You have to put the stone in water for at least 20 minutes... You can clearly see that the stone is dying for water, it is disapearing. Im not saying that you should get a nice edge out of this cheap stone, but you did not give it any chance.
Fiesty Taquito Yeah, they work, have I said the contrary? I don't believe that they are close to a good stone, but they work. What I have said is that if you would use the stone properly, it would be better. As for the "razor sharp", this is always a matter of opinion... I have seen many people claim "razor sharp" on blade that can barely shave arm hair. So what is razor sharp for you may be dull for someone else, there is no point in arguing here.
You kind of set yourself up on this one, 1- your stroke is not that even so I suspect that you would have had an issue with most knives, and 2- all my opinels are fussy to sharpen, what works well with other knives doesn't with them, and it seems like a little too much or too little pressure sharping them and you never get them really sharp (though with that blade profile they still cut OK, and when you get them sharp, they're SHARP), 3- the slurry that you get with that stone is not like what you'd get with some of the higher quality stones, you can leave it there when you're roughing out the edge, but you need to really flood that stone when you're trying to refine it to something truly sharp. I bought one of those stones with the same idea, just to see how bad could it be and I could leave it somewhere if I needed to and not care. I found that it worked quite well, especially on some of the inexpensive stainlesses, think the cheap Chinese Kershaws, most AUS8, 420.... It seems to work on some of the harder stuff, which I'll include the 440c used in Ganzo knives (something that people watching this might own), and even S30v, S35vn, but I wouldn't waste my time with it on them, they're hard enough that you'll be there a long time. I use it hand held under a dribbling faucet and I can get a hair shaving edge just with it. With some stropping I can get reliable push cutting. I haven't tried it on carbon steel like an Opinel, but I suspect with a little fussing you can get it to work (usually carbon steel is easier to sharpen, it's just something with those Opinels, at least for me it is) The MDF strop probably didn't help things either. With the hard surface of the MDF there is no real give and you need to get the angle just perfect to have it do anything useful. Kind of think of it as putting a micro bevel on the edge. A little too low and angle, or even right on and you'll polish your bevel but you won't sharpen the edge, and a little too much and you're blunting the edge. This could be made to work if you have just the right touch, you could have push cutting/hair shaving, but beginners won't have much luck with it. One bad stroke will negate 100 good ones on that stone. A cheap set of crock sticks or something similar won't be as fussy and will give beginners better results. Automotive wet/dry sandpaper is another one that is good for a beginner to learn holding an angle on (it has some give and can even be put on a surface with a little more give to make it easier), but the stroke is different than on a stone.
great vid. I just forwarded this to my 12 year old grandson. he wanted a CRKT chogan t-hawk for his birthday. I thought that was cool. thanks again for a very informative vid.
I have reprofiled, super hard Japanese blades on this stone, works well specially on the finer side. Try trailing strokes less chance of damaging the blade -there are areas ( hard clumps) of inconsistency on the stone. I think they use Carborundum which is super hard
I’ve purchased a handful of stones over the last decade and i’ve come to the conclusion that the darker side of the stone is almost always the coarser side. But one can always feel with the fingers. Thanks for posting. I would definitely take a 3$ stone over having to sharpen my blade in the field with stones found in nature. Some of them have to be ground smooth to be efficient.
I use similar stone for my knifes. I keep it in water it sharpens really ok. With finer side + leather strop with polishing compound I can get knife to shaving sharp. It works fine for me
Great video. I gained some info out of it. Im not the best sharpener in the world but am working on getting better at it. Thanks for the ideas and some of these people dont understand doing it on the cheap. Theres alot of people that are are a tight budget. But definitely got something out of it. Thanks
I had used a river stone flatten on a flat cement surface followed by newspaper and ended with my leather belt. Not shave quality but it got me a sharp edge
I got their diamond 4 sided sharpener thats actually very good. Its the kind with diamond plates with the perforated surfaces in various grits. It works quite well. Some stuff there is impressively good.
Hey the 4$ diamond sharpener is the bomb, I got one and have had it for a few years and has never let me down, with the help of a ceramic rod and a strop I have been able to make hair whittling edge
And forgot to mention... A true, field expedient, working edge will have a bit of a burr. It's desirable to a point as that's what will actually bite in and cut. And I do mean a bit of a burr. If you move on to extra fine and ultra fine stones and/or strops, you get a true, slicing hone which is great for a sushi knife, etc... But a good, utilitarian, field sharp knife edge will have a fine burr. Happy sharpening.
Definitely subscribing. I like the style of your videos/teaching and opinions. And I feel attacked for being called a nut hahaha it's very true I'm sitting here watching a 25 min video and I wouldn't have minded if it was longer. I just started out doing free hand so I'm definitely learning and you made a lot of great points and it was also nice to see you do it at full speed, I can't wait until I'm that confident with the angle that's its 2nd nature to me
some of the comments on this site brings out the moron in people, this guy is not proclaiming to be the best blade sharpener in the world, he tells you it's a cheap stone he's curious and communicates to everyone as he goes along. So for his intent and purpose of this video he does a good job. so why not spread some positive instead of constantly criticizing somebody and putting them down because if you don't like it make your own video let's see how you do.
A 1 x 30 sander with a 20 degree Bevel guide is the way to go with 200 then 400 grit belt , then hit it with a sharpening stone then strop it with a good leather , it will produce a razor edge sharp enough to shave with or Fillet a fish . It’s also the lazy mans way.
Everything I've seen about Opinel's Carbon steel has said it's XC90. Zknives says it has low wear resistance, but pretty good shock resistance. All my practical use on my Opis have pretty much confirmed that. If I remember correctly, their stainless blades are all 12C27?
I found a sharpening stone at the Dollar Tree. It did not say whether it was wet or dry, but it does work better wet. It even past the paper test With ease. I even used it on my machete. My machete is now able to cut through an inch and a half branch. I barely even notice the machete hitting the branch it went through so clean. Before I sharpened it, it had problems cutting through quarter inch twigs.
FYI ; If your goal is to strop on the cheap I get a free paint stir stick from Lowe's and load it with Veritas compound. Works real good. I leave one side normal and light sand the other with 400 grit sandpaper.
Real nice video, thanks. Wondering if you can help me out some , I am looking for that one survival knife that is made from a steel that will take a 20 degree angle and hold it because of the steel quality. Another of your commenters mentioned a couple steel combinations, but any recommendations would be highly appreciated. I think you definitely have a good outlook on the hobby, I'm a long long time knife lover and have been a very poor novice sharpener for more decades than I care to acknowledge. But I'm starting to really enjoy that side of it. It is a challenge. So thanks again I'll be subscribing.
So if you're sharpening and the flat and belly seem sharp but the tip isn't getting quite there would you suggest just spending more time on the tip? Mind you in using a lansky system. Just didn't know if the curve in the blade changed the angle and that's why it wasn't working as well.
I bought one of them stones... It work goood on my axes and wedges for a ruff sharp... Then I go to 800 wet/dry sandpaper then to the leather they get scary sharp!!!!
I use a $3 stone and a leather strop with green compound for my work knife, Manix 2 light weight with, BD1 steel and make it hair popping sharp. I agree with you there is 1,000 different ways to do things like sharpening a knife. I sharpen free hand and I do it completely different than you. I prefer diamond stones but I started sharpening knives around 6 yrs ago and i lots of cheap knives for my sharpening time. I like to sit around after work and sharpen on knives, sharpening knives is my hobby and I sharpen everybody's knife at work. It may be weird but I just enjoy putting a razor edge on a good expensive knife or a cheap knife.
I made MDF wheels for my grinders, plus the kit I was given with the metal grit you glue on and the other red rouge. Mostly for my work knives that have to be sharpened quickly, the spinning wheels are the very fastest way. From a chunk of steel (I even did a butter knife!), I go to the regular grinder with whitestone, to MDF with metal, green rouge wheel, then white and red last. Daily maintenance will depend on wear & damage, but usually is just the 3 rouges. I have discovered that a work knife can be TOO sharp when cutting anything that will slide on it, like rope. So, my secondary blade will top out at around 3-400 grit. Oh, and for a toolbox carry, I glued a leather belt (fuzz out) to a 5-gallon paint stick, half rubbed with green and half with red rouges for that quicky touch-up. And we ALL like a quicky now & then!
I agree with you that you can use mdf but being that hard you better be exact with your Angle's while stropping. where as leather will be softer but more forgiving with angles.
The way that cheap stone performs could completely change after lapping in on concrete or something. Stones tend to have a top layer were the binders and abrasives seem to settle oddly cause it to break down either really easily or not at all. It also doesn't hurt to make sure it's flat. Other than that, i'm enjoying these recent sharpening vids from you. A "how many ways" series sounds like a fun idea
I just bought this stone and about to throw some 3in1 on it when I saw your video. Would oil give a different result on an oil stone and if so what oil is best?
I had the same stone. I bought it when I was first getting into knives and used it to practice free hand on cheap knives. Just like you said, for $2.99, it's no Chosera, but will help develop technique.
@@JimmyRnj Well you've been lucky then. What grits do you have? Are they the original Chosera or the newer "Professional" version? I've heard of both of them cracking but it seems the Pros are the worst offenders there. I've always found Choseras to be quite hard and resistant to losing flatness quickly. You should try making a conscious effort to use the whole stone, I like to use the high spots at the ends of the stone for things like the tip. You may also just be using too much pressure. Try lightening up on your hand pressure and see if that makes them dish a little slower 🤷♂️
@@JimmyRnj The original formula seems to have less issues. I'm a big fan of the 400, 800 and the 3k. Not a fan of the 5 and the 10k is just too expensive when I can just use a strop loaded with 1 micron diamond compound or something
I'm the only person I know, who can make a dull knife duller. Being in the Army, I NEED to have a good sharp knife, and need to be able to use stones and expediants. I have ruined Emersons,customs, and everything in between because I try, but fuck them up...every single time. Your video has made sense to me, and I am going to go TRY to get one of the Emersons my friend ruined ("I can shapen it to a razor edge,for only $ bucks dude") and see if I can't make it somewhat better. Thank you for this video. And before someone says "Get a workshop" or the inevitable "If you can't sharpen a knife you shouldn't have one"...(A): I don't have the workspace or money for a "worksharp,and, (B):I am in the Army and REQUIRE a knife all the time. The won't just Re-Issue me a new Emeson,or Benchmade just because I mess one up. Also, what kind of stones would you say I would need to sharpen these knives,I don't want bargain basement, but cant spent the hundreds I have seen, looking around, for Japanese Water stones and such. Again, Thank you very much.
Hey I don't know if I would say there bad for the money, but I saw one of those stones at harbor freight that had fell off the counter and chipped one of the corners. And the center of the stone looked like a different material than the abrasive on top.
Thanks for the sharpie trick but I suspect there is some potential for the water to remove the sharpie if the stone is real wet and you don't let the sharpie set. However maybe I underestimate sharpie.
I was wondering if you could use a cheep oil stone like this to flatten waterstones? this stone looks similar to the flattening stones, anyone try it out?
I hope you've learned since then, sharpening on a dry stone can work, but it will clog up fast, being marked for water or oil, it needs to be soaked completely to be able to use the water/oil as lubricant.
I am looking for a way to make my knives WICKED razor sharp,I can my knives push cut paper and shave but I want them hair whittling sharp, should I buy a wetstone with a very high grit or should i get a strop and use red and green compounds
Getting an edge hair whittling is 80% technique and 20% equipment. Many guys (I can almost) can get hair whittling edges off of 600 grit. It's all about keeping an angle and removing the burr. I originally got hair whittling about a year after I bought my DMF continuous surface diamond stones (120-1200 grit) and my Spyderco UF bench stone. If you really want nice mirror polished hair whittling edges freehand, GET A SPYDERCO UF BENCH STONE! But since it's probably about 8000 grit, you'll need to work up to that grit. I'd say don't start on the 8000 with anything less than 1200, but preferably higher like a 2000 then 4000, but those grits usually only come in with waterstones.
I've used this exact stone numerous times,though not my preferred method of sharpening.It cuts very slowly,but that said you actually can get a knife to shave hair,and push cut phone book paper with just a few additional steps after the blade comes off the stone.What works great for me was to just simply hone the edge on the bottom of a coffee cup at a slightly higher angle.After that do your stropping.First with white compound,then finish stropping with newspaper.People that claim you can't get a great edge with a cheap stone just need to spend more time practicing.Sharpening is 99% technique,and 1% equipment.Learning with cheap stones is very beneficial actually.If you can get a great edge on a cheap stone you can get a great edge on anything...
Right on...I usually tell people 95%/5%. An experienced sharpener can put a beautiful edge on a blade with objects that aren't even supposed to be used for sharpening. The bottom of a coffee cup or a plate is a good example. I feel like the abrasive plays a little bit more of a role than 1% though
i think that leather is better just because its softer which allows the rouge to reach in all the geometry of the blade. besides that the concept about evertyhing accepting the rouge is correct :) nice demo tho. really enjoyed it :)
I use stone up to around a 1000grit then switch to paper on a marble slab .and go up to 15.000 grit. and I get a super mirror polished edge I do this as I can't afford decent stones
I'm married to Harbor Freight (wife is manager) and, yes, the darker is obviously more porous and the lighter is fine. YES... The stone needs to be soaked for, preferably, a couple of hours. 30 min at least. They work OK to put a "working edge" on a knife but don't expect a good hone. HF also carries diamond sharpeners which give a better hone but be prepared for them to have glue failure where the abrasive is attached to the base, depending on what you get. They're all fine for the occasional home tune-up. The stone here is best for something like re-touching an ax, etc.
I own a similar stone that I take in my pack and these super cheap stones are VERY thirsty and just won’t work dry. Most of the time I’ll stop at a stream or something and soak the stone for 25-30 minutes to saturate it completely. I’ll then put it in a ziplock to try and maintain the water and the stone is good for most of the day if you just feed it water while sharpening. Without being completely saturated it’s a pretty useless item but if you saturate it and feed it a bit of water they work fine. Mine was $7 at a hardware store same medium/fine deal. I’d say the medium is roughly 200 grit and the fine is roughly 500 grit. Both of which I consider coarse when buying nice stones. In the field i just strop on my pants or my palm it works fine.
On the other hand you’re completely correct about people and sharpening. So many people believe there is one way to sharpen. It amuses me they say the Japanese technique won’t work but the Japanese are the finest sharpeners the world has ever seen.
I really do love to see cheep alternatives to expensive hobbies but like usual you get what you pay for but sometimes cheep works ok no way near perfect but still .also nice to hear you saying things like if it works for you then who am I to say that's wrong .I really like how you talk about ideas like maybe a differ edge may work for some aplications I have womderd the very same myself I can't see it myself but I have recently taken on a knife to refurbish and I said fora hand made very expensive knife I can't believe you can see the belt from her marks on the bevels like a cheep Chinese knife no higher grit finishing on it at all I'm no expert and certainly know I'm not good at making knives but I do know the information that's required so I know what to look for in a good well designed and can see the blade makers love for his work instantly even if it has flaws you can see when a maker has poured his or her heart into it compaired to someone who just uses expensive materials and sell for a huge price but the design and workmanship is aweful money dosnt always buy you something quality I think it's not a garantee it's going to be good
For those not so wealthy, the dollar store has a two sided 2x6 combination stone for a dollar (coarse thing, but it's aluminum oxide and usable for dirty work).
b/c you let it soak to long , just sprinkle with water and use the whole sone you are concentrating in the middle ony and it will dish out. or you may not use water at all i think dry, you would have got a bur quiker, dont micro bev just strop with fuzzy side strop and white compound and you single better than second micro bevel. you should go to a finer than that befor stroping,, and you dont have to put all your pressure against your edge try pullying away from edge
I don't understand what the difference between a "Bevel" and a "Micro Bevel' are. Can someone please-patiently, explain what each is? When I sharpen or attempt to my knives, aren't I sharpening the "bevel" the part where you put the marker...right? So then, what is the "Micro Bevel"...?
You have to put the stone in water for at least 20 minutes... You can clearly see that the stone is dying for water, it is disapearing. Im not saying that you should get a nice edge out of this cheap stone, but you did not give it any chance.
I got a razor sharp kitchen knife out of a sharpening stone I bought at dollar tree.
Fiesty Taquito The point is?
mrmadame28 The point is cheap stones work.
Fiesty Taquito Yeah, they work, have I said the contrary? I don't believe that they are close to a good stone, but they work. What I have said is that if you would use the stone properly, it would be better. As for the "razor sharp", this is always a matter of opinion... I have seen many people claim "razor sharp" on blade that can barely shave arm hair. So what is razor sharp for you may be dull for someone else, there is no point in arguing here.
You don't soak it at all. I had the stone for shits and giggles. It's an oilstone. Not a waterstone.
can't believe I watched the whole vid
The price of the stone is second to the skills of the sharpener. IMHO.
I'm sure you needed to soak the stone for longer and add water for lubricant?
Luke Reynolds yeah for hours
Luke Reynolds Trying a waterstone without water and saying is bad is like not putting gasoline in a car and saying it's broken
It's an oilstone. Water won't do shit.
That's what She said
Soaking the stone is useless. It is not a Waterstone.
Thanks for all the tips bro!
I learn tons on your channel!
that trick with the sharpie to find the factory angle is great! thank you!!
You kind of set yourself up on this one, 1- your stroke is not that even so I suspect that you would have had an issue with most knives, and 2- all my opinels are fussy to sharpen, what works well with other knives doesn't with them, and it seems like a little too much or too little pressure sharping them and you never get them really sharp (though with that blade profile they still cut OK, and when you get them sharp, they're SHARP), 3- the slurry that you get with that stone is not like what you'd get with some of the higher quality stones, you can leave it there when you're roughing out the edge, but you need to really flood that stone when you're trying to refine it to something truly sharp.
I bought one of those stones with the same idea, just to see how bad could it be and I could leave it somewhere if I needed to and not care. I found that it worked quite well, especially on some of the inexpensive stainlesses, think the cheap Chinese Kershaws, most AUS8, 420.... It seems to work on some of the harder stuff, which I'll include the 440c used in Ganzo knives (something that people watching this might own), and even S30v, S35vn, but I wouldn't waste my time with it on them, they're hard enough that you'll be there a long time. I use it hand held under a dribbling faucet and I can get a hair shaving edge just with it. With some stropping I can get reliable push cutting. I haven't tried it on carbon steel like an Opinel, but I suspect with a little fussing you can get it to work (usually carbon steel is easier to sharpen, it's just something with those Opinels, at least for me it is)
The MDF strop probably didn't help things either. With the hard surface of the MDF there is no real give and you need to get the angle just perfect to have it do anything useful. Kind of think of it as putting a micro bevel on the edge. A little too low and angle, or even right on and you'll polish your bevel but you won't sharpen the edge, and a little too much and you're blunting the edge.
This could be made to work if you have just the right touch, you could have push cutting/hair shaving, but beginners won't have much luck with it. One bad stroke will negate 100 good ones on that stone. A cheap set of crock sticks or something similar won't be as fussy and will give beginners better results. Automotive wet/dry sandpaper is another one that is good for a beginner to learn holding an angle on (it has some give and can even be put on a surface with a little more give to make it easier), but the stroke is different than on a stone.
appreciate you taking into account and newbies such as myself thank you for your work
Just got suggested this video after watching your newest one. Been subbed for years and years. CZcams finally suggesting your stuff to me.
great vid. I just forwarded this to my 12 year old grandson. he wanted a CRKT chogan t-hawk for his birthday. I thought that was cool. thanks again for a very informative vid.
I have reprofiled, super hard Japanese blades on this stone, works well specially on the finer side. Try trailing strokes less chance of damaging the blade -there are areas ( hard clumps) of inconsistency on the stone.
I think they use Carborundum which is super hard
I’ve purchased a handful of stones over the last decade and i’ve come to the conclusion that the darker side of the stone is almost always the coarser side. But one can always feel with the fingers. Thanks for posting. I would definitely take a 3$ stone over having to sharpen my blade in the field with stones found in nature. Some of them have to be ground smooth to be efficient.
Great tip at the end. Finding the angle. 👍😀
I use similar stone for my knifes. I keep it in water it sharpens really ok.
With finer side + leather strop with polishing compound I can get knife to shaving sharp. It works fine for me
Great video. I gained some info out of it. Im not the best sharpener in the world but am working on getting better at it. Thanks for the ideas and some of these people dont understand doing it on the cheap. Theres alot of people that are are a tight budget. But definitely got something out of it. Thanks
I had used a river stone flatten on a flat cement surface followed by newspaper and ended with my leather belt. Not shave quality but it got me a sharp edge
I got their diamond 4 sided sharpener thats actually very good. Its the kind with diamond plates with the perforated surfaces in various grits. It works quite well. Some stuff there is impressively good.
I had the same problem with thew current hf stones the older ones they sold a few yrs ago were better. Thanks dude
I'm more into the dulling procces
Great tip on how to find the angle.
coarser stone is always the darker one when one is a dark grayish color
This is actually a great stone for the price!
Hey the 4$ diamond sharpener is the bomb, I got one and have had it for a few years and has never let me down, with the help of a ceramic rod and a strop I have been able to make hair whittling edge
dude i legit fell asleep twice during the video
And forgot to mention... A true, field expedient, working edge will have a bit of a burr. It's desirable to a point as that's what will actually bite in and cut. And I do mean a bit of a burr. If you move on to extra fine and ultra fine stones and/or strops, you get a true, slicing hone which is great for a sushi knife, etc... But a good, utilitarian, field sharp knife edge will have a fine burr. Happy sharpening.
Definitely subscribing. I like the style of your videos/teaching and opinions. And I feel attacked for being called a nut hahaha it's very true I'm sitting here watching a 25 min video and I wouldn't have minded if it was longer. I just started out doing free hand so I'm definitely learning and you made a lot of great points and it was also nice to see you do it at full speed, I can't wait until I'm that confident with the angle that's its 2nd nature to me
I've been using these stones on knives for years and stropping on an old belt.. I can get a hair popping edge but it's not a mirror edge by any means
I used a dollar tree stone once. Only good for one sharpening but it work
some of the comments on this site brings out the moron in people, this guy is not proclaiming to be the best blade sharpener in the world, he tells you it's a cheap stone he's curious and communicates to everyone as he goes along. So for his intent and purpose of this video he does a good job. so why not spread some positive instead of constantly criticizing somebody and putting them down because if you don't like it make your own video let's see how you do.
cause if he don't know how to sharpen, he just don't post a video. that's all
those Carborundum stones do a good job of honing a bevel. nothing wrong with it when you are sharpening a '$8.00 knife.. thanks for posting
Thanks for the trick.
Definitely should have soaked that stone for a lot longer, at least 15 mins.
I have one and it works great. As Murray Carter from Carter cutlery says. It's 90% skill and practice.
Makes me want to sharpen a blade for free on some flattened river rocks. Just for the fun of it.
Robert Briggs
Done that. You'll need time and patience.
I'd laugh if the stone just disintegrated in the water haha
It is a stone that is supposed to be fully soaked in water... It would not disintegrate.
It'd be funny if he was old and German and an English teacher so he could be a Graham R Nazi.
I actually had that happen once.
Why don't Americans pronounce the H in Graham? Gram? Seriously?
cecil123 Why where are you from?
A 1 x 30 sander with a 20 degree Bevel guide is the way to go with 200 then 400 grit belt , then hit it with a sharpening stone then strop it with a good leather , it will produce a razor edge sharp enough to shave with or Fillet a fish . It’s also the lazy mans way.
This was painful to watch.
D00MTR33 that's what she said
Everything I've seen about Opinel's Carbon steel has said it's XC90. Zknives says it has low wear resistance, but pretty good shock resistance. All my practical use on my Opis have pretty much confirmed that. If I remember correctly, their stainless blades are all 12C27?
I found a sharpening stone at the Dollar Tree. It did not say whether it was wet or dry, but it does work better wet. It even past the paper test With ease. I even used it on my machete. My machete is now able to cut through an inch and a half branch. I barely even notice the machete hitting the branch it went through so clean. Before I sharpened it, it had problems cutting through quarter inch twigs.
Yes, first time with your videos. I subscribed. Nice video, Tx
FYI ; If your goal is to strop on the cheap I get a free paint stir stick from Lowe's and load it with Veritas compound. Works real good. I leave one side normal and light sand the other with 400 grit sandpaper.
Real nice video, thanks. Wondering if you can help me out some , I am looking for that one survival knife that is made from a steel that will take a 20 degree angle and hold it because of the steel quality. Another of your commenters mentioned a couple steel combinations, but any recommendations would be highly appreciated. I think you definitely have a good outlook on the hobby, I'm a long long time knife lover and have been a very poor novice sharpener for more decades than I care to acknowledge. But I'm starting to really enjoy that side of it. It is a challenge. So thanks again I'll be subscribing.
Just so as you know! That is an oil stone which will loose a lot of stone with only water. Water film is too thin to prevent damage to the stone.
So if you're sharpening and the flat and belly seem sharp but the tip isn't getting quite there would you suggest just spending more time on the tip? Mind you in using a lansky system. Just didn't know if the curve in the blade changed the angle and that's why it wasn't working as well.
I bought one of them stones... It work goood on my axes and wedges for a ruff sharp... Then I go to 800 wet/dry sandpaper then to the leather they get scary sharp!!!!
I use a $3 stone and a leather strop with green compound for my work knife, Manix 2 light weight with, BD1 steel and make it hair popping sharp. I agree with you there is 1,000 different ways to do things like sharpening a knife. I sharpen free hand and I do it completely different than you. I prefer diamond stones but I started sharpening knives around 6 yrs ago and i lots of cheap knives for my sharpening time. I like to sit around after work and sharpen on knives, sharpening knives is my hobby and I sharpen everybody's knife at work. It may be weird but I just enjoy putting a razor edge on a good expensive knife or a cheap knife.
I made MDF wheels for my grinders, plus the kit I was given with the metal grit you glue on and the other red rouge. Mostly for my work knives that have to be sharpened quickly, the spinning wheels are the very fastest way.
From a chunk of steel (I even did a butter knife!), I go to the regular grinder with whitestone, to MDF with metal, green rouge wheel, then white and red last. Daily maintenance will depend on wear & damage, but usually is just the 3 rouges.
I have discovered that a work knife can be TOO sharp when cutting anything that will slide on it, like rope. So, my secondary blade will top out at around 3-400 grit.
Oh, and for a toolbox carry, I glued a leather belt (fuzz out) to a 5-gallon paint stick, half rubbed with green and half with red rouges for that quicky touch-up.
And we ALL like a quicky now & then!
I want to give this a try. Do you have any experience sharpening convex or converting knives to zero ground convex?
I suck so bad I just went out and bought a worksharpe And I still suck can you imagine
That turned out pretty good.....
this video is relaxing
I have that stone and I use it to sharpen every thing even my axe
The course side is 150 grit and the fine side is 240 grit :)
I agree with you that you can use mdf but being that hard you better be exact with your Angle's while stropping. where as leather will be softer but more forgiving with angles.
The way that cheap stone performs could completely change after lapping in on concrete or something. Stones tend to have a top layer were the binders and abrasives seem to settle oddly cause it to break down either really easily or not at all. It also doesn't hurt to make sure it's flat.
Other than that, i'm enjoying these recent sharpening vids from you. A "how many ways" series sounds like a fun idea
this video + headphones = goosebumps
I just bought this stone and about to throw some 3in1 on it when I saw your video. Would oil give a different result on an oil stone and if so what oil is best?
I had the same stone. I bought it when I was first getting into knives and used it to practice free hand on cheap knives. Just like you said, for $2.99, it's no Chosera, but will help develop technique.
I bet it will last longer than a Chosera. It probably won't crack from looking at it sideways
@@AnarchAngel1 None of my Choseras have ever cracked. They do dish pretty easily and need to be flattened, but never chipped or cracked.
@@JimmyRnj Well you've been lucky then. What grits do you have? Are they the original Chosera or the newer "Professional" version? I've heard of both of them cracking but it seems the Pros are the worst offenders there. I've always found Choseras to be quite hard and resistant to losing flatness quickly. You should try making a conscious effort to use the whole stone, I like to use the high spots at the ends of the stone for things like the tip. You may also just be using too much pressure. Try lightening up on your hand pressure and see if that makes them dish a little slower 🤷♂️
@@AnarchAngel1 They’re the original ones(pre professional) and I have a 400, 600, 1K, 3K, 5K, and 10K.
@@JimmyRnj The original formula seems to have less issues. I'm a big fan of the 400, 800 and the 3k. Not a fan of the 5 and the 10k is just too expensive when I can just use a strop loaded with 1 micron diamond compound or something
I have that same stone if you read the cardboard wrap it comes in it says to use oil with the stone
The darker would always be the coarser on any stone. Harbor freight also has affordable diamond stones
that finished edge will do a lot of work
I'm the only person I know, who can make a dull knife duller.
Being in the Army, I NEED to have a good sharp knife, and need to be able to use stones and expediants. I have ruined Emersons,customs, and everything in between because I try, but fuck them up...every single time.
Your video has made sense to me, and I am going to go TRY to get one of the Emersons my friend ruined ("I can shapen it to a razor edge,for only $ bucks dude") and see if I can't make it somewhat better.
Thank you for this video. And before someone says "Get a workshop" or the inevitable "If you can't sharpen a knife you shouldn't have one"...(A): I don't have the workspace or money for a "worksharp,and, (B):I am in the Army and REQUIRE a knife all the time. The won't just Re-Issue me a new Emeson,or Benchmade just because I mess one up.
Also, what kind of stones would you say I would need to sharpen these knives,I don't want bargain basement, but cant spent the hundreds I have seen, looking around, for Japanese Water stones and such. Again, Thank you very much.
you need the gray one after that one. Those cheap stones come in 3 presentations. blue,gray white, and the gray one wich is the best of them.
Hey I don't know if I would say there bad for the money, but I saw one of those stones at harbor freight that had fell off the counter and chipped one of the corners. And the center of the stone looked like a different material than the abrasive on top.
Thanks for the sharpie trick but I suspect there is some potential for the water to remove the sharpie if the stone is real wet and you don't let the sharpie set. However maybe I underestimate sharpie.
I was wondering if you could use a cheep oil stone like this to flatten waterstones?
this stone looks similar to the flattening stones, anyone try it out?
What kind of oil should you use for this oil stone? Olive oil?
I hope you've learned since then, sharpening on a dry stone can work, but it will clog up fast, being marked for water or oil, it needs to be soaked completely to be able to use the water/oil as lubricant.
agree with below stone need min 1 hr soak or at the least give it 15 -20 min soak after it stops bubbling
Does that stone need to be soaked in water or just splash and go?
I guess the stone was not soaked enough in your vid and you had not enough water to lubricate blade... Anycase where you found it for 2.99 please?
he said Harbor Freight
I am looking for a way to make my knives WICKED razor sharp,I can my knives push cut paper and shave but I want them hair whittling sharp, should I buy a wetstone with a very high grit or should i get a strop and use red and green compounds
Getting an edge hair whittling is 80% technique and 20% equipment. Many guys (I can almost) can get hair whittling edges off of 600 grit. It's all about keeping an angle and removing the burr. I originally got hair whittling about a year after I bought my DMF continuous surface diamond stones (120-1200 grit) and my Spyderco UF bench stone. If you really want nice mirror polished hair whittling edges freehand, GET A SPYDERCO UF BENCH STONE! But since it's probably about 8000 grit, you'll need to work up to that grit. I'd say don't start on the 8000 with anything less than 1200, but preferably higher like a 2000 then 4000, but those grits usually only come in with waterstones.
I've used this exact stone numerous times,though not my preferred method of sharpening.It cuts very slowly,but that said you actually can get a knife to shave hair,and push cut phone book paper with just a few additional steps after the blade comes off the stone.What works great for me was to just simply hone the edge on the bottom of a coffee cup at a slightly higher angle.After that do your stropping.First with white compound,then finish stropping with newspaper.People that claim you can't get a great edge with a cheap stone just need to spend more time practicing.Sharpening is 99% technique,and 1% equipment.Learning with cheap stones is very beneficial actually.If you can get a great edge on a cheap stone you can get a great edge on anything...
Right on...I usually tell people 95%/5%. An experienced sharpener can put a beautiful edge on a blade with objects that aren't even supposed to be used for sharpening. The bottom of a coffee cup or a plate is a good example. I feel like the abrasive plays a little bit more of a role than 1% though
i think that leather is better just because its softer which allows the rouge to reach in all the geometry of the blade. besides that the concept about evertyhing accepting the rouge is correct :) nice demo tho. really enjoyed it :)
I use stone up to around a 1000grit then switch to paper on a marble slab .and go up to 15.000 grit. and I get a super mirror polished edge I do this as I can't afford decent stones
I'm married to Harbor Freight (wife is manager) and, yes, the darker is obviously more porous and the lighter is fine. YES... The stone needs to be soaked for, preferably, a couple of hours. 30 min at least.
They work OK to put a "working edge" on a knife but don't expect a good hone. HF also carries diamond sharpeners which give a better hone but be prepared for them to have glue failure where the abrasive is attached to the base, depending on what you get. They're all fine for the occasional home tune-up.
The stone here is best for something like re-touching an ax, etc.
You can buy these in asian supermarkets for €1 here.
The dark grey if the medium, the light grey is the fine
soak the stone till it dose not bubble and use dawn dish soap to help remove oil and very little dawn
I have this stone but I can't tell witch Side is medium and fine.. fingers are calloused. Is the darker side fine and light medium? or vice versa?
Dranksta bro have someone you know feel for you preferably a person who has delicate hands
The darker side is the "medium." The lighter side is the "fine."
That stone is for lawnmower blades and garden sheers
I just bought one of those stones today. It looks like crap but I can use it for cheap stuff. I had to use my diamond stone to flatten it.
I own a similar stone that I take in my pack and these super cheap stones are VERY thirsty and just won’t work dry. Most of the time I’ll stop at a stream or something and soak the stone for 25-30 minutes to saturate it completely. I’ll then put it in a ziplock to try and maintain the water and the stone is good for most of the day if you just feed it water while sharpening. Without being completely saturated it’s a pretty useless item but if you saturate it and feed it a bit of water they work fine. Mine was $7 at a hardware store same medium/fine deal. I’d say the medium is roughly 200 grit and the fine is roughly 500 grit. Both of which I consider coarse when buying nice stones. In the field i just strop on my pants or my palm it works fine.
On the other hand you’re completely correct about people and sharpening. So many people believe there is one way to sharpen. It amuses me they say the Japanese technique won’t work but the Japanese are the finest sharpeners the world has ever seen.
That is a massive stone.
Informative.
Hmm. Mine doesn't sizzle in the water. Was looking forward to the sizzle..
I really do love to see cheep alternatives to expensive hobbies but like usual you get what you pay for but sometimes cheep works ok no way near perfect but still .also nice to hear you saying things like if it works for you then who am I to say that's wrong .I really like how you talk about ideas like maybe a differ edge may work for some aplications I have womderd the very same myself I can't see it myself but I have recently taken on a knife to refurbish and I said fora hand made very expensive knife I can't believe you can see the belt from her marks on the bevels like a cheep Chinese knife no higher grit finishing on it at all I'm no expert and certainly know I'm not good at making knives but I do know the information that's required so I know what to look for in a good well designed and can see the blade makers love for his work instantly even if it has flaws you can see when a maker has poured his or her heart into it compaired to someone who just uses expensive materials and sell for a huge price but the design and workmanship is aweful money dosnt always buy you something quality I think it's not a garantee it's going to be good
They cut well cause they're thin?
can you do a video using tungsten electrodes?
I think the hardness max is somewhere around 67rc for 1095.
Wow that's like super man.
Yes, I'm in the shadow.
For those not so wealthy, the dollar store has a two sided 2x6 combination stone for a dollar (coarse thing, but it's aluminum oxide and usable for dirty work).
dollar general?
The Greatest Dollar Tree
David W cool
Use those , good results in the restaurant I work
In Thailand it is 66 cents
hello, did you yell when you hurt your thumb?
"I don't know if this is a wet stone or not" ...... well it's wet now thats for sure ;) :D lol
b/c you let it soak to long , just sprinkle with water and use the whole sone you are concentrating in the middle ony and it will dish out. or you may not use water at all i think dry, you would have got a bur quiker, dont micro bev just strop with fuzzy side strop and white compound and you single better than second micro bevel. you should go to a finer than that befor stroping,, and you dont have to put all your pressure against your edge try pullying away from edge
ramble on actually you a have to soak it for 20 min
I don't understand what the difference between a "Bevel" and a "Micro Bevel' are. Can someone please-patiently, explain what each is?
When I sharpen or attempt to my knives, aren't I sharpening the "bevel" the part where you put the marker...right? So then, what is the "Micro Bevel"...?
A micro bevel is holding the blade at a steeper angle like you're cutting deeper into the stone.
right on men
I used to sharpen my pocket knife on a red brick and it will quickly put a good working edge on a blade. Nothing surgical
Great video thank you.
From a novice.