DIY Kitchen Knife Sharpener, kinda cool idea

[Hickory n steel]

Well I'm not into pull through sharpeners, but his take on this flex to match concept was pretty cool since it uses stones.
There's a new sharpener all over tv that uses this concept but again cheapo Chinese junk with tungsten carbide to shear off material and give you a shitty rough chattery edge.
I'm not sure but I think the Dan Bloc pull through might have been the first to use this s concept.


I've watched some of this guy's videos before and some knife related stuff he has done were pretty cool.
He's made a wooden DA otf, and used some ultra thin shavings of different woods to make a wooden knife with a Damascus steel look to it.

 

[Lapedog]

First off, like most of you, I like a mirror polish on my knives, but there are times where it doesn't work better. My EDCs, butchery knives, and chisels (come to think of it) get a mirror polish. It's been my experience that doing the same to a primarily-vegetable knife is counter-productive. 800-1000x is a nice middle ground for a general purpose kitchen knives. [it has something to do with the cell structure of plant material versus animal material]

I felt compelled to say the above because I know some will balk at a pull through sharpener, especially those that use carbide and stone/ceramic (Henckels twin sharp?!!).

But I think this guys approach is one of the best I've seen. He actually has much more contact surface than you get with the average store bought ones. There is room for improvement, but if this is his own idea, hats off

Someone did a test where they sharpened a knife with only horizontal strokes and no vertical stroke. (Simulating a pull through sharpener, but it was done on bench stones) They wanted to test what would happen if one was to sharpen his knife using this type if horizontal stroke. (Drawing the blade along the stone from heel to tip, or tip to heel)

What he found was the edge looked beautiful and mirror polished. Then he checked the edge under a microscope. The edge was totally jagged and damaged. Horizontal strokes somehow damaged the apex even though it polished the shoulders. This guy was a pro sharpenener, he was doing this test for his own curiosity.

I postulate that as the carbides come out of the steel on the edge they are drawn down along the edge by the horizontal stroke. With a vertical edge leading stroke the carbide comes off the apex and rolls over the shoulder and no longer has contact with the apex. (Sure enough under a microscope we can see where the carbide came off the apex and left a trail up the shoulder) Even more refined is edge trailing strokes as the carbide breaks off it no longer has contact with the blade.

I wanted to believe horizontal strokes were a viable option, because I was tending to give them when freehand sharpening. But since learning better I try to make my strokes more vertical. (Diagonal really)

 

[Twindog]

They fella has some very cool carpentry skills, that's for sure. But the this, like all pullthroughs is going to bring the apex in contact with the stones and blunt whatever goes into it. At its best it might help super deformed edges on kitchen knives to get slightly better, but a Sharpmaker would be a much better choice for kitchen knife touch ups.

I don't see how the contact of the edge bevel is any different than with a Sharpmaker. Basically, it's a horizontal sharpening stroke vs a vertical sharpening stroke. How does that dull the apex?

He didn't show that the edge was actually improved, and that was a mistake making it difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of the sharpener. So from what I saw, it's still an open question as to how well it sharpens.

 

[panoz77]

Well I'm not into pull through sharpeners, but his take on this flex to match concept was pretty cool since it uses stones.
There's a new sharpener all over tv that uses this concept but again cheapo Chinese junk with tungsten carbide to shear off material and give you a shitty rough chattery edge.

I just saw that one last night and had to laugh, I was going to post a thread on it. It wouldn't be bad if it used ceramic rods instead of the tungsten carbide. I am trying to remember the name but it was late and I was about out.

 

[Twindog]

This idea confuses me, too. I don't see how a horizontal stroke would damage the apex. I thought that horizontal strokes are often used by master Japanese sharpeners.

I often mix vertical and horizontal strokes to remove scratches and haven't noticed any problems.

Someone did a test where they sharpened a knife with only horizontal strokes and no vertical stroke. (Simulating a pull through sharpener, but it was done on bench stones) They wanted to test what would happen if one was to sharpen his knife using this type if horizontal stroke. (Drawing the blade along the stone from heel to tip, or tip to heel)

What he found was the edge looked beautiful and mirror polished. Then he checked the edge under a microscope. The edge was totally jagged and damaged. Horizontal strokes somehow damaged the apex even though it polished the shoulders. This guy was a pro sharpenener, he was doing this test for his own curiosity.

I postulate that as the carbides come out of the steel on the edge they are drawn down along the edge by the horizontal stroke. With a vertical edge leading stroke the carbide comes off the apex and rolls over the shoulder and no longer has contact with the apex. (Sure enough under a microscope we can see where the carbide came off the apex and left a trail up the shoulder) Even more refined is edge trailing strokes as the carbide breaks off it no longer has contact with the blade.

I wanted to believe horizontal strokes were a viable option, because I was tending to give them when freehand sharpening. But since learning better I try to make my strokes more vertical. (Diagonal really)

 

[Hickory n steel]

I just saw that one last night and had to laugh, I was going to post a thread on it. It wouldn't be bad if it used ceramic rods instead of the tungsten carbide. I am trying to remember the name but it was late and I was about out.

I think it was called the Bavarian edge.
Totally unrealistic how quickly it gets an edge on a knife, not to mention the spreader or the credit card.

 

[panoz77]

I think it was called the Bavarian edge.
Totally unrealistic how quickly it gets an edge on a knife, not to mention the spreader or the credit card.

That's it, LOL. Sharpening the credit card was classic, amazing what these snake oil salesmen can come up with to sell something. Like why would I care if it could sharpen plastic? What does that prove? LOL

 

[halden.doerge]

I don't see how the contact of the edge bevel is any different than with a Sharpmaker. Basically, it's a horizontal sharpening stroke vs a vertical sharpening stroke. How does that dull the apex?

He didn't show that the edge was actually improved, and that was a mistake making it difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of the sharpener. So from what I saw, it's still an open question as to how well it sharpens.

The wedging of the blade between the two sides and then pulling the blade through is the problem. It'll tear material out of the apex. And the apex is basically being dragged on top of the stones at the bottom of the V. It'll make a terrible edge a little better, but it'll jack up anything else. My 2 cents, that's all.

 

[Lapedog]

I don't see how the contact of the edge bevel is any different than with a Sharpmaker. Basically, it's a horizontal sharpening stroke vs a vertical sharpening stroke. How does that dull the apex?

He didn't show that the edge was actually improved, and that was a mistake making it difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of the sharpener. So from what I saw, it's still an open question as to how well it sharpens.

Spyderco Sharpmaker uses vertical strokes. You set up the sticks in a v and drag the edge down from the top of the V to the bottom. Horizontal stroke is referring to strokes where the blade only moves heel to tip or tip to heel without moving as you would on the sharpmaker rods set in the jig. (From the top of the v to the bottom is a vertical stroke. When I say vertical stroke it is usually actually a diagonal stroke as we move the blade from the top of the v to the bottom we also draw the blade back)

It is these strictly horizontal strokes (as seen on pull through sharpeners) that cause an inferior edge. I am not sure on what causes it, that is why I said “I postulate.” All i know is that it does happen.

 

[Sosa]

Pull throughs are great for crappy knives that do dirty work. Don’t want to fill up your prized stone with mastic or other such rubbish

 

[Hickory n steel]

That's it, LOL. Sharpening the credit card was classic, amazing what these snake oil salesmen can come up with to sell something. Like why would I care if it could sharpen plastic? What does that prove? LOL

I know, I can sharpen a credit card with the knife in my pocket.
If I make a video of sharpening a piece of plastic with the knife in my pocket does that mean it's a good knife sharpener ? Not that it's any kind of knife sharpener at all.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

This is the sort of knife-related tinkering that makes me salivate, and also makes me wish I had a shopful of all the necessary power tools. Pretty cool.

I could see it working pretty well for it's intended use. And the sacrifice of an old, tired India stone, in support of the cause, is brilliant. I saw the 'orange' stones in there, and sort of assumed he'd used some pocket-sized India stones for the 'teeth' of the tool.

This tool doesn't have the horrid, scissor-edged, pinching, apex-ripping bite of a typical carbide pull-thru sharpener, because the abrasive surfaces are flush and flat to the bevels, which distributes pressure broadly against the bevels. This means there's none of the focused pressure points laterally against the edge, as with the other typical carbide pull-thru types. I don't see it doing the damage to an edge that those other pull-throughs can do, with their cutting edges (sharp corners) biting into the steel from both sides, literally as if cutting it with scissors.

As with any pull-thru, I'm not real crazy about the grind lines going parallel to the cutting edge, which mutes it's toothy bite a bit; but I don't think it's going to do much harm in the typical light uses of a kitchen knife. With those, a crisp apex and thin geometry are king; and it looks like this gadget can accomplish that.

 

[Chris "Anagarika"]

I have never used a pull through because i was told it ruins a knife. I use a cheap lansky to sharpen.

But how exactly does a pull through ruin a knife?? Its a bit silly how i just listened to someone without fully understanding.

HeavyHanded has done some research to it, here: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/the-6-dollar-carbide-scraper-and-you-with-micrographs.1145015/
Alas, many of the images are ruined by Photobucket, but hopefully his narrative provides some insights to the issue.

 

[HeavyHanded]

HeavyHanded has done some research to it, here: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/the-6-dollar-carbide-scraper-and-you-with-micrographs.1145015/
Alas, many of the images are ruined by Photobucket, but hopefully his narrative provides some insights to the issue.

Chris, I went back and fixed all the links.

I haven't watched the video, but pull throughs don't have to always perform poorly. Flip the cutters often so any defects don't cut a ledge into the bevel.

 

[Chris "Anagarika"]

Chris, I went back and fixed all the links.

I haven't watched the video, but pull throughs don't have to always perform poorly. Flip the cutters often so any defects don't cut a ledge into the bevel.

Thanks! It’s useful to provide reference point. I might not ever use it but good to know what works and doesn’t and why.

And ... Happy new year!

 

[Mo2]

I would never ever sharpen a knife like this. And no one else should either.

 

[HeavyHanded]

I would never ever sharpen a knife like this. And no one else should either.

For folks that really have no freehand skills, is a lot better choice than a grooved steel and maybe even better than a benchstone.

 

[nine4t4]

Thanks to mods, for choosing the appropriate thread. But commenting that they didn't watch it, had nothing to add feels worthy of a response. He could have said nothing, rather than take the effort to say nothing. I agree most pull throughs are BS but this guy put some thought into it. Read craytab's post again, especially if he made a complaint.

The post isn't an endorsement of pull throughs, hence the preamble, but of a guy that did it, possibly, a bit better.

I think that others have taken the same view, not their thing either, but they watched it. And some watched it and had nothing to say, so they didn't.

Funny how forum mods look at posts with utter capriciousness and not objectiveness. As the thread unfolds there are people that appreciated the video, and did not appreciate Mr. "I'm too sexy" even, if like me, they think pull throughs are lazy and generally ruinous.

Seriously, are the community standards such that a douchey "non-statements" are more defensible than being called out for one. Nevermind, monetization is the answer.

 

[DeadboxHero]

His carpentry skills are amazing.

But It looks like a waste of a perfectly good stone. Hahaha

 

[craytab]

Thanks to mods, for choosing the appropriate thread. But commenting that they didn't watch it, had nothing to add feels worthy of a response. He could have said nothing, rather than take the effort to say nothing. I agree most pull throughs are BS but this guy put some thought into it. Read craytab's post again, especially if he made a complaint.

The post isn't an endorsement of pull throughs, hence the preamble, but of a guy that did it, possibly, a bit better.

I think that others have taken the same view, not their thing either, but they watched it. And some watched it and had nothing to say, so they didn't.

Funny how forum mods look at posts with utter capriciousness and not objectiveness. As the thread unfolds there are people that appreciated the video, and did not appreciate Mr. "I'm too sexy" even, if like me, they think pull throughs are lazy and generally ruinous.

Seriously, are the community standards such that a douchey "non-statements" are more defensible than being called out for one. Nevermind, monetization is the answer.

Wow!

I can show someone how to get a better edge in 20 minutes on a $18 Norton from the hardware store than any pull through. No need to reinvent the wheel. if one wants an even easier way than to learn to sharpen properly, there are far better methods than a pull through.