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Comment by Lee Smith on May 13, 2013 at 21:31

I have been using ez-lap diamond stones for a few years and have had real good luck with them. It took a lot of practice to learn how to do it free hand. I have noticed lately that when I start to get tired my hands start to shake. Parkinson's runs in the family. Seems like I can get them almost to the edge that I want and my hands shake and I knock it off. It's very frustrating. So I was looking on the net today and discovered that ez-lap has a sharpening system that might help. Has anyone tried one? 

manager Comment by Steve Hanner on May 12, 2013 at 9:02

A real life experience with the Wicked Edge : http://www.iknifecollector.com/group/knifesharpeners/forum/topics/t...

My thanks, AlecsKnives for some great information. I have watched video but not had the experience of watching first hand, and your account of who came by during the demonstration for a quick sharp up.....priceless!

manager Comment by Steve Hanner on April 5, 2013 at 19:32

That would be good Jan. Much debate about hand sharpening...but we are here to look at everything so if it, he or she sharpens, we want to see it or talk about it! My thanks to AG Russell for the response on stropping, if anybody would know he would!

Comment by Jan Carter on April 5, 2013 at 19:17

I have been watching videos on freehand sharpening, wow there are some "different" techniques out there.  If I find a good one I will bring it over for you to see but so far I have just seen parts of each that are good LOL

manager Comment by Steve Hanner on April 2, 2013 at 22:09

Well tomorrow, I am hoping to start looking at the various knife production companies and see what they offer as a sharpener. ie: Spyderco. Let's see what the reviews come in at as we continue our quest of checking and reporting on virtually every sharpener out there!

Still looking for personal experience stories... I bought this one and it did this....

Comment by Ron Cooper on April 1, 2013 at 15:33

Yep! I've used newspaper to strop a blade before. In a pinch I've also used cardboard.

manager Comment by Steve Hanner on April 1, 2013 at 15:18

Well that is interesting, I always considered stropping a "step" If you look at the Wicked Edge vid by smokeater and by the way bring some popcorn he is windy, he even mentions a good stropping last or Part3. Here is an interesting thought if I can find it. Have seen a knife stropped on newspaper!

Comment by Ron Cooper on April 1, 2013 at 13:27

I'm one of those who struggles with freehand sharpening. I can usually get some portion of the edge sharp. Usually the area near the tip of the blade. But all bets are off when it comes to getting a uniform edge over the entire length of the blade. Especially if I'm attempting to sharpen a recurved edge!

So, in light of what I've stated above, for the last year or so I have been using a Spyderco Sharpmaker and achieving a much better result. It's pretty much a foolproof system since the ceramic stones are set at predetermined angles - 30 or 40 degrees. I just hold the blade straight up and down and draw it down and across the rods/stones. Voila!

I think there is an aspect to sharpening that doesn't get enough attention and that is stropping. I have discovered that once I get a good edge on a blade it's really rarely necessary to return to the stones unless I've either damaged the edge or tremendously dulled it by cutting some particularly difficult substance. During normal use I can usually get my edge back on a leather strop. Sometimes I will use stropping compounds. But not often. I usually just use jewelers rouge or bare leather.

This is a great topic, though. I only wish I had the skills to get that killer edge freehand. Sadly I don't. *sigh* I also wish I had a spare 4 to 5 hundred bucks laying around that I could shuck out for a Wicked Edge or Edge Pro sharpening system. Sadly I don't have that either. *even bigger sigh* Oh, well!

manager Comment by Steve Hanner on April 1, 2013 at 9:11

Here is my question though on freehand sharpening. If it works so well, why are all these systems out there? Clearly its a problem for the average user, otherwise why develop a solution if there is no need?

Especially with new users, they want a sharp knife and they don't want to practice 10 years on a series of stones to get angle and hand position correct.But tell me your thoughts.

manager Comment by Steve Hanner on March 31, 2013 at 13:57

That's a great idea too and I would love to see a formal discussion started on Japanese Waterstones.  I have seen a few excellent demonstrations by hand, of how to sharpen using these type of stones. It is quite interesting and seems to produce that razors edge we all want!

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