Sharpening System



Sharpening System
This Sharpening System is a quick and convenient way to sharpen, resharpen and keep all your knives and edge tools in peak condition, from scalpels to scimitars, plane blades to plough blades. I use it to make all my knives. It is lightweight, easy to store, unbreakable, and there is nothing to rust. Perfect for home, travel and classroom use. No expensive stones to dish out, glaze over, or break. The 3M finishing film cuts all modern high tech steels quickly, using water as a lubricant.
The system has two Delrin plates for easy removal of used finishing film, a nicely spaced sequence of sharpening grits, a quickly adjusted 20 tpi brass thumb screw, and anti-slip, adjustable height feet for stability. The Delrin plates are first machined, then hand lapped. They are 12″ long, 2″ wide, and 1/2″ thick.
This is the system I use to make and sharpen all of my knives. People often ask how long each abrasive sheet lasts, and although there are many variables, I’d guess I can generally sharpen about 8-12 knives on each one. Of course, if you are trying to reshape a bevel angle or repair a major chip you might use up an entire coarse sheet. When a sheet is exhausted, simply peel it off and stick a new one one. I highly recommend you trim the edges of the edges of the finishing film when you put a new sheet on, so that it does not overhang the edges of the Delrin. Otherwise it may give you one of the nastiest, dirtiest, slow-healing cuts you have ever had, DAMHIKT.
The system contains everything you need to get sharp: an aluminum sharpening stand, two Delrin plates, four 11 x 2″ strips each of 80, 40, 15 and 5 micron 3M PSA micro finishing film, a 12 x 2″ Genuine Horsebutt Strop, and a bar of green chromium oxide honing compound.
Replacement 3M PSA microfinishing film is available from: Tools for Working Wood, Lee Valley, Rio Grande.
Horsebutt strops are available from Tools for Working Wood.
STAY SHARP!