da Rock

Those of us who sharpen will attest to that, for sure.

SeamusG

Do hand sharpened edges hold their edge any longer than NIB edges?

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Not really but they resharpen on the strop quicker, 6 to 12 swipes and your good to go again.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

here

OkieRCGuy

My Feedback: (1)

In the past, I had a piece that was broken off the lid of an old toilet tank.  I took it to the local tile shop and they trimmed it on one of their saws, giving it a nice flat edge.  The result was a free ceramic sharpening stone that I used on everything from X-acto knives to hunting knives.  Now if I can just remember where I put the darned thing.........

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I was in a wood carving class and several of the members went to Lowe's, seems they will give you small squares of sample tile to take home and get an idea of what it would look like on your floor. Some of that tile makes perfect stones. It's 4X4 or 6X6, nice and flat too. Free is always good.

RC_Fanatic

My Feedback: (1)

Do you have to use lighter fluid to apply the rouge, or will other solvents work? Hate to go buy something extra!

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I just rubbed it on until someone mentioned the lighter fluid trick. Try some alcohol and see what happens? Today I finally changed blades in my knives with new blades. Right out of the box they were duller then the ones I tossed. A few hits on the stone and strop and I'm covering a plane with a set of sharp blades again.I lost track but I think I built four planes and covered three with those two blades.

whatwheel

I must have missed something about using the glazed tile, how do you do it? also I have a old carborundum pocket hone #149L , feels real fine, would that work?

whatwheel.

teebox11

My Feedback: (33)

Buy them by the 100 box. Gets dull, keep in another box. Use the dull ones for crap jobs.

Jennifer Curtis

Do what teebox does, and you always have a dull blade. It
starts off dull and gets worse till you can stand it and do the
whole thing again.

Get one 5-pack. Start by honing a new one on an arkansas
stone until it can split hairs (about 15 seconds). Use it till
it is as dull as it was when new, and hone it again.

Every once in a while, re-grind it with a diamond sharpener,
and hone is as usual.

I've done this for 36 years and have used up about 5 blades,
on so many airplanes I can't count them all.

Jenny

bikerbc

The video at the very start of this thread is exellent . I thought I already knew how to sharpen knives but I learned quite a bit . I think I will be able to put a much better edge on now . For anybody that hasen't had a look at the video you might want to spend a few min's and have a look . A picture is worth a thousand words .

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

A five year old thread but still worth bringing up again. I just scored so many new blades I'm set for life. I have been like Jenny and just bought a 5 pack and used them for years. I did discover the chisel points hold a better edge then the blades being made now days. The old packs of blades I just scored are a different story, they were sharp right out of the box but a few licks on the strop got them a bunch sharper, I didn't have to stone them at all. When I feel a snag when cutting the over lap covering I stop and give the blade a half dozen licks on the strop and it's good to go again. I showed my home made strop on page one and it's still with me. So is the rouge I bought years ago, it goes a long way.

BrokenTail

Hi Grey Beard - I stumbled upon this thread while exploring, and I'm really happy I did! Some Great Information! I've always kept my hunting knives razor sharp, but never even thought about using the same method on my X-Acto blades. Also, love the idea of making specialty blades from old hacksaw blades.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Best butcher knife I have in the kitchen was made from a saw blade. It requires sharpening often though but I keep my crock sticks it a kitchen drawer so just a couple licks and it's sharp.
When I gave my hunting knives to my grandsons they couldn't get over how sharp they were so I showed them my strop and how to use it after stoning.
I didn't sharpen exacto blades until I took a wood carving class and like a flash the idea came to me.
Cutting plastic covering dulls them pretty fast.

pkoury

My Feedback: (7)

This is what I use.
http://www.micromark.com/Knife-Blade...FQaSaQodG3UA9A

BrokenTail

Great Idea Gray Beard! I have some old saws laying around, and now they have a new purpose in life. Never would have thought of it!

BrokenTail

Hi pkoury - Tried your link, but it's 404. - Thanks...