Thread: Knife sharpener

Originally Posted by viper

Lol, sorry mate. If your looking for something try the Superior Swords website as they have 50 % off all the Kizlyar Supreme folding knifes at the moment. Made in Russia, good steel and built like a tank.
I brought one a few weeks back, seriously made knife, check them out.

Kizlyar have a great reputation but I almost never buy a folder. Thanks for the website tip though, I was actually going to ask, I bought my sharpening gear from Blademaster and it was great value but I wasn't inspired by their outdoors knives.
Do you know anything about the Rosarms knives Superior Swords sell?

Tried he lanksy and didn't like it, carry a fallavien dc3 or 4 in my pack instead of a steel diamond on one side ceramic on he other, use Japanese waterstones when at home, used to do an old hard stone but find the waterstones much more cathartic and enjoyable

Originally Posted by Lore

Kizlyar have a great reputation but I almost never buy a folder. Thanks for the website tip though, I was actually going to ask, I bought my sharpening gear from Blademaster and it was great value but I wasn't inspired by their outdoors knives.
Do you know anything about the Rosarms knives Superior Swords sell?

You have to be careful because there is a another Russian company called Kizlyar which are designed in Russia but made in China ( still good knives ) but if you want the real deal made in Russia then it's the Kizlyar Supreme , designed and made in St Petersburg , Russia.
They use knife designers from Australia, South Africa and others. Good selection of blade shapes, handle materials and steel, Aus8 , 440C , D2 .
I know nothing about Rosarms.....yet

Originally Posted by viper

I know nothing about Rosarms.....yet

I did some research online, looks like the Rosarms are pretty good, 5 stars on any of their reviews, handmade in Zlatoust Russia, good handle materials like birch bark washers and micarta.
Wait 'til payday and I'll let you know what the verdict is.
(Sorry for high-jacking your sharpening thread, roops)

I use a 'Spyderco Triangle Sharpmaker' set. Very easy and simple to use and brings up an arm shaving edge in no time.

Currently ahout $160 from blademaster.

Originally Posted by viper

The Deluxe Lansky does look like a good staring point and there's some nice accessories and You Tube instructional stuff for them as well.
I also like the look of Japanese waterstones and leather strops to really go the next level

I use an oil stone and old shaving strop for my chisels (once ground) and they take the hair off my arm easily.

The strop (or any coarse leather, like the back of an old belt) takes the fine burr off the edge. The shaving strops might have had some cutting compound in them I suspect. not really sure on that but Iv used plain leather and it does the trick.

If sharpening knives and chisels, get two stones. One for chisels and other flat blades only.

I have a Edge Pro Apex which has done close on 100 knives on the original stones. Need to replace the 320 grit as thats the workhorse stone.
The friends, neighbors, and family all bring their knives around, as I'm always complaining about using blunt knives when at their places.
It's quick, repeatable, and with enough time on the finer stones puts a fantastic mirror finish of the edge.
I'm finding with the VG10 cored kitchen knives, I only have to sharpen once a year, and a quick run over with a ceramic steel is all thats required otherwise.
Just for shits and giggles, I sharpened up the kindling tomahawk on it with spectacular results - can now field dress rabbits with it, while having the ability to cleave off feet and heads.

Only problem with all of the micro bevel sharpeners is that unless you can relocate the knife into the holder in exactly the came place each time, you will have to reshape the edge every time you sharpen.

I've used a lot of different systems over the years. Cheapest, easiest and lowest skill required is to use wet&dry paper and a mousepad and form a convex edge. This will also strop the best since the stropping is trying to produce a convex edge in its own right.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QV8MtMU3Eck
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnkl1BRRrSQ

From there I recommend that you upskill yourself in using a stone.
For a basic edge on a hunting knife, I recommend a good quality 400/1000 grit water stone, and a strop laden with 800 grit polishing compound.
I have thrown away all of my oil stones and now only use water stones. I have stones up to 8000 grit, but find I rarely need to use them. They are very good at getting the very best edge on your kitchen knives without requiring a strop, but only do that if you are not married as your wife will destroy 45 minutes of sharpening in the first cut into a crockery plate because she cannot find the chopping board
This is not the stone I use, but an example that is available in NZ https://www.carbatec.co.nz/product/7...00-200x60x30mm
I recommend a holding block https://www.carbatec.co.nz/product/8...r-up-to-210mm-
PPS in Penrose sell polishing compounds for the strop.
When you sharpen with a stone, sharpen to a convex edge, not a micro bevel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6czVKkIz3Us

@ hotbarrels, thanks for the links, it was interesting to watch.
I am still not convinced about some of these systems.
Like you said the Lansky system could allow for small changes in blade bevel angle however the system with sandpaper allows for even greater alterations in the blade angle as it comes down to simple guess work.
A stone weather Water or Whetstone also have this problem and as with a lot of things in life it will come down to practice , feel and weather the person doing it has the natural skill, patience and feel required.
The more I watch and research the more I realize there are a lot of different techniques and methods, they all work to some degree or another.
I like the idea of Jap water stones and leather strop and will no doubt go down this road at some point however a " Lansky " style system also has merits .
It's a big subject , so much more to it than first appears.

If I sat you down with a Linsky, sand paper and a water stone you would go home with the sandpaper system.
The key with the sandpaper is the foam you put under the paper. I use a 10mm black packing foam. It's stiffer than neoprene but still spongy enough to create the convex edge. When the blade is dragged over the paper, the paper deforms to the convex shape. As you drag the blade, changing the angle will change the 'resistance' you feel. Adjust the angle to get the lowest felt drag and that is the angle to use. Because it is a convex edge, changes in angle do little to the shape of the edge - its very angle tolerant.
I have blocks made up with different grades of paper. Use 400 to reshape the edge from micro bevel to convex, working up to 1000, then strop with 800 compound on leather.

When you use a water stone, you are deliberately trying to create a convex grind, so you have to rock the blade back and forth as you sharpen, therefore, again, the angle is not so critical as you will be constantly working between a max and min angle to create the convex profile.

Low cost suggestion for you. Go to Bunnings and look for a wall sanding block - one that has a bow handle in it, foam on the paper face and some metal paper retaining clamps.
https://www.bunnings.co.nz/paint-par...ndle_p01210186
Buy a couple of different grades if paper, cut to shape and fit to the sanding block. Turn the block upside down and hold the block in a vice using the handle. Play.

Pure genius. I’ve got Waterstones but have been thinking of trying wet and dry. That’s the perfect way to start with it. Cheers!

I will have to say I concur a little @hotbarrels
in the absence of proper stones and a lack of patience, I have done the wet/dry trick. Unlike his method, I have tried to duplicate a stone and either used a piece of glass or if at work some flat steel. I don't reckon it was as good as a stone, but then I did get them shaving sharp at times so maybe all good

Originally Posted by csmiffy

I will have to say I concur a little @hotbarrels
in the absence of proper stones and a lack of patience, I have done the wet/dry trick. Unlike his method, I have tried to duplicate a stone and either used a piece of glass or if at work some flat steel. I don't reckon it was as good as a stone, but then I did get them shaving sharp at times so maybe all good

Key to it is to have some give, so not glass or steel. Hot barrels is onto it, easiest way by far, and easy to get great results. Haven’t pulled out a whetstone for a while now!

Anyone had a play with the new cc4 from fallavien? Like the idea of it but going by reviews it's other as good as it looks....

Use the dc4 but it is on the coarse side and was hoping the ceramic would be better