sharpening stone

[pierre]

hi every body,
just a question, what kind of stone sharpening do you use?
i use a rectangular lapstone since 1995 ( the best product that i found in europe) but before i used natural stone ( norton, arkansas,...) with oil.
I buy my lapstone in sweden it's a dianova, they product lapstone for knives sharpening.
I send to you a picture of my last work but i will have best next month ( the gun will be hardening and complete)
have a nice day pierre

 

[JCP]

I am a beginner , so consider that with my advise.

I use a Ceramic Whet Stone (fine grit) made by spyderco , Inc.

I purchased it from McMaster Carr.

Cost is about $50.00 US.

They are really tough and they say one will last a butcher a lifetime without any measurable wear.

I think the fine is between 1200 and 1600 grit.

Beautiful work , thanks for posting.

Jack Phillips

 

[KCSteve]

Pierre,

Not being as skilled or as talented as you I use the GRS PowerHone - I need the 'edge' a precisely sharpened point gives me.

Before I got the PowerHone I was using a simple Smith's tri-hone and the GRS fixture. From what I've seen / heard, the Lindsay fixture is better for 'hand' sharpening. I've also seen pictures of a really neat looking fixture made for use with a bench stone.

From my knife sharpening I'm pretty good at freehand sharpening but love my 'assisted angle' systems - my ever-indulgent wife got me the absolute best of those, the EdgePro (she even went for the Pro version that Mr. Dale makes to order )

There are several makers of 'diamond' hones that are great for knives but I'm not certain how well most of them would work for the tiny and precise surfaces of gravers.

Do you sharpen your gravers freehand or with a fixture of some sort? The exquisitely clean lines you get prove that you're doing a good job of it however you're doing it.

 

[pierre]

Hi steve, your are lucky, my wife don't like when i go to engrave
When i sharpe my chisel, it's always free hand, it's very fast to do , you haven't always the same angle but it's not a problem.
when i engrave a gun, i make sharpening every 5 or 8 min.
see you next
pierre

 

[monk]

I USE THE GRS POWERHONE. it is very good saves tons of time. i also use the new lindsay sharpening hickey jigger. it's not real fast, but it does work accurately.

 

[pierre]

hi Monk,
I'm sure that we have an exact sharpening with a fixture but how long time do you spend to sharp a chisel?
When i work on a gun, i have to sharp my chisel every 5 min and sometimes minus but when i work on knives, it's about every 2 min. whith the handfree method, it's take to me about 20 sec to sharp a chisel.
I used the last lapstone during 2 years before to buy a new one.
I use too a spyderco ceramic ultra fine grit to have a mirror polish on my chisel ( letters,...), I buy it a long times ago and i think that i will use it until the end of my life.
In belgium, you have to work very fast if you want won money on your work for exemple the engraving you see up cost about 1000 euro with tax in Liège, if you don't want to do, an other engraver take the work and sometimes it's cheapest!

 

[KCSteve]

Pierre,

Don't I know it - the ever-indulgent wife gets used as an example all over the world.

I think, just based on my very limited experience that you could sharpen less often if you used one of the sharpening systems. I know that when I started my points were less durable then they are now that I've learned how to sharpen them with the system. My assumption is that the geometry of the point remains the same longer than the slightly less regular point you get from freehand sharpening. But that's just my wooly headed speculation.

Still, if you get a chance to try one of the systems give it a shot - it's not likely to make a point that works worse and it may give you one that works better.

As I get better at the basics I keep adding to the things I need to work on. Freehand sharpening is one of those things. Now that I know what a 'good' point is like I actually have a chance of getting one by myself. Not that I need to be able to do it under normal circumstances but what if I have an equipment failure or something? Besides, it's another skill to master.

Edited to add: In answer to your question to Monk: for just sharpening (not forming a new graver) it takes me about.... (let's see, pop out the QC graver, slip it into the fixture and tighten it down, stand up, adjust jig, put 600 wheel on, sharpen, switch to 1200 polish, set for one heel, make heel, set for other heel, make it, remove from fixture)... about 30 seconds (since I'm not at my bench I just went through the motions to check the time).

 

[pierre]

thank for your opinion steve

 

[richard hall]

Pierre, iam just a hobby engraver so i dont support anyone but the companies i buy equipement and tools from !!! However i beleive iam old fashion in my thinking, hence i use a hard arkansas and a spyderco whet stone fine grit, and a hammer and chisel, and these serve my needs. i hate depending upon electric gadgets, and if iam out primitive camping, the equipement i work with will function anywhere. dont get me wrong ; when finances improve, ill get that power-hone Monk spoke of, and Steve, at least for a back-up.

 

[McAhron]

Im using Steve Lindays diamond stones and sharpening system.I recieved one pre-sharpened patented tip graver from Steve and was able to go from a square blank to an identical copy of Steves in 15 minutes.The angles line up identicaly each and every time you put the graver on.Its extremely fast,simple to operate,and a few hundreds less than a power hone.Every big name engraver that has used the system has called it revolutionary and should be the first purchase for a new engraver as learning to sharpen gravers properly is one of the biggest objectives for new engravers and the classes for begginers focus heavily on sharpening.If you no longer have to learn to sharpen properly as Steves system is fool-proof then it is easier to progress faster in your education.Also I can touch up a graver in less than a minute.I know you are an experienced engraver, so not all this applies but I felt this was all useful information.

 

[Roger Bleile]

Pierre,

The gun you pictured above is beautifully designed and executed. I particularly like your use of negative space as I am usually partial to designs that do not cover the gun "wall to wall." If I understand correctly, you are saying that that job would cost 1000 euros in Belgium which is about $1600.USD. Since you indicated that you work pretty fast, could you give us an idea of the time spent on such a job and how much of that time was spent on the design. Also could you tell us who is the gunmaker of the gun pictured. I hope these questions are not too personal. If they are feel no obligation to answer.

Thanks for your input, I always enjoy looking at your work.

Roger

 

[pierre]

Mcharon and richard, i agree whith you.

Hi roger,
the gunmaker is one of my student at school, it take to him one scolar year to make it, all the device have been made by hand and the stock too from a rectangular piece.
The ornemental pattern is classic so, i don't make a preliminar design,i do it like i feel on the day.
on this gun, i spent about 70 hours but i know a lot who will make it in 40 hours or minus ( but not exactly the same quality)
My meaning problem is that more i practice, more i take time to engrave and i can't do anymore engraving with less quality.
see you next
pierre

 

[richard hall]

Pierre, i think the sharpening of the gravers is one of the sticking points , it seems the emphasis is upon getting everything just right or prefect, or it just wont cut. some truth to that, but ive learned if its pretty close to what the books say, it will do a pretty good job of things. like all beginners, this ascpect scared me also. I had the protractor out checking everything concerning the angles i polished with the stones. i no longer do that, after awhile, you do get the feel. I think alot of engravers like the power hones as it does take alot of guess-work out of it and it gives a person more confidence ; and if your new to engraving this confidence is like going to an engraving class to gain insight. i think it doesnt matter what process one uses as long as they get time to cut and learn and enjoy theirselves in the process. the feed-back from our members is that theses power-hones do work, and that is the important thing. if i would of had the money in the initial start-up, i would have bought the hone, but the stones were the best way for me to get into the game and still be allowed to stay in the house !!!!!!!