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Forgive me if this subject has been broached before and just point me in the right direction however, I could not find any data in my search of old threads.

For some odd reason that I can't fathom, I woke up one morning not long ago to discover that I am old. I don't remember being old when I went to bed but apparently I became that way overnight somehow. With that old age came an apparent loss of flexability/strength/dexterity in my hands. One of the results of this loss is that I no longer seem to be able to adequately put a good edge on my knives therefore I find myself in the market for an alternative. I would prefer something electric but my experience with those is limited at best and the ones I have seen in use were not of acceptable quality. Criteria:

1. Works well i.e. puts a good edge on the knife without destroying said implement.
2. Inexpensive. Don't want to have to sell the knives in order to buy the sharpener.
3. Handles all species and sizes of knife from my smallest "Old Timer" to my wife's largest "Lorenna Bobbett" model carving knife.
4. Easy to use (I'm an Aggie so can't handle anything too complicated).

Suggestion and experiences would be greatly appreciated.

This is what I use. Not electric. Puts a good edge on and is quick. I have them everywhere around the house and even one in my luggage. The edge is rugged and will not fold over like some finer edges.

Knife Sharpener

ok... hmmmm

ummm....

how do i say this?

plz don't laugh.

I honestly dont really know how to sharpen a knife.

*waits for the laughter to die down*

Dear old dad wasn't really an outdoors kind of guy and grandpa tried showing me once but i was like 5 years old.

I've never been able to put a decent edge on a knife. Trust me, i've tried.

I know there's some particulars about going against or with the direction of edge and probably best to use a specific angle. oil the wetstone or no?

i told you, i'm clueless.

*whine*

I can strip your computer down to nuts and bolts and silicone and put it back together again though. That's got to count for something.

So, how do i become un-clueless? What are the facts?

what kind of stone should i be using?

What kind of steel ? I know some kinds of steel hold an edge better than others.

I'm not looking to make an edge that will let you cut diamonds, just maybe to the point where you could shave with your knife (not that you would want to).

If you do not already have one....a Dremmel works nicely for smaller pocket type knives and the majority of my kitchen knives as well. Takes a little longer and it sounds like the worse trip to the dentist you will ever have, but it works well for me.

LedJedi wrote: I know there's some particulars about going against or with the direction of edge and probably best to use a specific angle. oil the wetstone or no?

Deprived childhood huh? It's all in the wrist. And if your over the age of 40 then you never ever use oil on your stone. Just spit on it.

shaggy

I have used the sharpener that anygunanywhere uses. It works pretty good. I have one for my wife who has called me at work to come home to sharpen a knife for her. I also have one of these for her and it works good too. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/d ... mber=94620

I too prefer a good ole whet rock but I never could find any of mine ever after my son got old enough to carry a knife. Now that he's grown I hope he has a son who carries all of his tools.

quote="LedJedi"]ok... hmmmm

ummm....

how do i say this?

plz don't laugh.

I honestly dont really know how to sharpen a knife.


[/quote]



Get a whetstone or sharpening stone. Spit on it or oil it, your choice. The liquid is to float the metal and stone dust free so it doesn't clog the pores of the stone. Hold the knife at about a 20 degree angle and try to take a slice off the stone. Then try to take a slice off in the opposite direction. Try to slice with as much of the blade as you can with each pass. The big secret is to keep the angle of the blade the same for each pass. Rinse the stone off when you are done.

Price will depend on size of stone and grit. Fine Stone -- fine edge - takes a while if the blade is really dull -- coarse stone -- sharpens fast but not as nice an edge.

Here's what works for me.......

http://www.lanskysharpeners.com/LKC03.php

Easy to use if you are a young guy like LedJedi or an old guy like me!

It works on any blade, knife, scissors or what ever. About $20.00 at Academy.

ETA: Yep, even an Aggie can use one!

RKirby wrote:Here's what works for me.......

http://www.lanskysharpeners.com/LKC03.php

Easy to use if you are a young guy like LedJedi or an old guy like me!

It works on any blade, knife, scissors or what ever. About $20.00 at Academy.

ETA: Yep, even an Aggie can use one!

funny, i actually HAVE one of those. I never seem to be able to put a decent edge on a knife though.

i'm thinking maybe the knives i was working with were very poor quality.

+1 for the Lansky.

The guide slots keep your stone at the same angle every pass.

LedJedi wrote:funny, i actually HAVE one of those. I never seem to be able to put a decent edge on a knife though.

i'm thinking maybe the knives i was working with were very poor quality.

Well, I don't own any "quality" knives. The most expensive knife I own is a $30.00 Gerber that my son gave me for Christmas. It's my pride and joy and I don't leave home without it.

A better quality blade will probably hold it's edge longer but even my Gerber is razor sharp after the Lansky treatment.

The Lansky kit has worked well on everything that I have used it on. Re-read the instructions and try it again. I bet you'll like it this time.

anygunanywhere wrote:This is what I use. Not electric. Puts a good edge on and is quick. I have them everywhere around the house and even one in my luggage. The edge is rugged and will not fold over like some finer edges.

Knife Sharpener

Best down and dirty knife sharpener there is. If you can't sharpen a knife with one of these then you need to get new knives or go to a knife sharpening shop.

I grew up using quality oilstones, so I am pretty good at sharpening the traditional way. But when I want to put a good quick edge on a knife, especially a long kitchen knife, this is my favorite:

http://www.thebladeshop.com/browseprodu ... pener.html
(Hmmmm.... I've tried that URL every which way, and it won't show up as clickable. Just copy and paste it.)

It has both carbide, for setting the initial angle, and ceramic, for final honing. It's as simple as drawing the blade through with very light pressure.

I own the Lansky set, but never had any luck with it. Too much trouble to set up on small knives, and the stroke is too short for long knives. I guess it works okay for knives in the 3-6" range.

Kevin

+1 on the Lansky kit as I use to sell all types of knives and if they did'nt
shave hair off my arm I used the kit to put a brtter edge on them.
I think Academy sells them.

LANSKEY
Is one of the best. especially for the money. for the lanskey a few tips:

1. start with the coarse, and keep using it until the angle is correct.
2. once the angle is right on the blade, move to medium.
3. Make sure you do not sharpen one side more than the other. if you rub your finger accross the edge, you should be able to feel when you moved the metal to the other side of the blade. this means you sharpened that side too much!
4. count the number of strokes, and keep it the same on each side.
5. dont push down too hard.
6. choose the correct angle for your application.