Extra Pointers to Assist You in Sharpening a Knife to a Keen Edge
What to Anticipate from Common Steels
You cannot assume all steel is identical to one another. Being aware of what to expect from each one will assist you immensely in preventing a great deal of annoyance. Even though there are plentiful of steels available on this planet, the article you’re currently reading is merely a quick presentation of several of the more widely-known steels for creating knives. Heat treating of course, will play an enormous part in this too, but if your knife was obtained from a manufacturer with high dependability, it should have been heat-treated in the most appropriate way and therefore, should deliver satisfactory performance.
Loaded with Carbon
You will discover that a great deal of bushcraft and field knives are constructed of steels that are high-carbon the likes of D-2 (semi stainless), 1095 or 5160 given that heat treatment is a method that they seem to take very well, capable of holding an edge rather nicely and are simpler to sharpen as well as maintain in the field.
Highly Sought Stainless Steels
Due to their aesthetics and ability to resist corrosion 440C, AUS-8, 154CM and S30V are highly sought after stainless steels. These steels are vital for constructing blades that are suitable to be used during activities where a knife will likely come into contact with water, particularly salt water, frequently and for long time periods. Examples of such activities are canoeing, diving, or rafting.
When it comes to holding a reliable edge, stainless-steel blades are pretty good in that department, however, it should be noted that sharpening them is a little harder and not that friendly, as far as field-maintenance is concerned. I would like to offer a helpful pointer about 440 type stainless steel: Basically, if you see that the blade is simply marked with “440” then in all probability, it is actually 440A or 440B. These are second-rate steels in knives! You want to ensure “440C” marked clearly on the blade.
Sharpeners in Various Types and Shapes
In the same way that there are lots of knives available on the market, you can also find numerous sorts of sharpeners as well as sharpening devices. To put it briefly, you can choose from a number of high quality products listed below:
Norton Waterstone Starter Kit: 220/1000 grit stone, 4000/8000 grit stone, SiC flattening stone
Norton IM313 -11.5" Three Stone Sharpening System - Fine India, Medium Crystolon, and Coarse Crystolon stones
Shapton Glass Stone Set w/ Field Holder #500, #2000, #16000 Grit 5mm
Steelex D1071 8000 Grit Japanese Waterstone
Shapton Diamond Glass Lapping Plate
Chef's Choice M2000 Commercial Diamond Hone Sharpener
Presto 08810 Professional Electric Knife Sharpener
You may want to take a look at this page to find a number of articles on various sharpeners including traditional hand sharpening stone, electric-powered sharpeners, sharpening steels, etc.
The Sharpening Process
After establishing your grind angle, you should make use of your angle guide (it can be either with your finger or with the built-in guide of your sharpening device) to position your knife on the sharpener at the right angle. The next step is to simply glide the edge along the surface of your sharpener in a forward movement (a few of my friends prefer using a circular motion, but the perfect motion is one that you find most suitable), while being mindful to keep hold of the angle that you have established earlier.
Based upon how dull or nicked your edge is, you might want to commence with a course stone and carry out 3 to 5 passes. The edge should be examined after performing those passes to make certain that there is consistency with your grind. Once you have your edge properly established, it is time to shift to a medium-grit stone or even an additional stone, and start fine-tuning the knife’s edge. As with the first step, it is important that you examine the edge every three to five passes so that the correct angle is properly maintained.
The very last step is to hone the edge using a fine-grit stone, ceramic or strop in order to achieve an edge that's really keen. Performing this step is also helpful in removing the presence of burls or curls, and bringing your edge to a razor sharp, and in quite a lot of cases, even a finish that's well and truly polished! Plenty of patience is required when sharpening your knife, particularly based on the steel used to compose the blade, so don't rush; it won’t be sharp after making only a handful of passes anyway.
Enjoy a Keen Edge Knife
Preserving a sharp blade isn't just critical for the safe usage of your knife, but it also makes the use of every day knife a lot less difficult. I find sharpening knives to be a rather soothing activity; on top of that, it gives me an incredible feeling of pride in my knife or knife collection. Like with most worthwhile skills in life, ongoing practice and doing your homework on sophisticated procedures will result in a massive boost to your capability in bringing your knife to an extremely keen, polished finish.
In order to achieve the finest of outcomes, sharpening your knife in stages is a must! You begin from course-grit to fine-grit stones/diamond sharpeners/ceramics/belts. Your confidence level in using a knife will go up when it is genuinely sharp, while being able to sharpen without needing help from anybody will make you comfortable employing it on a frequent basis, without having to be concerned about dulling it out. A sharp knife is an awesome knife indeed!