Old's guide to sharpening ( The Fundamentals )

"First sharpen one side till you feel the burr / then sharpen the other side till you feel the burr .."
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This is a mistake, in my opinion. The burr will develop much more quickly on the second side than it did on the first side. I believe that's because you're just pushing the burr back over and not actually apexing the second side. You don't want to stop on the second side when you pull a burr, or you will wind up with uneven bevels and a decentered edge. Even though you get a burr quickly on Side #2, you need to spend about the same amount time grinding Side #2 as you did Side #1.

I think the Stroppy Stuff guy's intro to freehand sharpening is quite good:

 
I've got a Lansky, a Chef's Choice and a Ken Onion. But this is all I use anymore. The other side is 300 grit. I can get any knife as sharp as any of the other systems. If I ever use a strop, it's nothing more than an old belt with Mother's Scratch Remover car polish.

Freehand was all I ever used to do, went to guided and now back to the basics.
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Blade Lab,
this is more or less what I do. I watch for the burr and that my bevels are even.
But I use only one diamond plate, in most cases #240 or #320 (tooooothy edge).
I deburr as much as possible with the same file (light alternating passes) and then 3 or 7 micron diamond strop to get micro-convex edge.

But I never tried to first make more refined edge let's say with #1500 file and then go back to #600 or #400 file to make the edge toothy.

Boattale said:
Freehand was all I ever used to do, went to guided and now back to the basics.
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Well, I use whatever I'm in the mood at the moment I need to sharpen the knife.
To be honest, it takes some time for me to prepare all those things I need for guided sharpening. I don't have dedicated place for sharpening.
So, taking my folded diamond sharpener from the shelf is the simplest and fastest path to sharp edge.
 
TheOne45 said:
I need to try this.
Usually I sharpen with #240 or #320 diamond file and then I micro-convex the edge with a strop.

After 600 grit…. do you strop?
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Yes Sir. Balsa wood and 3 micron diamond emulsion.

I'm using the high end Russian made stones. CBN.

The edge is finished out to 1000. Depending on how hard you're rubbing the thing. 400-600.
 
TheOne45 said:
What is the difference if you sharpen this "new" way or the usual way and you stop at 400 or 600.
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There is nothing new. Knives have been around since some caveman knapped it out of glass. I didn't invent this. It was invented way before me.

Let's say you stop at 600. Strop it and call it day. Physics say the edge will be as fine as the rough 600 can make it.

But what happens if you polish the edge to a 1000 before the 600? The finer edge that 1000 makes over a 600?

What happens if the micro scratches caused by 600. Were first polished finer then 600. Using a 1000 surface?


If you want to see what it does. Pull your sharpener out. Run the edge 1000-2000. Then scratch it with a 600. Push stroke or pull. No back and forth scrubbing. Pick a direction and run the 600 over the polished surface and edge.
 
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