How did you first learn to sharpen a knife?

Ultimately, I learned by trial and error. I've gotten lots of half assed advice over the years, and came to the conclusion that most folks do what they do without ever any critical evaluation. After tiring of advice, sometimes contradictory, that never worked as well as I thought it should, I eventually figured out not only the "how", but the "why". Eliminates the mystery and folklore.
 
I read A LOT on here, then tried everything I read about myself. Practiced the things that seemed to be working and tossed out techniques that weren't effective.

Had no idea how to sharpen beforehand. It was all just a matter of trying.
 
My first exposure was in my Cub Scout Wolf Handbook. It was one of the skills that I picked up when I was around 7 or 8. My uncle and my grandpa gave me some pointers, but basically I just used the family double-sided aluminum oxide oil stone for the next 7 or 8 years. This was back around 50 years ago and all the knives were non-stainless. It was really easy to get razor edges, particularly if you did a little stropping on leather after you finished.
 
I remember sharpening an old hunting knife on the sidewalk when I was a kid. But I guess "learning" how to do it was simply trial-and-error with some cheap medium-grit stones.
 
my great grandpa was a big tool/carpenter guy, and i always hear great stories about him whenever i pull out a knife or a sharpening stone.

my dad once told me what my great grandpa told him, how to check for sharpness by tapping the edge on your fingernail to see if it sticks or skates.

i started reading articles and articles, getting the same thing out of all of them. i tried using flakes of bricks and fine river stones, as i read about as emergency sharpeners. it didn't work, but i still managed to cut myself occasionally.

i finally saved up about $12 or so and bought a two sided 6" bench stone at the hardware store and got to work sharpening anything i could lay my hands on. after about six months i got it down pat and was getting almost shaving edges without a strop or anything, just using the "fine" side of the stone (which i now consider fairly course). i mostly just tried until i found something that worked.

now i mostly use a 1x30 belt sander, except for some tools that don't work very well. i still break out the stones from time to time, but its mostly the sander and sandpaper on mousepad for me.

i do want to get some diamond benchstones though...
 
Like many others I learned how to sharpen knives from my dad many years ago when the only thing was a good bench stone. I guess I learned the lessons fairly well. I will use a Sharpmaker to finish up on edges but for the rest of sharpening bench stones are the way to go. I find it rather funny, funny is not the right word, how many folks I read about on these knife fourms who don't have a clue as to how to go about sharpening a knife or even how to care for one. It is sad that so many of them may have a nice collection of high dollar knives but when they go dull they are sending them back for sharpening or trying to find some one to do it for them. If that doesn't work they are in search of some kind of gadget to do it. I guess a lot of the old methods and practices have gone by the way in favor of let Joe do it. Hey, what do I know anyway.
 
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My story is simple. Got an EdgePro. The story continues as I just placed a large order for an array of glass stones to learn free hand sharpening. Wish me luck.
 
I started around ten when my dad gave me his Browning Arkansas stone in a nice wooden box. It had been given to him by his father and it was very old and a little dished. My dad was never any good at sharpening and he really didn't show me how to use it. I practiced with my Old Timer but never got very good results, the edges felt sharp to the touch, but they wouldn't cut well (I know now that I was rounding the edge). I finaly got my dad a DMT Aligner kit and ended up using it for myself. I learned alot from that kit and sharpened many knives with it. A few years and alot of trial and error later, I can sharpen anything that is supposed to cut. I also learned alot from this forum, a bunch of tips and concepts that put me on a new level of sharpness. I now freehand on benchstones to thin out the factory edges and then I use the Sharpmaker to keep my edges as straight as possible.
 
10 years old, my dad, and a stone. Nice to see this a tradition so many people have experienced.

My kid got to learn on a spyderco sharpmaker. Not the same.
 
Helping my uncle castrate hogs, when I was about 12.
The knife a pocket Barlow style, had a well worn well blade very sharp!
The style of sharpening used was just the old circular style, seemed to
work pretty darn good for the good ole boyz there was no time or place
to be fussy about the " correct way" just get it sharp boy, he used say to me:D
 
I actually used the methods I had seen soldiers and cowboys and maybe Tarzan use in movies on TV. I knew what I was going for and I just did it like it looked like they were doing it.
 
I'm currently reading The Razor Edge Book of Sharpening by John Juranitch and realize now that I have been doing things that defeat my efforts to get a really razor sharp knife. I recommend the book to everyone. Of course, all of you have probably already read it. One thing that makes sense to me is that using honeing oil is a mistake page 21.)
 
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