We have at least two or three generations now that are born and raised suburbanites, with a father that doesn't care or an absent father and no father figure in the family that a kid can learn from. The rising generation of knife knits are pretty much self taught, and this leaves huge gaps in knowledge. Sharpening is amount that. More kids are growing up in their room with the computer than going outside and taking part of activities that will teach them valuable lessons of life. Scouting is at an all time low because it's not "cool" and even viewed as nerdy or dorkish.
I learned knife sharpening from our scoutmaster, who was an old ex-marine from WW2. He had an inspection of our scout knives att he start of every meeting on Friday nights at the church. When he was dis-satisfied with out sharpness level, he had a very hands on knife sharpening class. He'd sit us all down in a circle and take out our pocket size stones and he'd go around the outside of the circle and one by one lean over us and make sure we had the right angle and grip. He'd keep at us, and by the end of the night, all of us kids sitting in that circle had a shaving sharp scout knife, but more importantly we knew now how to keep it up. This translated to all the knives in our life. Sharpening mom's kitchen knives, whatever. Kids today more often than not, have nobody in their life to teach them. This is why so many grown men walking around today don't even carry a knife. But they have their I=phone!
For the great unwashed non knife carrying masses, sharpening a knife has become some kind of ancient lost art. But then why learn to sharpen a knife when you don't even carry one? And when some instinctive urge has them go get a knife, they haven't the slightest idea what to do with it.
Damm shame.
I learned knife sharpening from our scoutmaster, who was an old ex-marine from WW2. He had an inspection of our scout knives att he start of every meeting on Friday nights at the church. When he was dis-satisfied with out sharpness level, he had a very hands on knife sharpening class. He'd sit us all down in a circle and take out our pocket size stones and he'd go around the outside of the circle and one by one lean over us and make sure we had the right angle and grip. He'd keep at us, and by the end of the night, all of us kids sitting in that circle had a shaving sharp scout knife, but more importantly we knew now how to keep it up. This translated to all the knives in our life. Sharpening mom's kitchen knives, whatever. Kids today more often than not, have nobody in their life to teach them. This is why so many grown men walking around today don't even carry a knife. But they have their I=phone!
For the great unwashed non knife carrying masses, sharpening a knife has become some kind of ancient lost art. But then why learn to sharpen a knife when you don't even carry one? And when some instinctive urge has them go get a knife, they haven't the slightest idea what to do with it.
Damm shame.
