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- Apr 12, 2009
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- 13,433
The irony of carbide scraper pull-through sharpeners is, they're generally marketed as the easiest, most effective option for a novice sharpener to use. In the most immediate, bare-bones aspect, they are - they'll quickly put a 'sharp-ish' edge on a knife that cuts stuff, if only for a short while. The irony is, they'll do more long-term, permanent damage than good, in unskilled hands.
The light & finessed touch acquired from learning freehand sharpening is the one thing that can make any sharpening tool more effective, and less damaging, in using it. But this is true for any tool used, once the touch is acquired. With a finessed touch, all things work better within each tool's own built-in limitations*. So, for a little more irony, once one has found the skilled touch for using it, much better options are then revealed, than a pull-through.
* - Biggest limitation for a carbide scraper pull-through --> weak, unstable edges that don't last long. Hence the need for very frequent resharpenings on these devices, which further shortens a blade's useful life.
The light & finessed touch acquired from learning freehand sharpening is the one thing that can make any sharpening tool more effective, and less damaging, in using it. But this is true for any tool used, once the touch is acquired. With a finessed touch, all things work better within each tool's own built-in limitations*. So, for a little more irony, once one has found the skilled touch for using it, much better options are then revealed, than a pull-through.
* - Biggest limitation for a carbide scraper pull-through --> weak, unstable edges that don't last long. Hence the need for very frequent resharpenings on these devices, which further shortens a blade's useful life.
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