paper sharpening wheels are easy to use, even for beginners.

R

richard j

Joined
Apr 1, 2007
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i met a member who had been using other sharpening systems for quite some time without much luck or consistent results. he wanted to get into using the wheels after seeing my videos of knives i sharpened chopping hard elm and then shaving hair or push cutting newspaper right after. he wanted the same edge that i was getting but didnt want to spend 10 minutes to 8 hours getting it.

he told me after wasting $500 on the other systems, he decided to spend $100 and get set up with the paper wheels. the day he decided to give them a try, he called me up and asked for some instructions again. this person has a loss of vision in 1 eye which i thought would make it a challenge for him so i made sure he understood exactly how to use them.

after giving him instructions on how to use the wheels and making sure he knew how to use them properly and safely, he said it was time for him to give it a try and would call me back shortly.

15 minutes later he called me back whooping out loud that for the first time he had a shaving sharp knife. he said all the other systems failed him and the wheels were all he had read about in posts from me and other members as well who had the wheels. here is a link to his first post after using the wheels.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=745323

anyone interested in the wheels can read about them in this thread http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=578787
 
fyi its not spam. i'm letting anyone interested know that they are not hard to use like some people say. i used to do a lot of hand sharpening and the wheels are much easier. i didnt twist your arm to look at this thread :rolleyes:
 
I have read a great many threads on the BF about the paper-wheel sharpening system that richard uses (apparently with a great deal of success). However, there seems to be a contingent that oppose the use of this type of sharpening system. My question is -- What is the downside to paper-wheel sharpening? Is is that it is a more "non traditional" method, or is there something about the system that is detrimental to blade steel? -- Thanks!
 
i'm sure in a few minutes after reading your post there will be guys posting that they will burn an edge or say something bad about them but they work the same as a belt sander which a lot of guys use. the same caution used on a belt sander goes for the wheels. when i sharpen on my belt sander, i have to watch out more often for heat than with the wheels but i keep any blade that i sharpen cool enough so the edge wont be hurt.
you can heat up a blade hotter by putting it under running hot water than you can by sharpening it on a belt sander or on the wheels if you are careless and not watching what you do.
 
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Yeah we get it, Paper wheels are the greatest thing scene sliced bread and can't be beat by any other method :rolleyes:

You always seem to fight the fact that power tools are never a good idea for a beginner, guess you don't remember the thread where one of you wheel users recurved his millie?

Wheels will not correct the fact that you need to learn how to follow the curve of the blade or need to learn the basics of sharpening. Whenever someone post pics of edge they have sharpened themselves its obvious you forgot to tell them about how to do this.

Again, we get it, now try and stay on topic when someone asks a question otherwise, yes, your posts do look like spam.
 
The fact is; paper wheel sharpening works very well if...
...if you have room to keep a large electrical device set up all the time
....if you have no need to carry your sharpener out of the house
.....if you already understand the principles of sharpening
......if you have experienced free hand sharpening
...... if you aren't trying to sharpen a good knife as your first few tries
........if You sharpen a LOT OF DIFFERENT KNIVES EVERY DAY
Meet those criteria and paper wheel sharpening might just be for you. I'd love to have a workshop where I could keep a grinding wheel set up all the time. I doubt I'd use the paper wheels very often though. Certainly not more than 2-3 times a year. And as I only use 3-4 knives with any regularity, it's hardly worth the shelf space. If I were running a professional sharpening service where I was sharpening 5-10+ knives every day, it would be a very different story.

If you work up a burr, you are removing metal. If you remove that much metal from a knife every week, your knives won't last very long. (Just look at all the worn-out commercial butcher knives for sale at flea markets.)
20 strokes on a Sharpmaster once a week will put an edge back on just about any knife that hasn't been abused, and remove just an infinitesimal amount of steel. (That's what I do with my daily users and kitchen knives, along with a twice-a-year visit on the EdgePro to re-set the edges.) For me, paper wheels are not the answer. I simply don't sharpen enough knives every day to warrant it.
For you, it might be different. Maybe you DO sharpen 5-10+ knives every day. Maybe you just like to use paper wheels. It does 'feel' professional. But remember, there is a reason that the Japanese Master sharpeners do NOT use paper wheels... :p

Stitchawl
 
richard j said:
you can heat up a blade hotter by putting it under running hot water than you can by sharpening it on a belt sander or on the wheels
Click to expand...

Richard, enough already....there's people out there that just might believe that....
 
BrewCity59 said:
I have read a great many threads on the BF about the paper-wheel sharpening system that richard uses (apparently with a great deal of success). However, there seems to be a contingent that oppose the use of this type of sharpening system. My question is -- What is the downside to paper-wheel sharpening? Is is that it is a more "non traditional" method, or is there something about the system that is detrimental to blade steel? -- Thanks!
Click to expand...
My main concern would be the amount of steel removal. I seem to recall some papers (Verhoeven?) where buffing wheels were used, and a surprising amount of metal was removed. These were buffing wheels, not paper wheels.

Having said that, I do plan on getting some paper wheels and testing them out on some of my cheaper knives to compare to my edgepro, and also to see if it removes too much metal. I'll be very impressed if they can equal my edgepro edges, but I'm trying to keep an open mind.
 
You can just touch up with the paper wheels and take a miniscule amount of metal.Maybe less than other methods.Also you can just use the polish wheel to straighten up an edge occasionally.I have several grinders and polishing belts i use to finish edges,but recently started using the wheels again.I think they are great.I would recommend a beginner to take it very slow.Never even think about going in edge up.
 
you can remove just as much metal with a belt sander as with the wheels. every belt you switch to removes more metal. every grit stone you switch to removes more metal. the wheels are no different and on my personal knives, i touch them up with the buffing wheel which only takes a few passes so i dont have to work up a burr each time. i have regular local customers that i sharpen their knives maybe once a month if that. people who know how to use a knife will keep their knives sharper longer and need their knives sharpened a lot less often.
 
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i'm not discussing the cons of the wheels with you guys anymore. i started this thread to let people who might consider the wheels know that its not hard to use them. if anyone has bad luck then they must not be doing something right. its not the fault of the wheels if someone messes up their knife or knives. if anyone has a problem with the wheels and wont contact me for help, they shouldnt complain.
 
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Must be the teachers fault then....

There are pros and cons to every method and misleading someone to believe little can go wrong with power equipment is only fooling yourself. Mistakes made by someone that didn't know the cons of the system is not their fault.

Don't try so hard to make them look so good and you prbably won't have backlash.
 
Heiheit said:
Nope, didn't photoshop it.

here are more pics from before I sent it in:
Click to expand...

Wow! It looks as if they had to remove 1/8" of steel to correct the recurve caused by the paper wheels!

Removing 1 or 2 millimeters from a chipped blade is one thing. Having to remove 4 or 5 millimeters to correct something caused by a paper wheels is a horse of a different color!

Stitchawl
 
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