Questions from noob

[GuyUpNorth]

Background info
I was given a norton IB8 100/320 grit oil stone for christmas so I could sharpen the new (pricey) kitchen knife I bought for my gf. Since I didn’t want to ruin her brand new knife, I started reading articles and watching videos on sharpening. I also bought naniwa super 1000/3000/8000 and a 2 sided leather strop swith 0.5 micron green honing compound. I have yet to receive this order. I’ll be sharpening kitchen knives with steel softer than 58 HRC.

Goals
- I want to be able to sharpen my knives enough to shave hair on my arm.
- V type edges (as usual for most kitchen knives).
- Bevel angle goal is 15°/side with 20°/side microbevel.
- I want to do it mostly by freehand so no EdegePro/Wicked edge.


Questions
1. Is it possible to achieve hair shaving sharpness using only the Norton 100/320 oil stone ?
2. Is it realistic to shoot for microbevel without any experience ? Should I start with only one bevel ?
3. Am I missing something important for my set ?
4. What can I do to help me find the right angle (and keep it) ?
5. What are good indicators of well sharpened edges (except ability to cut easily... obviously) ?
6. I’m planning to buy a cheap 450x microscope. Will it help me detect any weakness in my sharpening technique or is it a complete waste of money ?


Thanks !!

 

[HeavyHanded]

I can't answer all your questions without degenerating into a babble, but:

The Norton IB8 is a very good stone - the fine side will need to break in a bit and is certainly capable of whipping up an arm hair-shaving edge and then some.

Personally when sharpening freehand I prefer a single bevel - less complicated in my opinion.

The 450x microscope might be overkill, especially considering a lot of the digital ones are really 200x and get the rest of the magnification from blowing up the image at a loss of detail. A high quality 15x graphic arts loupe will probably come in a lot handier.

Advice on freehand sharpening is too large a topic to cover with a post - there are just too many ways to get it done. Buy a Sharpie or two - its the most important tool for a beginner to have on hand, by far.

 

[Phydeaux]

Get some inexpensive knives to practice on, look at garage sales, Good will, Salvation Army, dollar stores etc. Practice on these, see what works best for you. As HeavyHanded said, a Sharpie is a good to help in the learning process. Get them sharp, dull them, sharpen them again.

I have been using a Norton combo stone for 30+ years, the same one. I've tried other sharpening systems, but always seem to go back to free handing on the Norton. And yes, I can get an edge to shave hair off my arm.

Ric