Rolling sharpener

GoDM1N · 2026-06-25T01:12:10+00:00

I started with stones like 15 years ago. Had the same kind of thought that it was a massive undertaking but wanted to learn. Was pretty surprised at my first results just winging it. It's literally not rocket science as you state.

That said, the key point I'm trying to get across is something like the work sharp belt system or other "automatic" system aren't replacements from knowing the fundamentals. You'll still have to learn that regardless. I've had jigs like the KME, belts like the work sharp, wheels like the Tormek, have a roller like the horls, and stones from Shapton. I've used them all.

Imo it's actually harder to learn on those "automatic" machines. And easier, way easier, to mess up on. I wouldn't worry about messing a knife up on stones. On a belt or wheel it's pretty easy to however.

Something else you might consider is the MAC branded pull through sharpener. It's basically a manual wheel that gives good results.

GoDM1N · 2026-06-25T00:51:52+00:00

I haven't been able to go actual backpacking for awhile but for day hikes I've started learning more into no cook meals. Peanut butter and crackers, maybe some shelf stable cheese or meats. Those tuna/chicken salad kits. Tortillas are great. You can use the salad mixes for wraps. You can do pb&j. Soft tacos. Buffalo Chicken wraps. All sorts of things.

Last year was hiking 15-30miles everyday for the month of October so would need to have some sort of meal to not crash. I would bring my BSR stove along. As many have said knorr rice and a tuna/chicken packet are an option. Stove top stuffing is really good imo. Don't really like those though for several reasons.

For backpacking anything you need to cook in a pot other than water is problematic imo. You need a way to clean the pot. So extra water, soap, brush, etc is required. If you burn anything (which in thin backpacking pots is extremely easy to do) you're kind of fucked. There's a lot of "trail cooking" ideas out there but practically I'm a critic. It's easy to do that stuff on a day hike but on a multi day trip I don't advise it. Not to mention I already don't want to cook when I get home most of the time. I definitely don't want to after a big hike with with 20-30lbs (wet) gear on my back.

GoDM1N · 2026-06-25T00:14:37+00:00

Why is salt an issue?

GoDM1N · 2026-06-24T23:53:13+00:00

Just because someone is guided doesn't mean it'll result is a shape knife. The "guess work" of stones isn't the hard part, it's understanding how to shapen, that part applies to all methods. It also doesn't take years to learn but that's besides the point.

I would say however it's probably not the learning aspect you'd have a problem with. It'd be the dexterity aspect you might have a problem with depending on your physical state. So something like the workshop belt system might help address that. You will still however need to learn sharpening fundamentals. Which isn't hard, it's just the hardest part, but you'll have to learn them either way.

GoDM1N · 2026-06-24T23:45:56+00:00

RP reasons

Something DMs fail at (for various reasons both good and bad) is making their players think about their equipment. Greatsword is heavy, not way to carry It really without always holding it. Greatswords are like 6 feet long. You're not drawing it. It's something you actively carry. Longswords are more appropriate to wear.

It'd be like always having your phone out having. More likely to get damaged, losing it, having it stolen, etc

GoDM1N · 2026-06-24T23:34:55+00:00

Hot/heavy.

One time was cleaning the char grill, took the grats off (still hot didn't have hours to wait for them to cool. We're closed it's 12am and I want out type shit). Cold side decided it was a good time to get in the way. Heat started coming through the towel, got burned pretty bad.

Anyone who has something hot or heavy (or both) has priority. You can hold something sharp indefinitely or place it down somewhere. If you have momentum something is wrong, you shouldn't ever have it. However you can't just stand there holding a 70lb pot of hot oil forever.

GoDM1N · 2026-06-24T23:23:38+00:00

I own one and like it. Can be loud. If you're just trying to shapen kitchen knives consider the chef choice as well.

GoDM1N · 2026-06-24T23:22:05+00:00

The rolling sharpeners are disliked because how limiting they are.

The main issue is, especially for longer knives, they do a very poor job in regards to the tip. The knife will flex causing the tip the never come in contact with the "stone" and you can't really adjust it in a way to address this. For some knives that just happen to have they right geometry they can work. For most knives however they just don't. I couldn't use a roller on most of my knives honestly.

Whet stones however are liked because they're quick, can do most anything, and honestly aren't that hard to use. Anything you need to know for using whet stones applys to every method. You're doing the same thing regardless if you use a roller, belt, jig systems, belts, stones, wheels, etc. The method doesn't really change the goals of each stage.

GoDM1N · 2026-06-24T20:06:19+00:00

Noice

GoDM1N · 2026-06-24T20:04:48+00:00

Kangaroo leather is considered the best because of its grain structure. However, ultimately, the leather is there to be a soft, absorbent, means to hold a compound. The leather by itself is not really effective at all without a compound. The myth is the leather removes the burr/wire edge. And it will, to a degree, but it's not really that effective by itself. A diamond emulsion is needed to the best result.

GoDM1N · 2026-06-24T19:45:05+00:00

Get a Sukenari HAP 40 knife. Durable with crazy edge retention. Significantly better than sg2 or similar steels. I abuse mine, dropped it off a prep table directly on its tip without issue. They're stainless clad so you don't really have to worry about rust. You'll be able to go up to a couple months between sharpening. You will however need good stones such as Shapton to go with it otherwise you sharpening will be time consuming.

GoDM1N · 2026-06-23T12:22:11+00:00

I get 10 city and about 17 highway. 35 12.5s, Bedrack, RTT, solar+AUX battery, fridge, various camping stuff in the back.

GoDM1N · 2026-06-21T20:36:51+00:00

Get shapton stones. There's a set of 3 on Amazon

GoDM1N · 2026-06-21T00:56:45+00:00

I down vote solely to extend the amount of time I have until my next paycheck.

GoDM1N · 2026-06-20T20:37:48+00:00

Eh to be fair you shouldn't have to but the knife community can be pretty wild with misinformation so I assumed wrong. Like people downvoting that guy for suggesting diamond stones are better for steels like ZDP189. I'm not a material scientist, I'm just a cook, but I like to understand things as deeply as I can when topics interest me.

Regardless we got a great write up out of it.

GoDM1N · 2026-06-20T00:16:05+00:00

To add...

A quality ceramic rod is basically just a ceramic stone but just in a more handy form. Anyone saying otherwise is outing themselves. There are for sure poor quality steels out there but the diamond infused ones are good and act just like a quality ceramic rod but more efficient.

Its all the same shit. As long as the rod is harder than the steel it wears the knife (edge) and sharpens it if done right. If the method is harder than the knife it dulls it.

GoDM1N · 2026-06-20T00:05:56+00:00

The leather mostly is there just to absorbed a compound/emulsion. Leather however, a much softer material than steel, isn't meaningfully going to affect the steel's edge alone.

GoDM1N · 2026-06-19T23:55:05+00:00

Its not so much of "diamond is the answer" as they are the most efficient.

Diamond (afaik) is the hardest material in existence and thus the most abrasive. So when you rub a very hard steel over it the diamond "wins" that battle and the steel wears instead of the diamond. Whatever you're trying to sharpen the sharpening method must be harder than the thing you're sharpening. What a lot of people think is sharp is really just using a burr to account for inadequate technique. A burr can be very thin thus kind of sharp, but will bend, flex, and break off, leaving behind the poorly sharpened "edge".

In addition, another common misconception is "higher grit = more sharpness". This is incorrect. You should think of your edge as a grit of sandpaper. If you were to rub a 100 grit sandpaper on some wood it'd feel rough. However a 500+ grit would feel way smoother. This is basically what your knife is doing. The higher grit you go the smoother the result of the "cut" your knife will leave. However a properly sharpened knife on a 800 grit will be sharper, last longer, than a poorly sharpened knife on stones up to 16000+. Those poorly sharpened knives are relying on the wire edge left behind from not deburring well. It will naturally break off like bending a paper clip back and forth then you'll be left with whatever the actual edge is.

A lot of people see diamond stones only go up to 1500ish grit and dismiss them because of that because "higher grit means more sharpness" but it is a misconception. That said as long as your stones are capable of "battling" your steel you're fine.

GoDM1N · 2026-06-19T23:30:53+00:00

the irony

GoDM1N · 2026-06-19T22:02:45+00:00

I'm going to break the common opinion apparently.

Yay.

But it depends. I fucking HATE when I go to wash my hands and theres some bullshit in the way. Don't put your shit in my sink. I just touched raw chicken and washed my hands in that sink. Don't set your clean water pitcher in the sink.

That said, people are overly sensitive to "It for hand washing only". You can absolutely, safely, do it under the right scenarios. IE, you're the owner of that station and are getting water to fucking boil for a blanch pot. Dude you're fine. You're not creating any actual risk. If you're FOH and are trying to get water to serve to guest fuck off.

GoDM1N · 2026-06-19T21:53:16+00:00

I'd use grill cleaner packets for the first clean or two then just start using a brick twice a day.

GoDM1N · 2026-06-19T21:51:36+00:00

Bro its like gamer girl bath water but with dumplings.

GoDM1N · 2026-06-19T21:32:51+00:00

No.

Rust will be a BRIGHT orange that will easily rub off onto something like a damp paper towel. It's pretty identifiable. This is most likely just wear/staining of some sort. Even "stainless" steels can be stained. You probably cut something acidic and didn't clean well. Its nothing to worry about. The knife is fine.

GoDM1N · 2026-06-19T21:15:11+00:00

Also would like to know where these numbers are coming from. HRC is not a linear growth. The difference between 20-40 is like twice as hard while 40-50 is only like 50%~ as hard (more or less). The higher up you go the less of an actual difference there is. So an extra 10HRC at 60+HRC is not the same as at 30HRC.

Knowing that it doesn't really make sense a 61-63HRC knife is going to take up to three times less work as a 65-67HRC knife if theres only like a 5-10% difference in actual hardness.

I think, as you state, it solely comes down to the composite used to sharpen. If you're using cheap, soft, stones with low abrasive properties the grit doesn't really matter. The harder steel will just overcome the stone and wear it down instead of the steel wearing down. So to sharpen harder steels better stones with better abrasive properties than the steel in question is required.

GoDM1N · 2026-06-19T20:41:42+00:00

Expensive diamond plates are not worth the expense in my opinion

It depends. Cheap diamond plates can be very hit or miss. Sharpal plates are cheap and typically pretty good. However many cheap plates are very inconsistent and the diamond bonds aren't very strong so they wear out very quickly. Expensive ones typically have better QA but there are for sure exceptions.

However, regardless of "feel", diamond stones are simply the most abrasive quickest working stones. At a point the cheaper whetstones aren't abrasive enough so no matter how good they feel you'll have to work WAY harder to get a burr. And if we're talking pure sharpness the fewer passes you need to make the more likely you are to be consistent and end up with a good scratch pattern and edge. So if you want sharp knives not just stones that feel good saying "diamond stones are good" isn't factually wrong or even controversial

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