For all of you folkes out there that are using #11 Exacto knife blades I have found a knife sharpener that will cut down your purchase of blades dramatically. I bought a little pocket knife sharpener at Gander Mountain recently for $3.99. They are made and sold by Smith's Edge. One side has a tungston steel sharpening feature and the other a ceramic sharpening feature. I am able to completely restore a #11 blade with this tool. I even sharpen my retratable utility knife blades with it. I do not find it necessary to use the ceramic sharpening feature at all. This little tool put a useable edge on a pocket knife that I never could get really sharp before. Give it a shot.

http://smithsedge.com/products/product.asp?id=448cid=4

Go to page 4.

Bill

I have the old crock stick unit and I can get my #11s even sharper then new for when I'm cutting covering.

I cook a lot and one day grabbed the sharpener I use for my cutlery. It worked so well I bought another just for my hobby knives. I like it because the unit has ceramic wheels that automatically align with the blade at the perfect angle so I don't have to think about it. I do a lot of photo-etch and metal cutting with my blades so they need dressing constantly.

Here's a picture:[link=http://usa.jahenckels.com/index.php?item=271]Henckel Knife Sharpener[/link]

Wish I had my old crocksticks! They'd be better but I've been having good luck with a steel myself.

Clay

Give me a knife and a stone or steel and I can convert it into a usless piece of junk in seconds. I bought my crock sticks years ago when I was hunting a lot, I even had {may still have?} a little hand held unit that worked quite well.

I use a stone. A little spit and a few drops of elbow grease......... brandy new exacto blade!!

I buy the blades with the little hole on the end that goes into the knife blade holder.
When I have accumulated about a hundred used blades, I put a wire thru the holes and make a large loop that they can dangle from.
I then tie the other piece of wire to my trailer hitch and drive down the road.
Any blades that don't get sharpened this way are thrown away.
No need for a stone or a sharpener.

I have an Arkansas stone mounted on my side bench, when cutting a lot and I feel the blade losing its edge its just turn around, a few swipes and I am back in business again,

Man...just when I got my credit card account under control...you guys had to post those sites![>:]

I use a piece of 2000 grit wet-and-dry paper on a piece of glass with a little oil. Cheap and works great!

Paul