Amazed At What A Piece of Glazed Tile Can Do

redsquid2

redsquid2

Free-Range Cheese Baby
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Aug 31, 2011
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I found a cutoff piece of tile from a construction job. I rubbed my knife back and forth at my preferred 20-degree angle, on the un-glazed side, then did the same thing on the glazed side, except more gently . This is the second time I have touched up my Buck folder like this, and it works great. I mean, if it pops hairs off my arm, that's good enough for me.

There is a trick: you have to find a flat spot on the back side of the tile, because there is
all kinds of texturing on that side.

Anybody else done this?
 
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Kind of related: I knew a guy on a landscaping crew used to rub his Schrade Old Timer against the concrete curb. I imagine it created a very rough edge, but perfect for the sawing action of cutting sod.
 
I use that method on my carbon steel Chinese cleaver. I saved about a 14" strip from when I was tiling our counter top. When we were kids, I saw my folks use the back of a ceramic coffee mug.
 
ceramic,yes.Concrete,no.An inverted coffee cup is a well proven method for quick touchups.Id recommend to stay away from the concrete curbs myself.
 
Cool thread! My dad has a piece of some kind of ceramic tile that he got who-knows-where years ago, and that thing puts an incredibly mean edge on a knife. Good information - thanks!
 
As a knife sharpening nut, I know just how far this sickness has progressed, every time I see a coffee mug, ceramic tile, ceramic coffee coaster, etc. Always pick 'em up to check the smoothness and consistency of the unglazed portions, looking for the least bumpy ones. Never know when/if it'll come in handy for a purpose totally unrelated to it's intended design. ;)

I even look at rocks on the ground the same way, and cardboard boxes as well. EDIT: And dirt, too (of all things). I actually have a zip-loc bag of fine sand/dirt scooped up off the ground outside. Mostly sandstone (silica), I think. I haven't done it yet, but I've given much thought to filtering it and rubbing it wet into a piece of leather, or actually soaking the leather in it, in water. No idea how this would perform, on a strop, but I can't escape thinking about it.
 
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I often help out with kitchen duty at friends and relatives and many as you know have very dull kitchen knives. First thing I do is go through the coffee mugs, find their thinnest blades and go to work. I've helped prep entire dinners with one of their sharpened steak knives!
 
Try the edge of a side window or your truck/car also:D.
 
Seals said:
ceramic,yes.Concrete,no.An inverted coffee cup is a well proven method for quick touchups.Id recommend to stay away from the concrete curbs myself.
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I read in FineHomebuilding that the lead installer on a top-notch insulation crew would sharpen an old kitchen knife on the curb while waiting for the boss to show up because it made a perfect edge for cutting fiberglass batts. The toothy edge is not good for a normal knife, but is both easy to get and the perfect edge for some tasks.
 
Obsessed with Edges said:
As a knife sharpening nut, I know just how far this sickness has progressed, every time I see a coffee mug, ceramic tile, ceramic coffee coaster, etc. Always pick 'em up to check the smoothness and consistency of the unglazed portions, looking for the least bumpy ones. Never know when/if it'll come in handy for a purpose totally unrelated to it's intended design. ;)

I even look at rocks on the ground the same way, and cardboard boxes as well. EDIT: And dirt, too (of all things). I actually have a zip-loc bag of fine sand/dirt scooped up off the ground outside. Mostly sandstone (silica), I think. I haven't done it yet, but I've given much thought to filtering it and rubbing it wet into a piece of leather, or actually soaking the leather in it, in water. No idea how this would perform, on a strop, but I can't escape thinking about it.
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ROFL, glad to see i'm not the only one
 
Obsessed with Edges said:
As a knife sharpening nut, I know just how far this sickness has progressed, every time I see a coffee mug, ceramic tile, ceramic coffee coaster, etc. Always pick 'em up to check the smoothness and consistency of the unglazed portions, looking for the least bumpy ones. Never know when/if it'll come in handy for a purpose totally unrelated to it's intended design. ;)

I even look at rocks on the ground the same way, and cardboard boxes as well. EDIT: And dirt, too (of all things). I actually have a zip-loc bag of fine sand/dirt scooped up off the ground outside. Mostly sandstone (silica), I think. I haven't done it yet, but I've given much thought to filtering it and rubbing it wet into a piece of leather, or actually soaking the leather in it, in water. No idea how this would perform, on a strop, but I can't escape thinking about it.
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You DO need help, brother. :-)

What's scary is, I'm starting to do the same thing--looking at different materials and wondering if they would work for stropping/sharpening.
 
Make yourself a great and reliable 'guided' system by picking up a 2- gallon pickle crock at a yard sale or flea market. These are glazed ceramic pots with just the right curve inside, so if you press your blade 'flat' against the side you are actually holding the edge at a steady bevel. (The curve of the crock allows contact with just the spine and the edge.) Just rub your knife around and around three or four times, keeping it flat against the side, then turn it over and do the opposite side a few turns. Then alternate once or twice and you have a very nicely honed edge on your knife with little work. This was an old Delicatessen Man's trick at the turn of the century in NY!


Stitchawl
 
stitchawl said:
Make yourself a great and reliable 'guided' system by picking up a 2- gallon pickle crock at a yard sale or flea market. These are glazed ceramic pots with just the right curve inside, so if you press your blade 'flat' against the side you are actually holding the edge at a steady bevel. (The curve of the crock allows contact with just the spine and the edge.) Just rub your knife around and around three or four times, keeping it flat against the side, then turn it over and do the opposite side a few turns. Then alternate once or twice and you have a very nicely honed edge on your knife with little work. This was an old Delicatessen Man's trick at the turn of the century in NY!


Stitchawl
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Now that's smart! Using the inside curvature of a cylinder against the blade, to set/maintain the correct edge angle is something I'd never heard of, but a very clever solution.
 
I once used the inside edge of a toilet tank lid. Just because :) It worked.

Greg
 
stitchawl said:
Make yourself a great and reliable 'guided' system by picking up a 2- gallon pickle crock at a yard sale or flea market. These are glazed ceramic pots with just the right curve inside, so if you press your blade 'flat' against the side you are actually holding the edge at a steady bevel. (The curve of the crock allows contact with just the spine and the edge.) Just rub your knife around and around three or four times, keeping it flat against the side, then turn it over and do the opposite side a few turns. Then alternate once or twice and you have a very nicely honed edge on your knife with little work. This was an old Delicatessen Man's trick at the turn of the century in NY!


Stitchawl
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That is very cool. It would also be a slightly convex edge, right?
 
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