swibo knife sharp edge?

i'm after a bit of advice guys. i have just become the owner of a swibo knife (birthday prezzy - lucky me). Without going to the expense of buying an expensive knife sharpening machine i was wondering how i should keep the blade sharp. Apart from not using the knife are there any suggestions out there?

 

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Nice knife PJAY

Tue, 2010-08-10 16:44

The Swibos are a nice knife, and there has been plenty of discussion here on sharpening techniques in the last 12mths or so.  Try a search and I am sure you will turn up some useful advice.

STEVE231's picture

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Swibo

Tue, 2010-08-10 17:26

Swibo's are a hard knife to put an edge on and keep in a decent state. I have 2 Swibos that I don't really care about [but I use] so i just use one of those sharpeners that you drag your knives through. I'm sure they are no good for them but it does the job. Failing that, buy yourself a good stone, I use one for my other knives. I use Dexter Russell knives from the US, super easy to keep an edge and cheap enough to buy.

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PJAY you have now a top

Tue, 2010-08-10 18:45

class knife second to none in the knife game. All you have to do now is to get yourself a quality stone and steel from MBL in Canning Vale and learn to keep that edge razor blade sharp. Cheers.

Adam Gallash's picture

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ceramic

Tue, 2010-08-10 19:31

Pretty sure you will need a ceramic steel for the swibo's, standard steels don't do anything as the thickness of the steel with swibo's is too high.

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Swibo's are no harder than any of

Tue, 2010-08-10 20:00

the top butcher knives out there [Victorinox - F Dick- Russel ] all much the same. Most boners, butchers, roo shooters ect use Swibo's. This isn't a coincidence. Ceramic steels are very much over rated Adam.  You won't beat a good F-Dick steel. Cheers

 

 

brenz's picture

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KNIVES

Tue, 2010-08-10 20:59

 no you dont need a special steel for swibos a standard steel be it cambrian f dick etc will do fine. and outwide they are nothing like the other knifes they are a much harder steel . also a standard bear combination stone is all youll need mate you can get them from bunnings for round 30 bucks just follow the edge with even rubs on ea side and youll be right. just another tip dont lubricate the stone with aerosol or oil use detergent far far better

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BRENZ should that be aerosol or arsehole

Sat, 2016-11-12 10:46

lubricate stone  with oil and wash with detergent. sounds like a pain in the butt??? sorry my sick sense of humour.

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brenz's picture

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sorry spelling error wich

Tue, 2010-08-10 20:58

sorry spelling error wich has been fixed but if you read it properly you would see it said DONT use aerosol or oil

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Now I'm interested

Tue, 2010-08-10 21:09

I can always remember the old man using a light oil on the stone and sometimes just spit.  What's with the no oil?  Is spit OK?

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Adam Gallash's picture

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beg to differ

Tue, 2010-08-10 21:12

I beg to differ on that point, I've got a standard steel and it does nothing on swibo's its only the ceramic that touches it up properly.  But each to their own, just offering an opinion...

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brenz's picture

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swibo

Tue, 2010-08-10 21:17

i use swibos day in day out being a butcher and i use the standard f dick flat steel and i keep the edge very crisp also all the butchers i have ever worked with including rail boners dont use ceramic steels with them they just use plain steels to (some have been boning for 50 years). so dont think it is each to there own at all to be honest . but what ever works is good i recon no right or wrong way so long as your happy.

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*keep in mind a $2 kitchen

Tue, 2010-08-10 21:21

*keep in mind a $2 kitchen steel is useless so thats were you might have problems*

my comment was certainly not meant to come accross as a dig in correcting people just a bit of advise also about sharpening knifes as it is my profession .

Adam Gallash's picture

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ahh well

Tue, 2010-08-10 21:41

Maybe I did get the cheap shitty steel, not sure what brand it was just what they had at bluewater, it wasn't until I went to ceramic that it made any difference.  I should probably get a good standard steel and see what that does in comparison.  All good mate, being a butcher you certainly use them more than I do. :)

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PJAY's picture

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thanks guys...lots of advice

Tue, 2010-08-10 21:49

thanks guys...lots of advice there and i'll take it. I've got the sharpening stones and a ceramic steel (good quality). I take it that F disck is a brand name Brenz?

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brenz how could you

Tue, 2010-08-10 21:51

give cambrians a mention. They are one step up on k mart steels. Work ok for a while then in the bin with em. F dick or nothing for me.

With swibo's we have no trouble getting an edge,easy as. On any given day we are working with 20 or so mainly swibo's and other brands and all are much of a muchness. We like swibo's mainly because they are the cheapest of the good knifes. ie, I just ordered 6 box's from Kate, 165mm boners for $14 bucks each so you can see why we like swibo's over the just as good Victorinox ect. The Dexters have a shit handle imo.

brenz's picture

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steels

Tue, 2010-08-10 22:07

i gave cambrian a mention as a bottom of the scale steel for those on a budget caus not every one has the money nor the need for a top $ steel and for the books they are fine for a casual knife user.saying that the knifes are much the muchness sheesh im not quite sure about that but hey not here for an argument mate. are you a butcher aswell?

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Problem solvered PJAY

Tue, 2010-08-10 22:52

take the knife to brenz and plead/beg/ask him to sharpen it....If a butcher can't sharpen it no one can. I take mine to my uncle (a retired butcher) after I butcher, or should I say "blunt" my knives trying to do it myself. If a butcher doesn't know what's what with knives and steels who does?

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Location: Heathridge.  Toys:  120 Series Prado ... 5.3 Stacer Seamaster/Merc 90HP.

PJAY's picture

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sounds like the way to go

Wed, 2010-08-11 00:12

sounds like the way to go David.....i'll have a talk to a mate of mine who is a chef......mind you the advice on here as usual is valuable...thanks all.

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PJAY when it's all

Wed, 2010-08-11 07:00

said and done as brenz said go to bunnings and get your self a stone of some quality [ not chinese ] Bear brand is great.

Then go to a knife sharening wed site and follow their instructions and advice.

Adam likes the ceramic , they will do the job in a average persons hands and if looked after will out last you. Also read the instructions on how to use. They are a better option than a cheap steel.

Yes benz i have my own processing business with out put of 100 tonnes or so a year of boned out meats and what have you. Currenty i have 3 fulltime and 2 part time knife men working for me.

Brody's picture

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It seems like there are a

Wed, 2010-08-11 09:36

It seems like there are a few sharp thinkers speaking fairly bluntly, in this cutting edge debate.

brenz's picture

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knife

Wed, 2010-08-11 09:51

good luck with the knife mate there great

tailor marc's picture

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before all fishing trips i

Wed, 2010-08-11 10:21

before all fishing trips i drop my knife (buck 119) to king of knives in the gallaria. pick it up a week later with a killa edge . $10 cant go wrong :)

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PJAY's picture

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thanks guys....all advice

Wed, 2010-08-11 10:59

thanks guys....all advice taken on board......cheers..

 

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The Kimberley....perfect one day and more perfect the next!!!

Indiana's picture

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Touch Up

Wed, 2010-08-11 12:25

Pjay ...a 5 second touch up each side in a figure 8 pattern on a diamond

stone each time you use it and it will stay as sharp as the day you unwrapped it.

 

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being a quailified butcher

Wed, 2010-08-11 13:22

being a quailified butcher myself

at tafe we were shown how the knife is made sharp

the acutal steeling of the the knife does nothing more than align the molicules on the edge most good steels have a slight magnetic in them to achive this

but you have the make it sharp using a stone making a knife sharp for fishing is different to butchering because of the enviroment they are used in they get knocked around lots fishing so i would put more of a angle on the knife  for fishing you will find it will hold up loner

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getting the bottom line final answer from a bunch of blokes that use false names and put smiley faces at the end of paragraphs is not the best place in the world to get the information you seek.

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I give mine

Wed, 2010-08-11 14:09

to my smarmy brother who sharpens all our knives when he comes south to freeload for the weekend. The way my wife carries on about his terrific sharpening skills you would think he had two dicks.

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lol, corker!

Wed, 2010-08-11 16:25

lol, corker!

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i love my swibo knives

Wed, 2010-08-11 16:19

i generaly use  a diamond sharpener and a good quality sharpening stone and have no problems,i used to fillet fish for kailis fishmarkets about 20 years ago,but like brenz mentions his methods are good,you make the choice every1 to their own methods,its just trial and error till you get the best method to getting your own knife sharpening skills,Cool

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Sharpening

Wed, 2010-08-11 17:29

There was a thread on the subject of knife sharpening a while back, what it comes down to is practice and its better to learn to sharpen a top brand knife like Swibo, Victrinox, Dexter Russell and most of all for the oldies Green River.

With a top brand the steel in the knife is harder and less likely to roll or feather the edge when you sharpen it on a stone [I've lost count of "u beaut" skinning /hunting knives that have been brought around for me to sharpen because their owner cannot get and keep a decent edge on it because they are made from crap steel].

Have a close look at the edge of your knife after its been on a steel and you should actually see the fine polished edge compared to the rest of the taper, this "polished bit" is the bit you have to get rid of when you put it on a stone so you get a fresh edge and the hard part is to do it evenly with the same thickness taken off each side.

If you buy a steel get a top brand and it will last a lifetime, my one I bought approx 40+years back [a 2nd cut F Dick, 12inch] is still as good as new except for the handle being replace years back. I paid something like $25 for it then but it has been a real good investment.

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This is a good thread guys

Fri, 2011-07-01 17:29

This is a good thread guys where would one purchase a f dick steel from i already have a double sided stone but it sounds like a good steel is the way to go???.

 Cheers

carnarvonite's picture

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Master butchers

Fri, 2011-07-01 19:37

Master butchers is the place to go, they are, were just over the causeway in Vic Park but something tells me they have moved to Canning Vale?

Give ebay a try but make sure you type in Fdick for the brand.

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Spyderco Sharpmaker -

Sun, 2011-07-03 07:35

Spyderco Sharpmaker - ceramic, easy to use, and does all my knives (fishing/kitched etc), scissors, even hoos etc. Around $80 - had mine for 3 years and going strong