If you write 'Cedric Ada' and then the product into UA-cam search you'll no doubt find me reviewing it and showing it more extensively. Yes, even 'Cedric Ada Toilet', see: ua-cam.com/video/spuxvtf0AcE/v-deo.htmlsi=CKWqI9usia0BaH-s
Something I've wanted to try is a record player turn table with a round diamond disks of different grit sizes, and a leather one to stop with. Basically a tormec without the hollow grind.
@@lordives7181 YEP for sure, and after a while and you haven't sharpened one you can't help yourself and sharpen them again and then you go to far and dull it LoL
I use the Worksharp Ken Onion Edition with the blade grinding attachment, and have done handles, majorly thinned and transformed knives, and have gotten my knives to whittle hair off of it. One of the biggest things I have found is that once you get it apexed, need to use the lower speed settings, and make sure to have a good leather belt with compound. Makes a world of difference, and when using the later belts such as the leather and 12k belt to use very light pressure and making sure to be consistent on angles. After doing the initial stropping on the leather, I will go to a slightly lower angle and have gotten very good edges that way that very easily shave, cut phonebook paper, cut papertowels, and easily pass the tomato test. On some knives I have had to keep the same angle or they go down in performance from using that lower angle. I have enjoyed bringing some of my kitchen knives to a zero edge and then putting on a tiny micro bevel that brings it to .003" - .010" behind the edge thickness. My knives I have been doing that on, and bringing it through the thinning process using just the Worksharp have outperformed my $150+ knives in BD1N and effortlessly slide through veggies and fruits alike, whether it be beets, apples, cucumbers, zucchini, potatoes, etc. I have greatly enjoyed having those convex edgee on my knives. Just my ¢2. Have a great day and keep up the great work! Sincerely, JS
I was taught to sharpen on stones as a kid while on hunting trips and now as an adult I find it really calming. I’ll usually keep a pocket sharpener just in case and I have a belt sander setup, but there’s nothing like a set of stones/plates. To me it almost feels like a primal art form, like cutting wood with an axe vs using a chainsaw or pneumatic splitter.
Arkansas stones feel right to me. Even ceramics are kinda iffy on feel, and I love my SpyderCo ceramic stones. I just can’t get over how nice the Arkansas stones are on my hunting knife
Years of stropping knives was a big help for me with the motor skills to transition to flat stones. I wish I had your enthusiasm for sharpening. Best I’ve been able to muster is a drawer full of dull and rusty knives that get reconditioned one or twice a year at most. You have been an inspiration to me over the year’s especially with knives and steel education...and yes, the KME rules!
Great review. I would add that a 1" belt sander with a fixed guide is what many professionals use. The guy at Curry Custom Cutlery (youtube) said he has sharpened over 80,000 knives. He can put the sharpest edges on 15 knives in about 5 minutes using several belt sanders. Then he sort of lets the knife fall on a piece of standing phone book paper and it goes right thru it.
A great review. Agree with all of it. I don't want to have sharpening as a hobby, so I used fixed-angle systems for their speed and tolerance for poor attention. At work (a freezing works) there are "setters" dotted around. I think butchers' supply shops call them knife dressers. Fixed angle sharpening clamps on stands, basically, with three slots corresponding to the three angles used. The engineers buy DMT diamond "stones" and cut them in half lengthways and then weld them to stainless rod for the sliding sticks. Most of the old hands still sharpen freehand though, and some of the young ones learn it. There is also a sharpening robot that does the bulk of the work, but I think that might be outside your budget. Somewhere around half a mill, I think. Maybe more. About thirty knives a minute. You don't talk about the use of a steel, I guess because you're not using your knives eight or ten hours a day. Steeling, edge maintenance, is a whole other topic. Steeling technique is the knife tutor's main focus at work. Edit: Forgot to say, at home I use a Warthog V-sharp Classic II. A South African sharpener that is a fixed-angle system but doesn't clamp the knife blade. It produces good enough edges for me, without me having to focus.
As always you delivered a excellent piece of knowledge on different aspects of the sharpening system game, that can be an absolute nightmare for the people that are new to the world of knives and sharpening of those beautiful pieces of metal cutting tools. Have a cracking weekend ahead stay safe and healthy 🫵😘👍
The DC 3 & 4 is an awesome starter when in the field. I have a collection of 4" stones that I can use for just about anything. It does take time to learn the micro sharpening but Man! there are some great natural, diamond and synthetics stones out there that do an amazing job. I find it easier to go in circles up and down the stones (usually 5 times if already profiled) on each grit 300-320, 600-800, 1500-3000 and always finish with an Ark Black. I will do a series on these eventually, Imagine having your entire kit in your pocket. It is possible but like anything it takes practice. I have enjoyed your input for years. Thanks for all you do!
It may no longer be top of the line, but my original KME with the its optional Chosera stones and my 30 year old HandAmerican Made dual surface strop get my knives as sharp as I want. And they do it quickly and at a reasonable price, IMO. THANKS for the video, Pete!
Cost is only as big of a hurdle as you wanna make it, in freehand sharpening. Decent sandpaper stapled or glued to a block of wood can produce great edges too.
Absolutely factual. personally I'll use a quality wet/dry paper PSA paper on a 2x11inch piece of granite. Quality sic paper works a treat on the granite, I mainly using it for large kitchen knives when a longer strone than my 3x8s makes the job easier.
I recommend buying some aliexpress stones if you are short on cash. I purchased a 400 grit diamond stone, 1x6 inch 3000 grit ruby and 1x6 inch 800 grit boron. In total was less then $10 with free shipping. For a basically complete sharpening system (unless you plan on sharpening kitchen knives or the like, as these stones would probably be too small.) You can also get a full size (2x8) 800 Boron/3000 Ruby stone for about $30 if you are willing to spend more.
Great overview, I'd add that abrasive films are a good, cheap option for beginners (and everyone else). Put them on glass or tile, and you have a sharpening stone. Put them on rubber, felt etc, and you have a strop. 100 micron to sub-micron, in SiC, AlOx and diamond, and last longer than you'd expect. Also great for odd shapes (woodworking tools, punches, fiddly repair work).
Scary Sharp. That's where I started my sharpening journey. Hair shaving plane and chisel blades. I have long been able to get pine end grain shavings, what I can't do is get there quickly. Nor can I do it reliably free-hand. 😢
I'm 65 and have a lot of sharpening under my belt. So, while i do have a few of my own opinions i wanted to say that i appreciate how conscientious and comprehensive your effort here is. i would no longer be willing to spend money for any of the powered \belt sharpeners. I have a series of Japanese wet stones that are naturally, amazing. But it's a bit of an ordeal. I wait until my best , high end chisels need the full Monty. (and that always starts with my DMT 10"x 4" coarse/medium ) And i agree that the DMT butterfly stones are my go to for all my folding pocket knives. and i even finish with the little red 'very fine ' and blue 'super fine ' 2" x 3/4" finishers that you had in the 'pos carbide pull
I am a sharpening addict, I have a tormek t4, a worksharp Ken onion elite. A worksharp PPA and many whetstones, diamond and ceramic plates. Oh and rod systems, I forgot about the rod systems. When sharpening I aim for around a 17 degree edge. So then if I do have to use a pocket sharpener like a dc4 or the worksharp guided field sharpener, I only have to hone a 20degree microbevel, quickly and easily to keep me slicing. Small pocket stones are ideal for this.
Another tip for when learning to sharpen is to learn on other peoples knives. I have family members who would buy a cheap set of kitchen knives. Use them till they were blunt (that did not take long as they would cut on either glass boards or granite worktops) then discard them and buy another set. So I would take them, then in the unlikely event I completely ruined them there was nothing lost as they were destined for the bin anyway. But in the more likely event you got them sharp but with what you consider to be a less than perfect grind they don’t care, as they have slicing sharp knives again and you have saved them the price of a new set. you have had pressure free practice, and practice makes perfect.
Great video, very comprehensive.! I use the scarysharp fixed angle system, it's a heavy duty bit of kit and gives outstanding results, using 200mm bench stones, not diamonds 👍
Don't enjoy sharpening but love sharp tools. Went Tormek with Wen jig set. First month had everything sharp within a mile from home. Angle and motor neurone skills are removed, you just practise reading the edge. As an engineer, I've sharpened bearing scrapers, HSS lathe tools, planer blades as well as the gaggle of scissors, knives, chisels. Yes its a jig system but the beauty is it's a jig system. If I want to spend hours on sharpening, it'll be making a mounting jig for some new item needing grinding.
Those Glass Shapton stones are incredible. Just never ever leave them in a draw for a long period of time if you live in a humid place. Those stones draw moisture naturally I think. Have always thoroughly dried them prior. It caused pitting damage to some of my stones :(... Love them and they still work. But for the prices you pay... you don't want to carelessly damage them.
@@CedricAdaMaybe so but you are improving quickly. I have multiple of the systems that you demonstrated and I agree the most relaxing and satisfying is a good stone. I just unboxed my Ken Onion WS with blade grinder so going to give it a go soon. Thank you for another video packed with great information.
Had a Wicked Edge for 8 years, wore out the 600 stones and the rest not far behind, and the clamp had been bent and straightened a couple times. So earlier this year I replaced the WE with a TSProf Kadet Pro, and wow am I impressed! Definitely better for FFG, handles a wider variety of blades, and soooo many stones available. And the simple and effective stone thickness compensator is excellent. Not cheap, but the Kadet Pro is stunningly good in its engineering and build quality, and in the results I get.
I took the sneaky route and just bought the perfect kadet clone for $250 since TSprof was under embargo at the time and I had ethical issues buying from a Russian company(even when they moved address to avoid the embargo) with what is going on. The clone is machined with a quality level I did not expect at all. The stone thickness compensator even slides down slowly just like the original because the tolerances are to tight. Also it is compatible with all the TSprof accessories.
Love your videos. I’ve had Ken Onion,chef Choice, Edge Pro, and others. Sharpening for decades. Sold my $600 Edge Pro and bought Wicked Edge. $$ But after initial learning curve (not hard at all) Hooked. Love diamonds they stay straight and last forever Very fast cause you are sharpening two sides at once. And changing grits in one second. Change diamonds in 2-1/2 seconds.
Well, I too have purchased just about everything you showed here, I have more sharpening systems than most people do knives. I have only recently finely got hair shaving results with every knife I own. It was a journey for sure but I've enjoyed most of it. Good luck folks, you will know it when you see it for yourself. Keep experimenting until you have that razor edge that probably came on your knife. Until you learn how to do it for yourself, you won't be happy.
Great summary of the methods out there! I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on the SharpWorx system - it's basically an upside-down fixed angle system, one that holds the blade and is used with traditional bench stones. Seems like might be the best of both worlds there.
My experience is that after you learn to sharpen a blade you tend to look at all the knife hype differently. You then sharpen to your needs and look for knives that meet those requirements. My focus now starts with the handle cuz if it’s not long term comfortable I will move on.
A lot of awesome info in this video. I would say that most people should skip the bigger Worksharp stone with the angled ends if it's just meant to be a stop gap to learn the technique. Instead get something like the Sharpal 325/1200 diamond stone and use the included angle finder. Yes, the little angle finder piece isn't as nice as the Worksharp, but on the Sharpal you can just get rid of the angle piece when you don't need it anymore and you still have a great stone. You can also find different jigs, some you can 3d print that will help you get the technique down. The Sharpal is also the stone that Outdoor55 recommends for most people so it's a good long term solution. Just seems silly to buy the Worksharp just as a temporary solution until you learn the proper technique.
Ron from KME is an old friend, as is his brother. We used to meet up at tradional bow shoots. Gotta get back in touch. Here to say that KME is hands down the best family owned American business of the bunch. Hard working, generous, kind, good people. Old fashioned quality and customer service, not saying anything bad about the others (I use them all), but if I was going to pick just one company to support, it'd be KME if you value the return to building and buying stuff made in the USA.
Awesome video! The KO Blade Grinder is what I use and it is amazing in my opinion. With a 12000 grit stropping belt then onto a leather strop after that achieves insane edges.
Fixed angle systems like Crox-Stix or the Work Sharp Angle Set are some of my favorites. Grew up on them and can usually finish off well with a strop coming off these stones now.
I'm at the point where if I want a quick working edge I'll do freehand but for crazy razor sharp mirror edges I use my KME. I still need to get the new one though!
Great to see how your hand-skills have improved over the years. Now learn to apply these same skills to the sharpening of drill bits. Your mates will be impressed. There is no substitute for experience. Best wishes and all fine things.
Nice video and I agree, a good progression of bench-sized whetstones is the way to go. One thing I noticed, and it might be just the filming setup, but when you are working with whetstones, you should sit a lot higher so that your forearms are not angled up. The worksurface (not the desk but the whetstone) should preferably be below the elbows. That is a much more relaxed and ergonomic posture which also allows for better control of blade angles. Also, oh hell yeah, TOOL
Just like a Niponese sword sharpening master - also helps to be on the ground along with the stone holder... maximize the potential to keep a consistent angle and force...
Loved this. Question, the wicked edge, it seems to me alternating strokes would get you there fastest, with least stock removal, and least muscle fatigue, but I can’t spring for one to “find out”. Any chance you could expound on the shortcomings of my “fantasy” system. THANK YOU. 🔥🐈⬛🔥
Mate, I've been following your videos since you were a wee chunky lad filming with a potato but still those humorous curveballs thrown in with all the good info have me in stitches each time. Pull through sharpener are slightly less useless than arguing with the knife. Lmao! On a side note, pulltrough sharpeners are pretty good for junk beater knives. Also if your primary sharpening method is something like a hand held stone (DC4 etc.) you will inevitably increase the angle of the edge in time. At that point, using a pullthrough is a good way to reset the angle by removing material quickly.
I have a Work Sharp, Guided Field Sharpener, and it works well. If you feel the fine side seems to get smooth, its loading up on metal that is being shaved off your knife. So just clean it with dish soap and a scrubby brush. Its a good sharpener. I also have the Ken Onion Deluxe Work Sharp, with belt grinding attachment. Works great on all my knives and axes, and even my swords.
I have a love/hate relationship with sharpening knives. I own a Norton multi tool and recently broke it down to remove built up oil and to lap the stones flat again. I can't seem to use it like I did before and tried other wet stones with varying results. I finally bought a Ken Onion. It does a great job and has a learning curve. The only problem I ran into was that the heel on the knife would be missed because the handle of the knife was in the way not allowing the blade to be sharpened all the way back. This creates additional attention because that metal needs to be removed otherwise part of the blade would have no contact with the cutting board.
My mother used either a crock edge or cast iron frying pan. I’m 77 yrs old and I remember her doing it in early 1950s. Said HER mother did it that way.
Hello my friend, I’m 70 and I can remember my mother sharpening her kitchen knives on the concrete step! 😂😂. My granddad and dad taught us to sharpen our own fishing knives when we moved away from the farm to the coast, what was a holiday bay just north of Sydney. Taught us to stone from 80 to ironstone then later to steel. Still got the ironstone. Got a good deal on Lanksy just for laughs but find it rather cathartic. Does a good job, but limited to smaller blades for consistency. Great for Stanley knife blades up to 4 or 6” blades. Hunting and camp knives (imo) require stones and a steady hand. Back in the 70s I used to finish on glass + No3 cutting compound, but not that fussy these days as my first purchased steel is still in service 😄, purchased it in 69 for 2 weeks wages from my holiday job at the time ($18.60/40hrs). Nowadays if I get the twitch I’ll take a Chinese blade and bash a block of ironbark we have out the back and resharpen it. Cheers ol’ mate, have a great day. Oh, still chopping our firewood and keep all implements beauty sharp - maul (heavy block splitter), 2 axes & 2 tiddlers (hatchers) using whetstones.
Thanks for this Pete! I’ve been planning on getting the new KME. I assume from this video that your experience has continued to be good since your introduction video a little while back?
16:50 I have the other guided system with the extra set of plates and the pocket ceramic rod. It's brilliant, and it fits in a smallish tac bag to keep it all together.
Started with the kme, it's a really nice sharpener just can't to bigger knifes and filet knives so good. Upgraded to a tormek t8, took awhile to master it almost 200 knifes later I would say to get really good. Can achieve shaving sharp on most knifes in under 10 min 👍 great video btw.
The work sharp folding sharpener is great for touchups while skinning elk or bear. I use a nice randall bowie that my dad carried in Grenada. It has a big chip in the handle from the embassy bombing. I carry it when hunting out west. I use the folder on it.
Eze-Lap - Still using mine after ????? ( 30 years ) These days I use them on my scandi almost exclusively . I use ( mainly ) Guided sharpening or my wet stone grinder knife sharpener . I really want the best possible edge ( True ) . I do very little free hand sharpening ( Diamond plates ) , but every now and again there is little choice . ( small knives + scandi ) The most important thing is , you do what works for you ! There is no right or wrong , there is only what works !
Yeah, I've thought about fixed angle systems and tried a Lansky years ago. I use a Ken Onion blade grinder for rough jobs (garden axe, machete etc) if I need to repair damage. But for kitchen and utility knives, Japanese water stones every time A 320 for minor reprofiling, 600 for a first sharpen of a very dull but undamaged knife but mostly Cerax 1000 and 5000, followed by a strop with 8000 green compound. Day to day, a smooth leather strop brings back the edge I'm talking about 80 to 140 on the BESS-C scale - sharper than high end blades out of the box.
I love my TSPROF and I get very Zen when I take the time to really sit down and for a mirror polish edge or a complete re-profile, but for day to day, I need a good edge now sharpening, I use either the Workshop pocket or my Sharpal 325/1200 and finish after either with my strop.
So many of your recommendations are hand held. Hand held is THE problem most people have. Keeping a certain angle is crucial, but difficult to achieve.
I like that Beavercraft strop paddle. Given that shipping might make this unaffordable for me, I'm thinking of investing in some leather and quality board, and have a go at making a couple myself. Pete and followers, what would be your ideal length and width for a double sided strop like this one?
@GooseMilk7 Yeah, I was kind of thinking of a good paddle size. The Beavercraft is about 8cm wide, which is pretty good. I'll have a go at making one in the near future. I have made my own before, out of an old leather belt. However, being a belt, it is only 3cm wide. I plan on scoring some leather this week I hope.
I have the first generation Wicked Edge which is excellent, but has several drawbacks. The newest versions address the minor shortcomings I have with the original version, but I get great results with the original version, so I can't yet justify upgrading. I will upgrade eventually. I do freehand sharpen just for fun, mostly on softer steels like saks and my old kitchen knives. It's all good. Love your channel, not K390 love, but...
I’m surprised you haven’t tried King whetstones 600/1000 grit variant. They aren’t the highest quality, and they are soft, but they are great. The 600 grit side does dish out, but that’s not a bad thing if you know what you’re doing, especially for convex. They are also cheap and get a near mirror polish hair whittling the edge. Mastersmith Murray Carter used to use them. Try his knives as well.
I love Murray Carter’s neck knives. I thought I lost mine so I bought a second. They came ultra sharp and touch up so easy. I used the king stones for a while but have several others I am trying out.
I've used them but I think it's EH. Whetstones are annoying to use, soaking, wet fingers, slow cutting, and for finer stones the emulsion of stone dust actually dulls your apex depending how you use it, though it makes burrs less likely. I much prefer using a simple sharpall 400/1000 diamond. Stays flat, cuts fast into any steel, it just works, way more aggressively sharp edges easily. After that a strop with 3 micron diamond compound for final burr removal and razor edge.
My favorite is my stones, and diamond stones too. I’ll sit there for hours with a show or podcast on. It’s very therapeutic. I’ve been doing it for at least a year now and still not as good as a fixed angle. But getting close.
Great informative video. Just found the channel yesterday and have watched… too many videos. Could you please compare the Ken Onion Mk1 and Mk2? First without the *big* attachment and then with. They seem similar enough… including the attachment thing.
On Japanese water stones, I got a lot better results when I really started focusing on convexing the edge by sharpening at a lower angle and then raising to a slightly higher angle. I constantly change from lower to higher until I have a burr across the entire edge and then sharpen the other side the same way until I flip the burr back over. I do the same as I move up grits and usually finish on spyderco ultra fine to refine the edge and knock off the burr. Then on to strops 3, 1, .5, and .25 and hair whittling sharp with a very durable edge. Takes me a lot less time to progress through the stones this way too. You can easily control how much you want to convex the edge by either raising it slightly from lower to higher or raising it a lot between lower to higher angle. I keep it pretty low convex on my pocket knives and higher convex on my working/bushcraft knives. Water stones have become my favorite sharpening method by far using this technique.
Dmt makes an angle guide system too. It’s affordable and works with Diafold sharpeners. I already had a Diafold sharpener and didn’t want to spend a lot on a more complicated or advanced system. (Just don’t mix single sided and double sided Diafold, they’re different thicknesses which affects the sharpening angle.)
I kinda learned on a Lansky. The problem was the inconsistent results. I was gifted an Edge Pro and immediately started getting razor sharp edges with a mirror edge . I got some diamond matrix stones, I don't see any reason to even try another system. It rocks, and it isvey seldom that the results are less than amazing.
Your using the smiths sharpener wrong homie, my kitchen knives pulls 100-200 on the Bess test after touch up using the smiths pull through... I do maybe 5 pulls on the ciramic side after use and cleaning. Love the vid and content and thank you for posting!
The best for me is to have the KME sharpener to set the edge angle, the Spyderco Double Stuff for touch up and a leather strop. I always touch up first on the strop but if it's not enough i touch up on the Double Stuff and then finish with the strop.
There's nothing wrong with pull-through sharpeners... in the correct application. They work fine for cheap/disposable knives, when you just need a quick edge. They're also convenient for camping, or where size/weight matter. I particularly like the Sharpal 6-in-1 pocket sharpener. It's reasonably effective, and also has a tapered diamond rod with hook groove. For valuable knives, I would only use the diamond rod for a quick touch-up... but the whole thing is just handy for cheap utility/kitchen/camp/pocket/disposable knives, camp axes, and machetes.
I'm looking at all of this sharpening stuff and it's great to get a good idea of it all from your knowledge and experience but I am honestly getting brilliant results with just my Victorinox pen style field sharpener. I just use that to hone, then the ceramic V to lightly finish (and the V initially if the blade is very rough or chipped to begin with) and a strop on my jeans and I'm sharpening all my knives like that (3V, S90V etc take longer of course) and they are all reaching hair shaving sharpness, ok not a fantastic shave (I'm still practising) but I used one to shave all my finger hair yesterday while I was out and about so I don't think for me that I need to bother with any of that other stuff as I don't think I will gain anything much? but have a lot of more hassle and cost. All you need with the Victorinox is a bit of practice and skill for example I sit on a kitchen chair with my elbows on my knees and that helps lock my sharpening angle but I can do it fine standing up as well. I think you really have left a gap in your video in not properly trying the Victorinox pen field sharpener. It is kind of a similar process to you using your sharpening stones at the end. No fancy machinery, no leather strop nor diamond compounds. None of it actually needed! Ok if I was running a knife sharpening business then I'd go for something professional but I am very impressed with what can fairly easily for low cost and very importantly hassle free be achieved with just that little Victorinox sharpening pen. Why would I need anything else when it works as well as it does? I suppose I am not that obsessed with the perfection edge and in fairness to you you do mention some of the other basic small sharpeners being good but I think you left out a rather good one in the Victorinox though I am sure there are many that can't or don't wish to use it to get any good result and so will disagree and that's their choice. As you mention at the end of your video it's actually kind of fun to see what your hand crafted edge can achieve and yours are certainly better than mine but really it's not a huge difference so thankfully I'm not going to start hoarding loads of sharpening stuff lol.
Cedric, why can I get a knife sharp on a coarse stone but as soon as I move from a coarse stone to a fine stone, the knife stops cutting paper? I use a guided jig system made by Edge Pro.
The worksharp guided...It's fine for certain steels and shapes. Thicker blades, tough steels...just get out the stone. Tormek's price automatically knocks it off the list for 99.9% of buyers. Personally, I think most people are better off buying a bench stones, use the marker trick, and learn to sharpen. Not a fan of relying on electricity or bulky systems I can't easily transport. Keep a WS Field in my truck.
Tormek 8 please, can you please compare it to fix systems like kme TS Prof and others. I start to transition to automatic system now hands-free motion is becoming tiring becoming tiring and especially when you're sharpening multiple knives
The discussion of the Spyderco SharpMaker and similar systems (the inverted V Worsksharp angle sharpener is shown) - incorrectly indicates that a microbevel is usually created. While many use them to touch-up edges, these systems are capable of normal sharpening using a grit progression. I'm not sure you are using the term "microbevel" as most do. Microbevels are simply putting a slightly wider angle at the apex than the rest of the sharpened edge - to promote edge stability. You don't "cant you hand" differently to sharpen / re-apex. You are supposed to keep the knife completely vertical. If you match the existing angle of the edge (using the angle of the rods), you are just sharpening / re-apexing it like any other system.
My very first part-time job as a 15 years old was in the Coles meat hall. The head butcher taught me how to sharpen knives and that's all I did for 4 hours every Saturday. That was over 50 years ago, all I ever use is a stone occasionally (one I bought in a 2nd hand store for 50c), a diamond steel and a regular steel. The important thing is to make sure the steels are long enough for longer blades. You only need to get a knife sharp enough to do the job in hand...just saying!
Had the lanksy kit and found knife moving around in clamp and rods not accurate, gone back to basics with a Sharpal two sided diamond stone, granted I need to work on my technique as a novice, I am getting better results
All I've ever had luck with are the round ceramic rods mounted in a base. Angle set for you. Just slide knife straight down. Didn't see them mentioned.
check out the vevor kit system. all steel construction including the ball gimbal. itcosts £30 in uk. $36 us? stones arent the best quality but interchangable with edge pro stones to upgrade it.
The pull-through carbide sharpers are terrible for sharpening but the ceramic pull throughs are very good for honing, so long as they are made with the correct geometry.
Can someone please explain to me the pros and cons of push sharpening and pull sharpening blades? I noticed he really tends to push his edge into the sharpening face of whatever sharpener he uses whereas I have always been one to pull the blade towards me with the spine facing me. The thought of pushing a knife to sharpen feels so wrong and alien to me idk why
If you write 'Cedric Ada' and then the product into UA-cam search you'll no doubt find me reviewing it and showing it more extensively. Yes, even 'Cedric Ada Toilet', see: ua-cam.com/video/spuxvtf0AcE/v-deo.htmlsi=CKWqI9usia0BaH-s
The toilet 🚽 does the sharpening so you don’t have to! 😅
Ah yes, the toilet video...my favorite Buck episode!
Something I've wanted to try is a record player turn table with a round diamond disks of different grit sizes, and a leather one to stop with. Basically a tormec without the hollow grind.
Need a steel test on a SRM 261 cub 140cr steel. They saying it just like s35vn
ua-cam.com/video/SvCJPDbveSM/v-deo.html vamos fazer uma parceria eu sou o inventor
Give a man a sharp knife, he cuts for a day.
Show a man sharpening products, he watches how-to UA-cam videos for a lifetime.
I wonder how many of us have OCD. The never ending desire to keep all our knives raser sharp 😂
Preach!
@@lordives7181your spelling of "razor" is triggering my OCD 😂
@@lordives7181
YEP for sure, and after a while and you haven't sharpened one you can't help yourself and sharpen them again and then you go to far and dull it LoL
What about edgepro 😊
every day with a Pete video is a good day. Watching this channel is like having a banter with a friend that just gets you and your niche hobby
I use the Worksharp Ken Onion Edition with the blade grinding attachment, and have done handles, majorly thinned and transformed knives, and have gotten my knives to whittle hair off of it. One of the biggest things I have found is that once you get it apexed, need to use the lower speed settings, and make sure to have a good leather belt with compound. Makes a world of difference, and when using the later belts such as the leather and 12k belt to use very light pressure and making sure to be consistent on angles. After doing the initial stropping on the leather, I will go to a slightly lower angle and have gotten very good edges that way that very easily shave, cut phonebook paper, cut papertowels, and easily pass the tomato test. On some knives I have had to keep the same angle or they go down in performance from using that lower angle. I have enjoyed bringing some of my kitchen knives to a zero edge and then putting on a tiny micro bevel that brings it to .003" - .010" behind the edge thickness. My knives I have been doing that on, and bringing it through the thinning process using just the Worksharp have outperformed my $150+ knives in BD1N and effortlessly slide through veggies and fruits alike, whether it be beets, apples, cucumbers, zucchini, potatoes, etc. I have greatly enjoyed having those convex edgee on my knives. Just my ¢2.
Have a great day and keep up the great work!
Sincerely,
JS
hahahahaha, ranking doing nothing but reasoning with the knife as better than the pull-through carbide sharpeners made my damned week
I was taught to sharpen on stones as a kid while on hunting trips and now as an adult I find it really calming. I’ll usually keep a pocket sharpener just in case and I have a belt sander setup, but there’s nothing like a set of stones/plates. To me it almost feels like a primal art form, like cutting wood with an axe vs using a chainsaw or pneumatic splitter.
Arkansas stones feel right to me. Even ceramics are kinda iffy on feel, and I love my SpyderCo ceramic stones. I just can’t get over how nice the Arkansas stones are on my hunting knife
Years of stropping knives was a big help for me with the motor skills to transition to flat stones. I wish I had your enthusiasm for sharpening. Best I’ve been able to muster is a drawer full of dull and rusty knives that get reconditioned one or twice a year at most. You have been an inspiration to me over the year’s especially with knives and steel education...and yes, the KME rules!
Dude I just pulled up water laughing so hard at the “ask your knife to be sharper “ bit genius man
Great review. I would add that a 1" belt sander with a fixed guide is what many professionals use. The guy at Curry Custom Cutlery (youtube) said he has sharpened over 80,000 knives. He can put the sharpest edges on 15 knives in about 5 minutes using several belt sanders. Then he sort of lets the knife fall on a piece of standing phone book paper and it goes right thru it.
A great review. Agree with all of it. I don't want to have sharpening as a hobby, so I used fixed-angle systems for their speed and tolerance for poor attention.
At work (a freezing works) there are "setters" dotted around. I think butchers' supply shops call them knife dressers. Fixed angle sharpening clamps on stands, basically, with three slots corresponding to the three angles used. The engineers buy DMT diamond "stones" and cut them in half lengthways and then weld them to stainless rod for the sliding sticks. Most of the old hands still sharpen freehand though, and some of the young ones learn it.
There is also a sharpening robot that does the bulk of the work, but I think that might be outside your budget. Somewhere around half a mill, I think. Maybe more. About thirty knives a minute.
You don't talk about the use of a steel, I guess because you're not using your knives eight or ten hours a day. Steeling, edge maintenance, is a whole other topic. Steeling technique is the knife tutor's main focus at work.
Edit: Forgot to say, at home I use a Warthog V-sharp Classic II. A South African sharpener that is a fixed-angle system but doesn't clamp the knife blade. It produces good enough edges for me, without me having to focus.
Sharpened my daughter’s knife on the bottom of a coffee cup. She was amazed.
if it was a styrofoam cup, i'd be amazed too
That’s not sharpening though. That’s bevel realignment similar to a rod a chef uses
I tried reasoning with my knife and now its as good as new! thanks!
I tried it out with my new knife, and it worked too!
As always you delivered a excellent piece of knowledge on different aspects of the sharpening system game, that can be an absolute nightmare for the people that are new to the world of knives and sharpening of those beautiful pieces of metal cutting tools. Have a cracking weekend ahead stay safe and healthy 🫵😘👍
The DC 3 & 4 is an awesome starter when in the field. I have a collection of 4" stones that I can use for just about anything. It does take time to learn the micro sharpening but Man! there are some great natural, diamond and synthetics stones out there that do an amazing job. I find it easier to go in circles up and down the stones (usually 5 times if already profiled) on each grit 300-320, 600-800, 1500-3000 and always finish with an Ark Black. I will do a series on these eventually, Imagine having your entire kit in your pocket. It is possible but like anything it takes practice. I have enjoyed your input for years. Thanks for all you do!
With Lansky stones it took me 4 hours to reprofile 20 degrees from 25 of BM magnacut 940...great for killing time...lol thanks for update mate
It may no longer be top of the line, but my original KME with the its optional Chosera stones and my 30 year old HandAmerican Made dual surface strop get my knives as sharp as I want. And they do it quickly and at a reasonable price, IMO. THANKS for the video, Pete!
Cost is only as big of a hurdle as you wanna make it, in freehand sharpening.
Decent sandpaper stapled or glued to a block of wood can produce great edges too.
Absolutely factual. personally I'll use a quality wet/dry paper PSA paper on a 2x11inch piece of granite. Quality sic paper works a treat on the granite, I mainly using it for large kitchen knives when a longer strone than my 3x8s makes the job easier.
QUALITY wet/dry paper on a thick piece of plate glass.
I recommend buying some aliexpress stones if you are short on cash.
I purchased a 400 grit diamond stone, 1x6 inch 3000 grit ruby and 1x6 inch 800 grit boron.
In total was less then $10 with free shipping. For a basically complete sharpening system (unless you plan on sharpening kitchen knives or the like, as these stones would probably be too small.)
You can also get a full size (2x8) 800 Boron/3000 Ruby stone for about $30 if you are willing to spend more.
Pete, you are a massive ranker!
Great overview, I'd add that abrasive films are a good, cheap option for beginners (and everyone else). Put them on glass or tile, and you have a sharpening stone. Put them on rubber, felt etc, and you have a strop. 100 micron to sub-micron, in SiC, AlOx and diamond, and last longer than you'd expect. Also great for odd shapes (woodworking tools, punches, fiddly repair work).
Scary Sharp. That's where I started my sharpening journey. Hair shaving plane and chisel blades. I have long been able to get pine end grain shavings, what I can't do is get there quickly. Nor can I do it reliably free-hand. 😢
I'm 65 and have a lot of sharpening under my belt. So, while i do have a few of my own opinions i wanted to say that i appreciate how conscientious and comprehensive your effort here is. i would no longer be willing to spend money for any of the powered \belt sharpeners. I have a series of Japanese wet stones that are naturally, amazing. But it's a bit of an ordeal. I wait until
my best ,
high end chisels need the full Monty. (and that always starts with my DMT 10"x 4" coarse/medium ) And i agree that the DMT butterfly stones are my go to for all my folding pocket knives. and i even finish with the little red 'very fine ' and blue 'super fine ' 2" x 3/4" finishers that you had in the 'pos carbide pull
I am a sharpening addict, I have a tormek t4, a worksharp Ken onion elite. A worksharp PPA and many whetstones, diamond and ceramic plates. Oh and rod systems, I forgot about the rod systems.
When sharpening I aim for around a 17 degree edge. So then if I do have to use a pocket sharpener like a dc4 or the worksharp guided field sharpener, I only have to hone a 20degree microbevel, quickly and easily to keep me slicing.
Small pocket stones are ideal for this.
Another tip for when learning to sharpen is to learn on other peoples knives.
I have family members who would buy a cheap set of kitchen knives. Use them till they were blunt (that did not take long as they would cut on either glass boards or granite worktops) then discard them and buy another set.
So I would take them, then in the unlikely event I completely ruined them there was nothing lost as they were destined for the bin anyway. But in the more likely event you got them sharp but with what you consider to be a less than perfect grind they don’t care, as they have slicing sharp knives again and you have saved them the price of a new set. you have had pressure free practice, and practice makes perfect.
Great video, very comprehensive.!
I use the scarysharp fixed angle system, it's a heavy duty bit of kit and gives outstanding results, using 200mm bench stones, not diamonds 👍
Don't enjoy sharpening but love sharp tools. Went Tormek with Wen jig set. First month had everything sharp within a mile from home. Angle and motor neurone skills are removed, you just practise reading the edge. As an engineer, I've sharpened bearing scrapers, HSS lathe tools, planer blades as well as the gaggle of scissors, knives, chisels. Yes its a jig system but the beauty is it's a jig system. If I want to spend hours on sharpening, it'll be making a mounting jig for some new item needing grinding.
Those Glass Shapton stones are incredible. Just never ever leave them in a draw for a long period of time if you live in a humid place. Those stones draw moisture naturally I think. Have always thoroughly dried them prior. It caused pitting damage to some of my stones :(...
Love them and they still work. But for the prices you pay... you don't want to carelessly damage them.
Hearing the Garreg Mach Monastery music from Fire Emblem in the background threw me for a loop. Very unexpected to hear in a knife related video lol.
I think we need a competition between you, Neeves and OUTDOOR55! Please make it happen!
those guys would take me to school
@@CedricAdaMaybe so but you are improving quickly. I have multiple of the systems that you demonstrated and I agree the most relaxing and satisfying is a good stone. I just unboxed my Ken Onion WS with blade grinder so going to give it a go soon. Thank you for another video packed with great information.
Had a Wicked Edge for 8 years, wore out the 600 stones and the rest not far behind, and the clamp had been bent and straightened a couple times. So earlier this year I replaced the WE with a TSProf Kadet Pro, and wow am I impressed! Definitely better for FFG, handles a wider variety of blades, and soooo many stones available. And the simple and effective stone thickness compensator is excellent.
Not cheap, but the Kadet Pro is stunningly good in its engineering and build quality, and in the results I get.
I took the sneaky route and just bought the perfect kadet clone for $250 since TSprof was under embargo at the time and I had ethical issues buying from a Russian company(even when they moved address to avoid the embargo) with what is going on. The clone is machined with a quality level I did not expect at all. The stone thickness compensator even slides down slowly just like the original because the tolerances are to tight. Also it is compatible with all the TSprof accessories.
Love your videos. I’ve had Ken Onion,chef Choice, Edge Pro, and others. Sharpening for decades. Sold my $600 Edge Pro and bought Wicked Edge. $$ But after initial learning curve (not hard at all) Hooked. Love diamonds they stay straight and last forever Very fast cause you are sharpening two sides at once. And changing grits in one second. Change diamonds in 2-1/2 seconds.
Well, I too have purchased just about everything you showed here, I have more sharpening systems than most people do knives. I have only recently finely got hair shaving results with every knife I own. It was a journey for sure but I've enjoyed most of it. Good luck folks, you will know it when you see it for yourself. Keep experimenting until you have that razor edge that probably came on your knife. Until you learn how to do it for yourself, you won't be happy.
Same bro for me the destination was the worksharp precision guided kit its nice to use my knives and know i can put a better edge than factory
Great summary of the methods out there! I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on the SharpWorx system - it's basically an upside-down fixed angle system, one that holds the blade and is used with traditional bench stones. Seems like might be the best of both worlds there.
My experience is that after you learn to sharpen a blade you tend to look at all the knife hype differently. You then sharpen to your needs and look for knives that meet those requirements. My focus now starts with the handle cuz if it’s not long term comfortable I will move on.
I watch every video and rely on your opinions/reviews. Thanks for all you do.
A lot of awesome info in this video. I would say that most people should skip the bigger Worksharp stone with the angled ends if it's just meant to be a stop gap to learn the technique. Instead get something like the Sharpal 325/1200 diamond stone and use the included angle finder. Yes, the little angle finder piece isn't as nice as the Worksharp, but on the Sharpal you can just get rid of the angle piece when you don't need it anymore and you still have a great stone. You can also find different jigs, some you can 3d print that will help you get the technique down.
The Sharpal is also the stone that Outdoor55 recommends for most people so it's a good long term solution. Just seems silly to buy the Worksharp just as a temporary solution until you learn the proper technique.
Ron from KME is an old friend, as is his brother. We used to meet up at tradional bow shoots.
Gotta get back in touch.
Here to say that KME is hands down the best family owned American business of the bunch. Hard working, generous, kind, good people.
Old fashioned quality and customer service, not saying anything bad about the others (I use them all), but if I was going to pick just one company to support, it'd be KME if you value the return to building and buying stuff made in the USA.
Awesome video! The KO Blade Grinder is what I use and it is amazing in my opinion. With a 12000 grit stropping belt then onto a leather strop after that achieves insane edges.
Fixed angle systems like Crox-Stix or the Work Sharp Angle Set are some of my favorites. Grew up on them and can usually finish off well with a strop coming off these stones now.
I'm at the point where if I want a quick working edge I'll do freehand but for crazy razor sharp mirror edges I use my KME. I still need to get the new one though!
Great to see how your hand-skills have improved over the years. Now learn to apply these same skills to the sharpening of drill bits. Your mates will be impressed. There is no substitute for experience. Best wishes and all fine things.
Bricky best sharpener 🧱
Bricky cuts all carbides like they aren't nothing! Makes diamond look soft!
Hahaha excellent comment. I just dribbled a mouthful of tea all down myself thanks to your beauty of a comment. Have a cracking day 🫵👍
Just bought the WorkSharp Benchstone and it is really great. Really love it!
Nice video and I agree, a good progression of bench-sized whetstones is the way to go.
One thing I noticed, and it might be just the filming setup, but when you are working with whetstones, you should sit a lot higher so that your forearms are not angled up. The worksurface (not the desk but the whetstone) should preferably be below the elbows. That is a much more relaxed and ergonomic posture which also allows for better control of blade angles.
Also, oh hell yeah, TOOL
Just like a Niponese sword sharpening master - also helps to be on the ground along with the stone holder... maximize the potential to keep a consistent angle and force...
Loved this. Question, the wicked edge, it seems to me alternating strokes would get you there fastest, with least stock removal, and least muscle fatigue, but I can’t spring for one to “find out”. Any chance you could expound on the shortcomings of my “fantasy” system. THANK YOU. 🔥🐈⬛🔥
definitely on the horizon, just gotta save some $$$
Mate, I've been following your videos since you were a wee chunky lad filming with a potato but still those humorous curveballs thrown in with all the good info have me in stitches each time. Pull through sharpener are slightly less useless than arguing with the knife. Lmao!
On a side note, pulltrough sharpeners are pretty good for junk beater knives. Also if your primary sharpening method is something like a hand held stone (DC4 etc.) you will inevitably increase the angle of the edge in time. At that point, using a pullthrough is a good way to reset the angle by removing material quickly.
❤️❤️ thanks for sticking with me through thicc and thin
I couldn't agree with you more about the Work Sharp Guided Field Sharpener!
I have a Work Sharp, Guided Field Sharpener, and it works well. If you feel the fine side seems to get smooth, its loading up on metal that is being shaved off your knife. So just clean it with dish soap and a scrubby brush. Its a good sharpener. I also have the Ken Onion Deluxe Work Sharp, with belt grinding attachment. Works great on all my knives and axes, and even my swords.
I have a love/hate relationship with sharpening knives. I own a Norton multi tool and recently broke it down to remove built up oil and to lap the stones flat again. I can't seem to use it like I did before and tried other wet stones with varying results. I finally bought a Ken Onion. It does a great job and has a learning curve. The only problem I ran into was that the heel on the knife would be missed because the handle of the knife was in the way not allowing the blade to be sharpened all the way back. This creates additional attention because that metal needs to be removed otherwise part of the blade would have no contact with the cutting board.
Shapton Kuromaku and leather strop are my best way to go.
My mother used either a crock edge or cast iron frying pan. I’m 77 yrs old and I remember her doing it in early 1950s. Said HER mother did it that way.
Hello my friend, I’m 70 and I can remember my mother sharpening her kitchen knives on the concrete step! 😂😂.
My granddad and dad taught us to sharpen our own fishing knives when we moved away from the farm to the coast, what was a holiday bay just north of Sydney. Taught us to stone from 80 to ironstone then later to steel. Still got the ironstone.
Got a good deal on Lanksy just for laughs but find it rather cathartic. Does a good job, but limited to smaller blades for consistency. Great for Stanley knife blades up to 4 or 6” blades.
Hunting and camp knives (imo) require stones and a steady hand. Back in the 70s I used to finish on glass + No3 cutting compound, but not that fussy these days as my first purchased steel is still in service 😄, purchased it in 69 for 2 weeks wages from my holiday job at the time ($18.60/40hrs).
Nowadays if I get the twitch I’ll take a Chinese blade and bash a block of ironbark we have out the back and resharpen it.
Cheers ol’ mate, have a great day.
Oh, still chopping our firewood and keep all implements beauty sharp - maul (heavy block splitter), 2 axes & 2 tiddlers (hatchers) using whetstones.
Thanks for this Pete! I’ve been planning on getting the new KME. I assume from this video that your experience has continued to be good since your introduction video a little while back?
yep, its extremely good. lifelong tool I would say at this point
16:50 I have the other guided system with the extra set of plates and the pocket ceramic rod. It's brilliant, and it fits in a smallish tac bag to keep it all together.
Started with the kme, it's a really nice sharpener just can't to bigger knifes and filet knives so good. Upgraded to a tormek t8, took awhile to master it almost 200 knifes later I would say to get really good. Can achieve shaving sharp on most knifes in under 10 min 👍 great video btw.
The work sharp folding sharpener is great for touchups while skinning elk or bear. I use a nice randall bowie that my dad carried in Grenada. It has a big chip in the handle from the embassy bombing. I carry it when hunting out west. I use the folder on it.
Eze-Lap - Still using mine after ????? ( 30 years ) These days I use them on my scandi almost exclusively . I use ( mainly ) Guided sharpening or my wet stone grinder knife sharpener . I really want the best possible edge ( True ) . I do very little free hand sharpening ( Diamond plates ) , but every now and again there is little choice . ( small knives + scandi ) The most important thing is , you do what works for you ! There is no right or wrong , there is only what works !
What about a Japanese horizontal water stone wheel like the Makita 9820?
Yeah, I've thought about fixed angle systems and tried a Lansky years ago.
I use a Ken Onion blade grinder for rough jobs (garden axe, machete etc) if I need to repair damage.
But for kitchen and utility knives, Japanese water stones every time
A 320 for minor reprofiling, 600 for a first sharpen of a very dull but undamaged knife but mostly Cerax 1000 and 5000, followed by a strop with 8000 green compound.
Day to day, a smooth leather strop brings back the edge
I'm talking about 80 to 140 on the BESS-C scale - sharper than high end blades out of the box.
I love my TSPROF and I get very Zen when I take the time to really sit down and for a mirror polish edge or a complete re-profile, but for day to day, I need a good edge now sharpening, I use either the Workshop pocket or my Sharpal 325/1200 and finish after either with my strop.
So many of your recommendations are hand held. Hand held is THE problem most people have. Keeping a certain angle is crucial, but difficult to achieve.
The Grudge! Well played sir
I like that Beavercraft strop paddle. Given that shipping might make this unaffordable for me, I'm thinking of investing in some leather and quality board, and have a go at making a couple myself.
Pete and followers, what would be your ideal length and width for a double sided strop like this one?
Mate there isn't really a limit on size. The bigger you go the more surface area to work with and the longer it'll last. Just don't go small 😁
@GooseMilk7 Yeah, I was kind of thinking of a good paddle size. The Beavercraft is about 8cm wide, which is pretty good. I'll have a go at making one in the near future. I have made my own before, out of an old leather belt. However, being a belt, it is only 3cm wide. I plan on scoring some leather this week I hope.
I have the first generation Wicked Edge which is excellent, but has several drawbacks. The newest versions address the minor shortcomings I have with the original version, but I get great results with the original version, so I can't yet justify upgrading. I will upgrade eventually. I do freehand sharpen just for fun, mostly on softer steels like saks and my old kitchen knives. It's all good. Love your channel, not K390 love, but...
I’m surprised you haven’t tried King whetstones 600/1000 grit variant. They aren’t the highest quality, and they are soft, but they are great. The 600 grit side does dish out, but that’s not a bad thing if you know what you’re doing, especially for convex. They are also cheap and get a near mirror polish hair whittling the edge. Mastersmith Murray Carter used to use them. Try his knives as well.
I love Murray Carter’s neck knives. I thought I lost mine so I bought a second. They came ultra sharp and touch up so easy. I used the king stones for a while but have several others I am trying out.
I've used them but I think it's EH. Whetstones are annoying to use, soaking, wet fingers, slow cutting, and for finer stones the emulsion of stone dust actually dulls your apex depending how you use it, though it makes burrs less likely. I much prefer using a simple sharpall 400/1000 diamond. Stays flat, cuts fast into any steel, it just works, way more aggressively sharp edges easily. After that a strop with 3 micron diamond compound for final burr removal and razor edge.
My favorite is my stones, and diamond stones too. I’ll sit there for hours with a show or podcast on. It’s very therapeutic. I’ve been doing it for at least a year now and still not as good as a fixed angle. But getting close.
Awesome info man. I have to say, the background music inspired me to subscribe. Keep em comin!
It's from Fire Emblem: Three Houses!
Great informative video. Just found the channel yesterday and have watched… too many videos. Could you please compare the Ken Onion Mk1 and Mk2? First without the *big* attachment and then with. They seem similar enough… including the attachment thing.
Nice video. Me I use Tomek T8 90% of the time but there were times when only a belt grinder can get the jobs done without sweat
On Japanese water stones, I got a lot better results when I really started focusing on convexing the edge by sharpening at a lower angle and then raising to a slightly higher angle. I constantly change from lower to higher until I have a burr across the entire edge and then sharpen the other side the same way until I flip the burr back over. I do the same as I move up grits and usually finish on spyderco ultra fine to refine the edge and knock off the burr. Then on to strops 3, 1, .5, and .25 and hair whittling sharp with a very durable edge. Takes me a lot less time to progress through the stones this way too. You can easily control how much you want to convex the edge by either raising it slightly from lower to higher or raising it a lot between lower to higher angle. I keep it pretty low convex on my pocket knives and higher convex on my working/bushcraft knives. Water stones have become my favorite sharpening method by far using this technique.
I have a love-hate relationship with my edgepro. Love using it on folders up to 4" hate it on cheap kitchen knives. It does get the job done.
There are some people who 3D print the "barrels" for the precision adjust and allows you to put your own sharpening grits on them.
Dmt makes an angle guide system too. It’s affordable and works with Diafold sharpeners. I already had a Diafold sharpener and didn’t want to spend a lot on a more complicated or advanced system. (Just don’t mix single sided and double sided Diafold, they’re different thicknesses which affects the sharpening angle.)
The movie I’ve been waiting for!
🍿🎥🎬
Try the Naniwa Chosera 400 and the Debado LD21 for reprofiling/repairs. Those work fast! Lots of feedback too!
I kinda learned on a Lansky. The problem was the inconsistent results. I was gifted an Edge Pro and immediately started getting razor sharp edges with a mirror edge . I got some diamond matrix stones, I don't see any reason to even try another system. It rocks, and it isvey seldom that the results are less than amazing.
Your using the smiths sharpener wrong homie, my kitchen knives pulls 100-200 on the Bess test after touch up using the smiths pull through... I do maybe 5 pulls on the ciramic side after use and cleaning.
Love the vid and content and thank you for posting!
Number one goes to Venev 8x3 dual sided diamond resin plates.
A 100/240 & 400/800 with a strop and your set for life.
I went from the KME to the Hapstone R2 which is better for longer blades but I use KME diamond stones mounted on 6 inch blanks.
The best for me is to have the KME sharpener to set the edge angle, the Spyderco Double Stuff for touch up and a leather strop.
I always touch up first on the strop but if it's not enough i touch up on the Double Stuff and then finish with the strop.
There's nothing wrong with pull-through sharpeners... in the correct application. They work fine for cheap/disposable knives, when you just need a quick edge. They're also convenient for camping, or where size/weight matter. I particularly like the Sharpal 6-in-1 pocket sharpener. It's reasonably effective, and also has a tapered diamond rod with hook groove. For valuable knives, I would only use the diamond rod for a quick touch-up... but the whole thing is just handy for cheap utility/kitchen/camp/pocket/disposable knives, camp axes, and machetes.
I love how trying to reason with the knife is above those crappy pull-thru sharpeners 🤣
If you use the pull-throughs as a slide across instead, they do pretty dang good
I'm looking at all of this sharpening stuff and it's great to get a good idea of it all from your knowledge and experience but I am honestly getting brilliant results with just my Victorinox pen style field sharpener. I just use that to hone, then the ceramic V to lightly finish (and the V initially if the blade is very rough or chipped to begin with) and a strop on my jeans and I'm sharpening all my knives like that (3V, S90V etc take longer of course) and they are all reaching hair shaving sharpness, ok not a fantastic shave (I'm still practising) but I used one to shave all my finger hair yesterday while I was out and about so I don't think for me that I need to bother with any of that other stuff as I don't think I will gain anything much? but have a lot of more hassle and cost. All you need with the Victorinox is a bit of practice and skill for example I sit on a kitchen chair with my elbows on my knees and that helps lock my sharpening angle but I can do it fine standing up as well. I think you really have left a gap in your video in not properly trying the Victorinox pen field sharpener. It is kind of a similar process to you using your sharpening stones at the end. No fancy machinery, no leather strop nor diamond compounds. None of it actually needed! Ok if I was running a knife sharpening business then I'd go for something professional but I am very impressed with what can fairly easily for low cost and very importantly hassle free be achieved with just that little Victorinox sharpening pen. Why would I need anything else when it works as well as it does? I suppose I am not that obsessed with the perfection edge and in fairness to you you do mention some of the other basic small sharpeners being good but I think you left out a rather good one in the Victorinox though I am sure there are many that can't or don't wish to use it to get any good result and so will disagree and that's their choice. As you mention at the end of your video it's actually kind of fun to see what your hand crafted edge can achieve and yours are certainly better than mine but really it's not a huge difference so thankfully I'm not going to start hoarding loads of sharpening stuff lol.
Just a tip if you are short on cash you can use sandpaper flat glass or anything flat with spray adhesive 300 800 1000 does work well
Cedric, why can I get a knife sharp on a coarse stone but as soon as I move from a coarse stone to a fine stone, the knife stops cutting paper? I use a guided jig system made by Edge Pro.
Is stainless destructive to natural stones.? Can natural stones be cleansed of stainless particles.?
The worksharp guided...It's fine for certain steels and shapes. Thicker blades, tough steels...just get out the stone. Tormek's price automatically knocks it off the list for 99.9% of buyers. Personally, I think most people are better off buying a bench stones, use the marker trick, and learn to sharpen. Not a fan of relying on electricity or bulky systems I can't easily transport. Keep a WS Field in my truck.
Tormek 8 please, can you please compare it to fix systems like kme TS Prof and others. I start to transition to automatic system now hands-free motion is becoming tiring becoming tiring and especially when you're sharpening multiple knives
The discussion of the Spyderco SharpMaker and similar systems (the inverted V Worsksharp angle sharpener is shown) - incorrectly indicates that a microbevel is usually created.
While many use them to touch-up edges, these systems are capable of normal sharpening using a grit progression.
I'm not sure you are using the term "microbevel" as most do.
Microbevels are simply putting a slightly wider angle at the apex than the rest of the sharpened edge - to promote edge stability.
You don't "cant you hand" differently to sharpen / re-apex. You are supposed to keep the knife completely vertical.
If you match the existing angle of the edge (using the angle of the rods), you are just sharpening / re-apexing it like any other system.
My very first part-time job as a 15 years old was in the Coles meat hall. The head butcher taught me how to sharpen knives and that's all I did for 4 hours every Saturday. That was over 50 years ago, all I ever use is a stone occasionally (one I bought in a 2nd hand store for 50c), a diamond steel and a regular steel. The important thing is to make sure the steels are long enough for longer blades. You only need to get a knife sharp enough to do the job in hand...just saying!
My Amish neighbors do butchering. All they use is a steel. 😱
Had the lanksy kit and found knife moving around in clamp and rods not accurate, gone back to basics with a Sharpal two sided diamond stone, granted I need to work on my technique as a novice, I am getting better results
Where would you put non-clamping fixed angle sharpener like the Edge Pro?
All I've ever had luck with are the round ceramic rods mounted in a base. Angle set for you. Just slide knife straight down. Didn't see them mentioned.
Gr8 video - but what about the 1x30 belt grinder?
Do you feel that the KME with diamond stones is able to properly sharpen Spyderco Rex 121 steel? If so, do you have a recommended progression?
I’m sure you have answered this question a bunch but I couldn’t find it. Thoughts on good sharpening compound options ?
Thank you. Valuable video. Of course I used to use ceramic sharpeners.
check out the vevor kit system. all steel construction including the ball gimbal. itcosts £30 in uk. $36 us? stones arent the best quality but interchangable with edge pro stones to upgrade it.
Have you ever tried the wicked edge system, I’ve been using one for a while, very sharp knives
The pull-through carbide sharpers are terrible for sharpening but the ceramic pull throughs are very good for honing, so long as they are made with the correct geometry.
I was just looking for a sharpening solution. Thanks for the info!
Scary sharp system from New Zealand does an amazing job - for myself money well spent
Can someone please explain to me the pros and cons of push sharpening and pull sharpening blades? I noticed he really tends to push his edge into the sharpening face of whatever sharpener he uses whereas I have always been one to pull the blade towards me with the spine facing me. The thought of pushing a knife to sharpen feels so wrong and alien to me idk why