What do yall use to sharpen your knives?

[Acera]

While I have a new Spyderco kit from years ago, I have never used it, no instructions,

So I generally use the knife guy at the gun shows. He has always done a great job

 

[MR Redneck]

Three grades of Arkansas stone. Soft, hard and black hard. Soft I use only for really dull and abused blades. Once learned its a life long talent.

Me too...

 

[kerryp]

While I have a new Spyderco kit from years ago, I have never used it, no instructions,

So I generally use the knife guy at the gun shows. He has always done a great job

Look on youtube, there is an instruction video (the one that comes with the Spyderco) that you can watch, its really super easy.

 

[M. Sage]

It depends on which knife and where I am. My Gerber LMFII is a chop and hack affair, so I just use the carbide cutter in the sheath to put a new edge on it. A fine edge wouldn't benefit the knife, and I have to be able to take nicks out.

For the rest of my knives, it's usually something a lot less aggressive. I like the Gatco pocket sharpeners for quick touch-ups, keep one in my toolbox at work for just that. They use ceramic rods, so you can get a pretty decent edge. I've also got a Gatco Tri-seps sharpener, another ceramic. Works good, a little more bulky, a very basic touch-up sharpener and simple is good sometimes.

Most of the time, I use my Lansky kit. It's the five stone kit, so it'll cover a lot of uses. I rarely have to use the coarse or extra course, but they're nice to have if I really screw up an edge on something. I've recently learned the advantages of using a steel, and need to add one to my knife sharpening kit. I used to have a Gatco kit that was almost identical except that it had a stone for serrations. I don't abuse the crap out of my knives (I do use 'em pretty hard, though), so my serrations don't really need much TLC if any.

IMO you need to get a sharpener with a guide before you start trying to sharpen free-hand. I don't think I've ever used the guide on my Lansky kit because using the guide on the previous kit so much got me used to seeing the right angle. I've read a few articles about sharpening that helped me refine my method.

Most people I see sharpening by hand are doing it wrong. They're almost always sharpening at too acute an angle, usually 10-15 degrees. This makes for a great, razor-sharp edge, but that edge won't last. For most knives - kitchen or pocket - you want an edge somewhere between 20 and 25 degrees. You can still get it shaving sharp if the steel is good (and you use good equipment and technique!) and the edge will last much longer. The quick way to get into that zone by hand is to hold the knife edge at a right angle to the stone, like you're going to cut it in half. Then tilt the knife so that the angle is halved. Then halve the angle again. That is the angle you want to sharpen at. Do one side, then the other. With practice, you'll develop a "feel" for when to switch sides. The blade will pull across the stone much more smoothly when it's time to switch sides or to a finer stone.

Basically, what you're doing is polishing the roughness off the edge. Take your time and be consistent in your angle and your knife will last longer and do more when you ask it to.

 

[tussery]

DMT DuoSharp 8" Diamond Hones for me.

 

[TexMex247]

I use a Gatco multi stone system. The guide rods are not as janky as the Lansky setup. I'm with Sage on angles. Most of my "working" knives have a 25 deg. edge but my skinning knife has a 22 deg. edge on it. I don't go below 22 for anything other than a kitchen or filet knife. Overall, my Gatco has served me well.

 

[BillyPratt75]

Lansky and Spyderco here!

 

[Mikewood]

I have a set of paper wheels that I really like. They put on a razor edge in just a few seconds.
For $100.00 it's by far the best knife sharpening investment I have made.