Newbie from MA - how to find hands on help

[davidrip]

Greetings from Massachusetts. I recently became interested in knives. I have an old, cheap pocket knife and I recently bought a 6.4" schrade to start practicing some wilderness survival skills. After watching many videos and reading many blogs and forum posts, and after practicing several times to sharpen my old pocket knife on stones, I've determined I'm REALLY BAD at it. I've studied guided systems and electric ones, but I'm hesitant to drop $50 to $150 or more on a new system just to find that I stink at using it as well. I'm pretty sure what I need is one-on-one help with someone in person. But so far all my friends that I thought might know something about knife sharpening use systems that don't work great (at least for me) and their standard of sharpness isn't as high as I want mine, that is, easily cut through paper.

Any suggestions how to find a local person willing to give me a little in-person pointers and practice?

 

[bucketstove]

Greetings from Massachusetts. I recently became interested in knives. I have an old, cheap pocket knife and I recently bought a 6.4" schrade to start practicing some wilderness survival skills. After watching many videos and reading many blogs and forum posts, and after practicing several times to sharpen my old pocket knife on stones, I've determined I'm REALLY BAD at it. I've studied guided systems and electric ones, but I'm hesitant to drop $50 to $150 or more on a new system just to find that I stink at using it as well. I'm pretty sure what I need is one-on-one help with someone in person. But so far all my friends that I thought might know something about knife sharpening use systems that don't work great (at least for me) and their standard of sharpness isn't as high as I want mine, that is, easily cut through paper.

Any suggestions how to find a local person willing to give me a little in-person pointers and practice?

Hello.

You've already done the hardest part, acquired a stone and tried sharpening a few times
now you simply have to adjust the things you do


Can you hold an angle? Can you raise a burr? .... Need Stone Sharpening Tips (Basic)

Please describe in detail what you do when sharpening and what happens

This is good way to get shaving sharp , raise a tiny bur, cut it off at elevated angle how to sharpen a knife - Joe Calton


Regarding finding a local person is as easy as finding a local sharpening service,
or local wood working classes, or local knifemaker shop, or local knife selling shop,
call them up and ask

 

[HeavyHanded]

I'm in NY, but not much help as I'm most of the way to Buffalo from the Mass border.

Pick up a few cheap knives or practice on kitchen knives etc - do not learn on cutlery you treasure, it will prevent you from experimenting and gaining experience by pushing your technique. Stop often, every few passes or so, and inspect what is going on, where you're actually grinding and how far off of your intended angle.

I hate to recommend another video, but the one I made as an intro to the sharpening block I make covers a lot of ground in the way of actual mechanics. It is the first one on the site linked through my signature below. The second one shows technique on a regular combination stone.

Bottom line is you will have to learn the most stable method you are capable of for moving the tool across the abrasive - this means holding it in a way that is stable on the stone, probably not the way you would hold it when cutting something. Step outside yourself and really study your hands as you sharpen and look for wooble or any other defect in movement. Stop and observe often. Between that and learning to create and remove the burr is 80 % of sharpening stuff. Go slow, keep your movements small.

Lots of folks on this forum, someone from your neck of the woods is bound to chime in sooner or later.