Requesting help sharpening knives

[Where's Bruce?]

I haven't had this problem before but higher end knives with far greater hardness are tougher to sharpen. The manufacturer offers free sharpening but I'm just not that guy. They recommend the Kershaw Ultra Tek 2535 sharpener which I bought. They instruct me to do the following:

Hold the blade against the Ultra-Tek at the original sharpened angle of 18°–22°.

Beginning at the base of the blade and tip of the sharpener, pull the blade down and toward you across the top of the sharpener in a slight arc as shown in the illustration. Do the same thing across the bottom of the sharpener as shown. This sharpens the top of your blade.

Repeat this “over and under” motion approximately three to five times on each side to fully sharpen your knife.

IT IS CRITICAL TO MAINTAIN THE CORRECT BLADE ANGLE OF 18° TO 22° WHILE SHARPENING THE BLADE.

Sounds simple enough but I cannot get the knives anywhere near as sharp as when I got em. Took two years of use to dull em. I can (after several minutes) get a barely acceptable sharpness but not the razor edge the blade is capable of. I'm sure it's my failure to maintain the required angle but damn, a 4 degree margin of error is hard. Any tips on achieving this cuz trial & error ain't cuttin' it. Should I be pulling it against the flat part of the sharpener or the edges? Tried both, no difference. Must be a technique error.

 

[Bubblehide]

Geez Bruce, bring them to me.

 

[EastHumboldt]

If I have a knife that holds an edge for two years, and it takes 20 bucks or 30 bucks to get somebody else to sharpen it, that’s what I’m doing. If I spent four hours trying to sharpen that knife I just lost 200 bucks.

 

[carter33]

I have had the same issues/frustrations. Wound up buying one of the worksharp powered sharpeners about a year ago and it’s been well worth it. I think sharpening with a stone or rod is kinda a skill, one I’d like to have but don’t and amongst other time demands just isn’t a priorityh to me. With the powered sharpener iv been able to get high quality hard steel back to being as sharp as when I bought it in maybe 10 minutes.

 

[Squirrel Master]

It can be tough free handing them...and 2 years is a long time to not be touched up too. I'd either take them to somebody, send them in, or if you want to try a different sharpener the Spyderco Sharpmaker is what I use. You just hold the blade straight and the angle is set for you. Mine works great on all my knives.

 

[DenverCountryBoy]

Was given a sharpener like this one. It gets my knives razor sharp. Takes more passes the first time to establish the edge.

Chef'sChoice Trizor XV EdgeSelect Professional Electric Knife Sharpener with 100-Percent Diamond Abrasives and Precision Angle Guides for Straight Edge and Serrated Knives, 3-stage, Gray https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0018RSEMU/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_VN676W0TVA60YQ3AYX22?psc=1

 

[Rich M]

I ended up getting one of the electric diamond hone kitchen knife sharpeners. Was about $100-something and it puts a good edge on a knifefast.

 

[Desk Jockey]

I struggle too.

I would observe that your current efforts are probably not finding success because you are using that Ker Shaw sharpener to change the angle of the blade on those knives Instead of sharpening what’s there. Convex vs flat, blade angles, etc. are worth studying. Most high end knives will have been sharpened on a belt and will have a convex edge that will be difficult to ”regain” with a stone or rod.

My $0.02 = it takes a lot of practice and experimentation. If I had one though to offer it would be to learn and practice on a softer steel knife. Those hard ass, expensive blades are tough to learn technique with.

TBH I use the Ken onion version of the work sharp belt sharpener on nearly all my knives. Kitchen sets. Butcher knives. Some outdoor knives. I line them up and run them through starting with higher grit belts. I change belts 3-4 times and run each knife through each grade of belt assembly line style. I can have a dozen knives shaving sharp in under 30 minutes. The sharpener is around $100. Belt sets are $15 and last a couple of years. It is a no brainer IMO.

for my EDC and high end hunting knives I use a lansky sharpener. Work sharp has a version as well. ( Big fan of worksharp products) It gives me a consistent angle and I can have a knife shaving sharp in 10-15 minutes. I touched up in the field with a work sharp field sharpener that has a 20* guide on it.

Guided Field Sharpener

The Guided Field Sharpener is a complete sharpening solution for field, home or shop use. It is the first angle guided, 5 stage sharpening solution designed for sportsmen who need a complete, robust and compact field sharpening solution.

www.worksharptools.com

 

[Neverenoughhntn]

… I ended up buying a set of paper wheels for the bench grinder years ago, and have never looked back. Super quick, and definitely the sharpest edge I’ve ever been able to put on a blade…. I bought mine through Abowyer back when I was trying their broadheads, but you can find them elsewhere too.

 

[bsnedeker]

I cringe every time I see someone suggest one of those belt sanders or electric grinders for high-end knives.

I invested in a quality sharpening system that locks the blade and the stones at a specific angle throughout the sharpening process. I can get any knife shaving sharp and polished in about 20 minutes the first time. 5 minutes if it's a knife I've already done before. With these types of sharpeners you aren't dramatically decreasing the lifespan of the knife as you are with any electric sharpener on the market....they grind away a ridiculous amount of steel.

 

[flatlanderhuffandpuff]

Depending on the blade steel you will need diamond stones for sharpening.

S30, S35 and S90 all have carbides which is why they hold an edge forever. A typical stone or sharpener will not cut the carbide but pull them from the base metal. You need diamond which will shape the carbide.

I don't know what blade you're trying to sharpen but keep it in mind. Check out the Lansky or similar sharpening system.

 

[Ucsdryder]

Lansky diamond system is pretty dummy proof

 

[Wyomuleskinner]

I have a knife obsession but I just don't have hours to spend sharpening knives. I bought a worksharp with the ken onion attachment. I love it. You don't have to use the aggressive belts every time. I have an edgepro system but I don't see me going back to one of those types again.

 

[Wrench]

Dye the cutting edge. Dykem, sharpie...something.

Make one pass and check your edge to see where you are contacting. If you're seeing a very fine line at the very edge....you are killing the edge.

I have a LOT of sharpeners. The ken onion, paper wheels, tormek, lansky.....and many more.

I'd advise staying far away from the belt if you struggle with edge locating. It's very easy to wash the point off and generally make a mess.

The tormek and paper are vastly better at maintaining the point.

If you do feel inclined to use the belts, DO NOT let the tip touch the belt.....and only use the finest grits. Light pressure rules on belts.

 

[doc holiday13]

Norton wet stones. 22/1000 grit combo block and 4000/8000 combo block. Each block was flattened with the Norton flattening stone.. I think it was a $50 set. I've had it for years.

If a knife is REALLY bad. I'll start with a 220 grit block, EVERY stroke is counted per side and always 2 strokes then alternate side. Leather strop in between changing grit blocks probably 30-40 strokes per side and then move to 1000 grit. 30-40 strokes per side.

After the 1k grit move to 4K for roughly 20 strokes per side. After 20 strokes per side, you shouldn't be able to see the coarse "grind" marks on the knife edge. The edge should almost look like a sandblasted finish.

After the 4K block move to 8000 grit and the edge will eventually look like its been polished. When you follow this process, the blade will not "feel" sharp on your finger but you'll know its sharp the moment you actually use it to cut something. The "feeling" of sharpness on a blade edge is usually a high indicator that you don't have more than a 1K grit grind on your blade and the sharpness is actually micro metal burrs on the blade edge

 

[5MilesBack]

I've been using a Lansky since the 80's and it still works. Diamond hones work great on my S30V knives. I also use it on replaceable blade BH's. Then stropping on my leather strop to finish.

 

[Wrench]

Lansky works well, but on a short radius knife I don't like the way it tends to alter the blade angle post the radius.

 

[Blockcaver]

I’ll vouch for the Chef’s Choice! We got ours with Cabelas points 15 or 20 yrs ago. It keeps the Wusthof kitchen knives razor sharp with just a pass or two on each side of the blade on the medium, then the fine strop wheels. And no it doesn’t wear out the blade fast. Our Wusthofs show no appreciable wear thru that time frame.

Besides kitchen knives I sharpen used Havalon blades, Buck knife blades and my Leatherman blades with great results. Also mechanical and replaceable blade broadheads but they are a tad tricky to hold.


We have the Chef’s Choice EdgeSelect 120. It has diamond impregnated sharpening wheels...coarse, medium and strop (super fine). Not sure it is still made?

Edited to add, just went to the kitchen, got out the Chef’s Choice and sharpened the five Wusthof knives in 3 minutes…hair popping scalpel sharp. Two were steak knives and the other three are the varied length including a fillet style I process big game animals with.

 

[Marble]

I cringe every time I see someone suggest one of those belt sanders or electric grinders for high-end knives.

I invested in a quality sharpening system that locks the blade and the stones at a specific angle throughout the sharpening process. I can get any knife shaving sharp and polished in about 20 minutes the first time. 5 minutes if it's a knife I've already done before. With these types of sharpeners you aren't dramatically decreasing the lifespan of the knife as you are with any electric sharpener on the market....they grind away a ridiculous amount of steel.

I feel the same way. Free hand is a no go. Holding a tool in each hand is not an accurate way to sharpen.

I use the spyderco sharpener and have for over 30 years. Has a course and fine stone, hand guards and a case. Bever had a knife I couldn't get razor sharp.

I like the lock- in-position knife sharpeners and if I lost my current sharpener, that's what I would replace it with.

I'm not a fan of the electric sharpeners. The two most common issues are unequal pressure, combined with a varied speed of the stroke and heating of the metal. A water bowl next to the machine to keep the metal cool is a recommendation from some experts.

After I used my ironwill knife to do my two cows, it took less than 5 minutes to sharpen.

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk

 

[Ucsdryder]

I've been using a Lansky since the 80's and it still works. Diamond hones work great on my S30V knives. I also use it on replaceable blade BH's. Then stropping on my leather strop to finish.

Are you sharpening the replaceable blades after they dull or out of the package? Also, they’re so thin, how do you get them clamped in?