I am so terrible at sharpening now

hardheart

hardheart

Joined
Sep 19, 2001
Messages
8,968
I don't know what happened, but I can't keep even bevels to save my soul. One side always ends up wider. I keep screwing up when transitioning through the belly to the tip. I'll raise the blade too high near the tip, then have to remove insultingly large amounts of steel to try to hit the edge again at a sane angle, resulting in really ugly and uneven bevels. I always had a bit of convexity to my edges due to freehanding, but now I'm so sloppy that my final included angles are double what I used to do. It doesn't matter how many times I reset the edge bevels, every time I transition to the next stone I lose the angles and have to sharpen 5 times as long to try to reach the edge again. Two decades of sharpening, thousands of dollars in knives, stones, and systems, and its like I woke up with someone else's hands a few weeks ago. I've been having to finish off edges with buffing wheels to get any decent sharpness and blend the bevels. DMT plates, waterstones, Norton crystolon and India, nothing I use is working out any longer.

It has gotten so bad that at this point I feel like dumping all my knives and switching exclusively to utility blades, sheepsfoot, and wharncliffe.:(
 
:eek::eek::eek:

Say it ain't so?

Try something with a tall blade like a kitchen knife, easier to judge the angle and feel mistakes. A mora can help get the "feel" back too.

Maybe you just need some new sharpening gear :D
 
Sure man, please take off the blind-fold while sharpening, it could be dangerous :p

Any pics for onlookers to poke at?
 
It'll pass. I have the same feeling sometimes. And I'm using a Sharpmaker and vertical stone holding blocks.
 
I'll probably get dumped on for saying this, but why not try a guide? I can sharpen free hand, and did for years, but after I read the Razor Edge Book of Sharpening I thought I'd try a guide. I started with a cheap plastic guide from DMT, and then tried the Cub guide from Razor Edge. My edges weren't that much better than I could do freehand, but it did take me less time to sharpen and the results were always consistent. I use a guide most times when I sharpen my knives now, and when I do sharpen freehand, having used the guide helps with the muscle memory of holding the blade at the right angle to the stone
 
I feel for you man.

Is there any significant change in your other areas of life such as job, family, health?

Suggest to simply store your gears, just bring along a SAK or other simple steel for time being until the phase is over. Who knows you'll get better when it's back.
 
Try shortening the length of your stroke - scrubbing movements like Murray Carter instead of sweeping passes. I had a couple bouts of belly-itis and decided to relearn how I sharpen (this coming off wrist surgery). Took a few but well worth it.
 
I hear you man. I have a wicked edge, and my bevels still come out wide, or uneven. Regardless of where I position the knife. I've followed all of the instruction to no avail. My knives get sharp, but do have wide, or uneven bevels.....Sharpening has become quite the PITA.
 
Maybe sharpen some older steel like 1095 or O1?

Maybe teach someone else to sharpen?


Sorry you're having troubles sharpening.

I'm interested to see how you solve this problem.

Good luck. :)
 
Maybe take a break... step away from it a bit... come back when you're ready to sharpen, and not just trying to overcome the frustration.
 
Cripes I HATE those days. I've had to just put things down a few times and walk away, some days the feel just ISN'T there.

Put 'er down and walk away, come back in a day or two and it'll be back to normal. Or c'mon over to the belt-grinding side! :D
 
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