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warrigal
21-04-2008, 06:02
I have been giving these pocket sharpeners a bit of a trial.
So a bit of a run down.
The big yellow one I have had for a while it gets the dodgy knives You know you go to someone’s place and they hand you a $5 kitchen knife and ask you to touch it up. It works well enough but I just don’t like tungsten carbide drag sharpeners the just rip to much.
The smaller Black Smiths one with the fold out diamond rod works the same but is a better buy one for the compact angle and other for the diamond rod for serrations.
The large black thing to the left is a double sided diamond paddle it has a small tool platform and a hook groove. I really like this, being double sided allow the quick removal on better quality knives that have had a hard life. Coupled with my 204 these two do most my away sharpening.
The little Pen at the top is the Victorinox Pen sharpener. I like this. It is not for thicker blades but for SAKs it is perfect ( funnily enough).
It has a ceramic drag sharpener in the short end. The ceramic is much gentler than the Carbide versions. The other end has ceramic “steel” on the other end it is oval cross section for serrations and has a hook groove down either side. Small light I like it.
The small stone is a Smiths Diamond plate. A bit coarse for my liking but it does go into the stone pouch on my Ontario USAF survival knife.
The final stone is the Fallkniven dc4 I like this as well the Diamond particles are smaller and seem very consistent I use a small piece of that non-slip matting cut to size on a flat surface for then diamonds then free hand with the ceramic back the ceramic seems to have almost a grain on the surface but it doesn’t affect the performance at all.
So sum it up. Don’t use the big yellow any more.
Small black one is good compact does serrations and now rides is the bag of tricks for those cheaper knives that haven’t been sharpened since the battle of Hastings.
The pen is good but I use it more for the steel now and travels with the kitchen rol for quick touch ups. I did use it on one kitchen knife ( a Six inch Mundial Chefs) for about 6mths and couldn’t fault it.
Big paddle does the heavy jobs on the good knives.
Small diamond plate lives in the pouch on the USAF knife.
Large Fallkniven is for good quality small blades like a normal stone.
Ps the small Fallkniven plate DC3 will also fit in the USAF pouch.
Any questions?
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y233/warrigal/IMGP2359.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y233/warrigal/IMGP2366.jpg
Carl

Tinbasher
21-04-2008, 09:51
I have been using the Smith`s double sided one for a while ,not bad.
Richard

wharf
25-05-2008, 07:32
Which one would be the go for touching up my puukkos?they are high carbon blades.I use one for skinning and the other for trout.ill post a pic of them in the proper forum for you.

MikeF
26-05-2008, 12:14
... The final stone is the Fallkniven dc4 ... the ceramic seems to have almost a grain on the surface but it doesn’t affect the performance at all.

Yes, my DC4 has what appears to be a "ripple" pattern on the ceramic side. I thought that was odd, but I can't fault it.

Would I also be correct in assuming that a puuko, with its Scandi grind, is dead easy to sharpen because of the one big flat bevel on each side?

warrigal
26-05-2008, 06:00
Wharf, I'd probably go the Fallkniven DC4 and see if you can scrounge a bit of that non slip mat. Only use the diamond side if you get a ding in the edge. Ceramic should be enough for the day to day. Providing you keep it up.
Wharf, not saying you don't but incase someone reading this doesn't know. A scandi edge is sharpened by laying the whole bevel flat on the stone like the back of a chisel. You lay the knife flat on the stone then push the cutting edge down till it contacts the stone and work the whole bevel. That isn't very clear I'm sure a quick google will lead you to a website with a better discription and maybe even pics.
Carl

vice
08-02-2009, 07:09
Tips like you have given are great as sharpening a knife is a problem for me as I can never get that razor edge.The nearest I getis with an oil stone but still have a lot of trouble with the blade angle
Cheeers vice

TiNi
09-02-2009, 05:42
I use a Gerber 'V' sharpener ceramic to touch up uthe kitchen knives.

Vice,

what i have learnt is that maintaining the edge before it gets to the point of needing alot of work sharpening.

The Lansky sharpening system is fool proof (covers the angles) and this is what i use a majority of the time, the only time i dont is for an Emerson or CRKT chisel type grind knife, i free hand it on these.

Other thing to add is that having a razor sharp knife sometimes isn't suitable for intended use, for example i use my CRKT M16 for edc and use it to cut everything.

Its not for skinning animals etc where the benifet of a razor type edge would be beneficial.

In say that, my heel of my hand can vouch for the sharpness of my CRKT, its not razor sharp but near enough to slice flesh !.

MikeF
09-02-2009, 07:56
Wot he said.

Go the Lansky - relatively inexpensive.
Or the Apex system - similar but with broader stones and price tag.

When going freehand, practise slow to keep the angle. I've found that to be the most important thing. Speed comes later once you've trained your hand and eye.

Speaking of eyes, I just got my first pair of reading specs. And now I can see the edge of my knives properly - sheesh - looks like I've got a whole lot more practice ahead of me! :D

TiNi
09-02-2009, 01:46
LoL Farkles about the glasses :)

Stewart Townsend
09-02-2009, 04:26
Tips like you have given are great as sharpening a knife is a problem for me as I can never get that razor edge.The nearest I getis with an oil stone but still have a lot of trouble with the blade angle
Cheeers vice

Get a piece of paper fold, it diagonaly (?) to 45 degrees. Fold it again and it will be 22.5 degrees. Go find a small piece of pine of suitable wood. Mark out the angle you have on the wood and cut the piece of wood and you will have a piece of wood shaped like an isoceles (?) with one angle 22.5 degrees. Never have to worry about the blade angle again.

or

Go to the newsagents, buy a small protractor, say $3. Mark out and angle of 15,20 or 25 degrees or whatever you want and do the same with the piece of wood.

vice
10-02-2009, 08:06
I have tryed to touch up before it gets to bad most of the time I have made it worst than when I started.Its all very fustrating as I've been around tools
all my life.I will cut a 22 degree angle on a small piece of wood and give it a go.sound like a very good idea. Other than that I may have to buy a lansky
Thanks for yor help
Vice

warrigal
13-02-2009, 07:46
Vice If you cruise Ebay keep an eye out for a buck honemaster 136.
http://www.laventrix.com/showthread.php?t=349
Carl