DMT aligner clamp

[Trip7]

Hello

I've been thinking about trying some freehand sharpening and had a question about the DMT aligner clamp. I know from watching some of the videos that you are supposed to raise the handle on the knife when you reach the curved section of the knife but don't know if this applies when using the aligner clamp.

Thanks everyone

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

Here's a vid from DMT, showing how the clamp is used to sharpen a kitchen knife on a bench stone. It pretty much shows how the motion used with the clamp will closely duplicate a freehand stroke. The handle will still 'lift' a bit, so long as one makes sure to keep the edge portion being worked in contact with the stone, and the guide rod always stays on the table's surface, without lifting off. The arc of the blade's edge will essentially 'steer' how much the handle will lift:

(...and Welcome to the Forum!)
[video=youtube;iZOM_3Xi8O0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZOM_3Xi8O0[/video]


David

 

[Trip7]

Hello

I really can't tell if the handle is lifting when he gets to the curved section of the blade. Most of the video's I've seen there is a very obvious lifting of the handle starting at the curve. Would the much smaller rise of the handle at the curve using the DMT aligner cause any problem sharpening the curved section of the blade?

Thanks

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

Hello

I really can't tell if the handle is lifting when he gets to the curved section of the blade. Most of the video's I've seen there is a very obvious lifting of the handle starting at the curve. Would the much smaller rise of the handle at the curve using the DMT aligner cause any problem sharpening the curved section of the blade?

Thanks

It likely wouldn't be an issue in the curved part (belly) of the blade. Most blades are pretty straightforward in sharpening that portion; for me, the belly is the part that usually gets the sharpest, and earliest. The natural 'sweep' of the blade across the hone, from heel to tip and through the belly portion, is what gets it done, and it doesn't require much special attention beyond that. More often, the very tip of a blade, with the factory bevels, might be an issue. The edge angle at the tip is often pretty wide, and a lot of the 'lift' that you've seen in videos is likely due to that, in order for the bevels to make flush contact at the very tip. If the edge angle there is very obtuse, the 'lift' of the handle will look more extreme, to meet it.

When using something like the Aligner clamp to sharpen, it's best to use the initial sharpening to completely reset the bevels. That'll set a more realistic angle for the tip, after which the touch-up sharpening will be simpler.


David