Rolling knife sharpeners - how useful are they?

[dikman]

It looks to me like the sort of thing people will buy, because it looks neat, but will end up in a drawer with all the other unused things that looked great but were too much trouble.

[SUP]

@dikman, true dat!

[TomE]

On 1/20/2024 at 7:33 PM, NatesLeatherGds said:

As for me.... freehand. Dry stone. Arkansas. Final strop on paper, leather or blue jeans (depending what's handy). Shaving sharp.

Curious about using a dry Arkansas stone.  Is there an advantage over oiling the stone?  I thought the oil helps prevent clogging with debris.  Thanks for the info. 

[bruce johnson]

49 minutes ago, dikman said:

It looks to me like the sort of thing people will buy, because it looks neat, but will end up in a drawer with all the other unused things that looked great but were too much trouble.

Here’s my experience with it. I had one sent to try. I’d let my wife use it on daily use knives but I wouldn’t use it personally on my good ones. It’s pretty simple to use and fairly fast. My biggest complaint is the single grit and the side to get the burr corrected straightens the bur like butchers steel, doesn’t really remove the bur. Ok for kitchen use,  not for finer durable edges. Worth the cost? Not for me and my needs. If I didnt have machines to do it and I sucked at any sharpening on stones then yes it works better than most “one size fits all” sharpeners. 

[Mablung]

22 minutes ago, TomE said:

Curious about using a dry Arkansas stone.  Is there an advantage over oiling the stone?  I thought the oil helps prevent clogging with debris.  Thanks for the info. 

You’ll clog it up if you do that. Something other than oil can be used, but a very light oil is best. 

[SUP]

Thank you @bruce johnson . I wanted to hear from someone who has actually used it. I don't think I will be buying it anytime soon.

At this point, I am using ordinary whetstones in different grits and then the strop to sharpen my knives.. or the friendly neighbourhood cutler, who is knowledgeable and also has great knives for sale at reasonable prices. No leather knives though. Did get a great Damascus  chef's knife -  the blade remains sharp for so long; its months now and its not dulled even a little and that is all that I use.

Just ordered some diamond sharpening stones. Can't wait to try them.

[NatesLeatherGds]

3 hours ago, TomE said:

Curious about using a dry Arkansas stone.  Is there an advantage over oiling the stone?  I thought the oil helps prevent clogging with debris.  Thanks for the info. 

Well, there are different schools of though on this. In my personal case and use, dry has worked for shaving sharp. I unclog the stone(s) with water, just rinse and pat dry. I've read that the oil helps keep the stone lasting longer, but interferes with the sharpening (something about micro bits in the oil -- but I am not sure on the science). Again, in my personal use, dry works perfectly every time and my stone is over 10 years old. Oh -- for heavy refactoring I use a standard whetstone (home depot or wherever) also dry. Then finish on the Arkansas stones. YMMV.

[TomE]

15 minutes ago, NatesLeatherGds said:

Well, there are different schools of though on this. In my personal case and use, dry has worked for shaving sharp. I unclog the stone(s) with water, just rinse and pat dry. I've read that the oil helps keep the stone lasting longer, but interferes with the sharpening (something about micro bits in the oil -- but I am not sure on the science). Again, in my personal use, dry works perfectly every time and my stone is over 10 years old. Oh -- for heavy refactoring I use a standard whetstone (home depot or wherever) also dry. Then finish on the Arkansas stones. YMMV.

Thanks.  It will be fun to experiment with this.

3 hours ago, Mablung said:

You’ll clog it up if you do that. Something other than oil can be used, but a very light oil is best. 

OK, but now I've got to see for myself.  Can't help it. - a retired scientist

[NatesLeatherGds]

23 minutes ago, TomE said:

Thanks.  It will be fun to experiment with this.

OK, but now I've got to see for myself.  Can't help it. - a retired scientist

Have fun! When you find yourself pulling out a loupe and other strong magnifiers, looking for a burr, you're well on the way. 

[Mablung]

1 hour ago, TomE said:

OK, but now I've got to see for myself.  Can't help it. - a retired scientist

Go for it, and please share your results. You may very well prove me wrong. I’m interested because I use Arkansas stones regularly, and cleaning them up and periodically washing them with soapy water starts to get a little old.