Slightly advanced sharpening question

Shmackey

Shmackey

Joined
May 5, 2000
Messages
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I read somewhere about someone's unorthodox approach to using a Sharpmaker 204 and I wanted to hear opinions. Think it was Joe Talmadge.

Instead of swiping the knife across the stone, bringing it back up in the air, and taking another downward swipe, he just maintained the blade's contact with the stone and went up and down in a circular path.

I tried it and I found it very easy to maintain a perfectly vertical angle this way. On the other hand, using the approach shown on the video, I noticed that the very beginning of each stroke was a little off-angle because of the light impact of the blade meeting the sharpening rod.

So...Is there any reason not to do this? Obviously, the blade is going to be moving up the rod, strop-style, half the time, and I don't know what effect this will have. Worked for me, anyway.
 
In the Razor-Edge book, they mention using a circular motion at first, when you're first putting the primary and secondary bevels in. Then, once you've got the bevel right, you begin going one direction, working the infamous 'wire edge' back and forth until it's gone.

So, in answer to your question, not that I know...but then the nice doctors won't let me touch a sharp knife...or an unwrapped soda straw, for that matter...:D
 
Originally posted by Kalindras
In the Razor-Edge book, they mention using a circular motion at first, when you're first putting the primary and secondary bevels in. Then, once you've got the bevel right, you begin going one direction, working the infamous 'wire edge' back and forth until it's gone.
Click to expand...

That's exactly what I do. Circular motion just to get to the burr. I just want a fast way to grind off the burr at first. Once I get to that point, I do smooth controlled strokes down the stone.

Joe
 
Excellent!!! Great Idea. I'm gonna go try it. Hmmm... I guess I need to dull something first...

--Matt
 
I use a similar method with my Lansky, going back and forth while rebeveling and then going in one direction once at the edge.
 
Jason,

I just recently went back to my Lansky...I read the RE book, and had been sharpening freehand with pretty good results, but the other day, I just got lazy, and suddenly realized that, with the knowledge I'd gained from reading the book, the Lansky made it almost foolishly easy to sharpen...

For the last couple of days, I've been sharpening everything again. While I was watching Junkyard Wars on Monday night, it was great. It required almost no real attention (always keep half an eye, though--this is a knife we're talking about, and we're making it sharper, remember?). It felt good to be getting something accomplished, even while mentally vegging out.

Now, if I could only get it down using that belt grinder...I seem to get really poor results from that, for some reason...:confused:
 
Shmackey :

Is there any reason not to do this?
Click to expand...

Grind lines parallel to the edge both increase the size of the burr and weaken the edge even when it is removed. As well they decrease cutting ability by increasing the friction between the blade and the material being cut. If you grind in a circular motion initially, to get an optimal edge performance you will need to grind all those scratches out and replace them with ones perpendicular to the edge.

-Cliff
 
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