Strops and stones may break my bones...

[sodak]

Yo, sodak -- Happy Holidays to you, my friend!

Agreed, seems just about everything Jeff posts is archival quality -- and that's not meant to discount the amazing knowledge of so many others here, who I won't even try to name because I'd forget a whole bunch and then surely wind up burning in some kind of blade-deprived hell when I die.

Yo Dawg, Happy Holidays to you and your family also! I also share your sentiments in being careful about using names at the risk of offending - and as you well know, I often get the names wrong!

Keep in also, the burr is weakened. I've had some really soft steels in knives that were steeled rather than sharpened, with a big floppy burr on them. I also get that big floppy burr from my belt sander. When that happens, I have to use Gunmike's technique of cutting directly into the stone at a 90 deg angle to take off the weak metal (3 or so very light passes), then start all over again. I don't like doing this, but sometimes, it's the only way to get past the weak floppy burr. Then I sharpen as normal, and finish with the Jeff Clark technique.

I think developing a very light touch is the hardest thing about all of this. People always feel that since we're removing steel, it's going to take some umph. But we're trying to only remove microns of steel, so it's more finesse than strength.

 

[David Martin]

Sodak, I agree ! Many think its steel you've got to force it . DM

 

[cziv]

People always feel that since we're removing steel, it's going to take some umph. But we're trying to only remove microns of steel, so it's more finesse than strength.

That is a jewel sodak! I've been pressing pretty hard and will stop that now.

 

[MagenDavid]

I'm going to briefly take this thread into a new direction. I have a friend who I'm going to need to teach to sharpen a knife, and I want a recommendation on the barest minimum of necessary materials for this. I was thinking a medium/fine stone a la DMT, a ceramic rod, and a homemade strop. Too much?

 

[cziv]

It's your thread MagenDavid

That said, with your "hands on" and "over the shoulder" tutelage, that sounds like a great combo. I wouldn't give it to a firend and turn him loose. But, you did say you were going to teach him, so - lucky student then right?

 

[Dog of War]

Yo Dawg, Happy Holidays to you and your family also!

In many ways, you and the other great folks here on BFC are like extended family -- and with no surly, demanding in-laws or cranky old aunts to contend with!

I think developing a very light touch is the hardest thing about all of this. People always feel that since we're removing steel, it's going to take some umph. But we're trying to only remove microns of steel, so it's more finesse than strength.

Absolutely. When I started doing a lot of edge retention testing a few years back, I was totally stunned to realize this. At first it doesn't make sense, but then you realize that few normal cutting choirs will place the same laterally stresses on the very edge of a blade that you can get when sharpening, especially on the corners of a Sharpmaker. And of course the same thing can happen with a flat stone, or on the flats of the Sharpmaker rods, if you happen to just get a little lateral error and hit the edge instead of the flat. Now the closer I am to finished, the less pressure I use, winding up with just the lightest of touches. The improvement in edge retention, as well as sharpness you can achieve, is really remarkable.

DoW's Law: You gotta baby that edge if you need it to do plenty of hard work.