[slyfink]

I figured there's enough knife dudes on here that I could start a whole thread on this!

I just bought a fillet knife, and figured I need to keep that thing razor sharp. I also want to keep my kitchen knives sharp.

I'm willing to invest in stones, a kit, and learning how to do it properly, but there seems to be so much information out there about what the best way to do it is. Anyone here have any recommendations?

 

[slyfink]

My dad had one of these when I was a kid, but I never really felt like his knives we're particularly sharp... https://www.prfo.com/products/opinel-sharpening-natural-stone-24-cm

Maybe he just needed to try it nao?

 

[jimmydean]

In the Navy we had a 3 sided stone we learned to use. Basically this guy

Norton 3 Stone IM313 System

Popular among professionals, the Norton IM313 Tri-Stone has set the standard for sharpening for decades. Traditional SystemThe Norton IM313 System has been trusted for decades. Professionals have known the advantages of this extra-large 3-stone system for years, but it is no longer a secret...

www.sharpeningsupplies.com

 

[Adventurous]

I figured there's enough knife dudes on here that I could start a whole thread on this!

I just bought a fillet knife, and figured I need to keep that thing razor sharp. I also want to keep my kitchen knives sharp.

I'm willing to invest in stones, a kit, and learning how to do it properly, but there seems to be so much information out there about what the best way to do it is. Anyone here have any recommendations?

First things first, get a good hone and strop. Regularly honing and stopping your blades will prolong their life and increase the amount of time between sharpening. Honing straightens the edge burr that'll fold over with use, while stropping will polish the edge and keep it tuned. Remember, every time you sharpen you are removing metal, so it should be done only as necessary to preserve your knives.

If you dont already have a hone, make sure to match the material to your blade hardness. In general, metal hones work better with softer steels (<60 Rc), while ceramic work better with harder steels (>60 Rc). If you don't know or have those specs handy, a decent general guideline is German knives (Henckels, Wusthoff) are softer, Japanese (Shun, Global, Misono) are harder.

Strops are just a semi-compliant piece of material that holds a polishing compound. The most common is a piece of leather mounted to a wood backer loaded with diamond paste. You can buy one or use an old belt.

As far as actual stones go, you'll likely not need anything below 800-1000 grit, as stuff below that is for heavier stock removal and used to clean up rough edges and nicks. Both of those tasks are best left to pros, as it takes practice to establish a proper edge angle.

Likewise, anything over 6000 grit is overkill. A second stone in the 3000 - 6000 range is good for a finishing passes. So a two stone kit of say, a 1000 grit and 6000 grit would be a reasonable place to start. You can even buy a two sided stone that'll have one of each if you don't want to invest in two separate stones.

Water stones are most common these days, as they are fairly easy on the budget and perform well. Only downside is they wear and you'll need a diamond flattening stone to clean them up every now and again. Glass stones are a good choice, they are just not as friendly budget wise.

Stone holders are overlooked, but a good holder will make the process safer and more pleasurable. Some people throw stone on top of a wet towel on a counter to give traction, others have stone pedestals with lips and grippy feet, but the most convenient for water stones are probably the type that span a sink basin. It'll allow you to keep the stone wet and wash away the particulate that builds up. You don't need to use a lot of force while sharpening, let the stones do the work.

I'd also recommend an angle guide, as thats the fastest way to ruin a knife. Softer steels are sharpened to a more obtuse angle, harder steels a more acute. Fugg it up too badly and your knife will really suck.

I get most of my stuff through www.chefknivestogo.com. They are helpful and knowledgeable if you prefer to reach out and have someone assist in your choices.

If you want something real simple to run your knives over occasionally and don't want to dive too deep, a Spyerco Sharpmaker is reasonably priced and easy to use.

Electric sharpeners work, but are hell on knives and typically remove more material than necessary. If you can, stay away.

 

[StiHacka]

Oh boy.

You have two options - you can go for bevel perfection with one of the guides/kits that help maintain the correct angle, or you can aspire to becoming good at free-hand sharpening. Those two worlds do not intersect IMHO. Pick your poison, then go down the rathole of your choice. I chose the way of becoming the forever learner of free-hand sharpening at the cost of perfection and speed.

I would highly recommend synthetic stones for knives - their speed and consistency cannot be beat by natural hones unless you spend $$$ for collectible rocks and even then you pay mostly for the sentimental value, just like with that Opinel.

The grit progression and total $ of investment depends on what you need - are you going to be removing large chips from the edge? Are you going to set bevels? Re-shape the blades? If all you need is to refresh a blade once in a while, a medium/fine grit combo hone may be just enough to get started until you learn more about your needs and start investing bigger sums in your hone collection. Good luck!

 

[Adventurous]

Also check this thread for more: https://ridemonkey.bikemag.com/threads/sharpening-knives.287247/

 

[Adventurous]

Oh boy.

You have two options - you can go for bevel perfection with one of the guides/kits that help maintain the correct angle, or you can aspire to becoming good at free-hand sharpening. Those two worlds do not intersect IMHO. Pick your poison, then go down the rathole of your choice. I chose the way of becoming the forever learner of free-hand sharpening at the cost of perfection and speed.

I would highly recommend synthetic stones for knives - their speed and consistency cannot be beat by natural hones unless you spend $$$ for collectible rocks and even then you pay mostly for the sentimental value, just like with that Opinel.

The grit progression and total $ of investment depends on what you need - are you going to be removing large chips from the edge? Are you going to set bevels? Re-shape the blades? If all you need is to refresh a blade once in a while, a medium/fine grit combo hone may be just enough to get started until you learn more about your needs and start investing bigger sums in your hone collection. Good luck!

I'm going to need to visit your lab at some point and geek out. I'd love to take a few of my knives to the next level.

 

[Westy]

 

[SkaredShtles]

I'd suggest finding a professional sharpener somewhere near you and take your knives a couple times a year...

 

[maxyedor]

Going stupid high on the grit was a game changer for me, both on knives and woodworking tools. I have a 20k grit, and it's awesome! The easy with which my blade glides through stuff is pretty eye opening.

That said, I get out of practice on my stones and then shit goes all sideways. That's when I break out the Worksharp belt sander/grinder. It puts a more than good enough edge on a blade, makes chip removal and establishing an angle a breeze and with a 6k grit belt the edge is pretty damn good for the 5 minutes it takes.

 

[slyfink]

I was just in a hardware store and came across the woodworking section. I found a 1200 grit Makita stone, and for $13, thought what the heck... It's a start.

I'll practice on the cheap paring knives I have. I've been hesitating to get a stone for years waiting for "the best kit I could find", but I get the sense that the best thing to do is start. And practice. and get a sense of what works and what doesn't. All the advice and tutorial videos are overwhelming and even contradictory. I guess that by starting on cheap knives and practicing a bit, I can figure things out as I go... hopefully!

 

[dump]

I always sharpen on a fairly inexpensive sharpening stone from the hardware store years ago. Strop with the wooden cutting board. It's quick, super easy and gets the knives plenty sharp w/o nerding out or having a bunch of expensive stuff. It's also ok for me that they aren't super sharp. As long as they go through a tomato, that's fine. They don't go in the dishwasher and once a year a knife sharpener goes by and I take them to him.

Now, I also have a proper diamond stone setup for woodworking that is on a different level, so I am aware of the differences...

 

[Pesqueeb]

 

[StiHacka]

I'm going to need to visit your lab at some point and geek out. I'd love to take a few of my knives to the next level.

Heh, my "lab" is much less fancy that you think. But, you are always welcome to my place for a ride and for geeking out about sharp things and other things that help keeping them sharp. You sound ripe for becoming a straight razor addict, too.

 

[MikeD]

Angle guide kit with three stones is cheap and works really well for those of us looking to do a good enough job at home without delving into the deeper science and art of it all.

I should learn to strop and hone properly.

 

[jdcamb]

My friend Amy is a master. All my knives were dull. She took them home and returned them 3 days later. All perfect. She even gave me some wine.

 

[boostindoubles]

Angle guide kit with three stones is cheap and works really well for those of us looking to do a good enough job at home without delving into the deeper science and art of it all.

I should learn to strop and hone properly.

I like knives but this is where I am at. I need work sharp. Honestly if I get them really sharp I end up cutting myself more often.

 

[jdcamb]

I like knives but this is where I am at. I need work sharp. Honestly if I get them really sharp I end up cutting myself more often.

I don't own a Cleaver just for this reason. I don't need one either.

 

[MikeD]

As long as they go through a tomato, that's fine.

I try to only use my serrated bread knife on tomatoes these days. Works soooo well and doesn't brutalize the edge.

 

[Adventurous]

I like knives but this is where I am at. I need work sharp. Honestly if I get them really sharp I end up cutting myself more often.

I'm not sure I've ever cut myself owing to a knife that's too sharp. I can definitely not say the same for a dull knife. IMO, a dull knife is a dangerous knife.

I try to only use my serrated bread knife on tomatoes these days. Works soooo well and doesn't brutalize the edge.

Problem with those serrated knives is they dull relatively quickly, and there's no good way to resharpen. They are essentially disposable.

A decently sharpened knife should be able to cut tomatoes no problem.

 

[Sandwich]

I need to take my knives to the sharpener. I don't have time for 18 whetstones...

 

[MikeD]

Problem with those serrated knives is they dull relatively quickly, and there's no good way to resharpen. They are essentially disposable.

A decently sharpened knife should be able to cut tomatoes no problem.

They do dull, but they're usually used for tasks where the serration is more important than the sharp edge. Bread and tomatoes don't put a lot of wear on them...but tomato skins do seem to be something that dulls a knife, somehow, or maybe it's just observation error and the tomato skin requires a sharper blade than mine normally are. But in any case, very happy as my serrations slice right into that sucker than gliding across the top, and so I saw them apart.

It was some salesperson in a knife store told me to use the bread knife, as I laughed at the specialized tomato knife they had for sale IIRC.

 

[boostindoubles]

I'm not sure I've ever cut myself owing to a knife that's too sharp. I can definitely not say the same for a dull knife. IMO, a dull knife is a dangerous knife.



Problem with those serrated knives is they dull relatively quickly, and there's no good way to resharpen. They are essentially disposable.

A decently sharpened knife should be able to cut tomatoes no problem.

With tomatoes, sometimes I use the tip to begin the cut and then finish it with the blade.

What can I say, I keep my blades functionally sharp. I have given myself cuts with razor sharp knives. I have also struggled to cut shit with dull knives. I like it in between.

 

[maxyedor]

Serrations work on tomatoes because they change the attack angle of the edge. The skin is pretty resistant to cutting but useless against poking. Once that skin is pierced anything will cut through it. Hence the "tomato knife", where the tips can get dull from rubbing against the cutting board but the edges up in the serrations stays reasonably sharp, and has more of a stabbing motion than slicing.

A well designed serrated knife is easy enough to sharpen with a curved hone. https://www.sharpeningsupplies.com/Arkansas-Round-Edge-Slip-Stone-P378.aspx?gclid=CjwKCAjwrPCGBhALEiwAUl9X05gxq66IBX7AnU8qpoz5v5Ht7sKgiDK0JCKJleHE6VeAEEuzRtODrxoCKfcQAvD_BwE Some of the cheapie serrated knives have way to many serrations, they're designed more like a saw than a knife, and those and impossible to sharpen.

 

[Westy]

Sounds like Maxxis should look into making EXO casings with tomato skins.

 

[maxyedor]

Sounds like Maxxis should look into making EXO casings with tomato skins.

So your tires will go moldy in 8 days and need to be replaced with fresh ones? Don't give them any ideas.

 

[StiHacka]

Sounds like Maxxis should look into making EXO casings with tomato skins.

Can't be any worse.

 

[OGRipper]

I took a class at a local cutlery shop about 10 years ago. Got some hands-on teaching and came home with two stones. Knives have been pretty sharp ever since. Perhaps not pro-level, but still. Videos are great and all but there's no substitute for having someone standing over your shoulder and correcting technique. 10/10, highly recommended.