Sharpening with stone - How do you keep consistent angle?

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sygyzy

sygyzy

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With the Sharpmaker, it's simple to keep a proper angle because of the way it's designed. The limitation, of course, is you are stuck with those angles.

I recently purchased a Norton dual sided waterstone to sharpen my Watanabe Japanese kitchen knives. All the instructions stress that I maintain a consistent angle while sharpening. The problem is, a slight twitch in the wrist and you are off a few (or more) degrees. So how can you assure that you are indeed holding the blade against the stone at 10 degrees, or 15?

Thanks.
 
If you've never sharpened freehand, watching any of the videos (Murray Carter's, Shaptons, Chef's Edge, etc.) will give you tips on sharpening.

One way to insure you don't move your wrist is to hold the knife in a way so that your hand and forearm are in a straight line. Then lock your wrist, that will hold a consistent angle.

cbw
 
You can use your thumb as a guide, angle variance doesn't actually prevent sharpening, it just makes it take longer. You will become more precise with practice, don't be overly concerned about it.

-Cliff
 
Free hand with benchstones is the only way I've every sharpened a knife. Therefore, I can say that practice will help you a lot, as it did for me. Also, applying more force to the knife helps me keep the angle consistent.

Once you get good with free hand you can feel good about yourself because you'll never again need those dumb crock stick things, IMO. You can reprofile a knife in 5 minutes as apposed to hours on those previously mentioned devices.
 
Patience and Practice are the key to success with stones. Sharpen a few cheapies first and once you get the hang of it work your way up. Its actually surprisingly easy to learn, but will take you a lifetime to master.
 
If you are just touching them up and not reprofiling them, you should be able to find the existing bevel angle (you can feel it "click" when it is flat on the stone. On some stones, you'll also see water well out from the edge) and put your fingers on the top side of the knife opposite the bevel and don't push too hard (or try to fly like this guy http://www.suisin.co.jp/Japanese/tokusyu/move-imag/inox-honhatsuke01.wmv and http://www.suisin.co.jp/Japanese/tokusyu/move-imag/inox-honhatsuke02.wmv he's had a lot of practice). The flat side you just lay flat on the stone.
 
Time and practice are all that's needed. My angle isn't any normally used angle- about 11 per side- but I've used it so long that it's ingrained.
 
Make yourself a wedge on which you can lean the blade. Lift it off the wedge do a couple of strokes and put it back onto the wedge and see how well you have held the angle. Do this about 1000 times and you should be all set :D.
 
Great advice on this thread!

I used to have the same question, how to hold the correct angle every time. From everything I've read, it's impossible to get the exact angle on every stroke without using a guide, although it's not necessary to be this precise to get a great edge. Fortunately I read The Razor Edge Book Of Sharpening by John Juranitch. He stresses the importance of the relief grind, rather than the microbevel, as most people do. After following his advice and getting a good relief grind the microbevel takes only a few strokes and is a piece of cake to put on.
 
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Use a sharpie(ink felt marker), and mark the edge on both sides, and that way when you make a swipe of the edge on the stone you can see whether to raise the back of the knife or lower it to get the edge angel you want, and have it consistant. Other than that likes others said........practice, practice.

Larry
 
All excellent advice guys. I have been using my thumb as a guide but it gets beat up going back and forth on the gritty surface of the sharpener! :)
 
When I sharpen, I sort of lean forward over the benchstone (it’s in a vice that’s fixed to the top of my desk), hunch my shoulders, and rock my entire upper body back and forth. It seems like it’s easier to keep a consistent angle if you don’t move your arms or wrists much at all.

With even the most skilled freehand sharpeners though, there’s probably going to be at least a little variation in the edge angle. I think you can still get a pretty good edge even if you’re somewhat sloppy in maintaining the angle, as long as the bevels meet and there’s no burr.
 
Y - good question.

It is really easy to keep the angle on stones. All you have to do is "cheat".

That's what I do.

I cheat.

I tape the blade just in case I goof and could accidentally scratch it.

Then I take one of those little alligator clip paper holding things and attach it to the spine of the knife. This sets a constant angle. The clips come in different sized so you can get different angles depending on which size you use.

Once the clip is attached I hold it firm against the spine with my thumb (thumb is not on the stone) and push the knife across the stone. Eventually the clip wears down some but you can get a whole hand full for $1 at any stationary/office store.

So that's my suggestion. Cheat! You will get very constant angles without driving yourself nuts and having to have 20 years of experience.

Lots of folks use their thumb as a guide. They force the spine into a particular part of the thumb. This will hold a somewhat constant angle.

I really only ever use the stones when having to reprofile. With the good knife steels today it doesn't take hardly any work to resharpen or touch up the tiny primary micro edge bevel.

Here is a decent link that discusses the logic of sharpening a blade that may be of benefit to you.

http://forums.egullet.com/index.php?showtopic=26036

Good luck!
 
Another trick is using a stack of coins (or washers, etc.) to set your angle, using double-sided tape to stick them to the blade and each other.
 
How do I hold the knife to within a fraction of one degree and take off extremly minute amounts of material right on the edge on the order of a micron or so so as to preserve my blade material and stone material, (which in my view also saves me time and money) ?

Well here goes : I hang up my operator's cap, put on my bunny slippers, take a deep breath to relax all my muscles and mind as much as possible . . . then I put the stone to be used (or at least the type of abbrasive you speak of) into my Edge Pro Apex and just have a fabulous and relaxing (stress and tedium free) time putting a mind blowingly effective edge on one of my knives.

The key here actually lies in the bunny slippers . . . be sure to buy only those with one eye closed in a wink.
 
Cliff Stamp said:
You can use your thumb as a guide, angle variance doesn't actually prevent sharpening, it just makes it take longer. You will become more precise with practice, don't be overly concerned about it.

-Cliff
Click to expand...

One of the best concise answers to this question I've ever seen. Dang I miss having Cliff around here. :D

Also worth pointing out: this thread is like 12 years old. Still, worth resurrecting just to see Cliff's answer.
 
I too enjoyed Cliff when he was still making YouTubes. (i'm too much of a newb to have seen him here).
Rule of thumb
Click to expand...
Of all the vids I have enjoyed by him I have yet to see that used.
I have something new to research ! Thanks !

I use the rule of thumb when I draw realism. Works like a charm ! ! !

For setting up for a precision machining operation . . . for the cornerstone to be be relied on as a standard I must say my squishy thumb isn't the first that leaps to mind.
What happens when switching to the opposite bevel ?
I am trying to imagine this. (clearly I'm not trying too hard :D) but I am curious.

Lets see . . . I want to form an angle on one side of a piece of metal and then duplicate the same angle on the other side. I want to do this over and over and over. I want to locate different thickness stones in relation to this set angle. I want to vary the angle a fraction of a degree steeper right at the end for deburing (some times for cheep weird steel) . . . how would I do that ? What could I most rely on ? Hard steel locking collars, solid supporting surfaces with trustworthy adjustable stops ?
Or flesh ?

Most of the metal machining dudes and dudets rely on the former . . . but I suppose when one gets good enough with ones guessing . . . the latter might be possible. Just not much fun when one is tired and in a hurry.
Now I never get tired and I never get in a hurry; just saying for many this may not be optimal.
 
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Scott007 said:
https://www.sharpeningsupplies.com/...MImIbdtPqM2QIVyyaGCh1VyQFhEAQYASABEgKjMvD_BwE

Put this on your bench stone. You are now a master blade sharpener. You don’t need that silly expensive crap wicked edge or edge pro.
Click to expand...

Close
If put on the blade maybe OK but then fills up the pores of the stone with plastic swarf.
Otherwise as a jumping off point for a wobbly trip down dream lane . . .
Nah dude, nah.

Please elaborate what happens when you get to the curve of the blade and the tip.

(this should be interesting ;):eek:)
 
Wowbagger said:
Please elaborate what happens when you get to the curve of the blade and the tip.

(this should be interesting ;):eek:)
Click to expand...

Lift your handle slightly to keep the angle consistent and keep the edge on the stone? This is perfectly consistent with using your thumb, a stack of quarters, or whatever, as a simple guide to index the height of your spine at the start of each stroke. Mathematical precision throughout the whole stroke is not the goal; consistency is. Start at the same height each stroke, practice and learn to develop a stroke that follows the curve and compensates by lifting the handle.
 
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