Just lapped my first stones and tried out freehand. You guys should have warned me

S

Squashfan

Joined
Jun 6, 2012
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1,670
that is was this much fun. I had no problem with the sand/concrete paver setup. Well, except it took me about an hour to flatten my Lansky's fine stone. Well, it is not totally flat but it is flat enough.

On the subject of freehand. I grabbed an Tramontina chef's knife that I got at a yard sale and am working on it. I used the technique I have seen of scrubbing the edge on the stone. The scrubbing technique produced a wonderful scratch pattern and burr. When I finished on the coarse side I used light pressure and just used an edge leading stroke. Haven't finished the with the fine side but I think I can get it hair shaving sharp. I need something fine to finish it off. Maybe I will try out the ceramic rod again.
 
Yes, it can be that fun :) There's something about the connection between man blade and stone that really makes sharpening one of the most enjoyable aspects of knife ownership to me. It took me a while to get to that point, some frustrations along the way as I figured out what worked and what didn't, but it was always alot of fun :)
 
Yes, leveling takes longer than some guys state but I like the finished product. I utilize that scrubbing method as well after I watched Heavy Hands video and on to just like your finishing but on the same 320 grit stone. Gives all the fineness I want. DM
 
I am thinking really hard about ordering some EZE-lap diamond benchstones and not looking back. That kitchen knife has one of the nicest bevels I have ever produced.
 
I've been freehanding for about 3-4 months with the most improvement occurring this month after buying more suitable gear to work with. I've read and watched a ton of videos on freehanding but non of them helped me more than practice. Just experiment and practice, and the results will come.
 
Save money on diamond flattening stones/plates.
flatten stones with sandpaper on a flat sturdy table works best.

but congrats on free handing, so much more rewarding.
 
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