Another sharpening question (sigh)

[Virg]

Okay, I know y'all must get sick of these, and I did read the FAQ's first. I've experienced success sharpening a knife for the first time this summer, using a Smith's TriHone. I started w/my Buck 124 using a circular motion and doing the blade (almost 7") in parts. I got it almost shaving sharp, it was taking off hair, if rather inefficiently. So then I decide to change my 'style' and begin doing long strokes that cover the length of the blade, and of course this changed my angle and I had to stroke that stone a long time to get it back. But now (and here comes the long-awaited question) it is shaving sharp only on one portion of the blade, the rest is I guess workably sharp but noticeably less so than the one 'sweet spot'. How should I proceed from here? Go back to the medium stone, work more on the fine until the whole blade is consistent? Oddly enough, my sweet spot is on the curvature of the blade as it begins to sweep up toward the point. The straight edge is sharp, and the point itself is dullest.

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V.

 

[Alberta Ed]

I only use bench stones and find that an angle guide such as those from Razor's edge of Buck (if you can still find one -- I think they're discontinued) works really well for establishing the correct bevel. Most of the time I don't bother with one, until the edge is so seriously worn that it warrants working up a new bevel again.

 

[Crayola]

Actually, your results don't sound that odd! I have two suggestions for you. First, try marking the edge of the knife with a magic marker. Take a few swipes and look at the results. If you are sharpening at the same angle, all of the black will be gone. If you are sharpening at an angle greater than the previous edge, the bottom of the edge will have no black while there will be ink on the top, and vice versa. Try it- it is easier than it sounds! Sharpening the tip is probably the hardest part of any knife but sharpening a knife is like grinding a blade: after reading all you can and asking a zillion questions, you just hafe to grab a bunch of blades and go at it. You will learn by doing.

My second tip is that getting a burr is very important. Go back to your medium stone and sharpen away, either using circles or "scraping" back and forth, until their is a good burr along the ENTIRE edge. Not part of the edge and not a teeny weeny burr either. Flip your knife over and repeat those steps until there is a good burr on the other side. Then go to the fine hone and do the same thing. After you have raised a good burr on both sides with the fine hone, do alternate strokes until the hair pops off your arm!! I would suggest taking things a little further. The next step is to raise your knife up a few degrees more and do alternate strokes again. This produces a "double edge" whick is sharp and long lasting.

Good luck!

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"Come What May..."

 

[Jeff Clark]

Your problem is very normal. The area that you are getting sharp first is subject to high abrasion pressure and gets hit by more of your strokes than the ends of your blade. If you had a perfectly straight blade the middle would probably get sharp first.

What I typically do is concentrate on sharpening the base of the blade (nearest the handle) first, then the point, then do long strokes to sharpen the whole blade. The middle and/or the belly gets sharpened at this phase. It evens out pretty well.

It is hard to sharpen the base of the blade. You typically have a ricasso and/or guard to work around and it is very hard to stroke close to the juncture between the edge and these regions. I like a long, coarse diamond hone to rough sharpen a blade. I turn the hone to slant away from my body and use two hands to draw the blade back and forth keeping the hone right next to the ricasso. Once I get a get a good burr there and even up the opposite side I'm ready for simple full length honing. (Though I probably work on the tip first).