KME Knive Sharpener, Correction

[76Highboy]

After using my KME Knife Sharpener this week, I can get my knives sharper my just using my stones by hand rather than by using my KME. If a person is not used to using stones, than I think the KME or the Lansky is a good choice and trust me, they are sharp. But, if you are good with sharpening your knives by hand, I would stick with that. The problem is, once you use a fixed blade system, you can only go as fine of a grit stone as the kit offers. If you try go back to running that knife by hand on a finer stone, you will than change the angle which defeats the purpose of a fixed knife sharpener. I go pretty fine for a razor sharp edge, so the KME just doesn't go fine enough for what I am trying to achieve. I have never used diamond stones, only have readers knowledge on them. Comments are welcome. Jim

[JLA]

I pieced together a hand sharpening set. Ill take pics right quick..

[JLA]

Ok..

I use the DMT folding diamond steels in 4 progressive grits. (ebay has them)
The black is 220 grit and is used to bring an edge quickly to a blade that has never been sharpened or to one that is damaged.
The next step up is the blue 325 grit.
Then the red 600 grit.
then finally the green 1200 grit.

Then I move to the leather razor strop.
This is a professionally made razor strop from stropman.com (also chek ebay) cost 30 bucks.
It came with 2 stropping compounds (of your choice) I chose coarse and fine (he offers extra course, course and fine) in relation to the steels the extra course compound is finer than the 1200 grit extra fine steel.

I simply work my way thru the steels and then thru the strops. once im done I have an edge I can shave dry skin with cleanly with one light stroke.

My grampa taught me to sharpen knives on his own kit when I was a kid, which he pieced together himself of a similar arrangement of arkansas stones and a leather strop belt. and kept rolled in a canvas cloth tied with hemp string.

Mine is in a camo fanny pak with the straps cut off.

"As iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another"
Proverbs 27:17

[76Highboy]

Thanks Josh. That is priceless info. Can you get the same sharpness on stones?

[JLA]

yes. Stones are what my grandad taught me on and his lasted him a lifetime. I find the diamond whets last alot longer and are far more durable and thats why i use them.

[Mike1959]

Originally Posted by JLA

yes. Stones are what my grandad taught me on and his lasted him a lifetime. I find the diamond whets last alot longer and are far more durable and thats why i use them.

if i might ask, what do you use with the diamond steels? oil? water? i am not familiar with these, i grew up with traditional stones

[UncleDannie]

Well, apparently you don't like the KME, so just send it to me, I'll muddle through with it.

[76Highboy]

Originally Posted by UncleDannie

Well, apparently you don't like the KME, so just send it to me, I'll muddle through with it.

I would like to send it to you (seriously) but my oldest grandson has taken a likeness to it. One thing I don't like about it is you can't get a good nice polished edge with it and if the knife is too large is just does not work. Oops, that is two things. Also, I am faster doing it by hand. I still haven't gotten my diamond stones like Josh has. Maybe he will just send me his.

[JLA]

Originally Posted by Mike1959

if i might ask, what do you use with the diamond steels? oil? water? i am not familiar with these, i grew up with traditional stones

Water

[JLA]

Originally Posted by 76Highboy

I would like to send it to you (seriously) but my oldest grandson has taken a likeness to it. One thing I don't like about it is you can't get a good nice polished edge with it and if the knife is too large is just does not work. Oops, that is two things. Also, I am faster doing it by hand. I still haven't gotten my diamond stones like Josh has. Maybe he will just send me his.

Or you can send me your knives..

[76Highboy]

Originally Posted by JLA

Or you can send me your knives..

Hmmm, why do I feel like a dim light bulb right now? There's something fishy about this.

[JLA]

Only thing fishy is my filet knife. Which BTW, i edged with my diamond set and then proceeded to filet some crappie the boys and i caught the other night. Damn thing went right thru the spine like it was made of butter. So as for fileting fish.. there is a such thing as too sharp..