I am new to sharpening by hand and I have finally managed to get my bk11 to shaving sharp. It's not perfect, but I am using a 4 inch diamond stone from wallyworld and my hand as a strop. Here is a link to some great videos posted here on BF. The third one down is a video of Jerry Fisk sharpening knives at a gathering.
Warning! Extremely useful info:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...head-Gathering?highlight=Beckerhead+gathering
I have a king 250/1000 waterstone, on clich's recommendation, in my online shopping cart with some other goodies, including green compound, that I am planning on buying in the next month with some bonus money. Yay! I think my main problem was making too many passes with too much pressure and not enough very light passes.
I am also glad to know that my current stone will definitely work out in the field if needed. It comes with a handy case that doubles as the handle. Getting a good edge on your blade freehand definitely puts a smile on my face.
Update: adding some tips I have compiled to help some folks.
So bumping this to add a few tips that I made up tonight that helped me.
1. Get a larger stone. I got a norton 8" x 2" course/fine india oilstone for under 25 wampums shipped.
2. Use oil. I used wd40. (I know it's not technically oil but Fisk and Clich use it so......)
3. Place stone on towel or something thin and stable to give it traction to keep from sliding.
4. Use both hands.
5. Watch to make sure you are raising butt of knife as rounding the curve of the blade to compensate length/angle difference to keep consistent angle on secondary bevel.
6. Watch the oil push in front of your blade. Make sure it is pushing a pool in front of the edge so you know that the cutting edge is being sharpened and not just grinding down the secondary bevel line. Watching that pool of oil let's you know visually what part of blade it touching the stone at the edge.
7. Start with a few heavy pressure passes per side and keep it even. With each set get progressively lighter.
8. On the last few passes "strop" the blade on the stone. (run it "backwards" with the edge trailing.)
9. Get some buffing compound to strop your blade on leather or cardboard. This part is key to a great sharp edge.
Hope this helps some freehand noobs. I am a noob too, but following these guidelines that I have put together from videos and reading and over thinking the process, I now have 2 sharp knives.
Warning! Extremely useful info:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...head-Gathering?highlight=Beckerhead+gathering
I have a king 250/1000 waterstone, on clich's recommendation, in my online shopping cart with some other goodies, including green compound, that I am planning on buying in the next month with some bonus money. Yay! I think my main problem was making too many passes with too much pressure and not enough very light passes.
I am also glad to know that my current stone will definitely work out in the field if needed. It comes with a handy case that doubles as the handle. Getting a good edge on your blade freehand definitely puts a smile on my face.
Update: adding some tips I have compiled to help some folks.
So bumping this to add a few tips that I made up tonight that helped me.
1. Get a larger stone. I got a norton 8" x 2" course/fine india oilstone for under 25 wampums shipped.
2. Use oil. I used wd40. (I know it's not technically oil but Fisk and Clich use it so......)
3. Place stone on towel or something thin and stable to give it traction to keep from sliding.
4. Use both hands.
5. Watch to make sure you are raising butt of knife as rounding the curve of the blade to compensate length/angle difference to keep consistent angle on secondary bevel.
6. Watch the oil push in front of your blade. Make sure it is pushing a pool in front of the edge so you know that the cutting edge is being sharpened and not just grinding down the secondary bevel line. Watching that pool of oil let's you know visually what part of blade it touching the stone at the edge.
7. Start with a few heavy pressure passes per side and keep it even. With each set get progressively lighter.
8. On the last few passes "strop" the blade on the stone. (run it "backwards" with the edge trailing.)
9. Get some buffing compound to strop your blade on leather or cardboard. This part is key to a great sharp edge.
Hope this helps some freehand noobs. I am a noob too, but following these guidelines that I have put together from videos and reading and over thinking the process, I now have 2 sharp knives.
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