Do you sharpen your own knives?

[Watusi]

Knife sharpening seems to be a bit of a lost art. I learned as a youngster and it comes fairly natural to me but lots of my buddies have no idea how to do it. I get stuck with that task sometimes, but I enjoy doing it. I think it feeds my inner neanderthal.

 

There is something about putting steel to stone that always warms my heart and fills my mind with memories of my Grandad. Not only the knife sharpening but lot of other memories of him come flooding over me when I take up the stone.

 

It made me wonder if very many people still sharpen knives the old fashioned way. And if you do, about what age group do you fall into?

 

For those that don't, how do you get your blades sharp?

[rjs4470]

My dad was carver and hand sharpened all his knives and tools. Unfortunately, despite his best efforts, apparently that gene skips a generation. I've tried multiple times with no luck. Although in my defense, most of what I've tried sharpening is stainless steel, which does not take or hold an edge like high carbon steel. My dad wouldn't touch stainless steel blades.

[bugatti]

So that's what they call it now...

[bugatti]

I never had the patience to become all that proficient at it.

[Watusi]

I never had the patience to become all that proficient at it.

I would call myself adequate. I can put an edge on a hunting knife or pocket knife that you can shave your arm with and that is good enough for me. I have actually kind of fell out of practice so it sometimes takes me a little bit longer to hit the zone.

 

I'm far from a professional and even when I think I do a pretty good job, it wouldn't look very pretty under a microscope. I have thought about buying a good 2 stage or 3 stage electric sharpener, just for the uniformity of it so the edge will last a bit longer. I always talk myself out of because I really just like to use the stones. For me it is a bit of a hobby.

[Watusi]

My dad was carver and hand sharpened all his knives and tools. Unfortunately, despite his best efforts, apparently that gene skips a generation. I've tried multiple times with no luck. Although in my defense, most of what I've tried sharpening is stainless steel, which does not take or hold an edge like high carbon steel. My dad wouldn't touch stainless steel blades.

 

I do OK on SS but the edge just won't last like a good carbon blade, it folds over too quick.

 

How do you get your knives sharp now?

[Jumper_Dad]

Years ago my father in law had a "paper like" wheel that went on a bench grinder. That thing was great, could use the edge of the wheel to sharpen the inside edge on a serrated knife. I think he got it a the huge Knife store on the way into Sevierville on the right.

[dd734]

Years ago my father in law had a "paper like" wheel that went on a bench grinder. That thing was great, could use the edge of the wheel to sharpen the inside edge on a serrated knife. I think he got it a the huge Knife store on the way into Sevierville on the right.

 

Bass pro has the paper wheel sharpeners, they sharpen knives, or at least they use to. I never used their sharping service, but the man told me it put a super edge on a knife.

 

I have a real nice two sided oil stone. An old fellow from Ft. Thomas gave to me 25+ years ago. The box it is in looked old then. I need to clean it, but really don't know how to go about it.

[gchs_uk9]

A little off topic, but I graduated from high school in 1999. I remember my drafting teacher would set aside the last few minutes of class each day to sharpen pocket knives of students in the class if we wanted it done. If you didn't have drafting, he'd still do it for you if you asked. My how times have changed!

[spindoc]

I suck at sharpening knives. I have tried many times. It's an art I just haven't had the patience to try to become proficient. I even got the high dollar Chef's Choice 3 stage sharpening system for Christmas one year. That thing was garbage. Now I have a handheld sharpener with the sticks built in and I just put an edge on what I'm using right before I use it.

 

My brother in law can sharpen one that is dangerous.

[woodsrider]

I'm ok at it if using a Lansky sharpening kit.

[rjs4470]

I do OK on SS but the edge just won't last like a good carbon blade, it folds over too quick.

 

How do you get your knives sharp now?

 

There is a local hardware store that will sharpen knives for a few bucks with an electric sharpener. I don't own any high quality knives, just a couple Buck Pocket knives that I use around the house, so a super sharp edge isn't a necessity. My father passed away last year and I inherited all his carving stuff and his knives. They are way too sharp, and dangerous in my hands. I've got his sharpening stones too, but haven't used them.

[Watusi]

You should hang on to that stuff rjs. I have a couple of old pocket knives of my grandfather's that aren't valuable, but there isn't enough money to buy them from me. My boys will own them someday. I'm really sappy about that kind of thing.

[cjjennings]

I sharpen all of my own knives, as well as several of my friends. I have several types of stones, and at least two Lansky kits. I do not own a paper wheel or expensive equipment. I enjoy sharpening knives. It is a hobby taught to me by my father. My father and I also make fixed blade hunting knives. I enjoy the time I spend with my father, talking about knives we are making or have made, as well as searching flea markets for metal or wood. My father is much better at than I. He can make a knife from an old industrial file or band saw blades. He is quite good at it. I mostly buy blades and make the handles for them. Still fun for me and brings a great deal of satisfaction seeing something I created. I mostly give them to friends and family.

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

I dug my old Lansky kit out of my dad's work room over the weekend and brought it home so I could sharpen up my hunting knife before deer season. (I've raved about the knife a little in the past, and I've got to admit, it's still a hum-dinger. I've really only had to barely "polish" the edge back into shape...never really even had to give it a legitimate sharpening.)

 

But anyway, for sharpening a knife blade, there's no beating the ease and guarantee of a Lansky kit. But for anything else, I'll go back to the old Arkansas stone. I learned to sharpen with a stone from my uncle, who hand-builds flintlock longrifles. There's no way to sharpen many of the gouges and inletting tools that he uses except with a stone, so it was handy for him to have a helper to work on keeping his tool edges in order while he was doing the woodwork on the gun stocks. And Watusi is right - it's a lost art.