Knife Sharpener for a Straight Razor

To All:

I was thinking of using a knife sharpener for a straight razor (I am thinking of getting one) instead of investing in a honing stone and strop.
I figure a knife sharpener is easier and cheaper since it uses the same material(s) as a honing stone does.

What do you all think?

I would appreciate any help and feedback from all!

Thanks in advance...


Styleguy

 

I'm not the resident expert on honing, but I would advise against using a knife sharpener.

A razors edge is much more delicate than a knifes edge and a knife sharpener would ruin the razor edge straight away (pun intended )!

If you are on a tight budget, order the razor "shave ready" (you'll find good ones in the B/S/T threads on this or any of our "sister sites") and get a strop.

A good edge will stay sharp for a good part of a year if you take good care of it with the strop.

After that you have the choice of sending it off to a "hone meister" for honing or getting a hone and learn to hone yourself.

You can also get a second strop and paste it with diamond paste, it will not be as effective as honing, but if you do this once every week you'll maintain the edge longer too.

You can also get a barbers hone for "touch ups" the same way as with the pasted strop.

All this in good will, but please don't sharpen your razor with a knife sharpener!

 

NO NO NO!

Never ever use a knife sharpener (unless it's a slowly rotating water-grindstone) on a straight razor. I'd go even so far and say NEVER use a knife sharpener on a knife either! The cheap thingies will heat the steel, soften it and permanently damage it beyond repair.

Well, of course, 99% of the people don't know the meaning of the word "sharp" so they use these sharpeners without sense and knowing what they're doing anyway. But just because the majority does it, it doesn't mean it's the right way to do it

 

No expert here either, but I would use the knife sharpener for it's intended purpose...sharpening knife and get a proper hone strop setup for your straights....

the level of keenness provided by the knife sharpener most likely will not provide a shave-ready edge on your straight razor....

It could prove to be a costly experiment that might not provide your desired results.....

I do have some manual knife shapeners that work great on some of my kitchen knife, but will never see a straight....

 

Another vote against a knife sharpener. The grit ratings on knife sharpeners (except for the higher-end, specialized stuff) just isn't going to be fine enough.

One option may be a 4-sided paddle strop. That way you can use abrasive powders or pastes for maintaining a shave-ready edge, and have a daily strop in one item/purchase.

 

I hear the Spyder Co. can be used, if done with the correct grits and done correctly.

 

The Spyderco Ultra Fine Hone works quite nicely for straight razors although, I haven't tried using it with a knife yet....... so I guess it really depends on the definition of Knife Sharpener......

Did you have a Brand / Model / Type of Knife Sharpener in mind Styleguy? It would be helpful to know what exactly your considering

As you'll see a knife sharpener is a pretty broad category.....

Here's a few........

 

Just curious, how much does the Spyderco Ultra Fine cost? Will it be cheaper than a Norton 8000?

 

Johan, they sell stateside for $40-$45 + shipping

There was a place I saw a while back that had the Ultra Fine in stock for $36 + shipping......can't remember where it was though...

 

So, slightly cheaper than a Norton 8000 then... Thanks!

 

Except with the spyderco you have the option of changing out the hones (I think theyre about 20$ for the 2 hones needed) as needed. Thats plenty cheaper than buying all the hones you'd need to get from start to finish on an old razor.

 

I think you're talking about the Sharpmaker tool and Padron is talking about their bench hones. Same material, but I think the little skinny rods would be a lot less efficient than the bench hone. I haven't tried it, just my take based on using the sharpmaker for my knives.

Jordan

 

I would suggest that you use Norton Hones or something similiar. Knife hones are good for axes, saws, chisels and the like.

Don't set yourself up for failure. Start right end right.

 

I'm talking about the rods in the sharpmaker.

You can sharpen a str8 with it. If you search badger and blade you'll find plenty of threads about it. Its a cheap alternative to the hundreds needed for hones.

 

I have the spyderco and it is wonderful for knives but not so for razors. The rods are too narrow making it difficult to keep a razor level as you hone.

 

Sharpening a straight razor with a stone

I purchased a new straight razor and while the steel was decent, the edge was horrible. I've owned a Lansky sharpening system for a while now and after confirming with the mfg, I proceeded to put a new edge on my razor. I chose 17 degrees (mfg suggested) and I've been completely happy with the results. The Lansky (I think Gander Mountain has a similar kit) comes with a variety of stones - I added an extra fine to the kit - and is based on a clamping system that has 'notches' where a stone with a special rod can fit into. The notch holds the rod at the precise angle for all stones and movements. It took me a while to adjust the edge's angle (aka 'grind down the edge') but since then I've only had to sharpen my razor about once a year. I typically use a strop once a week to polish the edge but I can't say enough about the sharpness of that edge. Be prepared to work at it though. Use an extra fine stone as 'step last' and you'll be good to go.

Tips:
Set the razor as far forward in the clamp as you can. This gives you a little more 'elbow room' for the stone to clear the clamp's set screw. You may want to get a lower profile set screw (read: flat head) from your local hardware - it's a standard thread.
Also, be sure the razor is centered in the clamp both horizontally and vertically or one side of the edge will be a different angle than the other.

 

Welcome to TSD Slow Kid!

Great tips, I have never tried a knife system on a straight razor....no reason why it shouldn't work well though. It does seem like more work then laying a blade flat on a traditional hone though..

 

I think it might work well, too. But I would be too afraid of getting too steep of an angle and really filing off the bevel. Usually between the thickness of the spine and maybe some electrical tape, I get enough elevation to do the job.

But, as they say, what works for some might not work for others.

 

A member in a shaving site used a WorkSharp to sharpen his straight razors with great results. He said it was fast. I'm a newbie here and I can't post the link to the website. You have to use google and use these search words:
"Experimenting with Work Sharp WSKTS and straights"
I've got a WorkSharp, and I'll see how it works out.