What kind of stone?

[Scootch]

For sharpening my round knife I use a mouse pad atop a granite precision ground surface plate wit automotive sandpaper in the 400 to 600 grit range then strip with green rouge.  If you dont want a convex edge, skip the mouse pad and wet the sandpaper so it'll stick to the surface plate.

I find with stropping my tools seldom need real sharpening however I dont use them everyday.

I have a spyderco medium ceramic in my amazon cart but havent pulled the trigger yet.  They are supposed to be a good all around stone.

Scootch

[AzShooter]

I use a diamond 300 grit stone to start with, then go to 1000 grit for my head knife.  Then I strop it about 10 strokes.  If it won't cut 10 ounce leather with the first stroke I'm back to the diamond 1000 grit for 100 strokes.  

If still not sharp enough out comes my Arkansas set of medium, fine and extra fine that I bought from MidwayUSA.com.  

I use them on both my Head Knife and many small pocket style knives.s

Keep trying...I didn't get a good blade until just recently and I'm  70.

 

[Danne]

17 hours ago, MtlBiker said:

@chuck123wapati Thank you for the good info! 

What's your opinion of this Japanese water King Water Stone Set?  That plus maybe a rougher sandpaper for initial forming and a strop for polishing?  When you say you use various sandpapers for the "finish sharpening" do you mean at the end after you've used a stone?  I think you told me in another thread that you don't use a strop for polishing.

Oh, I don't use the stones in the photo I posted, at least not in the last few years but they have been used in our shop for close to 50 years.  Various employees have used them for sharpening all kinds of things.  I have no intention of using them for my leather cutting tools.

That's a kind of sharpening stone?

I have a King 1000/6000 and i'm not happy at all with that stone. It needs constantly flattening, and the worst part is that the 6000 side "clogs" up with metal instantly. 

But the stone you are linking looks like a premium version of their stones. Btw, I use wet and dry sand paper from Mirka 1000-2500 grit (and rougher grits if I need to) and finish with stropping on flat grain leather with green chrome oxide, and my knives are razor sharp.

[Samalan]

I use a 400 diamond 2" X 6" then white bar strop some folks say white bar is to course not for me, for me it's time my method is very fast and it would be rare to need anything sharper I use this method for wood carving tools, leather round knife, swivel knife, hunting and tactical knifes, Technique is always important always remember when you are sharpening you are shaping as well because you are removing metal all the time. as far as sharp go's I had a friend who was a woodworker like myself, one day he came over to my shop to see how the  carving job I was doing for him was coming along. He said he just bought a Tormack sharpening system said I really need to get one I told him that's ok I'm all set, my tools are sharp enough, as he was reaching across my bench to take  a tool from the tool roll I had out he said ya but how sharp can you keep all these things. Everyone who uses these "things"  knows you never cut yourself when using  one, it's when your reaching for one, next thing I know he's bleeding on everything yelling wholly shit those are f---king sharp.   I said yes very, and we laughed like hell, a few years back my good friend past away. He was a wonderful cabinet maker and Friend. Sorry about the story. but when I think sharp LOL I think of that day.

[jcuk]

On 9/16/2021 at 6:32 PM, Squid61 said:

I don't go nuts with this.  I use a Norton dual sided stone for the shaping and rough sharpening, a Tri-Stone that has a medium and fine Arkansas, a fine Spyderco ceramic that I occasionally use more for polishing than sharpening and a strop.  Normal use both for leather and wood carving only requires stropping and occasional return to the Arkansas stones.  I have always used a push stroke on stones and could never get used to pulling a blade on wet or dry so I just don't use that method.  To old to retrain my muscle memory.

Agreed don't over think it

Hope this helps

JCUK 

Edited September 17, 2021 by jcuk

[dikman]

To add something else to the mix I have a pair of paper sharpening wheels mounted on a grinder. One is embedded with fine grit, which does a good job of putting an edge on a blade and the other has fine rouge on it and hones to a very sharp edge. Some use wheels made from MDF to do the same thing. I have accumulated all sorts of sharpening gear over the years - grinders, belt grinders/sanders, a wet-wheel grinder, Arkansas stones, oil-stones - and have found the paper wheel system excellent for getting a fine edge quickly.

The only thing I haven't tried is Japanese water stones, they apparently work well but seem to wear quickly.

[Hardrada]

This is what I have: https://www.danswhetstone.com/product/bench-stones/

A Soft (medium) and a Fine (hard) Arkansas, in size 8 x 2 x 1/2 ". Bought them at Lee Valley, along with some honing oil (not the Dan's brand). They've worked fine for my round knife. I use the method described by Al Stohlman in his book.

[FrenchMich]

I definitively adopted DMT stones since 10 years. Very effective, good durability, always very flat, it's still the same set and I'm using it each day.
I have a black, blue, red and green with that and the strop, I do a perfect sharpening. The sharp of my tools is redoubtable

[MtlBiker]

9 hours ago, FrenchMich said:

I definitively adopted DMT stones since 10 years. Very effective, good durability, always very flat, it's still the same set and I'm using it each day.
I have a black, blue, red and green with that and the strop, I do a perfect sharpening. The sharp of my tools is redoubtable

DMT stones?  Are you talking about Dan's whetstone or something else?

I just received a set of Shapton Glass Stones... #320, #1000 and #4000.  They look really beautiful.  Now I just have to learn how to use them properly.

[MtlBiker]

On 9/17/2021 at 5:42 AM, Danne said:

I have a King 1000/6000 and i'm not happy at all with that stone. It needs constantly flattening, and the worst part is that the 6000 side "clogs" up with metal instantly. 

But the stone you are linking looks like a premium version of their stones. Btw, I use wet and dry sand paper from Mirka 1000-2500 grit (and rougher grits if I need to) and finish with stropping on flat grain leather with green chrome oxide, and my knives are razor sharp.

The King stone set arrived a couple of days ago.  They seem fine (says he of little experience).  I've only been trying the #400 so far, and learning how to properly shape my knives.  But it seems I'm going to have to be very careful to use the full surface of the stone because already I can feel where it's a little worn.  It might just need lots of flattening.

But I also ordered (and just received) a set of Shapton Glass Stones, #320, #1000 and #4000.  I'm going to keep the King set at my work (we can use them there) and take the Shaptons home where I do my sewing and leatherwork.  These look really really nice but I haven't tried them yet.