Whetstones

[ForgeCorvus]

Diamond 'stones' in 300 and 600 grits for most stuff, got a diamond 200 for when something has been really scragged.
And thats about all I use apart from a little 500ish diamond hone for just tickling garden cutting tools,
a diamond rod for my hook knife and a 14 inch smooth file for axes.... Oh and in the bathroom, an old leather strop for my straight razors.

Never seen the point in spending more time sharpening a knife then the edge lasts.

Got a Lansky system (acquired in trade) that I just can't get on with, I've spent over thirty years learning how to hand hone and my natural action fights against the system.

[jansman]

Wow! Never knew sharpening a Knife could be so complicated. When I get into work tomorrow I will have to check we are doing it right with a simple sharpening steel.

[Prep M8]

Wow! Never knew sharpening a Knife could be so complicated. When I get into work tomorrow I will have to check we are doing it right with a simple sharpening steel.

lol. Clearly a lot of people have their own ways of sharpening to good effect.

I suppose I will need to try different systems until I find what suits me the best.

Thanks for all the replies.

[korolev]

Wow! Never knew sharpening a Knife could be so complicated. When I get into work tomorrow I will have to check we are doing it right with a simple sharpening steel.

Out of interest, how long does a knife last you and how much do you pay for one ?

[jansman]

Wow! Never knew sharpening a Knife could be so complicated. When I get into work tomorrow I will have to check we are doing it right with a simple sharpening steel.

Out of interest, how long does a knife last you and how much do you pay for one ?

I use only two knives.A 6" straight boning knife, and a 10" steak knife . I pay no more than 20 quid apiece.The boning knife lasts about two years,the steak knife 3 years.

[ForgeCorvus]

Wow! Never knew sharpening a Knife could be so complicated. When I get into work tomorrow I will have to check we are doing it right with a simple sharpening steel.

Out of interest, how long does a knife last you and how much do you pay for one ?

I use only two knives.A 6" straight boning knife, and a 10" steak knife . I pay no more than 20 quid apiece.The boning knife lasts about two years,the steak knife 3 years.

I wonder what that works out at in pounds of meat...... On second thoughts, make that Tons of meat.

Jansman thinks about his knives the same way I do, tools to be used, maintained and replaced when not longer fit for purpose.
Most of my knives were about a tenner, a lot of the axes were a couple of quid plus the cost of the handle.
My sharpening kit has to do all sorts of knives, chisels& gouges, planes, axes, billhooks, secateurs, grass hooks, spades, hook knives and straight razors, and thats all just stuff done in the last few weeks. I still only pretty much use the seven items I listed...... And an angle grinder for the terminal cases

[jansman]

Out of interest, how long does a knife last you and how much do you pay for one ?

I use only two knives.A 6" straight boning knife, and a 10" steak knife . I pay no more than 20 quid apiece.The boning knife lasts about two years,the steak knife 3 years.

I wonder what that works out at in pounds of meat...... On second thoughts, make that Tons of meat.

Jansman thinks about his knives the same way I do, tools to be used, maintained and replaced when not longer fit for purpose.
Most of my knives were about a tenner, a lot of the axes were a couple of quid plus the cost of the handle.
My sharpening kit has to do all sorts of knives, chisels& gouges, planes, axes, billhooks, secateurs, grass hooks, spades, hook knives and straight razors, and thats all just stuff done in the last few weeks. I still only pretty much use the seven items I listed...... And an angle grinder for the terminal cases

Knives are just tools.I spend as little as possible on them.For saying that though,my wife bought me a Mother of Pearl handled penknife for our 30th anniversary ( pearl).It is a thing of beauty.It will get used if I have nothing else when the world ends.

[korolev]

Most of my knives were about a tenner,

Most of mine were in the £50-£100 range, a few over £100 (and a couple well north of that). Many of them have never cut anything.

I don't want to sharpen them on something that removes a lot of stock, which is what a steel or "pull-through" carbide does.
It's horses for courses, innit; for Jansman knives are a disposable tool, for me they are shiny things to be enjoyed.

Funnily enough, the knives in my toolboxes are Ganzos and Moras; cheap, dependable but disposable. If I busted a ganzo I'd buy another. If I busted a Spyderco I'd weep

[ForgeCorvus]

Most of my knives were about a tenner,

Most of mine were in the £50-£100 range, a few over £100 (and a couple well north of that). Many of them have never cut anything.

I really can't get my head around that......... Still if we were all the same life would get boring

I don't want to sharpen them on something that removes a lot of stock, which is what a steel or "pull-through" carbide does.

A steel shouldn't feel like a file, if it does its not a steel.
Those carbide things aren't allowed in my house or anywhere near my sharps

It's horses for courses, innit; for Jansman knives are a disposable tool, for me they are shiny things to be enjoyed.

A friend of mine has a Period musket, somebody asked why he shoots it*. He said "Thats what its for"

Funnily enough, the knives in my toolboxes are Ganzos and Moras; cheap, dependable but disposable. If I busted a ganzo I'd buy another. If I busted a Spyderco I'd weep

Nobody cries when they lose, break or bugger-up a Mora..... Thats what they're for


*Out of deference to its age, he uses an unrammed 70 grain charge with no wad. My Repro gets fed 165 grains and has the paper cartridge pounded down on top

[jansman]

I know that a lot of folks like to collect knives, and that is great. A nice blade is a lovely thing, but the prices of some of them make me cringe! Then again, I spend inordinate sums on fishing gear Mind you , I do use and abuse that too.How you spend your dough is up to you.

I always fancied a genuine Ka-Bar US Marine knife, but I just cannot bring myself to pay the money! I have Moras and Hultafors in the workshop, and in my GHB, a Cold Steel Roach Belly. That’ll be a pattern that Forge has come across I am sure. I think I paid £12 for it. It is a superb multi- purpose design, and a proper work knife. So are my opinels. You can see the pattern here; cheap!