Best value knife sharpening system?

[Nephrology]

So, after losing my mini griptilian last year and then my fullsize a few weeks ago, my quest to replace them has turned into a mini knife mania. Got a Spyderco Paramilitary 2 and 2 mini grips, all on ebay for about $30-40 less than retail. Quite satisfied with that.

However, I do need a way to keep them + my kitchen knives sharp (I will probably be in the market for much nicer kitchen knives in the next year or so as well). I've looked around a bit and the consensus seems to be either the Spyderco sharpmaker or the EdgePro (though I am not sure which model).

Is the spyderco good enough? The EdgePro seems great but also very spendy. While I went a little bananas with knives recently, this is not going to be an enduring passion quite like guns, so I am not sure if I want to drop that much coin on the EdgePro. If the Sharpmaker will work just fine, I can live with that - but if the EdgePro really is that much of a step up above the Spyderco, I would be willing to start saving up for it.

Thoughts?

[JPedersen]

I am going to be watching this thread. I was thinking the same thing. Honestly - the KME and Edge Pro don't seem too bad when compared to the Wicked Edge system. I think that one of the draw backs of the Sharpmaker (Spyderco) is the limited number of edge angles it can work and the dependence of the person holding the knife to be steady / consistent when moving the blade along the stones. I know I probably am not going to nail that every time ... But that is just me.


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[Clusterfrack]

The Sharpmaker works great for me.

[Rich@CCC]

The Sharp Maker is fine for your average knife enthusiast. It's easy to use, safe and high quality. It will give you a great work edge on any knife with a minimum of practice.

If you want a mirror edge that is perfect under a microscope and can tree top a hair, look to the Wicked Edge.

If you want something in between, the Edge Pro is a great tool.

Quite a few really like the Work Sharp, Ken Onion version.

IMHO, Invest in some good Arkansas stones or Japanese Water stones and practice, practice, practice. Honing a hair popping edge by hand is skill that will never let you down.

[nycnoob]

Rich,

Do you recommend using an edge guide with the water stones? I bought some a few years ago but never could decided which guide to get and got frustrated. What do you recommend?

[theJanitor]

I have the KME, but the Wicked Edge is the best system out there

[GNiner]

Went nuts into knife sharpening about 3 years ago (have a pretty good collection of knives). Ended up with a Sharpmaker, Edge Pro, another system I can't remember the name of, and extra diamond and ultra-fine stones. I ultimately found that the Sharpmaker was way more convenient and fast (just leave it setup). I figured out that I like knives, and enjoy a liiiittle sharpening, but don't enjoy spending hours and hours making them sharper and sharper. At a certain point, they will cut just about anything anyway. I did find that when the edge finally dulled up on some of the harder steels, I needed the sharpmaker diamond stones that were the next level of aggressive over the standard stones that come with the sharpmaker. A strop block also comes in handy putting the final polish on the edges. Sold all of my other sharpening systems.

[JCS]

I have a sharpmaker and I would highly recommend it. Especially to someone just starting.

Sharpmaker is so easy a caveman can do it.


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[Maple Syrup Actual]

Personally I have too many knives and assorted tools that need sharpening to mess around.

$75 1x36" belt sander, $30 on belts from 400x up to 0.5micron, every tool in the house to any level of sharpness I want in an hour.

When I hear from someone who wants to sharpen a knife that isn't seriously beat up, I just say "buy wet/dry sandpaper: 400, 800, 1500, 1 sheet each. Put them on a mouse pad. Match the factory angle. Five bucks, done."

[Shotgun]

When I hear from someone who wants to sharpen a knife that isn't seriously beat up, I just say "buy wet/dry sandpaper: 400, 800, 1500, 1 sheet each. Put them on a mouse pad. Match the factory angle. Five bucks, done."

This. Lansky system worked for me but takes a long time. Never could get a good edge using wet stones. Mouse pad is quick and will put a convex edge on your knives. At least for me, mouse pad is easiest method for touching up pocket knives.