What should I buy to practice sharpening on?
What should I buy to practice sharpening on?
You'd think that 10 years later I'd be good at this... I manage to get useable, but not great edges
I want to pick up a Spyderco as a house chores knife and to learn to sharpen
Something not tiny, with a steel that deburrs easily (and is not a super collectable Sprint)
Sub $100? I'll probably get an edge pro at some point
I want to pick up a Spyderco as a house chores knife and to learn to sharpen
Something not tiny, with a steel that deburrs easily (and is not a super collectable Sprint)
Sub $100? I'll probably get an edge pro at some point
- Tucson Tom
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Re: What should I buy to practice sharpening on?
You don't want to just try sharpening up some butter knife from a thrift store?
Re: What should I buy to practice sharpening on?
I actually bought a few bags of cheap Swiss army knives on eBay, but it feels different than a normal folder
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Re: What should I buy to practice sharpening on?
That or any cheap 440C or 8cr13mov knife off of ebay. I think it's easier to learn on a softer metal than something even like s30v. I do love the Edge Pro for sharpening my Spyderco knives though. Some knives are a PITA to hold at a consistent angle without moving around especially smaller knives, but Spydies are pretty easy. No thumbstuds, oddly placed grinds that make it hard to hold still and what not. The PM2 I usually lay flat on the face of the blade and go from there but I've seen people lay it on the flat by the choil. Another good thing is there's tons of aftermarket Edge Pro stuff, like diamond and CBN stones, strops, etc unlike some systems where you're limited to using the stuff they sell with their kits.
Last edited by brainfriction on Tue Nov 06, 2018 7:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: What should I buy to practice sharpening on?
I'd buy a couple of Victorinox or similar paring knives and practice on them. :)
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Re: What should I buy to practice sharpening on?
Thanks. I was going through eBay, and man, used beat up Spyderco knives command a lot of $$$
Am hoping that the edge pro helps me free hand too. I can't seem to tell the difference between 30 and 40 degree
Am hoping that the edge pro helps me free hand too. I can't seem to tell the difference between 30 and 40 degree
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Re: What should I buy to practice sharpening on?
I got a cheap folder from Harbor Freight to practice on. It's half serrated but none of my quality knives are. It's nice to practice with it though.
Edit: the steel is 8cr13mov. Easy to dull, easy to sharpen.
Edit: the steel is 8cr13mov. Easy to dull, easy to sharpen.
Last edited by Brown_Recluse on Tue Nov 06, 2018 8:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
CPM S90V
Maxamet
CPM-M4
M390
CPM 20CV
Lc200N
CPM-S45VN
Maxamet
CPM-M4
M390
CPM 20CV
Lc200N
CPM-S45VN
Re: What should I buy to practice sharpening on?
If you don't already have one I'd look real hard at a VG10 Delica
Of all the things I've lost I miss my mind the most!
- Surfingringo
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Re: What should I buy to practice sharpening on?
Get a Spyderco Salt in pe H1. Maybe a salt 2? The steel is easy to sharpen and every Spydie fan needs to own at least one salt knife.
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Re: What should I buy to practice sharpening on?
Ya'll forgetting about Byrds?
Grab yourself a $20 Cara Cara and a $40 302M Medium bench stone and you'll have everything you need to teach yourself how to achieve hair popping sharp edges free hand.
Grab yourself a $20 Cara Cara and a $40 302M Medium bench stone and you'll have everything you need to teach yourself how to achieve hair popping sharp edges free hand.
Re: What should I buy to practice sharpening on?
I went to the Salvation Army and found a couple of partial knife sets for about $20. Even though the steel was really poor, it was excellent practice for getting comfortable with the mechanics of freehand sharpening. Builds muscle memory if nothing else. And I got those suckers SHARP eventually :)
Re: What should I buy to practice sharpening on?
I also picked up some knives from a Salvation Army, practiced with my EdgePro until I got them all really sharp, and then donated them back.
Re: What should I buy to practice sharpening on?
My recommendations would be a VG10 Delica or Endura, or yeah, a Byrd meadowlark or cara cara. You can’t beat the price of the Byrds. If you get the more expensive knife and don’t get results you like, you can send it to Spyderco and they’ll sharpen it for you.
Re: What should I buy to practice sharpening on?
Good call! I was going to suggest Kershaw. I have a fatback (fat back?) made by Kershaw that I have been practicing on. I started free hand, got a KME, and now am trying free hand again. I found the KME helped me in a lot of ways to keep still while on a stone or on the sharpmaker.
- Tucson Tom
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Re: What should I buy to practice sharpening on?
I was joking about the butter knives, but honestly I would go to the thrift store and see if you can pick up some kitchen knife for a few bucks and work on that -- or a cheap Kershaw would do, or some random Gas station knife. At some point really garbage steel maybe would be pathological, but I'll bet you could learn lessons on anything. And you might pick up some decent kitchen knives. I have some horrible "smith and wesson" folder that is without a doubt the worst knife imaginable. I would be willing to subject it to anything and try to learn on it.
Re: What should I buy to practice sharpening on?
How about a mora? Realatively cheap but a good useable fixed blade. Personally, I just won’t buy garbage, it just encourages them to make more.
If you can wait a little while, that bow river would be perfect.
If you can wait a little while, that bow river would be perfect.
Re: What should I buy to practice sharpening on?
You should get a Sharpmaker to practice sharpening on. :)
-Brian
A distinguished lurker.
Waiting on a Squeak and Pingo with a Split Spring!
A distinguished lurker.
Waiting on a Squeak and Pingo with a Split Spring!
Re: What should I buy to practice sharpening on?
This. To learn you need an easy steel but not crap. Crap steel will usually burr heavily, or won’t take an edge.
Spyderco/Byrd 8Cr13MoV is right.
Alternatively a Victorinox paring at 3-5$ doesn’t disappoint although I find it easier to manage the Byrd (depending on the stones you have).
Chris :spyder:
Re: What should I buy to practice sharpening on?
I would just start out with old kitchen knives. I rushed into trying out folders too soon when I got my Edge Pro, my first try was on a kitchen knife and I was so pleased with the results I moved on to my Para 2 20CP sprint and absolutely jacked up the bevel. I would stick with cheap knives for a while before moving on to expensive ones.
All SE all the time since 2017
~David
~David