What are you favorite sharpening setups?

I assume we have some tradesmen, craftsmen, outdoorsmen, etc.

What are you favorite sharpening rigs or tools for keeping your pocket knives, field/bushcraft knives, sporting blades, kitcken knives, hatchets, axes, etc?

Any specific whetstones? Bench rigs? Field kits? Strops?

I think I can only talk about kitchen knives in this particular situation. I do not sharpen them. Buy a high quality set of knives and use them correctly, and they will last a long time.


RTFM. If a knife says to only use it on a wood or plastic cutting board, don't use it to chop on glass. Easy way to dull the blade. Don't wash them in the dishwasher, hand wash only. If you need to scrub or soak your knives, what the hell are you using them for? A soapy sponge should be fine... and never use it on non-food. No plastic, paper, cardboard... you want to kill your knives? Use them to cut plastic against a glass surface then put them in the dishwasher!

I buy quality knives with great edge retention.

But a knife will eventually dull and some sharpening and edge maintenence is what allows you to use them properly for a long time and have them perform effectively for far longer than any factory edge will ever get you.

I have dozens of blades, and I use a Worksharp Precision Adjust for probably 70% of them. Including my kitchen knives.

My Ka-Bar came with a sharpening device that works great on it and other knives that fit. With a patient sharpening, it’ll get the lawnmower blade to slice paper.

https://www.kabar.com/products/product.jsp?item=9926

... We Australians surely know A LOT about knives,
as we need those tools in the Outback!

... And the cleaning methods mostly follow what
you mates have already mentioned.

#### Salty

Whetstone to get an edge on a blade, then I follow up with 3000-5000 grit sandpaper. Nothing more annoying than dull & nicked blades. For cheaper or longer blades, I'll use one of those carbide sharpeners. During Lockdown I even learned how to sharpen nail clippers.

I enjoy the zwilling JA Henckels
For kitchen

I use a steel at home. Then I have them professionally sharpened about 2x a year. Saves me time that I can spend pretending I bang hos

I’m horrible at it. Would like to get a good edge on my buck knives for dressing out deer.

Which model Buck?

As for getting good, there are a lot of sharpening and honing options these days across all kinds of price ranges that also help keep you on the correct angles and using solid techniques if all you need it a field ready blade.

And the multitude of great content, reviews, guides and product testing covering each system via Reddit and YouTube really helps folks shorten the learning curve.

Gander mountain had a cool band sander with 500, 1k,2k paper. It has a tilt to get them exactly the right edge. Was 150 or so, wished I'd have gotten one. I have a triple grit whetstone, a useless diamond edge grinder that I can't seem to ever use right, several diond hones that are ok, and a steel. I have Henkels and Global knives. The globals are far superior and could cut a finger or arm off pretty easily. Scary sharp

Scary sharp, but also great steel and edge retention. Reason you pay a premium.

We could take a goddamn ruler or saw square and put a razor edge on it and it would carve up a few tomatoes but anything more substantial and you'll be on the stones.

I have a Lansky kit I been using for years, and I have a good steel.

Which model Buck?

As for getting good, there are a lot of sharpening and honing options these days across all kinds of price ranges that also help keep you on the correct angles and using solid techniques if all you need it a field ready blade.

And the multitude of great content, reviews, guides and product testing covering each system via Reddit and YouTube really helps folks shorten the learning curve. Originally Posted by HDGristle

I have 2 of the 110s. Have 3 sharpening stones ( coarse, med,fine) I have a clamp that fits in the blade to hold a 20 degree angle. Just can’t seem to get as sharp as I’d like for dressing out deer etc. years ago I’d go to Maturi brothers in Bloomfield/Lawrenceville area where one could buy used restaurant butcher knives.

The 110's I've used were either 440C or S30v.

440C is easy to put the edge on, but harder to keep it. Easy to maintain it, though with a few passes.

S30v is one of my favorite steels, holds an edge very well but can be a bit more difficult to sharpen.

The Buck special heat treat on 420HC is one I don't have any experience with.

Do you know which yours are?