So how do you freehand?

[StuntDouble]

I know many of you out there freehand sharpen, without the aid of any Lansky angle guides, or Spyderco Sharpmakers. I'm just curious to see some of the methods that everyone uses.

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This is the method I've used for several years now. I've tried angle guides and the Sharpmaker, but they never produced the results I wanted. The same goes for using a bench stone on a table top. I think part of the reason why it works better for me, is that it gives me tactile feedback while sharpening, so I can tell when I'm removing the wire edge. It also allows me to vary the angle of the stone and the blade, if I need to.

Surprisingly enough, I've never really cut myself sharpening like this

 

[STR]

Personally I have better luck placing the stone, diamond or ceramic pad on a flat stable surface but there is no right or wrong way to do it so long as the end result is a sharp blade and the user is happy.

 

[DGG]

The hardest part is holding the constant angle. DMT and other make angle guides for their whetstones. I cheat!

I use a little alligator clip thing (holds bunches of paper together) that I attach to the taped spine (so not to scratch) and it holds about a 15 degree angle. You can get a handful at any stationary store. They come in different sizes so you will have different angles.

http://www.dmtsharp.com/general/basicsharp.htm#knifesharp

I draw the knife across the stone spine first.

 

[StuntDouble]

DGG, something like that doesn't sound like a bad idea. I just worry that the clip would gouge out the stone you were using. Though, I guess all the pressure is going to be on the edge of the blade, rather than the back, so it shouldn't matter too much.

 

[STR]

I love that "never test an edge on body" statement. Right! I've got no hairs on my arm from ignoring that one.

I've used EZ Lap diamond sharpeners for years and really prefer those over anything else I have ever owned. They are less expensive than the DMT ones and seem to work just the same. Smiths makes some that work well also. I don't think there is a significant difference in the performance of any of these diamond sharpeners but the technique is the most important step to master. Once you get that down any of them work great.

 

[Habeas Corpus]

This is the method I've used for several years now. <snip>
Surprisingly enough, I've never really cut myself sharpening like this

Hey, that could be me ... I use the same technique, I'm also a lefty and I also didn't cut myself using this technique. The only difference is that I normally hold the stone pointing slightly up and not down.

I know that I don't keep the angle all that steady with that technique, but it has never bothered me much. My knives get sharp enough, and that's what counts ...

Hans

 

[c.m. arrington]

I guess I do things backwards but I hold the knife still and move the stone across the blade. It works better for me.

 

[GarageBoy]

I do the same thing you do, or on a table top depending on the knife

 

[DGG]

DGG, something like that doesn't sound like a bad idea. I just worry that the clip would gouge out the stone you were using. Though, I guess all the pressure is going to be on the edge of the blade, rather than the back, so it shouldn't matter too much.

The steel in the clip is very mild. The only problem with the method is that you occasionally have to replace the clip because it has been ground flat.

 

[Way-O]

I do it in a stropping kind of motion, and working the blade from tip to base in one smooth move. I've found that I can keep a very uniform angle this way.

I get the angle from doing a couple strokes at the base of the blade first, using my index finger as a guide. I have a couple of positions I hold it against the spine, depending on the knife. The full length stroke ends to a slight touch to my finger so I know it's right. I try to hold my finger just a hair over the stone, so I don't get any needless abrasion against it. Still I have broken my skin many times. If I've been sharpening for a while, and get the "touch", I check the angle only so often, and minimize this problem. It's usually worse if I haven't been sharpening for a while.

Some pics; the first one illustrates the grip I use and using my finger to assure the angle. The second one is the start of the honing stroke. What's missing from these is my other hand, which I used to hold my cellphone (sorry about the bad quality of the shots). I lay the tip of the fingers of my other hand on the edge of the knife to increase control and control the pressure. Without this, it would be pretty much all over the place. Good lighting is also essential, sunlight is the best IMO. Most important thing is patience though. If you want a good edge, you have to concentrate. It's yoga.

For the other side: I tilt the stone a bit, switch hands.

For edge maintenance I use a fine ceramic file from Spyderco, holding it between the index finger and thumb of my other hand and making a cutting stroke against it with the knife, base to tip, held in my other hand. Angle is set with my thumb against the spine, similar to above. Then switch hands. Same method applies when steeling or using any improvised hone, like the edge of a glass sheet.

And of course, I use a strop, actually different kinds of them. But that's another topic... No finger on spine here, as you can check the angle by seeing when the knife starts to bite into the strop. I apply control with my other hand sometimes, depending if it's a free hanging strop or laying on a firm surface, which I usually use.


I have also used different ceramic files on small or curved edges. Using a filing motion, blade static. Without a good hold of the knife, or a clamp, this is a little harder.

 

[HoB]

I do the same as Way-O only that I start on the corner which is closest to the hand I am using. I also use always two hands, the hand that holds the handle I maintain the angle with, the other one I put onto the blade as close to the edge as I can to apply pressure. Only when I cut in a new angle (reprofile) I devide the blade into sections on which I work individually with both a forward and backward motion.

To get a feel for the angle I want to use, I have angle blocks (wedges) with different angles that I made out of wood and impregnated with Polyurethan, and an angle guide from Homedepot that I can set to different angles. Do not use that during the actually honing, just to get a feel for the angle I am aiming at. Every 5-10 strokes I check if I am holding the angle. I tested an edge a while back and was surprised and delighted (and a bit proud) that I seem to be able to maintain the angle to about 1 degree this way.

 

[Jeff Clark]

I use the side of my index finger as a guide when I sharpen the right side of my blades similar to the way that Way-o holds his, but I do it in the opposite direction. I start from the base of the edge and work up towards the tip as my honing stroke progresses. I also primarily hone edge-forwards as if I was shaving the hone rather than as if I was stropping the blade. Actually I start off by using back and forwards strokes on the hone when I am rough sharpening and edge-forwards towards the end. When I sharpen the left side of the blade I use the side of my thumb as a guide to set my angle. I often use my off hand to stabilize the blade to help get a nice clean bevel.

I usually set my hone down on a countertop while I hone. Sometimes I hold it and work under a kitchen sink tap with water running over the hone. This keeps the hone exceptionally clean while I work.

 

[Way-O]

I have used base to tip -motion sometimes as well. But I have found that for me the way I do it helps to keep a constant angle near the tip, a little surprisingly perhaps. One problem to watch out is the dulling of the tip, but being careful minimizes this. Also the micro-serration pattern is formed in a way more suitable for a "pulling" slice, which I like to use over a forward motion. The stropping motion when honing aids to form a burr, so I know when the whole edge is properly honed, before switching to a finer grit.