Resharpening blades

[at6]

Originally Posted by hrogers

I do have a case with blades with a sharpening stone.
Never used the stone yet - Not sure how good the sharpening will go
Will test it out one day
not sure from where it was made, no indication on the box

I have two similar sets and they were made in China. I only paid 8 or 9 dollars for each of them. Not the best but the blades stropped on leather cleans up the edges nicely.

[Algebraist]

I think it depends as to whether you want to "hone" your dulled blade (ie taking out all the microscopic kinks out of the used blade which make it drag and be dull), though this can only be done so many times to a blade before the effect wears off very quickly) or "sharpen" your dulled blade (which by definition involved the removal of metal from the blade to put a new edge on the blade.

There are many ways of doing both but it basically boils down to how hard and abrasive the object you rub your blade against is (the hardness is often measured by the rockwell standard)

Personally I use 25A swann-morton scalpel blades and a "butchers" steel. It only takes a few strokes to either hone or sharpen the blade. I find you can do this many times for these blades.

Here is a you tube (one of many) that gives an outline of the possible methods



Apols if this is just repeating well known information.

[Vermin_King]

You may have been the person who mentioned this in another post, which got me to give it a try. I know I read about it at this forum. But I have really appreciated the info

[airdave]

Agreeing with many posts here.

I keep a flat stick wrapped in 2000 grit paper on my work table.
As long as I don't break a tip of of a #11 blade, I repeatedly "resharpen" as I am using the blade.

I probably resharpen a hundred times before the blade starts giving up, and won't hold an edge.
Then I fit a new blade.

Never try to sharpen the blade dry.
Always wet.
Since I keep a small jar of water on my workbench (for my glue brushes), I can easily dip the blade before going to the sandpaper stick.

There is nothing that beats a fresh blade...I order by the box, and I used to change them often (before I started using the sandpaper stick).
I don't find them that expensive, and the results are worth it in my opinion.

I have tried using stones, and a honing rod...but I never get good results.

I also have a jar of beeswax on my worktable...sometimes I dip and polish the knife blade,
but to be honest, I haven't noticed any great difference in cutting power or sharpen life.

Other than using snap-off knives for chopping up pages, I use #11 blade and knife for everything.
I want the precision of that sharp point, especially for tight radiuseseses and circles.

[USSMissouri]

I never knew you can use sandpaper to sharpen blades. Does this apply to razor blades as well?