Sharpening Knives

[k alton]

Thought the other knive thread was getting lengthy...my late and favorite uncle (lifetime cattleman) said Henkle (spelling?) made a great knife, he preferred the trapper...what do you think?

Also, he preferred carbon steel to stainless...what do you think?

And, do you guys think that real men sharpen with one or two big stones or do you think that sharpening systems like "Lansky" are O.K.?

 

[backhoeboogie]

Thought the other knive thread was getting lengthy...my late and favorite uncle (lifetime cattleman) said Henkle (spelling?) made a great knife, he preferred the trapper...what do you think?

Also, he preferred carbon steel to stainless...what do you think?

And, do you guys think that real men sharpen with one or two big stones or do you think that sharpening systems like "Lansky" are O.K.?

Carbon steel is best. If you can breath on the blade and see your breath, don't buy it.

I use an oil stone to sharpen mine.

 

[msscamp]

Also, he preferred carbon steel to stainless...what do you think?

Dad always uses a whetstone to sharpen his knives. He's got a couple of 'Oldtimer' pocketknives that are about as old as I am.

 

[Carlos D.]

Theres a drawer in my kitchen table --with a stone in it ,everymorning when Im haveing coffee -I give my buckknife a few swipes --It will generally shave the hair off my arm

carl

 

[msscamp]

Theres a drawer in my kitchen table --with a stone in it ,everymorning when Im haveing coffee -I give my buckknife a few swipes --It will generally shave the hair off my arm

carl

I've yet to master the art of sharpening a knife with a whetstone, but Dad has it down pat! He sharpens my cheap pocketknife for me and I swear I could register it as a lethal weapon. :lol: :lol: :lol: A whetstone sharpened knife also seems to hold the edge longer.

 

[backhoeboogie]

Theres a drawer in my kitchen table --with a stone in it ,everymorning when Im haveing coffee -I give my buckknife a few swipes --It will generally shave the hair off my arm

carl

I've yet to master the art of sharpening a knife with a whetstone, but Dad has it down pat! He sharpens my cheap pocketknife for me and I swear I could register it as a lethal weapon. :lol: :lol: :lol: A whetstone sharpened knife also seems to hold the edge longer.

I was taught how to do it when I was about 12. It took a while to get the feel for the angle. Now I don't even think about it. My eyes aren't so good any more but I can feel the resistance and hear when it is perfect.

 

[andybob]

Whetstone and butcher's steel,keeps all my butcher knives as well as my two claspknives razor sharp.

 

[MillIronQH]

Thought the other knive thread was getting lengthy...my late and favorite uncle (lifetime cattleman) said Henkle (spelling?) made a great knife, he preferred the trapper...what do you think?

Also, he preferred carbon steel to stainless...what do you think?

And, do you guys think that real men sharpen with one or two big stones or do you think that sharpening systems like "Lansky" are O.K.?

Real men don't carry dull knives and it don't make a flip how you get it sharp.

I kind of collet Case knive and carry a trapper in my pocket and a folding hunter on my belt. They're both old and both carbon steel.Z

 

[msscamp]

Theres a drawer in my kitchen table --with a stone in it ,everymorning when Im haveing coffee -I give my buckknife a few swipes --It will generally shave the hair off my arm

carl

I've yet to master the art of sharpening a knife with a whetstone, but Dad has it down pat! He sharpens my cheap pocketknife for me and I swear I could register it as a lethal weapon. :lol: :lol: :lol: A whetstone sharpened knife also seems to hold the edge longer.

I was taught how to do it when I was about 12. It took a while to get the feel for the angle. Now I don't even think about it. My eyes aren't so good any more but I can feel the resistance and hear when it is perfect.

I sure wish I had been. It's the angle that I have problems with.

 

[milesvb]

Dad always used a stone for sharpening and chuckled when I bought a Lansky sharpener. He borrowed the Lansky and doesn't use the stone any more. Though I'll have to admit that the Lansky ain't worth a flip for filet or boning knives.

 

[backhoeboogie]

It's the angle that I have problems with.

Hold it the same every time. Ideally it is about 30 degrees but if you hold it at 40 degrees both ways, it will get sharp. You just can't go 30, 35, 40, 32 and back and forth each sweep.

One way you can "cheat" is to hold the knife the same way in your hand on the up and down roll but turn the stone to the exact desired angle alternatively on each stroke. I do that with an unusually long blade.

 

[Hippie Rancher]

I can do kitchen knives pretty well on the steel, but never could learn to use a stone.

Guess that might be a contributing reason to why I use disposable scalpels for calf work.

I hate dull knives but have never been good at getting a pocket knife sharp, always asking for heop.

 

[dun]

A friend of mine is a fiend for a sharp knife, so when mine need it I just give them to him and he whips an edge on them. I think he could get a shaving edge on a carrot.

dun

 

[aplusmnt]

This is one thing, I never had anyone show me the right way to do. Always wished I could put a good and proper edge on a knife.

 

[k alton]

I've seen Bokers advertised to "never need sharpening". Can't really believe that, but are they better than other knives" ..they were fairly proud $$$ of the ones I've seen for sale.

 

[msscamp]

It's the angle that I have problems with.

Hold it the same every time. Ideally it is about 30 degrees but if you hold it at 40 degrees both ways, it will get sharp. You just can't go 30, 35, 40, 32 and back and forth each sweep.

One way you can "cheat" is to hold the knife the same way in your hand on the up and down roll but turn the stone to the exact desired angle alternatively on each stroke. I do that with an unusually long blade.

I will give that a try, thanks!