Sharpening knives?

Joined
Feb 12, 2022
Messages
2,103
Do you actually enjoy it?

I've come to realize that as I've gotten knives in better steels, I went from being neutral on the task, to actively disliking it.

I enjoy sharpening my chisels and chainsaws... But not my knives. A buddy loves it, and is good at it, so I have him do it.
 

fngTony

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Jan 18, 2016
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5,787
No , I hate it. I have to sharpen single bevel blades at work which is simpler , that I don’t mind. Knife edges I suck at. Tried a Gatco system once but found it limiting and tedious.
 

7mm-08

WKR
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Oct 31, 2016
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Idaho
I'm a detail guy and while I can't say I like it, there is something satisfying after I spend an hour on a blade with a KME sharpener (I don't usually have to go through all my stones but I always go through my four different strops with different compounds). A mirror edge on a knife is pretty cool. I've counted and 1,000 strokes per knife is required to get them in that condition. I know, I know - you (the operative word here being YOU) don't need a mirror edge on a knife to do anything practical with it. My mental illness manifesting itself, I suppose.
 

Poser

WKR
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Dec 27, 2013
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Durango CO
If you just do quick and frequent maintenance, you don't have to spend much time actually re-sharpening knives.
I take the same approach with keeping snowboard edges tuned and just hit the edges with 3 different grains of diamond stone files for about 3-5 minutes after every single day out riding and I seldom have to actually remove any steel and re establish the edge. People who tune their skis once a year will often have to spend quite a bit of time, get frustrated and outsource the work.
 

Nicaburns

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Dec 16, 2022
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324
I’m a hobbyist knifemaker and I somewhat enjoy it. However, I would hate how most guys do it. Putting a mirror polished convex edge on with a belt sander takes just a few minutes. It takes a bit of practice to get the hang of it but once you have it down, it is easy. The worksharp simulates the effect but it is a lot faster with a larger grinder.
 

EdP

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Jun 18, 2020
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Southwest Va
I used stones and liked it until I got my first S30v knife and couldn't get it sharp. Someone suggested I try a diamond "stone" so I looked into them and bought one. SS with diamond grit electroplated on it. I also made a leather strop and treated it with 0.5 micron diamond slurry. Now I love sharpening knives because it is easy to get a knife shaving sharp with the diamond stone and strop.
 

Maki35

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Aug 21, 2020
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413
Yes, I enjoy it. I shapen everything from my EDC knife to hunting knives, and even our kitchen to steak knives. I take pride in it when I get them razor sharp.
 
Joined
Oct 7, 2023
Messages
72
Yes. The "key" (besides knowing what the heck you are doing on a conceptual level) is to never let your knife get so dull you are sharpening for more than 10 minutes or so.

That also means having a sharpening medium that is appropriate for your steel. If you try sharpening Magnacut with a natural soft arkansas stone, you're gonna hate it. I like sharpening using non-diamond stones (AlOx and Ceramic with a leather strop) so I avoid the modern supersteels (that I believe are much overrated). If you have a stone that is hard enough for your steel and know what you are doing, it is hard to not find satisfaction in putting a razor edge on your knife as you sit around the campfire.
 
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