Stopping scratches on the knife while sharpening... And my first Japanese Knife

E

efaden

Joined
May 26, 2015
Messages
87
So I am still very new to sharpening. It seems that ever time I sharpen I get scratches above the blade edge... anyone have tricks to help with that?

Attached is two images of my Tojiro DP I just sharpened (first Japanese knife) with my new Shapton Glass Stones from CKTG... Progression was 500/2000/16000 (yes... I know 16000 was extreme... just playing with the stone).

2015-10-17 15.55.09.jpg2015-10-17 15.55.01.jpg

Thoughts on the edge? or the scratches?

And yes... I want to get a USB scope or something to take better images of the edge...
 
Looking at the direction of the scratches, you can use your thumb as a guide to not have your blade too low where it will scratch. If you run your blade off the edge of the stone, it will scratch as well.
 
Scratches pretty much only happen from unintended contact with the stone or plate. So, stop unintentionally hitting the stone! I'm mostly joking, but that's one answer.

Another answer is to wrap painter's tape around the sides of your blade, stopping somewhere near the blade edge. Then any contact should just slide off of the tape and not scratch the metal underneath. Painter's tape (blue or green) is great for this because it doesn't stick super hard and is super easy to peel off. It also leaves behind pretty much zero residue. Painter's tape is on my short list of modern miracle adhesives. Anybody wanna guess the other two? :)

Brian.
 
bgentry said:
Scratches pretty much only happen from unintended contact with the stone or plate. So, stop unintentionally hitting the stone! I'm mostly joking, but that's one answer.

Another answer is to wrap painter's tape around the sides of your blade, stopping somewhere near the blade edge. Then any contact should just slide off of the tape and not scratch the metal underneath. Painter's tape (blue or green) is great for this because it doesn't stick super hard and is super easy to peel off. It also leaves behind pretty much zero residue. Painter's tape is on my short list of modern miracle adhesives. Anybody wanna guess the other two? :)

Brian.
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I'll have to try the tape.. I like that idea. Along with not hitting the blade... but I'm still learning. :-)
 
Could be caused by trying to do to low angle wise. Using less pressure knife to stone would help to prevent it from happening. It happens now and again you just have to adjust your technique.
 
You can use your thumb as an angle guide until you get comfortably consistent with your angles.
Try not to rub your thumb raw though, I've done it. Glide your thumb just barely above the stone and eventually you won't even need to touch it in order to maintain an angle.
 
n7titan said:
You can use your thumb as an angle guide until you get comfortably consistent with your angles.
Try not to rub your thumb raw though, I've done it. Glide your thumb just barely above the stone and eventually you won't even need to touch it in order to maintain an angle.
Click to expand...

I use a bamboo chopstick instead of my thumb, rubbed it raw before until blood comes out. I clip the stick onto the spine using steel paper clips.
 
Buy some swapmeet knives and get your technique
down.
 
efaden said:
Where I live its all just garbage there... micro-serrated, horrible steel... etc.
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That's the majority of it here to, but I found 2 or 3 Henckels & quite a few Chicago cutlery that were good to practice on. One of the Henckels was a real nice little paring knife that I actually kept to use.
 
Buy some Victorinox paring knives. They are cheap but good, so you can actually put an edge to it. Learning to be consistent in holding the angle doesn't need good knives but learning to know you can apex properly needs one.
 
efaden said:
Where I live its all just garbage there... micro-serrated, horrible steel... etc.
Click to expand...

Steel type is not important, any piece of hardened steel can be sharpened. When I was still learning, I even turned a couple of crap serrated steak knives into slicers which I'm now using for peeling fruits and cutting pizza. Can shave clean my hairy arm.

Those 2 knives were about to be thrown into the dustbin, I gave them new life.

I recommend that you make some kind of angle guide, coin stacks, folded paper, dowels, your finger, ect ect., measure your preferred angle, take off the guide and hold the blade steady and grind away. Traditional Japanese sharpeners used coins. :thumbup:
 
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