Thread: First-time whittler - sharpening?

If your just starting out and trying to save some money, the standard wet and dry sand paper method and stropping compound on cardboard is about as cheap as it gets. You can get just as good results with these as buying expensive equipment and stones.
The only slower side of this method is if you want to change the initial primary bevel on your knife. That's just the big wedge shape behind the edge that gets bigger towards the spine of the knife. The secondary bevel (the edge) is the part you sharpen and strop. Wet and dry paper can be just as fast as expensive stones and is an inexpensive starting point.
The only downside for a beginner learning to sharpen on W&D is the quality of the abrasive changes very quickly compared to a stone. The abrasive starts out cutting aggressively and breaks down rapidly and acts likes a finer grit.
It's a good thing to remember while your working and can be made into an advantage. I personally keep using the paper well after most people would change it out as I like the finer papers. They just cut slower.
Mind you I use diamond stones now.
RV on this forum is the man to chat with.
Take some good pics of your knife and edge to show him!

Sorry, I should have added to youtube the 'scary sharp' method. There should be a lot of videos around using W&D sandpaper.
Like everything, their will be varying opinions on the net about using this method. You can really get this system to work very well with a bit of practice.

Welcome sekans (and thanks a lot, Ben.)

There is quite a variety of different methods and set-ups for maintaining carving tools as "carving sharp."
The point is that all of the methods work, they all produce the same result. All you need to do is pick one and learn to become proficient. It may not happen over night or in 3 months. You may discover, as I have, that one method alone can't tune up all wood carving tools.

To begin with, heed BD's advice: using fine automotive finishing sandpapers, then hone, can get you up and running for less than $5. I do that, on the flat and also wrapped around tubing for crooked knives with bent double or single bevel edges.

Next, search back in the Woodcarving forum here for a thread called "Star's Sharpening Journey". In it, you can read and see much of another method using waterstones, etc. >> Pay attention to the instructions about posture and body movement.<< They are unwritten "tricks" to consistent good results.

Last, use those instructions to keep your knife in carving shape with the sandpapers. The papers, of course, are no more than disposable abrasive surfaces, like a fresh, new waterstone, every time.

Depending on the blade shape this method might be good way to start and get a consistent sharpening angle.
http://paulsellers.com/2013/07/sharp...folding-knife/

Thank you all very much for the replies, the help is really appreciated!
I'll look into the suggested methods.

Good link Fuzzie. I don't believe that he's trying to get "carving sharp." Fairly non-specific about the sharpening equipment that has to be sourced and bought. Yet, what he's doing with the jig is what I do with my entire body = steady as she goes. He likes 11 degrees, that's OK. I tried 15 with the crooked knives and went back to 12 degrees.
I have measured every wood carving tool as I bought them and 12 is common for chip and detail knives. I get maybe 30 minutes out of an edge.

The great thing about the automotive sandpapers is the economy, 1/3 of a sheet at a time is plenty. Plus, any shop that caters to automotive refinishing will be stocked with everything. In the city, I even get the geezers' discount for hotrod builders! I guess with a 454cid/7.6l V8, I'm in the club.

I've had no choice but to explore and learn different methods. Not even a Tormek (T7?) can cope with a crooked knife, of which I now have 12. Lee Valley sells crooked knive blades as Haida style crooked knives (Crescent Knife Works.) The CKW blades are not sharp, despite what LV may say. Sharpening and hafting the blades is entirely up to the owner. The top bladesmiths in the Pacific Northwest are Kestrel Tools and North Bay Forge.