# Any members here free hand sharpen your own knives?



## singlesix (May 13, 2010)

I have about 15 whetstones ranging from 120 to 6000 grit. I am not even close to being as good as I would like but I can have a knife shaving arm hair when I am done with it.

I also use a leather strop and I think everyone should have one even if you do not sharpen your own knives. A leather strop with some compound can turn your dull knife back to razor sharp.

Let me know some of your techniques and what you have learned. Do you use oil stones, whetstones , belts sanders?

How frustrated have you gotten trying to sharpen a knife? I know I have, and even have messed up some in the past. I had to use the belt sander to get an even bevel again.


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## JTKillough (May 4, 2010)

Oh god, I knew someone would ask this question sooner or later.....I can sharpen most any knife. But, truth be known, I am hands down the worst knife sharpener ever. I can do it on the stones, but it takes me f o r e v e r. I just can't seem to keep that same angle and fudge the edge and then start again, fudge it, then again. Eventually, I will get what I want, but I suck. A year ago, for Christmas, I asked for that one special gift. A Work Sharp knife and tool sharpener. Now, I still suck, but I suck with a sharp knife. Lickety split. And I also carry two.


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## will1burr (Dec 12, 2014)

I'm with you JT. I'd probably still be hacking away at a deer somewhere without my lansky set.


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## Daamud (Aug 28, 2012)

Anyone try this yet?

the best knife sharpener in the world!!! YOU ALREADY HAVE IT!!!!:


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## Daamud (Aug 28, 2012)

Dang it! Can't copy/paste a link today for some reason.

YouTube search "sharpening a knife on a window"


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## singlesix (May 13, 2010)

JT I also have the work sharp Ken onion addition sure is a good little machine and has save my butt when I mess up the free hand.

@ daamud yes I have seen that video. I haven't tried that but I have used the back of a coffee mug (ceramic) and got it really sharp


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## singlesix (May 13, 2010)

will1burr said:


> I'm with you JT. I'd probably still be hacking away at a deer somewhere without my lansky set.


The Lansky works really well too I used to own one of those. Don't know what I did with mine


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## fr3db3ar (Aug 6, 2011)

I do a fair job of keeping the kitchen knives sharp on a steel. Not razor sharp but I don't spend a lot of time on them either.

Sent from somewhere in the time space continuum


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## knapper (Feb 5, 2010)

I use a Spyderco sharpener which has two sets of ceramic triangluar rods and they fit in a base at the angle you want. For me it works better than a stone and doing it by hand. I also have a steel that was my fathers and do ok with it too.


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## prairiewolf (Feb 19, 2012)

I have a lansky also, but I mainly do the free hand sharpening. I have a stone and old wooden case my father made and passed on to me when he passed away. Im leaving in the morning for a few days, but when I get back will post a pic in this post.

I also have a 1" belt sander that I use when I make a knife.


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## dwtrees (Mar 5, 2012)

I can get a knife sharp enough to shave with, but only if I use my Lansky system. Really suck at free hand, just can't seem to keep the same angle.

Another thing that really helps is something and old blacksmith told me. Always take the same number of strokes on each side to keep your edge in the middle. And work you way down to 1 stroke on each side, ie. 4 on each side then 3 on each then 2 on each and finally 1 on each side.


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## 220swift (Mar 2, 2011)

like fr3d, I can do a good job on a steel, used to keep all the knives sharp at the fur buyer I worked in the !970's with a steel, we had several skinning knives with more than half the blade gone. probably weren't sharp enough to shave hair on your arm, but more than sharp enough to skin many animals. I was taught steel sharpening by my uncle who was a professional butcher.........


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## singlesix (May 13, 2010)

For many of my mistakes starting out free hand sharpening I would not get the burr completely off of one side before I switched to a higher grit stone. Sometimes it can be tricky and you wont necessarily feel a burr on one side. Its ok to start another stone with a small burr but some metals are harder than others and the burr if too large will not come off on a higher grit stone. Many times I will finish with the last stone usually 5000 grit and I will not be happy with my results until I strop it with a leather belt. Stropping it with a leather belt will remove any remaining burrs and leave you with a razor edge.

Having a razor edge is not a necessity in field dressing but its just makes it a little easier for the job. I have only found one person on you tube that I feel truly has mastered free hand sharpening. He goes by virtuvice some of you may have seen him before. He is from main land Japan and his English is sometimes hard to understand but he is just like us and hunter and fisherman.


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

I use a grinder-mounted fine abrasive wheel for sharpening and a paper wheel to remove the feather edge (burr). It gives me a hollow ground edge but is done freehand and both left and right hand operation is required with the knife. It can be dangerous, however, if the edge is carelessly directed toward the wheel and I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for someone who might not pay attention.

The paper wheel can be used to touch up most knives without removing material.


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## jimmy shutt (Jun 2, 2013)

I figure some of our knife makers can answer this question ....quick!

you have to have some kind of quality steel for the best edge, being a meat cutter for 13 years I have cut myself more on a dull knife than one sharp that's for sure. we used the triple stones that set right in oil.

keep the stone wet with oil as you draw the knife across the stone, the metal filings will clog the stone up if to dry.

keep same angle for both sides.....try to match the angle on the factory edge this can be tricky as some knifes are hollow ground, or just plain harder metal , I don't know and can't tell the difference but it will effect the outcome of your project.

do you push or pull the knife across the stone or do a swirly thing, that could come into play as well. I used to pull down and across the stone in a angle top left to bottom right then switch sides top right to bottom left, hope that makes sense???

I have been told to pull or push the way you will be cutting with the knife.....if cutting forward "more" stroke the blade forward on stone or back if cutting more that way.

if you hold the knife flat as you can, eventually it will strike a new edge and you can go from there, or slightly angle the blade off the stone and yes same amount of strokes on each side or the burr will always be there.

course stone first it's very tedious to do one stroke on each side but you will get better results than 10 on this side and hope to get the right angle on the other side. but that is how we did it a few on this side and a few on the other.

course stone till you feel a edge trying to come out, switch to medium till the edge feels like the grind marks are off from the course stone, on the fine stone it will feel smooth as you finish.

there is usually a burr on one side or the other that means the stone is working and you are cutting steel off or you have a super edge and it is actually folding to one side or the other. .......you can hold knife firm and cut down on a piece of wood in cutting motion this will straighten out the edge, it seems to clear the burrs and now it time for the steel!

when on the steel, hold that at same angle more flat if possible. make sure to run the entire knife "same angle" along the steel, when the tip comes off of the steel it should make a click or some noise like that so you know your new edge is running all the way to the tip. to get practice you can hold the steel straight down, tip on the counter look as you slide the knife downward at the angle to make sue knife is running the steel at proper angle.

disclaimer; I do not have a sharp knife in my house!!!!!!

good luck keep the stone oiled and keep your fingers off of the edge of stone/knife when dragging if you slip it's hard not to cut yourself!!!!


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## knapper (Feb 5, 2010)

alway move the knife in the direction you would cut, not backwards. I had a guy at a gun show sharpen one of my knives and he worked it backwards till it had a bur edge, it was sharp but it did't last long. When hunting don't use your hunting knives for camp stuff have a seperate one of that kind of stuff.


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## azpredatorhunter (Jul 24, 2012)

A Lansky and round ceramic rods...


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