Few things I've learned about hand sharpening

[nemesis27]

Figure this might help some of the other new guy's venturing over here as this is what I've learned. Some of the simple, and to most of you I'm sure, common sense type things to think about when sharpening is:

Be in the right state of mind and TAKE YOUR TIME. In the beginning for some, it should be an involved process.

The most important things I've learned is get that angle correct and HOLD it. I've started off with the right angle and screwed it up in the end having multiple grind lines. Like they all say, practice on some cheaper knives until you learn and can hold an angle.

Another thing is (for me) less is more. be gentle in your strokes, don't try and rush it and think "man I've got to use some force and grind the heck outta this thing" Let the stone do the work. Keep checking it for that burr.

Burr - Don't flip until you got one. I use to have a hard time raising one because I kept changing the angle and I figured "heck it looks OK, I'll flip it" Well now that I've learned to be patient and hold that angle until i get that burr. Now I noticed my knives have a much better edge on them, sharper, more efficient and better looking.

I'm sure you guy's have TONS more to add to this if you like, I just wanted to share a few things I've taken notice of in doing this skill/art for the last 6'ish months.

 

[Chris "Anagarika"]

Nemesis,

Thanks for sharing. This is very very important for newbies .. and I consider myself newbies as I have not yet been able to consistently do so ..

 

[gazz98]

Holding a consistent angle, not only on consecutive passes but also on the reverse side of the knife, is the hardest for me too (noob here). I know there are alignment guides out but I like the idea of doing it freehand. It just takes practice and experience.

 

[nemesis27]

Holding a consistent angle, not only on consecutive passes but also on the reverse side of the knife, is the hardest for me too (noob here). I know there are alignment guides out but I like the idea of doing it freehand. It just takes practice and experience.

I hear ya brother. I find that the when sharpening the right side of the blade (moving it towards you is the hardest for me yet I get the best results from that side as I'm being more careful cause of it's awkwardness lol. I have a ton of angle "holders" but I really need to get proficient at not using any mechanisms. I'm glad you all dig what I wrote, if you got something I should take heed in let me know as I'm just learning this as well.

 

[dantzk8]

Aside the angle holding the most critical part of the sharpening process is, for me, the burr removal. It has to be done very softly and slowly on a strope or on a very fine stone, using a steeper angle than the sharpening one, to don't tear off and blunt the very edge.

dantzk.

 

[Jason B.]

Holding the angle when sharpening free hand is the most important part but you must also remember that you will end up with mulitple micro angles creating a micro convex edge. No matter how hard you try it will always be this way unless you are using something like a edge-pro or like sharpining device. Raising the burr and making sure you keep flipping it from side to side while sharpening is good on coarser stones but when you move to the finner stones I find it better to use one stroke per side. Doing it this way (for me) seems to create a better/sharper finished edge.

Here is a pic of a knife I was sharpening with a DMT UF 1200grit stone. when looking at the edge with the naked eye it looks perfectly stright but under magnification you can see all of the other angles.

 

[Scaevolus]

I find that the when sharpening the right side of the blade (moving it towards you is the hardest for me yet I get the best results from that side as I'm being more careful cause of it's awkwardness

I do the same thing. I usually get a better edge on the right side and can hold that edge at the same angle consistently.

When looking at the cutting bevels on a knife I've just sharpened, it seems that they're pretty rounded. Not cool. Yet I'm still able to get a very sharp edge on just the Arkansas stone that I use. Not shaving sharp, but enough to cut through paper with ease. Guess I just need more practice.

 

[crbauhs]

well from wat im getting outta this is that you guys pull the knife to you when sharpening the left side of the blade? well wat i do is push it also for the left side. jsut hold the knife in ur left hand and put ur right on the blade as a guide and go for it. i get very uniform and nice edges doing this. of course followed by stropping.

 

[nemesis27]

well from wat im getting outta this is that you guys pull the knife to you when sharpening the left side of the blade? well wat i do is push it also for the left side. jsut hold the knife in ur left hand and put ur right on the blade as a guide and go for it. i get very uniform and nice edges doing this. of course followed by stropping.

Actually it's the right side of the blade that I tend to pull towards me. Actually reading what your saying agaian I think that's what you meant. I will definatley try as well :thumbup:


knifenut: I never thought about trying just a swipe per side. You know it makes sense though to me as I ALWAYS tend to sharpen more than I have to which results in a dull blade for some reason, haha. I tend to get a little over zealous with my sharpening. How do you make your movements and what is your technique for keeping that angle as much as possible? Do you basically picture your arms/wrist' as non movable machines and use a push slight twist with your body ( I probably look like im doing the robot when I sharpen my knives lol, maybe I should post a video of that, give you all a laugh) or do you just use a restricted fluidic motion and use the opposite hand to help keep the angle?

Also do you guy's commonly learn the factory angle before you sharpen as to not change it? I ask because I recently bought a Emerson CQC-15 and decided to make it a v grind instead of chisel and put a shallower angle on it. Ever since I did this I can not get the knife nearly as sharp as it came from the factory. Of course this could be sharpener error but even after using the sharpmaker it still is not where it was from factory. It shaves just fine but will not split hairs easily or at all for that matter.

 

[Jason B.]

My sharpening technique can very quite a bit, I have been hand sharpening for 17 years and have learned many different ways to do it. My most common method is to hold the knife in one hand and the stone in the other, I use a fluid movement of both stone and knife to follow the angle. Factory angles and edges usually suck so the first thing I do is sharpen a new knife, I don't really know angles, but unless the factory angle is to obtuse I just usually follow what the factory started.

The 154cm emerson uses can be a bear to sharpen, it takes a lot longer per stone and even longer to strop. Take your time and work it a little longer than normal.