Sharpening method?

M

mikehende

Joined
Jan 26, 2006
Messages
16
Someone once told me that you get best results if you sharpen one side of the blade from Heel to tip and the other side from Tip to heel, is this true?
 
I only sharpen from the back to the tip, alternating one side then the other. I've never heard of sharpening starting at the tip. Doesn't make sense to me and it sounds difficult, pushing the knife rather than pulling. but I don't know everything...

You can probably learn a lot more by checking out the "Toolshed" area of the forums.

Best Wishes, and welcome!
-Bob
 
Welcome to the Forum :)

Iv'e heard of folks doing the primary hone from heel to tip, and then going from tip to heel on both sides (for a pass or 2)only to get the final finished edge, just in case a small burr was missed, but have not heard of the method you're speaking of.

Does sound interesting though, hope you get some more feed back on this.
 
Maybe that was what the guy was trying to tell me only he did not mention if the tip to heel should be done at the end.
 
The idea there is to get the scratch patterns to cross so that there is less burr formation. You can do the same thing by changing the angle of the blade alone the hone (not the angle above the hone, that should be the same).

-Cliff
 
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I had to come back and re-read this stuff and noticed something I may have missed before, if I am now understanding the sharpening method correctly, I should sharpen one side until I feel the burr, only then should I sharpen the other side, is this correct?
 
mikehende said:
Someone once told me that you get best results if you sharpen one side of the blade from Heel to tip and the other side from Tip to heel, is this true?
Click to expand...


Yes that's true but it only works if you are standing on your head in the bathtub with the shower on.

Try it. Let us know how it worked, okay?
 
Sharpening until you have full burrs is generally the most straightforward method because it tells you exactly the condition of the edge so it makes the process very straightforward. Sharpen to a full burr, flip and repeat, elevate and cut off the burr.

In general after sharpening for awhile most will switch to alternating during sharpening to try to minimize the extent of the burr which forms. Eventually removing the burr will become the central problem in sharpening especially if you want really high sharpness and edge retention.

-Cliff
 
So what I understand from this is to sharpen side A until I get the burr then do the same with side B then file off the burr, is this correct? If so, another issue, when using a 20degree angle the knife feels very smooth when going across the sharpening rod and when I use a 45degree angle or more, the knife feels rough going across the rod, it's like you can fell the knife edge being grated away, which is correct here, is the knife supposed to feel smooth or rough going across the rod?
 
mikehende said:
So what I understand from this is to sharpen side A until I get the burr then do the same with side B then file off the burr, is this correct?
Click to expand...

Yes, this is the method Joe popularized in his FAQ. Some prefer constant switching of sides such as noted by Goddard and Glesser, this tends to reduce burr formation but raises its own problems especially when you are starting.

If so, another issue, when using a 20degree angle the knife feels very smooth when going across the sharpening rod and when I use a 45degree angle or more, the knife feels rough going across the rod, it's like you can fell the knife edge being grated away...
Click to expand...

Yes, when you raise the angle less of the edge makes contact and thus the pressure on the metal increases dramatically and you can feel the aggressive honing readily. This is why you generally should lighten up on the strokes when you raise the angle to remove the burr.

-Cliff
 
Sorry Cliff, I am confused by your answer, should I feel the metal being grated away or should it run smoothly? Thanks.
 
You will feel it grate heavily when you elevate the angle. This is normal, however if it feels really slick against the sides when you hone at the lower angles you might not be hitting the edge at all and just honing the shoulder.

-Cliff
 
If your not sure where on the edge your sharpening by the feel you can paint the edge with a marker and see where it comes off at.
 
mikehende said:
ok so as long as I feel the grate I know that the edge is being sharpened...
Click to expand...

You can readily feel a difference between the edge biting and just abrading along the shoulder. One thing to be wary of, but this is more for freehand than using v-rods like the sharpmaker, is elevating the blade until you feel the edge bite in. If you do this each time you sharpen then the edge will gradually thicken. The way to prevent this is to work the relief grind on occasion, for example every few sessions start off with a few minutes work on the corners of the medium rods on the 15 degree sessions before you switch to the 20's. This is noted in the sharpening video for the Sharpmaker and generally common advice repeated with variations in technique such as Fikes rolling shoulder technique. Often times people will recommend just having your knives reground by a professional once a year or so, but if you are willing to do a little work this isn't necessary.

-Cliff
 
Would a few people please share with me their top reason(s) for sharpening a blade,
(via file or stone) by using strokes that start at the knife’s back, or spine, and go towards its sharp edge? Instead of stroking it with the movement, going the opposite way around? – Which would be going from knifes edge towards the back, or the spine.

-Thanks Ya Kindly
 
Sharpening edge trailing, pulling the blade towards you with the edge away from you, is usually done on soft abrasives that you would cut/gouge if you tried to push the edge into them.

-Cliff
 
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