Having trouble maintaining angle freehand.

[SC_Dave]

I would really appreciate some tips. I'm using DMT 3 x 8 plates. It's not as bad on smaller knives like pocket knives or smaller sheath knives. When I get into longer kitchen knives or cleavers I can't seem to maintain the angle over the length of the blade. I know freehand is not exact but I gotta do better than I'm doing. Suggestions?

 

[pjwoolw]

You could always pick up a Togeru or Mino Sharp angle guide. One of those might help you out until you get your angles down. I use one once in a while when I get out of whack on my sharpening angle.

 

[vtvman]

If you could post a video of you sharpening it would really help us pinpoint areas you need to improve on. But generally you want to lock your wrists and follow the belly of the blade by raising your elbow. Use minimal pressure and have a light grip on the knife. I also do not sharpen pocket knives the same way i do kitchen knives so you may need to play around with your preferred style to find out what you like best. These are just some things that helped me when I was learning.

 

[bpeezer]

Get some big, cheap knives and practice. After working with a machete, kitchen knives will work much smoother

 

[SC_Dave]

QUESTION:

May sound dumb, but do you guys sit or stand when sharpening?

 

[Bladenoobie1]

QUESTION:

May sound dumb, but do you guys sit or stand when sharpening?

Sitting is more comfortable and if you're going to sharpen for a long time, its much easier on the back; however, I find that standing up while sharpening gives me better control over the edge and lets me see the edge better.

 

[Chris "Anagarika"]

Here's a thread that might be helpful: www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1082724-Frustrated-with-free-handing

 

[HeavyHanded]

I would really appreciate some tips. I'm using DMT 3 x 8 plates. It's not as bad on smaller knives like pocket knives or smaller sheath knives. When I get into longer kitchen knives or cleavers I can't seem to maintain the angle over the length of the blade. I know freehand is not exact but I gotta do better than I'm doing. Suggestions?

With larger blades like chef knives and machetes, break the blade down into overlapping sections. Its very difficult to maintain consistent angle with large sweeping movements the entire length of the blade, much easier when using abbreviated strokes.

ETA: I always sharpen standing.

 

[SC_Dave]

Thanks for the advise all. I'll take all I can get. vtvman, I'll try to get a video post asap. Thanks guys, keep it coming!

 

[Zuluninja]

on bigger blades try sharpening from the handle to the tip in sections. After sharpening the section closest to you wrap a rag over it and grip the blade in that portion, that will give you better control from there to the tip.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

With larger blades, I've found it easier to use a back/forth 'sawing' motion (for lack of a better description), parallelling the long axis of the blade, while re-shaping or grinding new bevels. Keep wrist & hand essentially straight as possible, in-line with the forearm. I also use my index finger extended straight, along the side of the blade. Seems to help me 'feel' the bevels this way, and therefore easier to keep them flush to the hone. To some extent, I even do this with smaller blades, down to traditional folder size.

Once the bevels are set, I usually just use a heel-to-tip sweeping stroke to put finishing touches on the bevels & apex, in just a few featherlight passes.


David

 

[T. Erdelyi]

I always have a hard time maintaining in general but in regards to the blade angle? I've learned to hold the blade against the stone with my fingers posing the blade along the stone and use my thumbs as the angle guide. Once you set the angle by essentially resting/wedging the blade against your thumbs you just push against the stone like your trying to slide a playing card back into the deck of cards while it's sitting on the table. It's hard to visualize I'll hafta see if I can take a pic or video.

The other way I do larger knives is to hold the stone in my left hand and the blade in my right and sharpen in the air.

Practice is the most important thing in learning to maintain angles, you develop muscle memory the more you do it, when I was first learning I used to sharpen knives for at least 1-2 hours every day, one last comment, is always easier to maintain a good edge than it is to resharpen sharpen really dull one.

 

[Twindog]

From wood scraps, I built an angled ramp that holds the stone. It works like the Sharpmaker, but instead of keeping the blade vertical, I just keep the blade horizontal. It's still freehanding, but it's much easier to maintain a horizontal angle than a 15- or 20- or whatever angle I'm trying to achieve.