was time well spent. Now I have my own Norton, and I use it to sharpen all of my friends and family's knives. It might not put on an insane lazer-sharp edge, but combined with a good honing steel, it does a pretty great job of keeping all your knives in factory or better condition.

Also, there's a certain amount of panache to freehand sharpening your knives.

If you decide to go the hand tool route, money and space are a lot less of a concern. Rather than throw out hypotheticals, I'll give you some examples of tools you can actually buy right now:

Panel saw. Yeah, 10 bucks. It's actually a nice saw too. The only issue is the teeth cannot be sharpened - but it's 10 bucks. Use this for breaking down big stock into smaller stock

Back Saw. Also 10 bucks. Same as above. Disposable but cheap and will last a long time (it's disposable because the teeth have been hardened). This is for precision cross cuts and cutting tenons.

Dovetail/fine joinery saw. 25 bucks plus a 3 dollar xx slim double taper saw file to make it not suck.

Now for some planes. These may seem kind of pricey for "broke" status, but these aren't POS-get-you-by planes. These are lifetime tools. To get something comparable new, you are looking at 150.00 to 300.00 a piece. You can get better deals by bidding on some planes, but these are all "buy it now"

Stanley #4. Needs some love but that's a good user for 30 bucks.

Stanley #5 for 42$

Stanley #7. 90 bucks.

Pick up a 4 dollar card scraper too.

Chisels

Narex $36. Use one of these and a block of wood to make yourself a router plane also.

Combination square 10 bucks.

A cordless drill of some sort and some bits (assuming you have one already)

70 bucks in 2x12's so you can make a knock down Nicholson style workbench which doesn't need vises. When you are done working, break it down and put it in the closet.

35 bucks for a pair of holdfasts from Gramercy

30 bucks worth of F style clamps from harbor freight will get you started there.

14 bucks to get sharp (not at all ideal but completely workable on a budget)

So for 410.00 or the price of a decent sander and miter saw, you can make literally anything in a small space with a small amount of localized dust. The trade off of course it time and labor.

Down the road you are definitely want to get some better saws, maybe some specialty planes, different chisels, some better measuring/marking equipment. But this will more than get you started.

For kitchen knives, especially big ones, I think freehand sharpening on stones is the way to go. You have three choices: Diamond plates, Japanese water stones, and Arkansas oil stones.

Arkansas stones are the things your grandpa used, and they are truly BIFL. Treat them right and they'll last forever. A set like this would be excellent, although the particular brand probably doesn't matter very much. They're all natural stones and whatever variation exists will be between batches as much as between brands. Do make sure you get standard 8"x3" stones, though - smaller ones will be frustrating.

Japanese stones are not really BIFL because they're consumable, although they still last an awfully long time. As they wear down they expose fresh grit and in return, tend to sharpen way faster than Arkansas stones. Brand matters a bit more here - Norton, Naniwa, and King are frequently recommended, King being the least expensive. I have a King 1000/6000 grit combo stone, and it's great, although I wish I'd gone for the 800/4000 set instead. To get the best life and performance out of a water stone, you'll need to occasionally flatten it with another stone designed for the purpose.

Diamond sharpeners are the new hotness. They cut faster than Arkansas and last longer than water stones. Unknown brands are likely to have the grit fall off, so buy DMT Dia-Sharp. I don't own these and can't tell you what specific grits you want, unfortunately.

Thanks, thats an idea, but i dont want anyone thinking im advertising one brand over the other, truth be told DMT diamond coating is the best but like i said i have no affiliation with them or another supplier.

Anyway here is the link to the DMT diamond files/stones
its about 40 dollars and will save you lots on sand paper in the long run. plus the finish is kinda amazing.

Start simple with just an 8" chef knife and a stone for maintenance.

Recommend like a MAC Chef Knife or a Victorinox Fibrox (with a honing rod). good for value, robust, forgiving knives which is great for your first time.

For maintenance, Suehiro Cerax 1k or King 1k/6k stone - he'll need to learn how to use the stone, maybe check out Burrfection or other people.

​

Key notes:

Honing rod is recommended for western knives to maintain sharpness.

Stones is needed to sharpen the knives when they blunt with use.

When you develop more experience or love for knives, then start buying your other stuff like serrated, paring, utility, nakiris, santokus, higher grit stones and whatnot.

check out /r/chefknives

Best deal is probably still the Rikon slow speed, the wheels that come with it are pretty much worth the price of the grinder.

You can also get quite a bit of mileage out of a set of the diamond paddles which work pretty well with most of the HSS woodturning tools. Something like the EZ-LAP https://www.amazon.com/EZE-LAP-PAK-Color-Coded-Diamond/dp/B000UVS62S - I mostly use the fine.. I also have a "file" from DMT that is pretty nice (maybe a bit nicer than the EZlaps) although I don't see it for sale at the moment.. not sure might just not be remembering which one it is specifically.

If I had your budget and no files, I would get THIS and [THIS]
(http://www.amazon.com/DMT-FFC-Diafold-Diamond-Folding/dp/B00004WFU2/ref=sr_1_8?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1371593748&sr=1-8&keywords=diamond+files) or I would shop around some more for the best diamond files for the best price. Of course your choice of Nicholson files is a good one too. I like Diamond for abrading metal and, well, any damn material I feel like.

Harbor freight also carries diamond lapping plates with a coarse 180 grit plate. Like everything from HF it needs to be fixed before you can use it though.

I've been doing my coarse work with a Lansky Extra-Coarse Diamond Hone that I mounted to a handle and I have no regrets about that. It chews through everything and even though it has been used for well over 300 hours since I bought it, the diamonds seem to still all be intact.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000Q9C4AE?pc_redir=1407052478&robot_redir=1

It's the spyderco 204 mf get some diamond stones on it and boom you'll never need a razor again

Here is a video with a pretty good explanation. http://youtu.be/-MHe_8wTHmg it does take you about 15 minutes but you will have a mirror edge, and You can widdle hair with it.

I've have used that chefs choice sharpener, it is pretty good but the diamonds (or steel) run out pretty fast. Of I could spend that money again I would definitely gone for the spyderco.

And if you get it don't be cheap! Give yourself that razor edge for the extra $35 http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0019JTNDQ?cache=48955fd73064588b9d00d11d1b3b957a&pi=SY200_QL40&qid=1407287673&sr=8-1#ref=mp_s_a_1_1

Don't be fooled they are sold per 1

Sure! Here is what I originally started with. It works great once I have an edge, but setting the edge took a lot of time on really dull knives so I bought this extra coarse diamond hone. I love it, it sets my bevel in minutes so I can go back and finish the edge with the fine stones. For a few extra bucks, you can buy the whole diamond set. I would also recommend getting the mount so you can safely attach it to a workspace.

And finally, I learned how to use the system from Aaron Gough in his video here

Thanks for the info.

I feel I'm treading water here flip flopping back and forth.

So this is what I have come up with.

Sharpening:

https://www.amazon.com/DMT-D6EF-Dia-.../dp/B000GD3V3E
and
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000PVXRJ0..._ZkHazb3N619JN

Chisels:

Stanley 16-791 Sweetheart 750 Series Socket Chisel Set, Brown, 4 - Piece https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004TK0IG8..._MlHazbXRPYNVR

Included the 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 and 1", add the 3/8" in separate.


That or the Narex set of 4 and the 5/8 from LV.

For some reason the Narex set looks more "robust" as the hornbeam handle on the sweetheart seems fragile...but after looking around more everyone says the sweetheart chisels are better than the narex. They seem to be identical to the ones on LV as on amazon for 30% less.

Works for me and my chefs. Some of my guys who spend a little more time use a combo like this, I can't vouch for that brand, but there are sub-$40 stones of good quality out there.
I'll post links to a couple online shops for strops when I get home to my own computer, but Google can lead you there too.

Edit: Home now. Wow, this isn't going to add anything to my authority on the matter, but I've been using a King 1200 grit waterstone, thinking I was on a 1600. Whatever, my results have been great. This is what I use, and here are some low priced strops and compounds.

One of my guys has a second job as a sushi chef, and he gets incredible deals through reps that roll through those kitchens. That's how I get my supplies, and if you regularly frequent a Japanese restaurant you could probably go through them for a good deal. Most of those guys know how to keep a blade sharp too.

Victorinox makes good knives. You'd be fine with a set of those. I'm just saying that for a deer you don't necessarily need really, really good/big knives like we use for butchering a cow. My dad's go to's are some victorinoxes. I'm partial to those wood handled rapalas, but they get dull quick. A good fillet knife works just as well as a decent boning knife on something as small as a deer.

You don't use a ceramic rod or a steel to sharpen. You use them to realign the edge after a bit of use. Learn how to actually sharpen a knive as well. Many people don't know how to. I know those lanksy kits with the rods that set the angles for you are well loved, but I haven't used one much. They aren't hard to find.

I have no idea about brands with the ceramic rods. This is what they look like. The one I have here came from a packing house with no name on it. All I know is that if you break one my dad gets super pissed, so they can't be the cheapest. http://www.butcher-packer.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=67_68&products_id=145&zenid=4871b7a05ac074eed44a4e2338989153

This is the sharpener I have. I thought they cost more to be honest.
http://www.amazon.com/Norton-IM313-11-5-Sharpening-System/dp/B0001MSA72

You shouldn't need a mallet for something as thin as a soundboard, Stanley makes an inexpensive sharpening kit for chisels that comes with a honing guide to make it super easy:

http://amzn.com/B000KFTDSK

If you already have the soundboard roughed out and attached, a sharp card scraper or a sharp chisel is the easiest way to go. If you haven't roughed out the soundboard yet, a good coping saw or keyhole saw will work great. Lee Valley has some inexpensive saws, that are much better then what you can pick up at the hardware store.

I got this diamond stone relatively early on and I don't know why anyone would want to bother anything else. Most of the time I use it dry and I've never had issues with it clogging up on me. Every once in a while I'll rinse it off in the sink and scrub it with a toothbrush but that's mostly so it looks shiny and purty again. You never have to flatten it or soak it like you do water stones, and you never have to deal with making a mess with oils like you do oil stones. I linked the 6"x2" one cause it's cheaper and comes as a combo stone. The 8"x3" I don't think comes as a combo and is a bit more expensive to get two separate stones, but the extra room might be nice when sharpening gouges depending on your technique.

After that I go to a strop with some green compound and I'm done.

I do have an extra course diamond stone as well but I almost never use it. You can easily make do with some sandpaper on glass on the occasions where you'd need something coarser like when you ding the edge.

I would recommend a diamond stone over a traditional waterstone. They cost more money, but they cut faster, don't require water, are less messy and they never have to be flattened like waterstones.

DMT is a very good brand and comes in many different sizes and grits. I own this one and it makes for a very good general purpose sharpening stone.. It's double sided with coarse and fine sides. Unless you're sharpening knives daily it should last decades, if not the rest of your life.

If you're on a tighter budget I would recommend this traditional waterstone. It's basically the traditional version of the diamond stone I linked. This is the stone I started out with, but I hardly use if anymore after getting my DMT.

http://www.amazon.com/Lansky-Deluxe-5-Stone-Sharpening-System/dp/B000B8IEA4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335807629&sr=8-1

finish off with

http://www.amazon.com/Lansky-Super-Sapphire-Polishing-Hone/dp/B000B8IEB8/ref=pd_sim_sg_2

If you find yourself sharpening a lot of different knives you'll want

http://www.amazon.com/Lansky-Coarse-Diamond-Accessory-Silver/dp/B001KN3OTK/ref=acc_glance_sg_ai_ps_t_3

it moves the steel faster (for changing the edge the first time) and the stone holds up longer.

Long story short, it gives perfect consistency and has the super fine stones for giving that polished razors edge. It makes sharpening anything UNDER 6" a dream.

For knives LARGER than 6" I use

http://www.harborfreight.com/power-tools/sanders/1-inch-x-30-inch-belt-sander-2485.html

with various ceramic belts from

http://www.trugrit.com/belts1.htm

It's also GREAT for doing convex conversions. Doing a flat grind on a concave edge takes a steady hand or a jig.

Practice on wood and scrap steel. You'll RUIN a blade in a HURRY with those coarse belts.

If the blade gets hot it will burn the steel and you will lose it's hardness. Dip it in cool water, dry with a towel, often. The tip is the most delicate part. Only grind for a second or two, then dip again.

This may seem long but I spent a lot of time to share the knowledge so please read it and look at the links.



Everyone who uses any tool with an edge should own a Norton 4000/8000 grit water stone. (2 stones in 1) and know how to use it.

I own that one and a Shapton 16000 grit
For polishing a very smooth and fine edge

I plan on adding a Naniwa 12000 grit for an in between grit.

I bought them for honing straight razors but use them on anything that needs to be sharp

Lynn Abrams is like the go to guy for how to get things really sharp


The stones wear as you use them, so you will eventually need to lap them to flatten them back out. Some people use a flattening stone

I personally sprung for a lapping plate since I can also lap other things flat directly on it.

I also have one of these that I use for utility stuff like hunting knives or pocket knives or anything I think would gouge my nice stones and shorten the lifespan.

I know you are probably thinking, " all this stuff costs a fortune" Stones are durable and you will have them to use for the rest of your life. Chip away at them one at a time.

Here is the Paul Sellers video I'm referring to.

The 750 grit diamond stone, and the 1000/4000 grit water stone.

Also, here's the sandpaper I uses for those interested.
Thanks to /u/stalemunchies and /u/respighi who recommended to use a hand plane on my hard-headed end-grain piece - inspired me to go hand-plane hunting!

Hey LM, sharpening blades is a skill unto itself. I would not discard that blade yet until you practice sharpening more (unless you want to donate it to me 🤣). I am a wood worker with 25 years of experience, much of that with hand tools where sharpness is critical. I’d recommend three things out of the gate on sharpening.

1. Prior to sharpening, use a sharpie marker to color the edge of both the bevel and flat sides of the blade. The line doesn’t need to be wide... 1/4” or less. When you sharpen continue to look at the marker line to determine how and where the blade is touching the stone. You want the flat side to stay at flat as possible. You want the bevel side to have the steel show through perhaps 1/8” width along the tip of the blade. You want the steel showing through to be a line with the same width across the entire blade. When you get good you can apply a double bevel and use the marker to see both bevel lines clearly.
   
   
2. Having flat stones is critical as is the angle of the bevel. I’d argue that you can hold the angle of the bevel correctly to match the blade makers intent with just a little practice using the marker technique in step 1. So for your stones you might consider a double sided diamond stone like this... two sided DMT diamond stone . That stone is fine on one face and xtra fine on the other. Unless you damage you blade, like dropping it on edge on a cement or tile floor or nicking it while skiving where the blade makes contact with something hard as you move through your skiving motion, a fine stone will be the coarsest you’ll ever need. If you seriously damage the blade with a nick, you might consider having it professionally sharpened to bring it back and then you just maintain it with the aforementioned method.
   
   
3. Definitely buy a nice, flat strop for final polishing and maintaining the blade between sessions sharpening on the stone.

You could make a simple pouch for it. Any thick material would work fine, not just leather. I like to use old jeans for stuff like that. You can oil the leather/denim to help keep moisture out.

You can help keep the blade from rusting by rubbing in some oil, like mineral oil, or something like WD-40. Then you can use wax to help seal the metal. You can use any wax, even a regular candle. Just rub it into the metal, you might want to warm it up a little so it's easier to apply. Then buff the wax out until the surface is smooth.

As far as sharpening goes, get yourself a cheap stone and practice. I basically have that same stone and use it a ton. You can always buy finer grit stones later.

Freehand and under $15 the Whetstone Cutlery 400/1000 Grit Whetstone is a nice starting affordable freehand whetstone.

Guided and under $25 the Work Sharp Guided Field Sharpener is a nice mini complete package that includes a 220 grid diamond plate for chip repair, a fine 600 grit diamond plate, 1000+ grit ceramic rod and a leather strop with compound.

You can also send the knife back to Kershaw for a free sharpening then just invest in a nice strop with compound to touch up the edge. Done properly you only need to send it back to Kershaw probably once a year if that.

FWIW many people flatten their water stones with diamond plates, so in a sense guys that go for diamond plates are skipping the middle man. Oversimplification but still.

Good diamond plates are Rick solid and durable. They're supposed to last many years of daily use which realistically is the same as a normal water stone. The key difference is they are the low maintenance choice.

I sincerely hope you didn't make an expensive mistake.

If you did, consider this stone: DMT WM8CX 8-Inch DuoSharp Plus Bench Stone Coarse / Extra-Coarse https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001EBZOD2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_7KBIwb0FZ3ZXY or it's more expensive 10 inch brother. They have less diamond on the whole surface but the holes pool slurry and so it ends up cutting faster.

honestly if you're not looking to get into all the ins and outs of sharpening then the spyderco sharpmaker is a pretty solid choice and it can get you a hair shaving edge. i'd also recommend picking up some untra fine ceramic stones, a strop, and some green compound. for more in depth info check out this thread as well as the sidebar over at /r/knives. i hope this helps you out.

Aim as high up this list as you're willing to spend.

For most people, 154CM, CPM-S30V, and VG-10 are about as good as you're going to go for an EDC knife in an affordable price range, and they're all quite good.

Besides that DO NOT use one of those little carbide sharpener things. They're terrible and will almost certainly destroy your edge over time. They can in theory be used without that happening, but you're putting in as much skill as it would take to learn to sharpen freehand on a whetstone.

If you want easy, get a Spyderco Sharpmaker, they're a bit pricey but worth it for the edges you can get with minimal skill.

For something more advanced, I suggest a DMT Diasharp. I use the Fine/Ultra Fine double sided one I linked, but you may want different grits (I recommend going no coarser than medium however) or their larger 8 or 10 inch plates if you don't mind spending more money.

These will probably be some of the best sharpening stones you can buy. They're expensive but will last a long time and they're well known.

If you're looking for inexpensive ones to practice, you could try this one. The reviews are pretty decent and the two included grits are some of the more useful ones.

If you don't mind spending the extra 10 bucks, the Wustof Tri-stone (250-100-3000) is a great all-round kit and value for money. I recommend this over the cheaper Smith's Arkansas Tri-hone kit because the Wusthof kit uses water stones and I don't have to futz around with oil. But if you don't mind using an oil stone, nothing wrong with the Smith's.

I use a 250-1000 combo King Kotobuki waterstone for sharpening , and a 6000 King Kotobuki waterstone for honing/polishing. But this kit is a little pricey in the total.

PS: Here's a great video for technique: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFhMGJYhYpU

I recently stumbled upon KnifePlanet's Sharpening School and I decided to go ahead and buy their "Waterstone Set" on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074X7VB62/

So far, I am really happy with my choice. As a beginner, this set gives me 4 different grits to work with: 400, 1000, 3000, 8000 + a stone holder. The whole set costs $49 which is great.
I followed some of their lessons and I am now able to sharpen my kitchen knives easily.

I am sure that a professional sharpener would prefer Naniwa or others over these... but for me they're a great place to start

I wouldn't get a sharpener like that. I use a stone that has two different grits on it. It was like $3 at a kitchen store and keeps my knives sharp. There's a lot of tutorials on youtube showing you how to use one.

As for what knives to get, the recommendation for Victorinox Fibrox line is solid. You need a chef's knife and a paring knife. Next I would pick up a serrated bread knife, preferably one with an offset handle like this. Note, I'm not recommending that specific one, I just linked to a sample of one so you'd know what I was talking about. You can cheap out on this one. One serrated knife cuts just about as well as another. After you have a chef's knife, a paring knife and a bread knife you should be good for just about any job in your kitchen. If you then want more knives I would recommend a santoku and some sort of cleaver.

Other important points, hand wash your knives, don't throw them in the dishwasher. Use a wood or plastic cutting board. Please don't use a glass one, it's a bad idea. Sharpen your knives & hone your knives frequently.

Something like this would be indealer

https://www.amazon.com/DMT-WM8CX-8-Inch-DuoSharp-Extra-Coarse/dp/B001EBZOD2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1496491703&sr=8-2&keywords=dmt+duosharp

Use XC for flattening, C for chip removal and other repair. I like the 10 inch version but it gets pricey fast. The holder is well worth the 15. These are nice for pocket/field/hunting knives as well.

If I were in your position, I would definitely shoot for a big ticket item such as the sawstop PCS (36" T-glide) with 1.75hp motor. That will eat up your entire budget (plus $219 more). I cannot imagine a hobbyist woodworker who would not be happy with it.

OR you can do lots of little stuff: (take out the things he may already have)
Sharpening: this this this this and this

Chisels: here

Japanese saw: this and this

Caliper: here

Exceptional quality hand plane set every woodworker would love to have if they don't have it already: here. Conversely, you can get the Lie Nielsen 60-1/2 block plane and get the #4 and #5 from Lee Valley (I prefer their version).


If he doesn't have a planer, this is a great one: here


As for festool products, I would highly recommend the Rotex 150 with Dust collector combination

I'm sure i'm missing a couple of stuff here and there but I hope the list helps you get started.

The first sharpener I got was a Natural Stones Lansky system which was fine. It doesn't require much skill and it got my knives sharp enough to shave hairs off. If you opt for a Lanksy though, I would recommend the Diamond Stones because they cut faster and are easier to clean.

When I started freehand sharpening, I got a Smith's Tri-hone which worked nicely. It was cheap and I was bad at freehanding, but with a good bit of practice, trial and error, and some instructional videos I was able to produce hair shaving edges consistently. And eventually, I decided I favored freehand sharpening over fixed angle sharpeners.

However, I gave away my Lansky and Smith's Tri-hone. Right now, I use DMT continuous sharpening stones. They cut very fast and I like them a lot. I'm a broke college student, so all I have is the Coarse, Fine, and Extra Fine stones which I can consistently get a toothy edge that will still shave hairs.

I'd say I'm still pretty bad at freehand sharpening. I don't always hold consistent angles and sometimes I fuck up a knife pretty bad, but I usually know what I did wrong and try to improve the next time I sharpen a knife. So whatever you get, meter your expectations. The first few knives you sharpen probably won't come out the best, but with enough practice, and especially patience, at the very least you'll get your knife sharp again.

When using a flattening stone..take a pencil and draw a two lines from corner to corner in an X pattern across the face of the stone. Then soak your sharpening stones as you would normally. Mount the referencing stone on your stone holder and place the sharpening stone X side down. Hold the sharpening stone down with your full palm with your other palm down to create solid pressure on the full stone across as much of the surface as possible. Stroke in an X pattern - upper left to lower right corner a few times and then switch to upper right/lower left a few times. Rinse sharpening stone and see how much of the penciled X has been removed, when it's gone from the center of the stone (should be the most worn area) then you're done. Don't forget to periodically rinse the flattening stone occasionally during the process to keep it's grit open and available.

and a little more info:

I'm a whore for Shapton stones, loved the way they sharpened and their longevity. I preferred the Professional Series but according to Shapton the glass were supposed to last longer because you can use all the stone down to the glass, I didn't buy into that idea. https://www.sharpeningsupplies.com/Shapton-Professional-Series-Stones-P741C84.aspx

You need to buy one of these if you haven't already gotten one, specifically with the center support. Way better than using a wet towel on the edge of the sink. https://www.amazon.com/POWERTEC-71013-Sharpening-Holder-2-Inch/dp/B00NFB2MTI

Link to Norton Flattening Stone: https://www.amazon.com/Norton-Flattening-Stone-Waterstones-plastic/dp/B00067ZSJ0/ref=sr_1_6?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1505326146&sr=1-6&keywords=flattening+stone

Shapton has their own lapping/referencing plate but it's $500: https://www.sharpeningsupplies.com/Shapton-Diamond-Reference-Lapping-Plate-P516C84.aspx
Link to Dick Polish (yes, that's really what's printed on the handle) https://www.knifemerchant.com/product.asp?productID=1393

And find a Sally's Beauty Supply Near you and get one of these bottles. Small enough that when filled it's not too heavy to wield and good for adding water to your stones during sharpening: http://www.sallybeauty.com/sheer-mist-trigger-sprayer/SBS-292048,default,pd.html?list=Search_Results#q=spray+bottle&start=1

I don’t have crazy expensive hear but I use something very similair for my kitchen and tool knives, I’ve seen this recommended on reddit for folk in the US as a beginner stone that’s not too expensive. You can have a pretty big range of prices depending on how ‘artisanal’ you want to get my one like this has treated me well. A honing steel is good to have as well and just run it over that a few times before some serious chopping and then over the stone when it’s really running a dull edge



https://www.amazon.com/Whetstone-Sharpening-Stone-1000-4000/dp/B01FXK7XF6/ref=lp_14748579011_1_9?srs=14748579011&ie=UTF8&qid=1499024495&sr=8-9

I’d say invest in some water stones and angle templates.

For $70 or so you can keep all of your knives razor sharp.

KnifePlanet Water Stone Sharpening Kit

That’s what I use and I love it.

If sharpening isn’t your thing, ChefKnivesToGo has some great knives for the $200 range. I don’t have a gyoto, but I’d love one.

https://www.amazon.com/Woodstock-SteeleX-D1130-Japanese-Waterstone/dp/B0000DD2C9

Sure it takes 2 minutes to sharpen AUS-8 and 5 minutes to sharpen M390. Shaving sharp is my normal metric. With something like 3V and a convex grind, all I really have to do is strop for 10-15 strokes, whereas say 1095 requires some additional material removal at an equivalent 'dullness'.

To be honest I kind of wish it took more time, as I really enjoy sharpening.

Yes. A small set of water stones at progressively higher grits:

https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Knife-Sharpening-Stone-Set/dp/B074X7VB62/

So two double sided water stones, 400 grit, 1,000 grit, 3,000 grit and 8,000 grit. The flattening stone is handy when you inevitably put gouges in the surface of the higher grit stones, as it will grind down the surface till it's flat and smooth. There's more expensive and nicer water stones out there, but these will do the job and then some.

And if you want to go as far as you can, you'll need a hard-backed leather strop and some green (chromium oxide) stropping compound - https://www.amazon.com/Sharp-Pebble-Polishing-Sharpening-Woodcarving/dp/B07MH8YGQ1/ - the stropping compound comes in at around a 30,000 grit equivalent. You can get 1 micron and 0.5 micron diamond paste stropping compounds as well, but you'll start running into diminishing returns as far as a kitchen knife goes.

The biggest thing besides having the tools to get things properly sharp is having the technique down so you're not making the edge worse, or spending far more time on getting it sharp than you need to. Going from dull to splitting a hair lengthwise sharp should take fifteen minutes or less once you've got some practice under your belt and your technique is solid.

As far as technique goes, one of the more beginner friendly and helpful youtube channels I've seen is Burrfection - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOluHMoKJ6CrS0kcybhaThg

Fine or extra-fine diamond plate. DMT is good: https://www.amazon.com/DMT-D8F-Dia-Sharp-Continuous-Diamond/dp/B0001WP1LK/

DMT "fine" is 600 grit iirc, and "extra-fine" is 1200. If your knives are already respectably sharp, about 2000-3000 grit is good for maintenance.

I have three diamond plates one is like a 3/16" metal plate the other two are the kind with a plastic substrate with a diamond pattern with 1/8" holes. like this one.

http://www.amazon.com/DMT-WM8EF-8-Inch-DuoSharp-Extra-Fine/dp/B0009H5S92/ref=sr_1_44?ie=UTF8&qid=1426722157&sr=8-44&keywords=diamond+sharpening

I use them for tools that are in rough shape. Afterwards, I seldom have to 15 or 20 strokes on each of my water stones to take my tools from needs touching up to as good as I can get them.

And once you have some practice using it, you can also get the ultra fine stones/rods for the sharpmaker. (Note that on Amazon those are sold individually. So you need to buy quantity x2 in order to get both rods.)

The two sets of stones that come with the sharpmaker (medium and fine) are good enough to get a very sharp edge. For most purposes, this is more than enough. The ultra fine stones just take things up another notch, so that you have a scary sharp edge. It's not necessary, but it does help the edge last longer, and there are other benefits to having an even sharper blade (such as easily being able to do very thin or quick slicing).

Haha np!

I've found these two models that seem to be right for my intended purposes:

https://www.amazon.ca/KING-KW65-Combination-Whetstone-Plastic/dp/B001DT1X9O/ref=sr_1_1?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1519951696&sr=1-1&keywords=king+stone

https://www.amazon.ca/BearMoo-Sharpening-Whetstone-Combination-Sharpener/dp/B01FXK7XF6/ref=sr_1_6?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1519951696&sr=1-6&keywords=king+stone

https://www.amazon.ca/Norton-614636855653-8-Inch-Combination-Oilstone/dp/B000XK5ZDY/ref=sr_1_5?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1519951656&sr=1-5&keywords=fine+india+stone&dpID=41epHsuXYbL&preST=_SX342_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

Any comments on them? Do you have any model suggestions for those budget diamond stones you have in your edit? I don't know much anything about whetstones so I'm not sure what to look for.

edit: I've heard people state that 8Cr steels are good with rough edges and others who polish as high as possible...

DC4's are popular. Spyderco Pocket Stone is a step up. Also consider a strop for maintaining the edge when it doesn't need to be put on the stone. These can be made with scrap leather to save some money. The Worksharp comes with both, I've never used it but looks like it has good reviews.

I hung up my Lansky and went to what works. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001MSA72/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

We used these in the military and they are the best i have ever found. Try this and a leather strop and practice, practice, practice. The amount of surface area allows you to get a razors edge in far less time. The oil stays in the bottom and carries away all the particles as you refresh/rotate it. Particles sink to the bottom and do not cause an issue. Eventually you dump, clean and refresh the oil, but i have had mine for several years now and not had to do this yet.

Yes it take some practice but in the end the edge is the best I have ever seen.

Very nice. What are you using to flatten them? I've been looking at those, but the cost of the DMT DiaFlat that gets recommended around here is super prohibitive.

If you are new to sharpening that stone will be fine. I agree that there are better grit combos to start with - something like this one - https://www.amazon.com/Whetstone-Sharpening-Stone-1000-4000/dp/B01FXK7XF6/ref=lp_14748579011_1_9?srs=14748579011&ie=UTF8&qid=1499024495&sr=8-9

I have a couple of those BearMoo stones (the 1K/4K & 3K/8K) and they seem fine. They are also cheap enough that when you decide to move on/upgrade you haven’t sunk a lot of money into them.

Thanks for all of the info. Do you have any experience with diamond stones? I'm looking at the Norton you suggested and a DMT 2 sided diamond stone. For sure going to add a stropping setup now too.

You'd think they would give you a bit of a warning, but I understand why they wouldn't.

If you think you're going to be serious about collecting and sharpening knives. Drop some cash on something like: Spyderco Tri-Angle Sharpmaker & a set of ultra-fine stones to go with it.

It'll set you back about $75 all together, but it's a one time purchase that will last you your life.

There are other awesome sharpening systems out there, but that one is the most bang for your buck. If you want to spend stupid money on a sharpener; I hear wicked edge makes an awesome product

Something like [this](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NFB2MTI/_encoding=UTF8? coliid=I1OVDD8OA30BSQ&colid=39RFP342YBA78) for a holder and agreeing with the 5k Rika suggestion. Use it, love it.

I bought the Stanley Sharpening System for a nicer chisel that was given to me.


http://www.amazon.com/Stanley-16-050-Sharpening-System/dp/B000KFTDSK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414521586&sr=8-1&keywords=stanley+sharpening+system


I assume this would work fine for a hand plane as well.

I have a DMT Dia-Sharp fine/coarse 6" diamond stone I won't need here soon.

This one. Perfect condition. Give it to you for $35 gift.

My favorite moment was something like 'come see goldstein and goldstein for cases against' 'Roland the royal flatulist'

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003Y3BMAW/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2PJPFF2873MNX&coliid=I1023XOTI9R8TU&psc=1

cheers!

This will do everything you need from sharpening to repair work, also will never need flattening and has a 10 year warrenty

https://www.amazon.ca/DMT-D6FC-6-Inch-Dia-Sharp-Double-Sided/dp/B000GD8WHY/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1511205763&sr=8-15&keywords=DMT+diamond+stone

If your looking for something a little cheaper this works great
https://www.amazon.ca/King-47506-Combination-Waterstone-japan/dp/B001DT1X9O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511205917&sr=8-1&keywords=sharpening+stone

Alternatively agian you could also get replacement stones for the edge pro knife sharpening system they are going to be even cheaper and still work very well. BUT They are small 1 inch by 6 inches or about 2.5 x 15cm in non freedom units

Thank you. Does this one look ok? It's in my price range as much as I would like to get the $100+ models I figure I can learn on this one and upgrade later. Also, will this handle Mora stainless blades as well as carbon? https://www.amazon.com/BearMoo-Whetstone-Sharpening-Stone-1000/dp/B01FXK7XF6/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1484022117&sr=8-5&keywords=Japanese+1000%2F4000

I have a couple of old Stanley planes I inherited from my grandfather that, to this day, are still flat and true.

I have a newer one that I flattened using my big diamond stone (that I also use to flatten out my honing stones as well) - although it's an initial expense it's great for fixing stuff like this as well as taking out nicks from chisels when you miss that one nail in a board...

sharpening gear list

Cheap bucket from I think walmart

shapton glass 1k stone

shapton glass 6k stone (I don't like it so I don't use it much)

https://www.chefknivestogo.com/imtwosi1kst.html 1k/6k wet stone

https://www.chefknivestogo.com/susibr.html suehiro sink bridge

https://www.amazon.com/Knives-Strop-Block-Leather-Sharpening/dp/B010C7WBDE/ref=sr_1_4?crid=XG9FASMIBAWB&keywords=knife+strop&qid=1570329409&sprefix=knife+str%2Caps%2C502&sr=8-4 cheap amazon strop. does the job ok but looking to upgrade if anyone has suggestions.

one small phonebook conveniently delivered today.

some nice cold tap water.

that some beer and some fresh squeezed lemonade from the backyard tree are all I used in this session.

Here is an entry-level knife set with two useful palm gouges

He would also need honing compound to keep them sharp. He'd need to find a strip of leather to glue onto a nice flat board to apply the compound to. You can buy just plain leather all over the place, like here.

I don't know too many people that carve with balsa, never tried it myself either. Most carvers in North America though use basswood or tupelo.

I watched this video when I first got my sharpmaker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MHe_8wTHmg

I also highly recommend getting the ultra fine sharpener stones off amazon http://www.amazon.com/Spyderco-Ultra-Fine-Triangle-Stone/dp/B0019JTNDQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452369036&sr=8-1&keywords=sharpmaker+ultra+fine

I could get a pretty good edge with the standard coarse and fine stones that it comes with, but the ultra fine stones with get it incredibly sharp.

Look at amazon for Diamond stones. I was looking and over a months time I got a Extra Coarse (for profiling), Coarse (roughing angles, fixing nicks etc) and fine (getting rid of the marks) for $30 each at the width of a plane blade. After that you buy a piece of scrap leather and buffing compound, glue it to a block of wood and you have the last part of the set for stropping your chisels and shining up the blades.

EDIT:

These are the size stones I bought:

• [Extra Course] (https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B001BYDLUK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
  
  
• [Course] (https://smile.amazon.com/DMT-D6C-Dia-Sharp-Continuous-Diamond/dp/B0001WP1K6/ref=sr_1_3?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1502297529&sr=1-3&keywords=dmt+6-inch+continuous+coarse)
  
  
• [Fine] (https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001WP1KQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
  
  You can also get a double-sided stone that will save you a bit. Personally I prefer separate stones as I can put feet on them etc. If you get a 2-sided stone, uild a holder that will hold it stable and put nonslip feet on that instead.
  
  
• Coarse / Fine

I got this DMT stone (https://www.amazon.com/DMT-D6EF-Dia-Sharp-Double-Sided-Extra-Fine/dp/B000GD3V3E/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1496185719&sr=8-2&keywords=dmt+diasharp+fine) a while ago but can't get nearly as good of an edge as I can with an oil stone. Anyone have tips for using a diamond stone?

Are you still excluded/special (mil/fire/police/ems)? Gerber has an authentication, I think through idme, and you prefill the auto acknowledgment.

I have a Lansky 5 Stone and purchased a couple extra stones off the recommendation of some people on this sub and it’s pretty damn groovy. It works well and has made everything I’ve put on it shaving sharp. The additional stones are an Extra Coarse Diamond and a Super Sapphire They also have angled stones for serrated sections. I also picked up a few strops off of r/knife_swap from u/jester002100 which he hand crafts and are of utmost fit and finish.

For working my knives, I will start out with [this] (http://www.amazon.com/EZE-LAP-PAK-Color-Coded-Diamond/dp/B000UVS62S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452539411&sr=8-1&keywords=eze-lap) set of diamond paddles for $17. Most of the time, the super fine is all I need.

To finish, I will strop with 400, then 800 grip wet/dry sandpaper mounted on a piece of cardboard with doubled sided carpet tape.

It's actually an exponential scale so the gap can be bigger at finer grits. Here's a chart that compares the grit number (use the waterstone column) with the actual size of the particles involved in microns.

My "everyday" set is this one and I this one (the 2nd one has reviews complaining about getting the wrong size, but I bought it in a store so I got the size this link is supposed to be for). Those are enough to get chisels and plane blades sharp enough to shave my arm hairs.

The 400 is some local brand I got in a small shop in Japan, and I like having a coarse stone since you'll be there forever on the 1000 stone if you ever accidentally chip an edge or want to restore an old blade. But to be fair, these are rarer uses so you might as well just use the sandpaper method for these purposes instead of buying a whole stone just for that purpose.

The 13000 stone is this one.

Well yes, but cycle through multiple grit levels, using a stick or paddle up to a raised surface to help maintain a consistent angle.

By the way, you can find honing paddles similar to what he is using on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000UVS62S

Definitely not a professional. I just want to give him something that is solid and will last a long time. I was thinking of:

Victorinox Fibrox and a BearMoo Stone.

That being said, if a Wustof is better in the long run, I'm not adverse to getting one of those with a sharpening stone.

Is this the plate you're talking about? I like the double sided. I assume fine/extra fine would be the most helpful since I'm not doing any major shaping.

As far as I know, the scrap I'm using as my strop is bare leather, as it still has a furred or rough side. I do need to mount it on a wood block to make it easier to work with. I've got access to a small woodshop again so that will just be a matter of doing it.

Fair warning for anyone that goes for this. If you're sharpening modern steels grab yourself the coarse diamond stone as well to use as your first step.

The system is good, take your time and practice!

They'll work, but my guess is that you'll find yourself wishing for that extra 2 inches, especially if you use a guide.

However, I know I didn't spend $200 on my DMT plates.

I have this and this that I use along with a fairly decent Japanese water stone (1000 grit). The water stone puts a nice shine on a blade, then I finish it up on a heavy leather strop with 6000 grit compound.

Overall cost is under $200 for the whole setup, and it'll last me for the next 10 years at least.

My dad got me a set of these 6 years ago when i started woodworking in college, a great set that i still use to this day as a professional cabinet maker. I would also reccomend buying a good set of sharpening stones, you can buy some cheap ones with plastic backing but in my experience they fall apart after a few uses. So i got a couple of these in various grits they are fantastic, at this point i cant imagine ill need to buy anothet set of chisels or shapening stones for a long while.

Edit: I suck at spelling.

They can be like $1 from the local hardware store. Lot's of cheap ones out there. You can find diamond ones, diamond files. All kinds of cheap abrasive tools.

https://www.amazon.com/EZE-LAP-PAK-Color-Coded-Diamond/dp/B000UVS62S

Either paper on a flat surface (like glass) - or a diamond lapping plate: http://www.amazon.com/DMT-Diamond-Machining-Technology-DIAFLAT/dp/B005FUHTDG
I flatten my stones with the diamond lapping plate and it works well!

You can also get king 1k/6k combo stone
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01BB1ZDVW/

It's cheaper but softer although some people prefer that. This is two stones in one and honestly it's not a bad stone

I ended up just buying this piece of leather and some green strop compound from amazon, mainly because it was the easiest way for me to buy one, but you could just use denim or even newspaper as a strop. With 8000 u might not even need a strop, just keep polishing with very light strokes and u should be able to get a very fine edge since it's such a fine grit.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0154F7FKS/ref=sr_ph_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464995710&sr=sr-1&keywords=leather+strop

If you have a sharpmaker and you do not own the ultra fine stone set. Stop what you are doing, finish reading this sentence though, and order yourself not one but two ultra fine stones right. This. Second. You’re welcome.

https://www.amazon.com/Spyderco-Tri-Angle-Stone-Ultra-Fine/dp/B0019JTNDQ

Any piece of leather will work as a strop, with or without compound. I use this unloaded leather rectangle that I got for $9 and it works fine. The smooth and the suede side do give different results so it's worth trying out both.

As for technique, I just use the same motion as when sharpening but only half of a regular stroke and always spine first. Use very, very light pressure. An unloaded strop will turn a 5k edge into an almost smooth razor and an 8k edge into a very smooth razor, but still not something you would want to actually shave your face with. Stropping on newspaper after an 8k and an unloaded leather will come very close to something you would actually want to shave with.

Stropping on unloaded after 3k and lower is a bit different and yields interesting results as well, but I don't usually do it.

Compound will basically just do some polishing in addition to the alignment and other benefits you get from stropping in general.

Something like this ok?

http://www.amazon.com/Woodstock-SteeleX-D1130-Japanese-Waterstone/dp/B0000DD2C9/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324860242&sr=8-1

I'm assuming this will work well for kitchen knives too, so I'm not just wasting money on something silly here, right?

The difference with yours is they're bigger 4x10 vs 3x8, the substrate is strong plastic vs metal, and it's two sided. I own one like this but in extra course and course, I use it to repair blades and mostly to flatten my water stones (Shapton 1000, 4000, 8000) which is where the larger size helps. The plastic is not an issue, it keeps it very flat. If you're not using it to flatten stones, you can use the smaller ones. Pay attention to the grits when buying.

DMT D8F (600-mesh fine grit)

Some people recommend the D8C (325-mesh coarse grit) but I found that to be too rough for lapping the high grit stones like the Naniwa 12k and Gokumyo 20k.

Thanks mate. Wondered where to find those. For UK folk: EZE-LAP L PAK Set SF/F/M Color Coded Diamond Hones https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000UVS62S/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_kXZAwbBGHPQ41

£20

Your picture looks like a two-grit sharpening stone, maybe something like this, the rougher grit is to get the knife blade or cutting edge close, the fine grit for putting the very sharp edge on it.

Most people recommend the King KDS 1000/6000. The one you linked looks like a cheaply made Chinese or a rebranded stone.

my manager was feeling generous one day and this one magically appeared in the kitchen for us to use. It's pretty damn awesome. it's pricey but Norton also makes single stones for about 20-40 bucks.

I sharpen my knives on a Norton Tri-Stone or a Togiharu Dual Sided water stone depending on the knife(norton for all the "traditional" european knives, togiharu for my japanese knives). I generally sharpen my knives every Monday, which is the same day that I empty and clean out my knife kit, polish my shoes, fold all my side towels, and wash, iron, and starch my jackets. Don't attempt to sharpen your knives until you have the proper equipment, and know how to use it.

If you're a home cook, you can always take your knives to a Williams-Sonoma, which usually have a free sharpening day a few times a year.

I highly recommend these, they sharpen fast and last forever, I use them on everything from machetes to axes

EZE-LAP L PAK Set SF/F/M Color Coded Diamond Hones https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000UVS62S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Kv4VDbJN2AZ1B

Don't forget to buy the Ultra Fine Stones. They really help finish off an edge. You can also attain a mirror polish with these stones.

I have the Lansky 5 stone system and it has worked wonders for my kitchen knives. However, this system is frustrating to use with a chefs knife because of the blade length. I am looking to get into whetstones. I need something that will work well for not only chef knives but plane irons and chisels.

My price point is ~$100. So far my research has led me to a king combination stone and then a DMT course plate for major work and stone flattening. Does this sound like a good setup for my needs? Also, what is the difference between the King KDS and the King KW65?

If you want to sharpen freehand Japanese water stones are awesome, this is the one I bought to try them out, and it still works great two years later. They work fast and put a beautiful razor sharp, mirror edge on a knife. Anytime I need to sharpen a seriously dull knife, or change the bevel, that's what I use.

But for quick touch ups, which I do three or four times a month because I hate dull knifes, I can not recommend the Spyderco Sharpmaker enough. It's nearly fool proof, does an excellent job, and there is no mess or cleanup. However, unless you have loads of time it's really only good for touch ups, at least with the rods it comes with.

that one there in particular is part of a set including the crappiest oil stones you're ever likely to see - I turfed mine =)

$16 from amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Stanley-16-050-Sharpening-System/dp/B000KFTDSK/ref=sr_1_1

You want a fairly coarse stone to remove that chip. Then a fine one to finish. There's TONS of options, but something like this will do the job.

I was thinking about buying these japanese waterstones because they are cheaper than artificial stones. If so would it also make sense to buy this one as amazon seems to recommend?

After that new king wears away you guys can probably invest in a slower wearing Shapton Professional as well as a cheap lapping plate.

I just got this Sk as a cheap lapping plate and was surprised at how much my 1000/6000 king stone dished.

Do you guys work in a butcher shop or something?

this

And this

Are the only two stones you need.

I also recommend you get this

To use with this

I also just dove into waterstones and freehand sharpening my Shuns and I ended up buying this stone holder https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00NFB2MTI/ref=sxts_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1540381110&sr=1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65, a DMT extra coarse and coarse Dia-sharp, then a Sharpton Kuromaku 1000 and 5000. I maintain with a strop with green compound. I can flatten my stones with the DMT plates and I really like them to establish a bevel or for repairs.

I think there should be a sidebar link for kitchen knives.

1. You only need a chef or Chinese cleaver and paring knife. Maybe a bread and a few steak. Sets are overpriced.
   
   
2. Mercer, Kiwi, and Victorinox are good entry level ones that should last a lifetime. Zwilling Henckels (two people on the symbol), Messermeister, MAC, Tojiro, and Wusthof are the higher end ones.
   
   
3. Use a diamond plate or waterstone to sharpen the knife by removing material, while a sharpening steel is to straighten the end. The automatic ones tend to remove a lot of material.

1. https://www.amazon.com/Kuromaku-Ceramic-Whetstone-Medium-Grit/dp/B001TPFT0G
   
   
2. https://www.amazon.com/Medium-Grade-Millstone-Mastermind-Shaputon/dp/B002LW54RO
   
   
3. https://www.amazon.com/Whetstone-Sharpening-SHAPTON-Ceramic-KUROMAKU/dp/B001TPH8YG
   
   
4. https://www.amazon.com/KDS-Combination-Whetstone-Sharpening-Harder/dp/B01BB1ZDVW/
   
   Me hear this king(#4) harder than no expensive king(https://www.amazon.com/KING-KW65-Combination-Whetstone-Plastic/dp/B001DT1X9O), me no sure if true. But hard good for sg2.

I got the DMT lapping plate, only for much cheaper than Amazon. I think I paid like 95$ for it.

https://www.amazon.com/King-KDS-Combination-Whetstone-Sharpening/dp/B01BB1ZDVW/
King KDS will have a thicker 1000 side than 6000 side (equal thickness for King KW65) which is a good thing because coarser stone will wear down faster than finer one.

Bora 501057 Fine/Coarse Combination Sharpening Stone, Aluminum Oxide https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003Y3BMAW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_r7F7AbQNQDDQQ

Something like this.

Why pocket sized? You plan on edc it?

I bought this sharpening kit a little while ago and HATE the guide, its sticky and finicky and tough to get the blade in perfectly square. How do you like the honing guide you posted?

I mostly use my Lowes combo square for machine calibration, so I think an engineers square is exactly what I need. Thanks!

Also I should have mentioned I have a No 5 Jack plane but want something a little less cumbersome to use

Wife bought it for me when I got promoted to apprentice a while back https://www.amazon.com/Norton-IM313-11-5-Sharpening-System/dp/B0001MSA72/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1538708009&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=sharpening+stone+tri-hone&dpPl=1&dpID=41QN2JR02gL&ref=plSrch

Thank you u/_dead_fox
Thier 8x2.5 strop is on less than nice mdf block and still they ask $27. KNIVES PLUS Strop Strop Block, Leather Sharpening Strop, 8 Long https://www.amazon.com/dp/B010C7WBDE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_hoNmDbHN2N6C0

At $20 mine is made by hand with the highest quality usa made red oak hardwood i can get locally. And the more i make the more tools and techniques i learn.

Last batch got me a budget 4x36" belt grinder which saves my shoulders and time!

I've sharpened with stones before but not nice stones (Smith's Tri-Hone)... Does this seem like a worthwhile buy?

​

People are going to say "no, I wouldn't pay more than x dollars for that" or, "No it's a post war type 19, I don't buy any planes made after 1940". These people already have a multitude of planes and aren't exactly in the same mindset as a first time buyer.

It depends on your local market. $38 here would get me a glorified boat anchor that would take an additional $20-30 restore.

There's no cracks in the mouth, there's minimal pitting in the body, and it looks like there's a full length iron in it. The blade is knicked, but you're going to have to learn how to sharpen anyway, so you might as well pick up one of these, grind the primary bevel (it'll take 10 -15 minutes), then read up on the sharpening system of your choice.

DMT also makes a true lapping plate--the Dia-Flat Plate, but at $190, it's probably way overkill. I think the standard DMT plates are flat enough (and probably a lot flatter than the Naniwa and Norton lapping stones).

Yes...

*https://www.tandyleather.com/en/product/ergo-handle-swivel-knife

I originally used ...

• https://www.tandyleather.com/en/product/jewelers-rouge
  
  I tried their polishing compound
  
  
• https://www.tandyleather.com/en/product/polishing-compounds-1-5-oz-42-g
  
  Eventually for my round knife I got one of these sets - it wasn't this one ... but from watching youtube videos one guy recommended a similar system for getting an edge on & after you edge the blade, polishing or jewelers rouge should be all you need.
  
  
• http://amzn.com/B000KFTDSK
  
  Personally, I goto the pro's and they sharpen it for 15-20 bucks to edge my stuff, then jewelers rouge.
  
  But ceramic tips... all the way for my carving this year!
  
  
• https://www.tandyleather.com/en/product/craftool-ceramic-swivel-knife-blades

These? EZE-LAP L PAK Set SF/F/M Color Coded Diamond Hones https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000UVS62S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_g.0MDbPT44X4E

I'm not 100% sure if the same exact model but I got a set of these
I carry them in my bag for work. They're very thin, light, and pretty durable. I'm no expert blade smith by any means but a set of the extra fine/fine and coarse/extra coarse have taken a few mangled edges back to life.

Amazon

• Extra Coarse
  
• Fine
  
• Extra Extra Fine

I use this one and it’s alright. I set it in a tray to collect water and use a non slip mat beneath the tray.

I wouldn't pay 80 bucks for a stone even if it painted my house. I don't even see the need to go up to 8000 if you're stropping properly. Personally, I sharpen up to 6000 on the stone I linked and I get a mirror finish that is shaving sharp. I use it on all my plane irons, kitchen knives, and blades I make and they all suit me just fine.


http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0000DD2C9/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1420502886&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX200_QL40

I went with this set of two-side stones. It's a good value and covers all your bases (the 400 grit would be for rescuing a knife so dull it's almost ruined), but if I ever get really good I can buy nicer stones.

Edit: Jeez link markdown on mobile always gives me shit. But really, user error.

Meat-Cutter Here

Buy a multi-stone example A whet stone is used to create the edge of a knife. However a multi-stone has 3 different textures going from very fine to coarse. This will allow you to properly sharpen any knife.

The second tool we use is a Steel Sharpener. Example You use this in between cuts in order to quickly re-shape the blade. Everytime you use your knife, properly or inproperly, you bend the sharp edge of your knife ever so slighty, and within minutes if your not careful, you may ruin your edge completely and have to resharpen. The edge of a knife is like a piece of foil, and what the steel does is to quickly bend it back to its shape.


Learning this trade takes practice, and lots of it. Edges are completely committed to muscle memory over time, but to start out sharpening you need to first look at the angle of you knife's edge. This angle is what you will be sharpening at. Same goes with steel.

Anyways I thought I would give you a run down on equipment. If your looking for technique go ahead and watch a few videos on youtube.

They're 2x6 diasharps. I have this one, and the single side extra fine.

https://www.amazon.com/DMT-D6FC-6-Inch-Dia-Sharp-Double-Sided/dp/B000GD8WHY

Check out the "scary sharp" method - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scary_sharp

I'm very happy with using diamond stones (mostly use this one - http://www.amazon.com/DMT-D8F-Dia-Sharp-Continuous-Diamond/dp/B0001WP1LK/ref=sr_1_9?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1397563682&sr=1-9&keywords=diamond+stone) followed by some stropping. Personally I found that water stones are too inconvenient to deal with.

I have this knife: https://www.amazon.com/KOBALT-Quick-Change-Folding-Lock-Back-Knife/dp/B001G3KURI

And while I can't find the one I have, something like this should work fine: https://www.amazon.com/Bora-501057-Combination-Sharpening-Aluminum/dp/B003Y3BMAW

The key when cutting is to do it in one smooth cut with plenty of force down into the foam.

1k/6k stone
$44.77 at amazon. 2 days ago, I paid 30 something for it.

I tried a DMT plate (this one)
I didn't seem to cut/sharpen that fast compared to my water stones. I have been looking at getting a Lapping plate to flatten said water stones. But I'm going to burn through the last of my sandpaper first (got a good deal on a big package of 200 grit wet dry paper for flattening - but it doesn't last long so it's not as good of a deal as I thought).
One of these

Do you have any thoughts?

I recently got the same stones. This piece of leather is the exact size of the stones if you want to go that route:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0154F7FKS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

To add to Mr. /u/toadthenewsense, you can get a single DMT stone with coarse on one side and fine on the other for roughly $43.

https://www.amazon.com/DMT-D6FC-6-Inch-Dia-Sharp-Double-Sided/dp/B000GD8WHY/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1487684169&sr=8-3&keywords=coarse+fine+dmt

I prefer the 8" stones myself but I'm not sure if you want to sink more into sharpening than the knife cost.

Like 9 to 20 bucks on avg. It's not that hard to learn

Japanese waterstones

It's this set
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074X7VB62/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_--FCCbVG3TC55

My big Norton

Is this the stone that you have?

Here is the desktop version of your link

I think you're supposed to soak it first. I have one of those.

https://www.amazon.com/Bora-501057-Combination-Sharpening-Aluminum/dp/B003Y3BMAW

Here is the mobile version of your link

Whoops I knew that.
https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B00NFB2MTI/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A4XRJ8S0WXSO0&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B001DT1X9O/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=A3DVML5LANE1W2&psc=1

These ones are actually intended as a house warming gift for my brother, they are Jewboer 240, 600, 1200, 3000 grit diamond plates plus a leather strop.

I have a set of DMT plates (220, 600, 1200, 8000) that I use in the kitchen, but since I spent so much money on those, I worry about wearing them out in the shop.. So I'm thinking about getting another cheap Jewboer set for my chisels/planes.

Is 1000 coarse enough to sharpen a dull knife? I bought a 400/1000 stone but I'm thinking about returning it because I have my eye on this.

If you do pursue diamond stones, here is a list of what I have.. I am not sure if this the be-all-end-all, and I can definitely recommend trying lots of things, because sharpening seems to be something so personal. Just wanted to collate in one place what I have settled on thus far.

This is one of the cheaper setups. I think it would be interesting to try ceramics at the top end, and better leather for a multi-strop setup.. Just ran out of funds after trying several failed other methods ;)

OP gave you some good advice about research. I'd add that if you can somehow find someone local who can show you what sharp really is, that would be a big bonus. I haven't found that person yet myself, because I am a hermit.

Stones:

• DMT D8X (Extra-Coarse) - $55. Amazon
  
  
• DMT D8C (Coarse) - $55. Amazon
  
  
• DMT D8F (Fine) - $53. Amazon
  
  
• DMT D8E (Extra Fine) - $55. Amazon
  
  Paddles:
  
  
• DMT Paddle Kit (Coarse, Fine, Extra-Fine) - $23. Amazon
  
  Stropping:
  
  
• Leather piece of scrap - From an old weight belt. Can be bought new for about $12, but I suggest cutting up a thrift store leather jacket or something.
  
  
• Woodstock Honing Compound - $13. Amazon
  
  
• 1" x8" Pine board as strop backing
  
  
• 3M Spray adhesive - $13. Amazon
  
  Sandpaper:
  
  
• Porter Cable 80 grit PSA Roll - $12. Amazon
  
  
• Porter Cable 120 grit PSA Roll - $12. Amazon
  
  
• Shower Door Glass used as sandpaper backing -- I got mine from the scrap bin at a glass shop, you can use premade granite blocks from Woodcraft for about $40. Or granite countertop scraps. If money is no object buy something premade just to avoid the "is it me or the tool?" doubts.
  
  
• Miscellaneous wet/dry sandpaper sheets in grits from 220-1500 for sharpening gouges and carving tools, I wrap around wooden dowels along with stropping compound to polish at the end. I bought the dia-wave sharpener and it was not as good.

I have a couple of stones from bearmoo that are $20 that do the job. If you are doing family members knives I would err on the really coarse side since their knives are likely to be both crappy and really dull.

https://www.amazon.com/Whetstone-Sharpening-Stone-1000-4000/dp/B01FXK7XF6/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1501775119&sr=8-4&keywords=bearmoo

This sub needs to stop recommending the crappy version of the King combo (KW65) then shit on it saying that it's a noob trap.

Get this one instead

https://www.amazon.com/King-KDS-Combination-Whetstone-Sharpening/dp/B01BB1ZDVW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1526217567&sr=8-1&keywords=king+kds