Best stuff to buy to sharpen swivel knives

[Jason046]

I received a card from Amazon and was wondering if anyone has gotten any good sharpening stones or strips off here. Mainly just sharpening swivel knives so was wondering what grit y'all use and the compound. I have red jewlers rouge but was wondering if the different colors meant anything?

[Mark842]

I don't use a stone on swivel knives. Just rouge on a strop.

[Jason046]

36 minutes ago, Mark842 said:

I don't use a stone on swivel knives. Just rouge on a strop.

I have been only doing the same but o have a blade I like that dosent seem to be sharp enough with just the rouge on a strop

[battlemunky]

2000 grit sandpaper to get it good and close to sharp, then green strop compound on a strop to get it the rest of the way. Took about an hour but I like how it performs now.

[Rockoboy]

On ‎30‎/‎09‎/‎2018 at 7:07 AM, Jason046 said:

wondering if the different colors meant anything?

Yes, the different colours indicate different grade of abrasive. I have been told by a lot of people, always use the green/blue colour for stropping all leatherwork knives including swivel knives.

[Colt W Knight]

Keep in mind, not all manufacturers use the same colors for the same micron grit

[bermudahwin]

My 2 cents, as it works for me...

I have a double sided wooden strop, one side has heavy horse hide (6mm) glued skin side to wood, flesh side out.

Fed it with lard, then sprinkled it with carborundum powder (800 grit) and worked that in. Tapped off the excess.

Other side has same leather set up, but just a very small amount of red jewellers rouge rubbed on.

Then another strop with skin side out.

When you get your blade, use your stone to initial sharp, then the grit side, then the rouge side, then the skin.

Haven't needed the grit much at all since first sharpening, as the rouge and skin keep the edge.

My stone for these knives is a hard Arkansas Stone, bought 40 years ago from a retiring carpenter.

H

 

[Outfitr]

I just finished sharpening 2 new blades, one Tandy and one Barry king. Neither capable of cutting anything especially the Tandy one. About a half hour or more on each one. Started with 400 grit paper on my piece of quartz then to 1500 or 2000 then leather strop. Nice and shiny and polished, they cut nicely now. I pity anyone that thinks these balde would cut because they're new. 

[chuck123wapati]

2500 grit sand paper on my pounding stone, I just squirt some spray on adhesive on the back and stick it down next to my work but a I have a 2'x2" piece of granite  I don't use a strop much on my swivel knives but use the sandpaper the same way. keep in mind that a strop that has say 3 micron= 6900 grit abrasive would take a very long time to polish out a scratch from say 2500 grit while your eyes wouldn't even be able to see the progress, all it does in this case is take off any microscopic rolled edges or burrs. Its very important to know what grit your stropping compound as well as your stone grit if you decide to use it is as they can easily be more course than the stone or sandpaper you just used so if in doubt just use plain leather. 

[JLSleather]

On 1/27/2020 at 10:12 AM, chuck123wapati said:

2500 grit sand paper on my pounding stone,

Disclaimer:  I don't "strop".  I REPLACE a swivel blade.  Used to be, I would set a dull one off to the side, figure I'll sharpen it later when work slows up some.  But I never did.. I'd end up with 8 or 10 not so sharp, and just ADMIT that Im NOT going to sharpen those and give them to somebody who will.

That said, I DO think that this is a better approach than a leather "strop".  Leather will 'flex", allowing a rounding of the surface that [ theoretically ] you are trying to eliminate.  Card on the stone -any "flexing" or "rolling" of the surface would need a magnifier to see... much flatter surface result.

[Rhale]

If you are using a good brand swivel knife blade just replacing and not stropping could get expensive!  If you are just using Tandy blades I get it, but you should do yourself a favor and try a good blade it will make a lot of difference.  Besides I have yet to see a Tandy blade new that didn’t need sharpened.  Try a Barry King,  Bob Beard, Chuck Smith, Clay Miller or about any other you will be amazed at the difference.

[JLSleather]

12 hours ago, Rhale said:

Try a Barry King,  

Yeah, I tried wunna them not so long ago.  Sent it back. It worked okay, but not noticeably better than another.

 

 

 

[chuck123wapati]

17 hours ago, JLSleather said:

Disclaimer:  I don't "strop".  I REPLACE a swivel blade.  Used to be, I would set a dull one off to the side, figure I'll sharpen it later when work slows up some.  But I never did.. I'd end up with 8 or 10 not so sharp, and just ADMIT that Im NOT going to sharpen those and give them to somebody who will.

That said, I DO think that this is a better approach than a leather "strop".  Leather will 'flex", allowing a rounding of the surface that [ theoretically ] you are trying to eliminate.  Card on the stone -any "flexing" or "rolling" of the surface would need a magnifier to see... much flatter surface result.

stropping works well for really hard blades like razors and will break off and smooth that wire edge, that's why they call them razor strops lol. I don't see it doing much good on the milder steels or blades with high angles, as you said it rounds them due to the flex.

[Ken Nelson]

I use wet/dry paper on glass and a tandy sharpening jig to get them kinda sharp and then use green rouge on cereal box cardboard on the glass and last, I use a white rouge on cardboard.  When it is to my satisfaction, I keep the white on cardboard on the glass and strop it free hand often while using it.  Just a stroke or two on each side.   I don't have to do it all very often.   Just a light strop on the cardboard laying on the glass. Works for me.