Sharpeners

[RAINYRIVER PAUL]

Which Is The Best For Sharpening Purposes, An 1800 Rpm Baldor With The Compressed Fiber Board Discs, Or The Jet Variable Speed (90 - 150 Rpm) Wet Sharpener, Or The Tormack System ?
Thank You

[Ray Rogers]

The answer is, whichever one you can get and master the use of. If I were going to use that type of sharpening tool I'd definitely stay away from high speed motors like the Baldor out of safety concerns.

All of those tools can sharpen a blade but I doubt you'll find many knife makers who use any of them. Sharpening a knife is a complex subject and when you really get into it you'll find those types of sharpeners very limited where knives are concerned.

Most makers sharpen on their variable speed belt sanders at least partially and then finish by hand on stones or with a tool like the Lansky or Edge Pro if they don't sharpen completely by hand on stones.

The Baldor can handle the various types of knife edges but a wheel going that fast could generate a lot of heat and could be dangerous if it caught the blade. The stone wheel systems are great for chisels and such with edges shorter than the wheel is wide but more trouble to use on a 10" recurved blade and maybe impossible if that same blade has a convex edge.

Anyway, you could manage quite well with any of them at least for a while but I'd make sure you understand what they can and cannot do before I'd invest that kind of money in a sharpening system. Sharpening systems are about the only thing in knife making where a higher cost doesn't necessarily deliver a superior result...

[plain ol Bill]

I sharpen all my blades with a pass down each side using a fairly dull 400 grit belt on the platen of my KMG. Then one pass down each side again on a loose buffing wheel with pink no scratch compound on it to remove the wire edge. Strop on a leather strop aboiut 12 times or so. They scare the hair off your arm.

[balibalistic]

I also use the platen on my grinder.worn 220 belt,then finish by hand with various stones!

[richard j]

i use the cardboard wheels and wont use anything else. i have used them for the past 16 + years. i have 3 short video's on how to use them. there are wheels sold by jantz supply that i have a set of but hate due to poor quality. these are a knockoff of the origonal wheels. i have a link at my website to the good wheels. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plMbnQMQJMg (link to vids) http://mysite.verizon.net/ress6fq6/ (my website) i will also talk you through using them if you wish, just send me an email. rje196021@gmail.com