The "Ask Nathan a Question" Thread

Jsega51 said:
Should I be spitting on my Sharpmaker rods?
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If you've ever read the reasoning behind the Sharpmaker setup, and why they should be used dry, it makes sense. It's also why I've been using my DMT Diafold(s) dry. I just scrub them with Barkeeper's Friend every now and then.
 
I suppose it might be possible to overheat the very tiniest apex of the edge sharpening on a stone dry but I have never worried about it. Perhaps it's an issue on extremely narrow angles where the steel is very thin and there's no thermal mass to it?

Sharpening on a belt dry, you could raise the first few thousands of an inch of that edge a thousand degrees and it wouldn't raise the temperature of the knife by one degree so you would never feel it. It's real easy to burn an edge grinding dry. It's a bad practice although it's very common. That is my concern when people sharpen my knives dry.

I don't believe you're going to run into any temper loss of the very apex of the edge to any meaningful amount hand sharpening on a stone dry.

I have done experiments where I sharpened dry and used poor technique and I was able to find a measurable loss in edge retention. I have also found that it is possible using very good technique it is possible to sharpen dry without significant damage to the edge in my own testing. But it is also easy to have a problem spot on a knife (and not know it) so it is a bad practice. If you're sharpening a batch of knives, you're almost certainly going to run into problems overheating a spot here and there if you're grinding dry and that damage can go up a little ways, not just a few thou but maybe a millimeter or more. That's never going to fully sharpen out.

Given that it is not impossible to sharpen dry, it's just a bad practice, I think it's pretty likely that the speeds you would see on a handstone are not likely to create an issue unless perhaps you're talking about something like a straight razor maybe?

But even that is stropped dry.

I cannot say for certain but I do not think it is likely to cause heat damage to an edge hand sharpening dry unless you're just really really vigorous.

My hand sharpening on a stone is not using high pressure nor is it moving real fast. But maybe somebody out there is doing a significant amount of reduction on a handstone and it gets hot? *shrug*
 
Nathan the Machinist said:
I suppose it might be possible to overheat the very tiniest apex of the edge sharpening on a stone dry but I have never worried about it. Perhaps it's an issue on extremely narrow angles where the steel is very thin and there's no thermal mass to it?

Sharpening on a belt dry, you could raise the first few thousands of an inch of that edge a thousand degrees and it wouldn't raise the temperature of the knife by one degree so you would never feel it. It's real easy to burn an edge grinding dry. It's a bad practice although it's very common. That is my concern when people sharpen my knives dry.

I don't believe you're going to run into any temper loss of the very apex of the edge to any meaningful amount hand sharpening on a stone dry.

I have done experiments where I sharpened dry and used poor technique and I was able to find a measurable loss in edge retention. I have also found that it is possible using very good technique it is possible to sharpen dry without significant damage to the edge in my own testing. But it is also easy to have a problem spot on a knife (and not know it) so it is a bad practice. If you're sharpening a batch of knives, you're almost certainly going to run into problems overheating a spot here and there if you're grinding dry and that damage can go up a little ways, not just a few thou but maybe a millimeter or more. That's never going to fully sharpen out.

Given that it is not impossible to sharpen dry, it's just a bad practice, I think it's pretty likely that the speeds you would see on a handstone are not likely to create an issue unless perhaps you're talking about something like a straight razor maybe?

But even that is stropped dry.

I cannot say for certain but I do not think it is likely to cause heat damage to an edge hand sharpening dry unless you're just really really vigorous.

My hand sharpening on a stone is not using high pressure nor is it moving real fast. But maybe somebody out there is doing a significant amount of reduction on a handstone and it gets hot? *shrug*
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Now that you mentioned it, I have seen someone use a benchstone with a technique that looked like they were sanding something. 😐

Generally, I just use light, slow strokes, and most folks I've known tend to do the same.
 
I hate it when I chip carbide



The old Cold Stone cake batter with dark chocolate chip and walnut. Before they reformulated it.

Blue Bunny chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. With the globs of sweet caramel goo excluded. That stuff will give you diabetes and it's 100% worth it.
 
Phish food is amazing esp after entering a legal state. New york super fudge chunk Ben n Js is probably my all time favorite. If feeling fruity that stawberry cheescake they make is pretty ridiculous. Never seen that weis stuff but definitely gettin a bit hot and bothered looking at it.
 
dericdesmond said:
Phish food is amazing esp after entering a legal state. New york super fudge chunk Ben n Js is probably my all time favorite. If feeling fruity that stawberry cheescake they make is pretty ridiculous. Never seen that weis stuff but definitely gettin a bit hot and bothered looking at it.
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If memory serves… you posted about being at cedar point. In Ohio if you are ever heading to or through Cincinnati, Dayton or Columbus look up a Graeter’s Ice cream location.
 
dericdesmond said:
Phish food is amazing esp after entering a legal state. New york super fudge chunk Ben n Js is probably my all time favorite. If feeling fruity that stawberry cheescake they make is pretty ridiculous. Never seen that weis stuff but definitely gettin a bit hot and bothered looking at it.
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Weis is a local supermarket chain that is family owned, they bought some dairy farms so they could make their own ice cream. It's very tasty and only costs $3
 
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