Sharpening advice for a newbie

dvldog5811

dvldog5811

Joined
Sep 25, 2020
Messages
359
So...maybe just my ADHD kicking in but lately I've really wanted to get into sharpening. I'd like to get good, really good at it to a point that I might be able to make some money in my spare time.
Problem is that I'm completely novice, basically can use a pull through sharpener and hold my breath that it did good enough (of course only my cheap knives).
So I'm hoping those of you who have some experience can point me in the direction of starting to learn about it. I know it'll take a lot of work, trial and error, research and money so I want to make sure I get a good foundation of knowledge before I even start to invest anything other than time.
There's obviously a limitless supply of videos on youtube and it's really difficult to cut out the noise that really doesn't matter but again...I have no clue what's useful and what isn't.
Thanks all...BE SAFE
 
Just about anybody willing to put in enough practice can learn how to sharpen knives. It’s not rocket science, and there are plenty of info resources to help you learn.

That said, sharpening for money long-term it’s a little trickier. Sure, you can make some money. America’s kitchen drawers are full of dull knives, and the kitchens themselves are full of people who want somebody to sharpen for them. The real question is, can you make enough to break even on your expenses, or afford a bacon cheeseburger for supper on your way home? That depends.

There are many paths to good sharpening skills, and a certain amount of trial and error. Adding the cost-effective requirement will steer you toward some paths and away from others.

Personal advice: learn to sharpen your own knives for your own satisfaction first. Then if the professional part doesn’t work out, you’ll still feel good about the time and investment of developing the skills.

Parker
 
when i looked into sharpening, ppl told that it took them 2 years to learn it. so i laughed.

still laughing.

(not helpful @kresil, not helpful!!) hehe.
 
catspa said:
Just about anybody willing to put in enough practice can learn how to sharpen knives. It’s not rocket science, and there are plenty of info resources to help you learn.

That said, sharpening for money long-term it’s a little trickier. Sure, you can make some money. America’s kitchen drawers are full of dull knives, and the kitchens themselves are full of people who want somebody to sharpen for them. The real question is, can you make enough to break even on your expenses, or afford a bacon cheeseburger for supper on your way home? That depends.

There are many paths to good sharpening skills, and a certain amount of trial and error. Adding the cost-effective requirement will steer you toward some paths and away from others.

Personal advice: learn to sharpen your own knives for your own satisfaction first. Then if the professional part doesn’t work out, you’ll still feel good about the time and investment of developing the skills.

Parker
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Yeah, I think making money at it is a pipe dream. I guess maybe just want to get good enough to help out people that I know. I definitely think you're right about being happy with the job I do on my own blades then move on from there.
Thanks!!
 
Are you specifically looking to learn how to free-hand sharpen on stones? If so, it's just a matter of practice. Start on a coarse stone and stay with that until you can get a knife sharp on that one stone and a strop.

But there are many ways to skin a cat, and many ways to sharpen a cat skinning knife. :) There's a shorter learning curve if you would consider a fixed angle system, a belt system like the Ken Onion Elite, or a wet grinder like the Tormek on or one of the cheaper knock-offs, etc.
 
3D Anvil said:
Are you specifically looking to learn how to free-hand sharpen on stones? If so, it's just a matter of practice. Start on a coarse stone and stay with that until you can get a knife sharp on that one stone and a strop.

But there are many ways to skin a cat, and many ways to sharpen a cat skinning knife. :) There's a shorter learning curve if you would consider a fixed angle system, a belt system like the Ken Onion Elite, or a wet grinder like the Tormek on or one of the cheaper knock-offs, etc.
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I like the ken onion sharpener and I think I could swing buying that one. The Tormek might be a pipe dream for now. I guess learning on stones would be a good skill to have though...
Thanks!
 
dvldog5811 said:
Yeah, I think making money at it is a pipe dream.
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It is a hard gig, i did it for a few years. But you are getting well ahead of yourself. I don't know your circumstances, but keep on studying on youtube, look up the names already mentioned and keep looking through this thread. Learning freehand will give you more options, but can be frustrating. The principle sounds easy, but can be difficult for some people, and there are a myriad of systems out there. But before you decide, look at all options, because it can get very expensive. And whatever you decide stick with it and practice, practice, practice. Then as you improve you may want to look at options. But, and i mean But, the biggest mistake made in sharpening is people rush, take your time, whatever way you go if you don't apex on your first stone you have wasted your time. Make Patience your friend. Good luck.
 
There is a local burger joint where I witnessed the owner using a angle grinder taped to his pickup bed, then going to town on thirty or so knives. No eye protection and the trigger was rubber-banded on.

I politely asked him "Isn't that kinda dangerous?"

He nodded and kept at it.

:confused:🤷‍♂️
 
Plenty of info in the stickies at the top of the subforum. You should start there.
I know how to freehand sharpen but I love my Wicked Edge 130 much better. Plus, I get perfect bevels with it.
 
000Robert said:
Plenty of info in the stickies at the top of the subforum. You should start there.
I know how to freehand sharpen but I love my Wicked Edge 130 much better. Plus, I get perfect bevels with it.
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How do you use the Tormek attachment for small blades. ???
 
cudgee said:
How do you use the Tormek attachment for small blades. ???
Click to expand...

Easy. You can see me using it in this photo where I'm sharpening the spey blade on my Buck 301 Stockman. The bar on the Tormek Small Knife Holder is clamped into the vise like a blade would be. You just make sure the knife body is locked down in the Tormek flat and straight up & down and the blade positioned over the vise good. Works great!
The 301 is positioned wrong over the Wicked Edge vise in the photo. When sharpening down to the tip of the blade, my stone was hitting the Tormek bar. I readjusted the knife in the Tormek and slid the Tormek back in the vise so that my stone wouldn't hit the Tormek bar. Alas, I forgot to take a photo of it repositioned. :rolleyes:

Buck-1a.jpg
 
dvldog5811 said:
So...maybe just my ADHD kicking in but lately I've really wanted to get into sharpening. I'd like to get good, really good at it to a point that I might be able to make some money in my spare time.
Problem is that I'm completely novice, basically can use a pull through sharpener and hold my breath that it did good enough (of course only my cheap knives).
So I'm hoping those of you who have some experience can point me in the direction of starting to learn about it. I know it'll take a lot of work, trial and error, research and money so I want to make sure I get a good foundation of knowledge before I even start to invest anything other than time.
There's obviously a limitless supply of videos on youtube and it's really difficult to cut out the noise that really doesn't matter but again...I have no clue what's useful and what isn't.
Thanks all...BE SAFE
Click to expand...

People talk about sharpening all the time. But the harder and more time-consuming part is reprofiling the edge bevels. The first thing that I noticed when I bought my Wicked Edge 130 is how bad my freehand sucks. My blades were sharp, but they looked like crap and I have a natural tendency to sharpen at a 20dps on one side and a 17dps on the other. All those years I was using asymmetrical bevel edges and didn't know it. o_O🤣
So, I reprofiled all of my blades. Now I have sharp/perfect edge bevels on my blades, chisels, and scissors.
 
000Robert said:
Easy. You can see me using it in this photo where I'm sharpening the spey blade on my Buck 301 Stockman. The bar on the Tormek Small Knife Holder is clamped into the vise like a blade would be. You just make sure the knife body is locked down in the Tormek flat and straight up & down and the blade positioned over the vise good. Works great!
The 301 is positioned wrong over the Wicked Edge vise in the photo. When sharpening down to the tip of the blade, my stone was hitting the Tormek bar. I readjusted the knife in the Tormek and slid the Tormek back in the vise so that my stone wouldn't hit the Tormek bar. Alas, I forgot to take a photo of it repositioned. :rolleyes:

View attachment 1875481
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Thankyou. Brilliant. Sorry for hi-jacking the posters thread.
 
Just buy a bunch of used knives and start sharpening. I like DMT diamond stones and for a cheap price, the DMT aligner can get you started. It isn't as nice as the KME or lansky, but it's useable and the diamond stones are great. I reprofile with a fixed system and sharpen by hand.

Old carbon steel pocket knives are a great place to start.
 
There is a thread at the top of the forum, The Seven Secrets of Sharpening.
When freehand sharpening, be aware that you might be changing the angle of the blade to the stone as you move the blade away and toward you. It's just your body mechanics.
As long as you keep a constant angle between the two, the rest is sanding down the edge until you create a burr.
 
To me (and the other semi-pro sharpening guys I’ve met), making it pay depends on using powered abrasive machines. Different technique, different learning curve than freehand on stones, more expensive, much faster. Most of my customers are willing to pay 5 bucks for a 220 grit working edge, and they don’t want to wait long. IMHO, if you spend more than about two minutes per blade, you’ll hear customers say, “I’ll come back later” and never see them again.

Depends on where you set up, too. If you’re at a swap meet or someplace where they’ll be looking around, that relaxes a little.

The HUGE majority of customers are not knife nuts, they’re just tired of bruising their way through a tomato with a dull knife. They want it sharpened fast and cheap.

Also there’s the logistic problem of contact. When they see you, their knives are all back home. When they get back home, you and your sharpening gear aren’t there.

Pro sharpeners spend a lot more time talking to people about sharpening than actually sharpening. If you like to talk, that’s great.

Best of luck, whatever path you choose.

Parker
 
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