How to improve the return stroke, freehand sharpening

[Bladenoobie1]

I've been freehanding a lot recently, even sharpening relatives extremely dull kitchen knives. I feel that I've been getting good edges--can shave, push cut phone book paper, etc. The only issue I have is making the bevel even. My forward stroke has no issues, but on my return stroke I have a little trouble getting as a even bevel. The return stroke bevel side tends to be slightly wider toward the tip. I find this consistent with all the knives I sharpen--the return stroke bevel side is always a bit wider at the tip.

Any advice on how to get past this issue? I am using the sharpie to check my strokes when I start--even then the end result is always the same.


- BN

 

[mr_anderson]

I always have a hard time getting the tip really good. I've spent hours on different techniques, moving the knife a certain way... I've decided to save up for a wicked edge, even though I can shave with most of my knives, I would like cleaner and sharper edges.

 

[Bladenoobie1]

I always have a hard time getting the tip really good. I've spent hours on different techniques, moving the knife a certain way... I've decided to save up for a wicked edge, even though I can shave with most of my knives, I would like cleaner and sharper edges.

Wicked edge is too much of an investment for me at this time. I do enjoy freehand sharpening and I am achieving my desired level of sharpness. I just need work on getting those really nice consistent bevels. I feel as if I'm getting close, but the return stroke is just killing me.

 

[HeavyHanded]

Study what you're doing right on the forward pass, really break down the entire mechanics. There's likely a lot of little things you aren't even aware you're doing to make it work. Then study what you're doing on the return stroke. Again, take your time and try to just observe how you work it. Relax, don't do this while doing anything too involved, just take an old knife and maybe work on making the inclusive edge more acute - lower the spine. Its not easy, but not as tough as you might think. If there's anything you do better on the return pass, again, study it. Try to incorporate the principles from one side to the other. Go slow, this is kind of like trying to improve your handwriting. Its something you already know how to do, you're only trying to spot the specific sloppy tendencies and clean them up.

I found that working with shorter passes made a big difference, as did switching to a scrubbing type of stroke.

 

[Ben Dover]

The scrubbing stroke will likely help. If the stone is large enough, a heel to tip back and forth scrubbing stroke seems to work well. If the stone is smallish, a Japanese type scrub will work.

 

[hank_rearden]

The scrubbing stroke will likely help. If the stone is large enough, a heel to tip back and forth scrubbing stroke seems to work well. If the stone is smallish, a Japanese type scrub will work.

ditto on the scrubbing but doing that often leaves an uneven sharpening bevel line that can be just as unsightly. my return stroke makes a visibly shallower bevel than the forward. unevenness is bad only if it's really bad. for me, i try to equalize things on the last part (glass slab, treated strop and then plain strop.) your freehanding results convexing anyway. just make sure the edge is straight and sharp.

 

[Chris "Anagarika"]

Or try shifting to the other hand, so both will result in same spine height .. that's what I do

 

[Bladenoobie1]

I'm just not confident enough in my reverse hand dexterity. I am one of those weird people though without a dedicated hand to most tasks, rather half and half. My left is for things like eating, writing whereas my right hand is for anything requiring hand eye coordination such as throwing a ball. The bevel would probably look worse if I did as such. Anyhow my return stroke bevel is getting pretty close. Its just never as good as the forward one.

 

[Magnaminous_G]

Study what you're doing right on the forward pass, really break down the entire mechanics. There's likely a lot of little things you aren't even aware you're doing to make it work. Then study what you're doing on the return stroke. Again, take your time and try to just observe how you work it. Relax, don't do this while doing anything too involved, just take an old knife and maybe work on making the inclusive edge more acute - lower the spine. Its not easy, but not as tough as you might think. If there's anything you do better on the return pass, again, study it. Try to incorporate the principles from one side to the other. Go slow, this is kind of like trying to improve your handwriting. Its something you already know how to do, you're only trying to spot the specific sloppy tendencies and clean them up.

I found that working with shorter passes made a big difference, as did switching to a scrubbing type of stroke.

+1

These are words of wisdom, but then again I know the sharpener, so I already knew that.

For me, my push stroke (right-handed) tends to be less controlled and even than my pull stroke. To control this, I have to concentrate on forcing the heel down on the push stroke to maintain even contact with the bevel. I also tend to under estimate the angle on my pull stroke, making me put a shallower angle on the pull stroke that I intend to. To control this, I have to concentrate on bringing the angle up a bit (in my perception) on my pull stroke to keep the angles even on both sides.

As with HH above, I find myself using more careful, shorter "scrubbing" strokes these days. It gives me more control, although not everybody will need to do that. To each his own as everybody's hand/wrist mechanics, body height, etc. is different.

If your bevel is wide at the tip on one side, then that usually means you're not following the blade's curve on that side for the angle you are attempting. You can fix that by concentrating on lifting a bit more toward the tip to follow the natural curve of the blade. Or, as HH said, lower the angle for the rest of the blade at the heel.