Bussekin knives.

I posted this over on the Busse forum on BF, but some of you might not go there. You'd be surprised how many people can't sharpen a knife because they don't know where to begin, well i've tried it all in my quest to learning to sharpen. I can get a butter knife to make fuzz sticks out of a free hanging hair now. Before, all I could do is make a knife duller. I've spent a lot of money on sharpening crap, so let me save you some money.

If you talked to me one year ago, I couldn't sharpen a knife to save my life. I generally had my knives sharpened by someone who knew what they were doing. In my defense, the main reason for my failure was just never learning how to do so properly, and the science behind sharpening. There was a point in my life when I would go over to the OD grind machines at work, set the dress speed super slow and sharpen my folders etc on a gigantic centerless grinder wheel. I could get knives so they could cut, and occasionally could get an edge that could rip hair from your arm in certain spots, but nothing uniform. I've now tried many many sharpening methods, just like trying different knives, I like to dive right in and try it all, then separate the bad from the good. Here are some methods I've tried.

Paper Wheel sharpening - I bought a cheap Ryobi 8 inch bench grinder, tore off all the guards and shields and through on a set up 10 inch razor edge system paper wheels. One wheel is coated in carbide, the other is bare that you load with a white compound. These are the same wheels Richard J uses and gets great results. Results were fairly good from the very beginning. Very simply, develop a burr on the blade sharpening both sides on the grit wheel, then move over to the other wheel loaded with the compound and remove the burr and polish the edge. It was a pretty good system to be honest, quickest method I've yet to find to get an edge to shave hair off your arm. If I had it to do over again, I would have purchased a Buffer instead of the Bench grinder, I would have more clearance between the two wheels and not buff my elbows quite as much.

DMT diamond stones - These are quite nice, there's something about freehanding that just makes you feel good about yourself when you're done. Sitting down, relaxing and just working the blade to develop your burr, repeat etc going up in the grits. By the time you hit the strop your edge is going to be popping hair just by running it over the tops of it. I can absolutely get an edge sharper free handing with DMT stones than I can with paper wheels, but the level of sharpness difference is not really noticeable unless your job is removing print from newspaper and splitting hair. It also takes quite a bit longer than the paper wheels, but you feel like you've accomplished something. I don't know about everyone, but it's rewarding to me to take something dull, spend the time and turn it into a freaking laser.

Spyderco sharpmaker - One of my least favorite systems. Factory edges are varied so greatly on production knives, often quite uneven and reprofiling is next to impossible without the diamond rods. Not many options in angle either. Only pros I can think of its impossible to screw up and the serration sharpening ability, I just don't care for this system. Not knocking those of you who use it, but it's not for me.

Edge pro - I got one when the opportunity arose, it's not for me. What the Edge Pro does is creates a system that is 100% idiot proof. I honestly cannot think of a way you can screw up a knife with this system, I also can't imagine anyone cant get a sharp edge on one. It's downfalls? Recurves, serrations, oddly shaped blades toward the tip, water stone shallowing, set up time, mess.
The EP gives you a sharp edge, I have up to 7000 grit polishing tapes for it as well. When you get done with the 7k tapes you have a perfectly flat bevel that is mirror polished. What's odd is, although my edges on the EP looked absolutely perfect, they lacked the sharpness that was attainable with hand stones. Not in sharpness to the touch, but rather sharpness in actual use. I think the fact that while free handing, you're actually slightly convexing the edge which in my opinion increases performance. In the end i'm not a fan of perfectly flat bevels. Another downfall to the system is scratching. I don't really care on my own knives, but I don't want to destroy a friends knife on it. I'm not talking a little "sharpening scratching", but we're talking scratches that looks like I rubbed the blade on concrete. This can be avoided by taping up the blade, honestly, it's just too much of a hassle. I'm getting rid of EP soon, I can't say that about any other system besides the sharpmaker.

The Belt Sander - This is probably one of the cheaper set ups. I use a grizzly 1x30 which I think was probably around 50 dollars. I have belts ranging from 40 grit to 15 micron, to loaded leather, to loaded cork. I've got it all. This is the single most versatile system in a knife sharpeners arsenal, bar none! After I sell the EP i'm going to purchase a Kalamzoo 1x42 sander just to have adjustable tension. You can take a knife with a thick saber grind and coated blade and turn it into a full convex with a satin finish. You can remove chips from a blade, thin out grinds etc.. Nothing gives me a sharper edge. Take your time and practice on cheaper knives as well. I've thinned out knives too much as well on this, trying to test the limits of what INFI can take in terms of thinness. Pay close attention to the tips and the area around the choil as well. I can get an edge sharper and more durable on a sander than any other method, faster too. For a non convexed or damaged edge I work my way up from 320 grit all the way to 15 micron. After 15 micron I started doing something different as on the cheap 1x30 sander, the leather belts become useless when they stretch. I started using a cork belt that I basically knocked all the grit off of, and loaded it with green compound. I find this works much better for me than the leather. I also hand strop after with pink compound. Convex is easier to maintain as well, I won't sharpen this FBM again for probably 4 months or so, and then it'll just be with the loaded belt. I occasionally strop on my jeans. I just sharpened this this afternoon, scary freaking sharp.




This is what has worked for me, not what has worked for everyone. Some love other systems, some like just a ceramic rod, some just a medium stone. Do what works, i've found what works for me.

I really enjoy sharpening with my cheap old 40 dollar belt sander.

The 1x30 sanders that are offered very cheap are the best value out there in the sharpening world. I'm going to retire my 1x30 for a kalamazoo 1x42 as I feel i've kind of outgrown it. I'm really looking forward to it.

I think I'm getting a band saw next, but one of the places we buy our tools from offered me a sweet deal on a really nice makita belt sander

What kind of sander? I'm looking to buy that grizzly knifemakers grinder soon, but IMO 1 inch belts are best for sharpening.

not 100% sure, its a pretty big one, but it runs the 1 inch belts, I had asked in passing about belt sanders and he showed it to me, said I could have it for 100 bucks

has the disc options on the side and is way bigger than my CM from harbor freight

Not bad, I wouldn't mind the disc option on the side either. That said, If i were to upgrade i'd do so to a 1x42, just for the extra length and adjustable tension.

I heard the 42 inch also stays cooler. I'll have to stop back in this week and check on it

I also am looking at the kalamazoo 1x42- what belts do ya think i need ? Thanks for the great post. I have done OK with the SM- better with the AP- pretty good with the DMTs- but still not " scary shrp" like I want. Am thinking of putting a set of paper wheels on the bench too- do I need them if I have the belt sander ? Thanks Again <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />

ordawg,

The belts you want depend on what you want to do with the sander. Sharpen or full convex? With my Zilla, NMFBM etc.. those were both had the primary grind worked on with 40 grit belts, I would never use a 40 grit belt on an edge however. After that I put a satin finish back on them going up in grits up to loaded cork belts.

How I get scary sharp from a dull blade or a unconvexed blade is start with a 320 grit belt, develop a burr and keep going up in grits deburing and removing the previous grits scratches. I bring it up to 15 micron before I go to a loaded belt. I generally use a very worn cork belt with my 1x30 as the leather has far too much flop, but I load up the cork belt with compound and power strop it. Once I get my 1x42, I'll go back to use leather so I can have adjustable tension.

No need for paper wheels, I still fail to see how sharpening a convex edge on those wheels will not eventually cause a v edge... but some people say it does. Either way, I can get knives sharper on my sander than the results people get on their paper wheels.

I most likely will just do more sharpening- but want the option to expand to doing more.( full convex) I have spent a bunch of time and money learning like you have with all these other systems. Now it is time to move on so i am willing to buy a full array of belts etc to do this. when you think about it- most of us have thousands of $$$ in steel and not the right stuff to sharpen all of it. Thanks- i will pass on the wheels and just get extra belts. Thanks Again for sharing your learning curve. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" /> Onward and upward. BTW- I think sharpening might be more addictive than collecting <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />