My All-Star Sharpening System for Knives/Axes/Tomahawks

Requested video to show an update on my sharpening system. Over the years this is where I have currently landed. Not to say this is the end all be all, but it has worked well for me getting those hair popping edges.

[whiteeaglestudios]

Hi Crocket... just discovered your channel and have gone back and looked at the older sharpening vids. All great! I have been a Spyderco stone fan for 40-45 years when I bought the original Sharp Maker at the Western WA fair. May I suggest using Windex on the stones. Not only does it make for easier sharpening but it makes cleaning stones as easy as simply wiping them off. Thanks a lot!

[OUTDOORS]

My current system is identical. Spyderco medium-ultra fine. And an extra coarse diamond for re profiling. Although sometimes I’ll use a cheap no name stone for re profiling. Green compound for most of the stropping and .5 micron diamond spray for the harder/ higher carbide steels. I agree I don’t like mess and this system is perfect for that. Great video man👍👍

[sixtofive]

Nice update. I've really liked using the K O worksharp. If you check Amazon there are also leather stropping belts the right size for it. I use that on axes and large blades with convex edges. It's come in handy for scissors and the occasional lawnmower blade as well.

[dougbulldog]

I use cheap 400/1000 diamond plates, a fine ceramic rod & green compound all off aliexpress for less than $25. I also sometimes use an old double sided indian stone I have had for 30 years. I have an old belt sander I cramp in the vice for re profiling etc.
Like my Grandfather before me I often get asked to sharpen my extended families & friends knives when I visit

[jacobweisth]

Hello from Norway!

I've been using diamond stones (japanese SK-11, recommended!) and the Spyderco's for a little over a year now, and a mixture of waterstones before that. I wholeheartedly agree with what you are saying about them.
I often combine them with a Belgian coticule (ca 8000-16000 grit) when finishing razors, kitchen knives and nice folders, and then multiple strops up to 0.25 micron (ca 100 000 grit)
I also got (and use) a 2x72" belt grinder that I can produce a hair whitteling edge with (either convex or flat), and a Hapstone Pro fixed angle sharpener for when I want to put an extremely precise edge on a knife (13, 4 degrees, for example). I then maintain that edge with the Spyderco UF and/or the coticule + strop.


I've also made a small sharpening stone from a piece of quartzite-slate, from a place called Eidsborg. It was one of the major producers of sharpening stones in northern Europe in the middle ages, and their stones was one of our largest exports (after fish) for about 1200 years, from the 700s up until the 1950s. It's a suprisingly good stone, and i would compare it quite favorably to the Spyderco medium. Gives a similar polish, don't soak water and is very hard wearing.


I'd say my system gives me satisfactory results :P

[Swazi]

Great video. I'm still rockin the c20 synthetic shirt! Keep it up man.

[kipper]

i have the sharpmaker with ultrafine stones ive seen diamond stones for them as well but i normally dont abuse my knives too much

[whiteeaglestudios]

Hi Crocket... in the below comment, I forgot to mention that Idahoners.com has a coarse replacement triangle rod for the Sharpmaker that is 100-200 grit. They really speed up sharpening a dull or damaged blade and well less expensive than the diamonds or cubic boron nitride stones. So, these days one can go from coarse to ultra fine with the Sharpmaker. Once again thank you for your excellent presentations.

[richardbarrett]

Dear Friend. What colour stain did you use on the tomahawk before the artwork please?

[rob]

you brought out my favorite Hawk...that would be a great christmas gift for me..hehe

[jeremylong]

If you usually freehand with the worksharp check out the bland grinder attachment it's designed for free hand sharpening and really makes the system so much better in my opinion

[Thejoeb]

barkeepers friend is a great cleaning agent for the spyderco stones- easy to find at most stores and gentle to use. That plus one of those green scrub pads and your stones will be clean as the day you bought them.

[Brykk]

Maybe some day ill replace my lansky kit, the ken onion is nice, but i just cant afford it.
I cant sharpen freehand (not enough patience) so i stick to guided and the lansky works best for my budget. I did make a couple of strops out of different cuts of leather and freehand that part. I love to watch that mirror finish come in as the strop does its job.

[TyMalhoneson]

I use a 300/1000 diamond plate, a Smith's trihone and a green compound strop. I'm basic and budget but all freehand. I use to use a lansky but it took forever to sharpen knives.

[nativepsychoman]

I would like to know how you put the pine tree on you tomahawk

[drmaudio]

Nice. Personally, I love the IDEA of free hand sharpening, but there comes a time when a man has to accept his limitations; I can't hold an angle to save my life. This has led me to the work sharp for pretty much everything. I bought a cheap strop just to try it, and I really like it. I'm going to have to get a nicer one.

[dabaird]

My system is the wicked edge for knifes and Boadheads.