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  1. #1
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    Default Knife sharpening jig ...... what sort of sandpaper ?

    https://pin.it/2jqtyulabcdjsg

    What sort of abrasive belts would be used on these sharpening jigs ?

    Do any of you folk sharpen knives in this way ?

    I guess there are probably many sorts of sandpaper off to do some googling and educate myself..

    Bill

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2011
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    Murray Bridge S Aust.
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    Default

    Hi Bill, Are the knives new or used? How blunt are they, these questions determine the grit to be used. I have the multitool linishng machine that I use to sharpen my woodturning chisels, and I use anything from 80 to 180 grit to sharpen them.
    HTH
    Kryn
    To grow old is mandatory, growing up is optional.

  3. #3
    BobL is offline Member: Blue and white apron brigade
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    Default

    this is one setuo I use, 120/180 grit belts.

    1200mmLB.jpg

  4. #4
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    Jan 2004
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    Mackay North Qld
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    Default

    Hi Bill,
    I sharpen knives all the time.

    Sharp, to me means being able to lop the corner off a sheet of A4 printer paper.

    The multi tool, I use only when the blade needs re shaping.

    The rest of the time I use a hand stone. Most of the makers are using 180 to 600 grit belts of a make not commonly available at most tool and hardware shops. They use stuff like Trizact and ceramic belts which in general are in excess of 1200. They choose the longer belts as they run cooler.

    Hers a link to an Australian supplier to give you and idea of what is available :

    https://www.artisansupplies.com.au/?...c=22783a5940ef


    Hope it helps

    Grahame

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
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    Default

    Thanks for the tips and photos above,

    Main purpose of question was to find out if ordinary folk use those jigs or is it mainly knifemakers ( cutlers ?)

    I have only ever used hand stones and grinding wheels and emery paper on glass to sharpen chisels and planer blades, have only sharpened knives as a boy scout with a handstone 50 years ago and dont know much about them.

    Have always been intrigued by those fancy gadgets that I sometimes see on the net, am vaguely aware of different types of abrasive paper, I know some people sharpen hss toolbits for lathes on belt sanders with fancy paper and remember Ueee once mentioning ceramic sandpaper as being good for hss.

    My wife usually sharpens her kitchen knifes on a spike of steel mounted in a bone handle, and is far better at using it than I am. Recently she asked me if I had any gadgets i the shed that could sharpen knives, so decided its time to start learning.

    Will do some googling and youtubing and trawl through the weblink Graham posted to educate self. Main purpose of question was to find out if ordinary folk use those jigs or is it mainly knifemakers.

    Saw a good show on telly recently "Forged in Fire" each week a competition between 4 knifemakers to see who can make best knife.

    Thanks again for the help.

    Bill

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
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    Default

    Hi Bill,
    I think I know what you are getting at now.

    Do you mean , one of these jigs? This is just one example.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG8mO6NX2Es


    There are others out there that are using glued on sandpaper instead of the stone or diamond sharpener, if that's what you require.

    Use "Diy fixed angle sharpening jig" as the Google search term and select the images option and go to town.

    Grahame

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Tamworth, NSW
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    Default

    Another system to get a quick edge is a “paper wheel”. You can buy these from Gameco Artisan supplies but a quick google will show many YouTube videos of guys using them. They are quick but my experience is that a machine driven edge can get razor sharp it doesn’t last as long as a hand ground edge. There are plenty of guided systems for hand powered sharpening as well. Popular ones include the Apex Edgepro and the Wicked Edge systems.

  8. #8
    Join Date
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    In my humble opinion the impregnated paper wheels are more orientated to the manufacturing maker of knives where time matters.

    For the likes of us who sharpen a few knives for the missus and family now and again, the wheels are an unnecessary expense where their high cost could be put to a better use.

    To my mind the wheels take far too much material away, not good where the same knife is repeatedly sharpened over the years.

    For re sharpening the profile angles are already and a quick touch on the stones followed by a strop on the leather.

    A 40mm wide belt glued to a handle serves the purpose. Some how there is something therapeutic about working a knife up to a razor edge.
    For those who are able to obtain them, tanned kangaroo tails are superb for this use.

    I have even trained my dear bride not to toss the sharp knives in with the general eating irons in the sink and to wash them individually. Subsequently I only need to sharpen our blades about every 6 months.

    .

    Grahame

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
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    York, North Yorkshire UK
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    Hi Guys,

    They want a small fortune for a leather strop here ! I tried to buy some off cuts from a firm that makes leather covered furniture and they wouldn't entertain me. They were binning loads of narrow strips that would have been useful.
    Best Regards:
    Baron J.

  10. #10
    Join Date
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    Quote Originally Posted by BaronJ View Post
    Hi Guys,

    They want a small fortune for a leather strop here ! I tried to buy some off cuts from a firm that makes leather covered furniture and they wouldn't entertain me. They were binning loads of narrow strips that would have been useful.
    Try the local Op shop.They should have old leather belts. I am sure there will be one there good enough to make a strop.

    Grahame

  11. #11
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    Feb 2012
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    Tamworth, NSW
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    Quote Originally Posted by Grahame Collins View Post
    Try the local Op shop.They should have old leather belts. I am sure there will be one there good enough to make a strop.

    Grahame
    This is good advice. There is always eBay for kangaroo tail or leather off cuts but the op shop will be cheap and should be quite reliable. A bit of rouge or buffing compound on the leather will make a nice strop. What you won’t be able to do with a strop however is reset bevel angles or do some serious edge restoration such as removing chips etc. This is where a guided system with aggressive abrasive will certainly help. The other thing to consider is blade steel as there is a lot of difference in sharpening a high carbon steel such as 1075 versus a so-called supersteel such as M390.

    You can can also make a very good strop from balsa wood - plenty of ways to skin a cat as they say....

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
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    Gippsland Victoria
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    Default

    Thanks for all the suggestions. Very useful.

    Yes Graham, well done, that is the other jig that I have bumped into on the internet. That looks like a great video to help make a jig. Didn't really understand the difference between what the two jigs are for until I read the responses above.

    Will google the paper disks to find out what they are all about.

    A mate of mine is always talking about stropping blade tools on leather - looks like I get to learn about that as well in the near future.

    Bill

  13. #13
    BobL is offline Member: Blue and white apron brigade
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    This is a sort of a strop made from a left over piece of rawhide I used to line my woodier vices.
    The finger joints have beveled edges and sewn together with dental floss, - I've only used it a couple of times.
    I really need to drag to out again and see what it can do.


    strop2.jpg

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Blue Mountains
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    Default Strop making

    I have a piece of an old leather belt from which I would like to make a strop. What is involved and would this leather be suitable, it is about 400 mm long by 40 mm wide?
    Thanks.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Metalman View Post
    I have a piece of an old leather belt from which I would like to make a strop. What is involved and would this leather be suitable, it is about 400 mm long by 40 mm wide?
    Thanks.
    Hi Metalman,

    Simplicity itself.Take your belt and cut it somewhere about 300 to 400mm in length.

    Glue it to a suitable length stick 40x 12 with a handle cut at one end. If you have enough belt glue it on both sides.

    Strop.jpg

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