Sharpening on tilted whetstone

G

gbuskirk

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May 1, 2007
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Does anyone sharpen on a tilted whetstone, angled like a Sharpmaker rod, and holding the blade vertically while moving it down across the stone? This seems like a hybrid approach that makes it easier to hold the right angle, which is built into a cradle for the stone. The cradle must be rotated 180 deg. to go from blade side to side - you can even put it on a small lazy susan.
I've begun to test the concept; after a lifetime of regular whetstone sharpening I don't know if I'll ever prefer it. It's hard to keep the edge flat to the stone so far.
 
Some people have made fixtures to do exactly what you describe. An easier solution is to put something under the end of your hone to tilt it about 15 degrees from horizontal and hold your blade level when you hone.
 
Here's a jig I made ... the advantage it has over just clamping the stone directly in the vise is that you can work from either side easily:

sharpening-jig.jpg


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I have used exactly what you describe for years. I have one block cut to 12 degrees for the backbevel on the 15 degree Sharpmaker slots and another at 17 for use on the 20 degree slots. I also recently had a block cut for 22 degrees, but havent used it yet. I use 4x4's cut at the proper angle on a miter saw, then screwed to a 1x6 or 1x8 base.
 
If you can hold your knife consistently horizontal or vertical, why is it a problem to hold it at 15 degrees? To me, becoming consistent and even in your sharpening stroke is what is important. But hey, there are a number of ways to get a knife sharp, and most all of them can work if done right.
 
I think it is easier for the eye to judge deviations from horizontal or vertical orientations than it can angles. Can't say why really, other than maybe we are just more used to seeing things and edges that way every where we look. It's the way we've built our world: plumb, square and level. If we lived in an angular world, I suspect we would probably be naturally adept at judging them too.
 
Holding a consistent angle is not a problem for me. Holding a consistent and accurate angle is a different story altogether. I can sharpen free hand at 15 or 20ish degrees. I can do it a little more accurately and much faster by using the angle block to rest the stone on.
 
It is not hard to hold a consistent angle, but it is hard to hold a specific numerical angle. If I want to experiment with an 8-degree honing angle it is easier and more accurate to do the trig calculation and prop up one side of my hone than it is to control what tiny fraction of an inch to elevate the spine of my blade off my hone to achieve the same effect.
 
Jeff Clark said:
It is not hard to hold a consistent angle, but it is hard to hold a specific numerical angle. If I want to experiment with an 8-degree honing angle it is easier and more accurate to do the trig calculation and prop up one side of my hone than it is to control what tiny fraction of an inch to elevate the spine of my blade off my hone to achieve the same effect.
Click to expand...

I set my angles by putting my hones in a rubber stoneholder, then propping the hone up to the desired angle (checked by a magnetic angle reader from Home Depot) by setting something under the end of my stone holder. I set the props and the back of the stone holder firmly into the back splash of my counter to keep the set up from moving, and I can adjust it to whatever angle I desire. I don't know if it is from me learning to sharpen on the Sharpmaker, but I find it much easier to be in the ballpark by tilting the stone and only trying to hold the knife parallel to the counter instead of leaving the stone flat and trying to hold the proper angle from the hone.

Mike
 
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