I want to learn to sharpen knives but don't know where to start

JohnIrish said:
I am a beginner at knife sharpening. However, any video that take a very sharp knife and dulls it in 5 seconds in order to sharpen it again seems to be a "parlor" trick. The bevel has been well established and only the edge is rolled over or dull. My moms old kitchen knives that have been abused and battered would be a real challenge for a coffee mug!

Correct me if I am wrong but I am not impresses by those videos.
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Saying it's parlor trick might be too harsh.

If the blade is simple carbon or stainless in general store kitchen knife, it will be even less than 5 minutes. I know, because I do the same with in-laws' kitchen knives that are rolled all the time due to how they wash (banged against spoons, forks, etc) & use (on plates, etc).

As and when I get near these knives, I simply use the bottom of mugs/bowls and they are happy with the result.

And yes, for the first time setting the bevel, a DMT will be helpful. Once it's set and I am the one doing it all the time, it's a matter of few strokes/circles, because it's only edge repair, no longer a re-beveling work.

Having said that, I don't think Carl is out to impress anyone. It's meant to share that sharpening to a working edge does not need to be a mystery that requires all the angle guide, clamp, etc. You might notice he used an opinel carbonne (or was it inox) to demonstrate the point?

S90V or M390 might be a different story though.
 
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JohnIrish said:
I am a beginner at knife sharpening. However, any video that take a very sharp knife and dulls it in 5 seconds in order to sharpen it again seems to be a "parlor" trick. The bevel has been well established and only the edge is rolled over or dull. My moms old kitchen knives that have been abused and battered would be a real challenge for a coffee mug!

Correct me if I am wrong but I am not impresses by those videos.
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I tend to agree with you, but don't knock Carl's videos. He is demonstrating very good and practical sharpening techniques that can be used anywhere with any materials. He's not demonstrating reprofiling and doesn't claim to. I'm sure if Carl wanted to, he could make a vid that could teach us all a thing or two about reprofiling.

But some people's vids are indeed a bit lame in the sense you mean. I won't name names, but yeah, it's pretty easy to run an edge with a lovingly perfected bevel two times over an ultrafine Spyderco stone and then "demonstrate" your sharpening skill in bringing that bad boy all the way back to sharp. :rolleyes: Ahem... which is why you should watch my vids :D :D... because I almost always start with a beat-to-hell factory edge (sometimes "enhanced" with a carbide V sharpener, depending on the customer) and go through the entire reprofiling in the video all the way to the finishing.

But my skill level is not that of some folks here, and it does pay to watch the pros at work. Watch all of knifenut's vids. He explains things in his videos, too, which makes them doubly valuable.
 
JohnIrish said:
I am a beginner at knife sharpening. However, any video that take a very sharp knife and dulls it in 5 seconds in order to sharpen it again seems to be a "parlor" trick. The bevel has been well established and only the edge is rolled over or dull. My moms old kitchen knives that have been abused and battered would be a real challenge for a coffee mug!

Correct me if I am wrong but I am not impresses by those videos.
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Well JohnIrish, if you think it's a parlor trick, why don't we do this; we'll meet up, and I'll put a thousand bucks on the table. Nice crisp new 100 dollar bills. You do the same. I'll dull up my knife, use scotch brite, cardboard, hemp rope, whatever. When it's nice and dull, you make sure it won't cut jack. Then I'll sharpen it up just like on the video. If I fail to get it to shave news print in 5 minutes, the grand cash is yours. If I do, then your cash is mine. If it's a parlor trick, then you stand to make a quick grand tax free.

If you want to call me a charlatan or a liar, then put up or shut up.

Carl.
 
Attaining a sharp edge primarily is achieved by technique. It does not matter what system you use. (I am speaking primarily of freehand wet stone sharpening). Sure you can purchase something that takes all of the guess work out of it, but to really achieve a sharp edge you need... (drum roll) practice. All of the stones I own were not made in my lifetime. They were not even made in my parents lifetime. Sharpening a knife is almost entirely technique derived from practice. I know my words may not seem helpful or provide you an easy path to a keen edge, but what it does tell you is that over time you can learn how to properly sharpen a blade freehand. There is an adage that says "if it can dull a knife, it can sharpen it." Do your research and understand the objects and processes of sharpening THAT WORK FOR YOU. Everyone has their own primary sharpening technique that derived from their own experience. The only hint that I can give you is grab a cheap blade, understand the basics of freehand, and get after it. Sharpening is a freeing experience that requires patience and experience. As a firearms instructor you must understand the amount of practice it takes to properly and proficiently operate a firearm. The same can be applied to blades and their upkeep.
 
Magnaminous_G said:
A lot of weird reactions to videos lately, eh?
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At the risk of sounding like a douche,
"all I see are two people passionate about knives and sharpening them."
Plus, who doesn't like a good argument. I like seeing two individuals duking it out
just as much as the next guy over.

Back to the topic of "parlor trick", the real question may be:
Is this a parlor trick? Is this guy a Charlatan?
[video=youtube;UY1rqqAieUA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UY1rqqAieUA[/video]

The answer to that may reveal a lot about what kind of sharpener you are.
My guess is JohnIrish is going to say it's a parlor trick, and jackknife not.
But of course, I can't read minds.:(
 
xuz said:
At the risk of sounding like a douche,
"all I see are two people passionate about knives and sharpening them."
Plus, who doesn't like a good argument.
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I think all serious sharpeners, myself and Carl included, love constructive criticism and crave it. If you noticed, I openly state the things I don't know and ask other forum members for their advice. I'm not here to impress anybody, and I'll wager that Carl isn't, either. We're just sharing what we know and learning from others (and not making a dime from it, I'll add). But this post--and, respectfully, your post--are not constructive. They're full of observations that are completely unfounded. Carl wasn't trying to make a reprofiling vid. He was demonstrating a certain sharpening technique which doesn't require reprofiling to show it. You're statement that unidirectional newsprint cutting wasn't proof of a good edge and I was somehow leaving out the s-cuts (which you were wrong about, as I showed in my response) was almost the same thing. I'm not trying to impress anyone and certainly not trying to trick anyone into thinking I'm better than I am. This guy's post and your post are not "good arguments." They're incorrect at best, provocation at worst.
 
Gentlemen, I'm not trying to start a fight, if it was seen as such, then I apologize and retract my statement.
I tried to send you a PM Mag about the s-curve in your own post, but I don't see the option for that. I don't see a need to bring that particular baggage to this thread, let's try to work on that offline through PM's.

Again, I'm sorry for stirring the pot, it was not my intention.

Magnaminous_G said:
I think all serious sharpeners, myself and Carl included, love constructive criticism and crave it. If you noticed, I openly state the things I don't know and ask other forum members for their advice. I'm not here to impress anybody, and I'll wager that Carl isn't, either. We're just sharing what we know and learning from others (and not making a dime from it, I'll add). But this post--and, respectfully, your post--are not constructive. They're full of observations that are completely unfounded. Carl wasn't trying to make a reprofiling vid. He was demonstrating a certain sharpening technique which doesn't require reprofiling to show it. You're statement that unidirectional newsprint cutting wasn't proof of a good edge and I was somehow leaving out the s-cuts (which you were wrong about, as I showed in my response) was almost the same thing. I'm not trying to impress anyone and certainly not trying to trick anyone into thinking I'm better than I am. This guy's post and your post are not "good arguments." They're incorrect at best, provocation at worst.
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I'm learning to sharpen using bench stones and as such I am a sponge sucking up all of the knowledge/experience that you all have accrued. I thank you all who take the time and effort to pass on freely your helpful information. Without your help my learning curve would be considerably flatter.
 
David Martin said:
metro, You sound like my Nephew's. The generation that's in their 20's now don't know beans about sharpening. It's not your fault, their dad didn't know it either and finding someone to teach them isn't easy. I'd follow Me2's advice. Then find some body's old fishing buddy that will give you the short course on it. You'll learn more from him in 10mins. than you'll learn reading here in an entire weekend. DM
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That's quite the blanket statement :eek: I sustain that you can get your knives plenty sharp without ever meeting someone that knows how to sharpen. Maybe I learn differently than you, but I learned everything I know about sharpening (not that much :D) from this forum and from videos. I've whittled hair after sharpening freehand on a 120 grit stone, which I'm pretty sure I couldn't do if I "don't know beans about sharpening." The good thing about those of us in our 20's is that we have spent most of our lives learning skills online, so we're pretty good at it by now ;)
 
Good post bpeezer, and valid points for today's generation. Actually it can all come down to wanting to learn and three words: Practice, Practice, Practice! Did I mention that you need to Practice? :D

Blessings,

Omar
 
JohnIrish said:
I am a beginner at knife sharpening. However, any video that take a very sharp knife and dulls it in 5 seconds in order to sharpen it again seems to be a "parlor" trick. The bevel has been well established and only the edge is rolled over or dull. My moms old kitchen knives that have been abused and battered would be a real challenge for a coffee mug!

Correct me if I am wrong but I am not impresses by those videos.
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You need to be quite good with sharpening to pull off "parlor" tricks. Sharpen a dulled 60um wide apex (~thickness of a coarse hair) using a small almost flat and variable grit rock is quite hard for most people. Also knowing limits of abrasive (type,size,etc..) vs steel (type, ht, edge geometry, etc..) would project feasibility of sharpening objective.
 
bluntcut said:
You need to be quite good with sharpening to pull off "parlor" tricks. Sharpen a dulled 60um wide apex (~thickness of a coarse hair) using a small almost flat and variable grit rock is quite hard for most people. Also knowing limits of abrasive (type,size,etc..) vs steel (type, ht, edge geometry, etc..) would project feasibility of sharpening objective.
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You're saying to pull the trick, one has to be good at the real thing. It means the trick is not needed to show off, but to make a point. ;)

xuz said:
Gentlemen, I'm not trying to start a fight, if it was seen as such, then I apologize and retract my statement.
I tried to send you a PM Mag about the s-curve in your own post, but I don't see the option for that. I don't see a need to bring that particular baggage to this thread, let's try to work on that offline through PM's.

Again, I'm sorry for stirring the pot, it was not my intention.
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If I haven't read your post on the sharpening using round stone on bluntcut's thread, I'd conclude that you'd seeking trouble ;).

What I've learnt is to know the poster's profile is important to prevent jumping into an argument that might not be there in the first place.

At Omar and bpeezer, agree with your points, however, learning style is really individual. Some might benefit from live demo much more than others. In this respect, apprentice learning from the master is the manifestation of it.

Some learn better alone, and from mistakes.

I hope every agrees that we're here to learn and share.
 
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Chris "Anagarika";12210786 said:
At Omar and bpeezer, agree with your points, however, learning style is really individual. Some might benefit from live demo much more than others. In this respect, apprentice learning from the master is the manifestation of it.

Some learn better alone, and from mistakes.

I hope every agrees that we're here to learn and share.
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I agree with you 100%, I know not everyone learns the same way I do. I don't have the ability to learn from other people's mistakes, I have to make my own :o I don't think everyone has to learn my way, I just personally have trouble learning directly from people.

Thanks for your thoughtful post!
 
bpeezer said:
I agree with you 100%, I know not everyone learns the same way I do. I don't have the ability to learn from other people's mistakes, I have to make my own :o I don't think everyone has to learn my way, I just personally have trouble learning directly from people.

Thanks for your thoughtful post!
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No problem at all. My loved one also like to learn by himself, not an issue ;)
 
knifenut1013 said:
The kramer recommendation was good but I laughed when you mentioned MrEZcooking. That guy will teach you all about doing things the wrong way.
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I'm not trying to elicit a hatchet job on anybody, but I've watched some of MrEZCooking's videos and I'd genuinely like to know where you part ways with him (to put it diplomatically).
 
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I can say this, as the guy who met jackknife and filmed the two videos... It's no parlor trick!

I didn't know squat about sharpening until I met Carl in person. I went to Home Depot and bought a $6 stone. Got a piece of leather at a craft store. Mounted these to two pieces of red oak I had lying around, and I have my fancy looking sharpening system for less than $20...

I am by no means a master sharpener now, but I am able to get my blades sharp in a few minutes. And I now get to sharpen my chef's knives at work with a mug and my belt!

Practice and realize that technique can save you a lot of money while learning how to sharpen your blade with anything around.
 
J D Wijbenga said:
And here is Jackknife showing what he wrote above:
[video=youtube;SEMLu8e34ck]
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Hi. I know this is an old thread, but figured I'd try my luck anyway. I cannot find the above video on YouTube, even by copying and pasting the link. Does the video have a name?
Thanks
 
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