Knife, Scissors & Razor Sharpener - Leading Edge System

thingiverse

Leading Edge Sharpener System This system can sharpen knives, straight razors, scissors, scalpels and various other tools. This is a 3D printable Knife, Scissors and Straight Razor sharpener with a magnetic knife holder, a 3-point knife guide, scissors clamp, straight razor 2-point guide, and an optional rotating knife clamp (if desired). It also has an optional convex sharpening stone holder for convex edge sharpening. This is the only available 3D printable knife, razor and scissors sharpener that has a knife clamp, scissors clamp, horizontal knife guide, vertical knife support, straight razor guide, large blade attachment, a convex sharpening attachment and even a fine tuning adapter for the perfect angle adjustment. It works extremely well almost any sharpening scenario that you would need. Sharpening angle range approximately 0-45 degrees, depending on if the knife clamp / knife guide / straight razor guide / scissors clamp is used. Parts Needed: 14 x M4 Brass Threaded Inserts (For all of the 5mm size holes) 1 x 8mm diameter steel rod (40cm) (For Sharpening stone holder & Guide Rod) 2 x 8mm diameter steel rods (18cm) (1 For vertical rod + 1 for front foot stand) 6 x M4 Knurled Thumb screws 8 x M4 small dome head screws of various lengths (Torx or Hex is my preference) 1 x M4 or M5 screw thread (50mm long) and Wing nut/s (For Optional Knife Clamp Holder) 3 x Neodymium Round Magnets (12mm x 3mm) 6 x Neodymium Round Magnets (12mm x 3mm) For the Optional Large Blade Attachment 3 x Rubber stick-on feet (If desired, but not necessary) Optional: 1 x Stick-on metallic surface for a digital angle gauge(on sharpening stone clamp) Super Glue to assemble the pivot bearing holder and the steel rod into the front feet Epoxy glue to glue the magnets in place if needed. (Some magnets may be slightly smaller than my recessed holes). I recommend a strip rubberised tape (I use ISC Racers Tape / Helicopter tape) for the insides of the clamps for a very secure grip. Sharpening Stones (Edge Pro, KME, Hapstone, Chosera, Venev, Chinese clones etc. or similar) My sharpener will accommodate any small sharpening stones from as long as 180mm to as short as 30mm. Alternatively, if you don't have any sharpening stones, then use sandpaper on a flat surface (Approximately 160mm x 25mm recommended). Here is a link to a 3D printable holder for sandpaper: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2645800 My Optional Knife clamp is easily rotatable while your knife is clamped securely in it. Just loosen the knife clamp holder Wing nut, slide out the knife clamp with knife installed in it, rotate it 180 degrees, place back in clamp holder and tighten wing nut. (See GIF file attached) Lowest sharpening angle available with the rotating knife clamp is about 15 degrees per side. Both the knife clamp and scissors clamp work with 3 screws in a cantilever fashion to tightly hold on to your blade.Tighten the 2 positioning screws to lightly grip your knife (or scissors for the scissors clamp) and then tighten down the back screw for the tight clamping action. ** NOTE **: If you want to sharpen your straight razors, be sure to get a set of high quality, very fine sharpening stones (like Naniwa Chosera sharpening stones as an example). If you decide to purchase the Naniwa Chosera stones, I recommend the 1000, 3000 and 10000 grit as a minimum for straight razor sharpening. I also recommend making or purchasing some pasted leather strops to use with my system for straight razor finishing. Make sure the angle is set very low (just to barely clear all parts of your razor's spine) only use the magnetic mount and my 2 point straight razor guide. Use VERY light pressure when sharpening. I regularly sharpen my own straight razors on this system with an awesome smooth, no irritation, perfect shaving edge. UPDATE : 3 Feb 2020 - I added a Convex Edge sharpening attachment. Simply replace your stone holder clamp closest to your sharpening hand with this attachment to give you the ability to sharpen a convex edge. I have added grooves/notches for different levels of convex sharpening. Each notch of the convex holder is equal to approximately 1.6 degrees. UPDATE : 5 Feb 2020 - I added a vertical blade support to level knives with a high flat grind. A high flat grind with a small level surface is not stable and level on the sharpener working surface when using the magnetic mount. By lifting it with the vertical blade support, you can perfectly stabilise it. UPDATE : 6 Feb 2020 - I enlarged and refined the pivot bearing assembly for a larger arc of movement to accommodate longer blades. UPDATE : 7 Feb 2020 - I added a fine tuning Adapter for very accurate sharpening angle adjustment. 0.05 degree increments are easily achievable with it. Description of fine tuning adapter in link: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3644585 UPDATE: 13 Feb 2020 - I added a Straight Razor 2-point guide for 2 points of contact on a straight razor spine. It is a lower guide than the 3-point knife guide to enable the very low sharpening angles needed for a straight razor. UPDATE: 16 March 2020 - Optional Stopper Ring added to limit the movement of the horizontal rod (if desired). I personally recommend not using this but have added it as an option. UPDATE: 30 May 2020 - I added another version of the stone holders, one with a large platform for your digital angle cube to sit on a bigger surface when adjusting your sharpening angle. UPDATE: 17 June 2020 - I moved the position of the 2 mounting holes of the rotating clamp on the Main Body of the sharpener. The holes are repositioned 15mm more forward, to give the option of being able to mount the reversible clamp on the bottom of the main body when not in use. UPDATE: 29 October 2020 - Upgraded, improved and redesigned "Fine tuning adapter" TIPS: - Sand down the ball of the pivot bearing lightly with some very fine grit sandpaper for a nice smooth ball bearing surface before assembling the bearing into the pivot bearing holder. This will make it nice and smooth when sharpening. Make sure not to get super glue on the ball when gluing the pivot bearing holder together. Use a little bit of silicone grease on the outside of the ball for glassy smooth bearing action. - The feet of the sharpener are made to fit very tightly with no tolerances onto the rod for the feet, so make sure it is correctly aligned and tap it on with a hammer (after the rod is installed in the sharpener feet). If they loosen up too much in time, then add a drop of super glue to stop any movement. - Print your "Fine tuning adapter" with NO supports in the threads, and make sure to "work" the threads in and out properly by screwing and unscrewing until it is perfectly smooth. Then apply a little bit of grease onto the plastic thread. - I designed the sharpener to tip over forwards if you apply too much force when finishing your sharpening with your fine stones. If setting a new bevel or regrinding your bevel to remove chips, place your free hand onto the base of the back of the sharpener to stop it from tipping forwards. When working with your medium or fine stones or strops, don't push down on to the back of the sharpener. I designed it to tip forwards when you apply too much sharpening pressure. - The base of the sharpener "table" is set at exactly 20 degrees, so if you don't have an angle gage and want to sharpen your knife to exactly 20 degrees, just place the knife on the sharpener, install your sharpening stone into the holders and place the stone onto the centre of the blade of your knife. Now adjust the sharpening angle to be level with your work surface that the sharpener is standing on. This will give you 20 degrees sharpening angle. - I designed the whole system to be able to screw and assemble everything together when not in use. You can screw your knife guide onto the bottom of the sharpener. Screw the reversible clamp onto the top of the sharpener. Stack your long blade attachment, vertical knife guide and scissors clamp together and screw them onto the front of the sharpener with your screws. Now it's all assembled together for safe keeping so you don't lose any parts while not in use. - I recommend a strip rubberised tape (I use ISC Racers Tape) for the insides of the clamps for a very secure grip. NOTE: Some of my other useful designs and more information on how to use the system: https://www.thingiverse.com/leadingedge/designs