[spinky41]

hello my name is jeremy, i am realitavly new to carving. i am looking for a inexpensive way to sharpen knives and gouges. i have looked at the jooltool system and the work sharp systems. but i am woundering what type of system i can get a quality edge from and not need muitiple sharpening tools

[redbird46]

Jeremy, there are many ways and devices to sharpen tools and some of us even make homemade sharpeners but sticking to your quest of "inexpensive" here it is and this will work as good as any system with the proper dilligence and work.
First get a piece of 1/4 thick glass appx. 3"x8" or if not available get a piece of good flat/smooth wood. For your sharpening medium get some 9"x11" sheets of "wet/dry silicon carbide" sanding paper in 600/1500/2500 grits. You can buy them at the paint dept. of a hardware store or car parts store. You can also buy them in bulk at www.onlineindustrialsupply.com.
You start with the 600 grit to form a good/even edge on your tool or knife and then go to the 1500 grit and then 2500 grit to get a finished edge. Rub off the inside burr and then strop. A leather strop for knives is great and the cheap way on gouges and v-tools is to get an empty cereal/cracker box and cut it apart. Use the inside of the box with jewelers rouge to strop. You can even use a piece of the cardboard to strop the insides. Hope that helps.
Jr.

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

yep...you might need to start with a coarser grit if the blade is in bad shape....I use 400/800/1200/2000 look up "Scary Sharp" on google search and you will get lots of info on the sandpaper method, works just fine!

[R-OLDS]

Here is my two cents..

I make a couple hundred carving tools each summer knives, vee tools, gouges, skews. I have been doing it all with just a cheap wet grinder to shape the tools and a 6" bench grinder 3600 rpm. I always thought I needed to get some sort of special sharpener like the Burke or something like that. I have used lots of the Burke sharpeners and even the new Jool tool. I use a 3600 rpm bench grinder with cardboard on one side and a floppy cotton wheel on the other side. I use lots of polishing compound and this CHEAP system works WELL! It is just like carving though practice makes perfect.

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

R-Olds....would love to see some pics of your tools! And your setup!

[chuckt]

I'll second that . . . post some pics!

I am in the process of getting my sharpening set up put together. I just took advantage of some lower prices and the $15 off coupon at Woodcraft to pick up their Horizontal Wet Grinder on sbirkes' recommendation, as well as their low speed (1750) 8" bench grinder. I really splurged and picked up a Norton 8" Translucent Arkansas stone for honing as well, along with some slipstones for getting the inner bevel Chris Pye recommends.

Now I just gotta get my garage cleared out (getting a new garden tool/storage shed soon too) and set up my sharpening area. Wooo whooo!!!

ChuckT

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

I have a woodtek horizontal sharpener and don't use it or like much .....if it had a reverse on it, it would be 100% improved!

[chuckt]

Yeah - but the way I figure it - I can try this out relatively inexpensively (it was $79 marked down from $99 I think) and I had the $15 off coupon. If I decide I don't like it or it isn't working for me, then I'll ebay it and lose a few bucks.

I know I am not winning any "low cost" contest on my choices. If I really wanted to stay super low cost I'd go scary sharp I think. Still seems like the best low cost approach to me. Either that or stay with a few stones like Chris Pye recommends. But this and the bench grinder were "on sale" so I gave in to the urge to splurge.

!
ChuckT

[EdO]

I don't even want to know how much I've spent on sharpening tools, devices, stones, etc. Somehow, I always end up back where I started. With a two sided Norton bench stone, a Washita stone, an Arkansas stone and a strop. I also carry a "Viking Whetstone" on a cord around my neck for quick touch ups when I'm on the move. No, I'm not selling them. I can provide a link if anybody is interested and it's permitted.

Viking Whetstone

In Viking times small whetstones were often worn as pendants. These are reproductions of whetstone pendants found in a Viking Age ship wreck at Kalåstad, Norway. Similar pendants have been found in York, Birka, and Gotland. They are cut from Jasper, and seem somewhere between the hard black and translucent Arkansas stones. That means they are super fine, quite a bit finer than the stones shown below. They are suitable for the final edge and polish, rather than removing nicks and general sharpening. They vary in color and size, but are mostly muted reds and greens, and about 3" tall, 11/16" wide, and 1/4" thick. Some of them are quite striking, but I expect the best sharpening would be achieved with the plainer ones. If you let me know your preference I'll try to oblige. Each comes with a string and descriptive packaging. Imported from Sweden, the price is $10.
I also have some without holes for a string or packaging for $6.