I still suck at sharpening.

D

dberry

Joined
Oct 16, 2007
Messages
595
I have never been good at sharpening even after all these years. I usually use a rod sharpener and I wonder if I am not speneding enough time on the blade or have the wrong angle. Everytime I get done it is sharper but not hair shaving sharp like I need it to be. Give me some tips please.
 
Tip #1
The better the sharpening tool the better the results.

Tip#2
Learning everything about sharpening takes forever and you never stop learning.

Tip#3
Buy better sharpening tools. (DMT benchstones) ;)
 
My best tip is to learn how to use what you have. I have gotten cheap knives toshaving/push cut paper with just 180 grit adhesive backed sandpaper, a piece of 1x1x20" wood and a loaded strop.



The trick is to get a consistent angle, that is paramount. If you are talking about a chefs steel it is not for sharpening, it is for fixing the burr caused by cutting between sharpenings.
 
+1 to DMT products.

I was going to buy some really nice (expensive:eek:) stones, then I got a DMT diafold instead -with fine/extra fine sides:). It has been a good decision.

After you learn how to put a decent edge on your knife, which takes patience and practice -One thing that I really think helps finnish a knife is a leather strop (just buy a non-coated leather belt from a thrift shop). I dont even use diamond compounds on my strop and I can notice the difference.

P.S. use the marker trick to see what you are sharpening.
 
My best advice is to get a bunch of cheap knives ( garage sales, flea markets,sell-outs etc.) and practice. Study all you can about it. It's not rocket science , just practice and hand/eye co-ordination with some "feel" mixed in. After a while, you'll be able to sharpen almost anything. I learned on just a basic benchstone. Consistent angle is the main trick.
 
Edge Pro Apex; something that keeps the blade at a very consistent angle helped me quite a lot.
 
dberry said:
I have never been good at sharpening even after all these years. I usually use a rod sharpener...
Click to expand...

Not sure what you mean by a rod sharpener. There are tons of shapening tips and videos all over this forum and YouTube.

1. Slow down. You'll never get a good edge if you try and rush the job.
2. Whatever method you use, you have to keep a constant angle when sharpening.
3. Depending on the method you are using it may take a long time to remove enough metal to get a good edge. If the "rod" is a sharpening steel, steels don't sharpen anything. If the "rod" is a ceramic rod or diamond coated rod it may take a very long time to get where you want.
4. A Lansky or Edgepro system will do a very good job and take the guesswork out of it.

Hang in there. I was probably worse than you. You have two choices. Either some decent stones and lots of practice, or a sharpening system that sets the angles for you.
 
I'm not sure what a "sharpening rod" is but it sounds like you are trying to sharpen with a steel. Steel's aren't for sharpening. They are for straightening edges. I would suggest you surf the net and find a sharpening system that appeals to you and use that. My personal preference is the Edgepro but it is on the expensive side.
 
Be patient. Getting in a hurry for results is what often causes problems.

Don't get frustrated during the process. It's just removing metal to bring two bevels together but sometimes it can go SLOW. When you start to get annoyed with it, walk away and come back to it later.

And practice. Get an old kitchen knife at a garage sale and work on your technique with it.

B
 
great advice from everybody, I didn't suck at the beginning,, but I wasn't the best, I started off with cheap knives and stones from walmart and worked my way up, and figured if I could get those knives sharp then I was on the right track...I bought the dmt dia sharp stones, 325, 600, 1200 grit and worked on my technique and now just use strop and green compound, it just takes a little elbow grease and time.........
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top