The Sharpening Failures of a Novice...

[zfJames]

Being a complete novice when it comes to sharpening my knives (my usual attitude was "if it cuts wood, it ain't dull"), I failed on my first attempt to sharpen my Becker. Epically. Here are the pictures documenting the tale, starting with my first official Becker test results photo:

After this 'adventure,' I spent some time trying to figure out how to sharpen my blade. Novices like myself never know what sharpener to get; hence the Lansky that I bought and used in this story:

All was going well at the start. I had whisked it up and down the small slot at the top, then I had finished it off with the rod. Then I repeated the process. Again, all seemed to be well. A little bit of black coating/finish had been lost, so I examined my sharpener:

...only to discover that there was a large amount of coating/metal which had collected at the side of the sharpener. Upon inspection of the blade, I found this:

So, given my unusual level of success (at failing to sharpen my blade properly), do any of you have any advice (you probably have lots of advice at this point) about what I should do to PROPERLY care for my Becker blade? Beyond just sharpening tips (and methods since I obviously lack a method), what else do you do to care for your Becker?

Disclaimer: I cannot prove that the chip occurred during the process of sharpening. However, that seems the most likely scenario given the slightly metallic glitter upon my sharpener (practically invisible in the picture).

EDIT: If you feel that this thread belongs in the appropriately-entitled "Maintenance, Tinkering & Embellishment" section of the forum, feel free to move it. I believed that, given the specific Becker-oriented nature of my question, this thread belonged in the Becker section. Other views may, of course, overrule.

 

[tjswarbrick]

We welcome all Becker content here in the Becker forum.

Sorry to see the edge on your lovely new 7. Ouch.
Like I tell anyone that asks - pull-throughs are not to be trusted.
But I wonder if you hit a rock or something else nasty in the course of putting it through its paces. It happens.

I am by no means an expert, but after using the original and Ken Onion WSKTS on my outdoor stuff and German kitchen gear, and Japanese waterstones on my Japanese kitchen knives - I would recommend the Ken Onion WorkSharp knife and tool sharpener to you. Oh - and throw that pull-through away.
I rounded a couple tips with the original WorkSharp, but mostly figured out a way to not do that any more.
Tip to not rounding tips is STOP- pull the knife off the belt - when the tip reaches the mid-way point.

Done that on everything from the 11 to the 20, with stops along the way for 7, 24, 9 and Tweeners. I like convex edges on my outdoor knives, and love how quick, easy and successful the Ken Onion version is.

OT but relevant story:
I found this thread because you said "Lansky." I recently acquired a handmade paring knife from one of the makers on here, and he said he brought it to 20dps on his Lanksy, and that thing is a laser.
I've been able to shave with every knife I've done by hand or on the WSKTS for the past 2 years. But some I've had to go back and do a second time because I either missed the edge, or rounded it over a bit.
I wanted to try a guided system, but just couldn't spring for an Edge Pro or Wicked Edge.
I promised myself I would not convex my fine Japanese kitchen knives on the belt. The Chef's knife arrived so sharp I didn't know what to do with it. But it's only made of soft German stainless. I've brought it back to hair-popping twice on the waterstones without too much difficulty. Recently got a VG10 parer. Haven't had to do more than hone it with a smooth steel and plain leather. Still plenty sharp.
In between, I got a high carbon "white" steel (essentially Japanese 1095 without the CV) 120mm Western Petty. In the description it said it comes "super sharp", but upon arrival it was anything but. Felt like it was waiting for the chef to put his own edge on it. After probably 3 hours on 2 different occasions on 4 grits of waterstones, I could shave a little with some portions of the blade. Functional. But I knew it could be better. (Much better.)
Knowing that I've gotten MUCH better, I'm still not the best at maintaining a constant angle freehand either on the belt or on the stones. Picked up the Lansky "Deluxe" system at the local wilderness emporium a couple days ago. Last night I spent about an hour on the Petty. Started at 17 degrees with the super coarse and got no burr after 30 passes. So moved to 20 degrees. 15 passes in - formed had a fine, even burr. So I kept it there and worked up through course, med, fine, and ultra-fine. Then on to free-hand with 1000, 2000 and 6000 grit waterstones.
Finally, it's good enough to compete with that little handmade stainless parer.

Long story short - sharpening is not easy, but is very rewarding and you get better the more you do it.

My advice is to get the Ken Onion WorkSharp and start off with it on slow, and use the guides. Quick and successful sharpener, and great for reprofiling and damage repair.
Once you get decent with that, pick your favorite guided system (Lansky, Gatco, or DMT) and get good doing that. Then you can decide if you want to go nuts with fancy belts on the WorkSharp, pick up a WickedEdge or EdgePro fancy guided system, try your hand at free-hand, or just continue to use the entirely functional and not too expensive WSKTS and Lansky.

 

[The Warrior]

Those carbide sharpeners are notorious for that.

 

[knoefz]

Auch... those pull through sharpenerers should be banned.
Pretty fool proof is the Spyderco sharpmaker imho.
Getting that chip out won"t be easy on it though.

Getting a benchstone in 2 grits and pratice gives you a skill for life.
Mark your edge with a marker to see if you use the correct angle...
And have patience

 

[zfJames]

We welcome all Becker content here in the Becker forum.

Sorry to see the edge on your lovely new 7. Ouch.
Like I tell anyone that asks - pull-throughs are not to be trusted.
But I wonder if you hit a rock or something else nasty in the course of putting it through its paces. It happens.

I am by no means an expert, but after using the original and Ken Onion WSKTS on my outdoor stuff and German kitchen gear, and Japanese waterstones on my Japanese kitchen knives - I would recommend the Ken Onion WorkSharp knife and tool sharpener to you. Oh - and throw that pull-through away.
I rounded a couple tips with the original WorkSharp, but mostly figured out a way to not do that any more.
Tip to not rounding tips is STOP- pull the knife off the belt - when the tip reaches the mid-way point.

Done that on everything from the 11 to the 20, with stops along the way for 7, 24, 9 and Tweeners. I like convex edges on my outdoor knives, and love how quick, easy and successful the Ken Onion version is.

OT but relevant story:
I found this thread because you said "Lansky." I recently acquired a handmade paring knife from one of the makers on here, and he said he brought it to 20dps on his Lanksy, and that thing is a laser.
I've been able to shave with every knife I've done by hand or on the WSKTS for the past 2 years. But some I've had to go back and do a second time because I either missed the edge, or rounded it over a bit.
I wanted to try a guided system, but just couldn't spring for an Edge Pro or Wicked Edge.
I promised myself I would not convex my fine Japanese kitchen knives on the belt. The Chef's knife arrived so sharp I didn't know what to do with it. But it's only made of soft German stainless. I've brought it back to hair-popping twice on the waterstones without too much difficulty. Recently got a VG10 parer. Haven't had to do more than hone it with a smooth steel and plain leather. Still plenty sharp.
In between, I got a high carbon "white" steel (essentially Japanese 1095 without the CV) 120mm Western Petty. In the description it said it comes "super sharp", but upon arrival it was anything but. Felt like it was waiting for the chef to put his own edge on it. After probably 3 hours on 2 different occasions on 4 grits of waterstones, I could shave a little with some portions of the blade. Functional. But I knew it could be better. (Much better.)
Knowing that I've gotten MUCH better, I'm still not the best at maintaining a constant angle freehand either on the belt or on the stones. Picked up the Lansky "Deluxe" system at the local wilderness emporium a couple days ago. Last night I spent about an hour on the Petty. Started at 17 degrees with the super coarse and got no burr after 30 passes. So moved to 20 degrees. 15 passes in - formed had a fine, even burr. So I kept it there and worked up through course, med, fine, and ultra-fine. Then on to free-hand with 1000, 2000 and 6000 grit waterstones.
Finally, it's good enough to compete with that little handmade stainless parer.

Long story short - sharpening is not easy, but is very rewarding and you get better the more you do it.

My advice is to get the Ken Onion WorkSharp and start off with it on slow, and use the guides. Quick and successful sharpener, and great for reprofiling and damage repair.
Once you get decent with that, pick your favorite guided system (Lansky, Gatco, or DMT) and get good doing that. Then you can decide if you want to go nuts with fancy belts on the WorkSharp, pick up a WickedEdge or EdgePro fancy guided system, try your hand at free-hand, or just continue to use the entirely functional and not too expensive WSKTS and Lansky.

First of all, I really appreciate your well-thought-out reply. It made for excellent reading and really gave me a (greater) appreciation for the level of skill required to hone those blades... I will put the Ken Onion WorkSharp on the long-term list, for sure, but it is a bit too expensive for the short-term lists.

Those carbide sharpeners are notorious for that.

Blast it. If I had known before I bit the blade...

Auch... those pull through sharpenerers should be banned.
Pretty fool proof is the Spyderco sharpmaker imho.
Getting that chip out won"t be easy on it though.

Getting a benchstone in 2 grits and pratice gives you a skill for life.
Mark your edge with a marker to see if you use the correct angle...
And have patience

No, it won’t. :/ What grits should I do for a set of benchstones? I’m definitely thinking about the Spyderco SharpMaker, since it seems cheaper than the other options.

EDIT: Oh, and, in case it wasn’t already a given, I will be chucking that Lansky ‘Tactical’ where all things labeled ‘Tactical’ (at least anything labeled ‘tactical’ that is cheap and able to sell on Amazon) belong—in the rubbish bin.

 

[tjswarbrick]

I haven't tried it, so should probably keep my trap shut.
But: the Sharpmaker still requires the user to have a steady hand to maintain a consistent edge, and
I've seen recommendations to use Extra Course Diamond rods (bought separately) to re-profile and repair. Like, it'll take hours and hours on the supplied medium stones.
(Side note, I love Spyderco knives and carry at least one every day.)

If the WorkSharp is out of your reach (which I totally understand) I'd take a long hard look at one of the $50 DMT, Lansky or Gatco guided systems to give good, consistent results with the least amount of cost and trouble. Just use light pressure - like you're shaving. Beckers come with a 23dps factory edge, which may not be available on the supplied clamp guides. Either spend a lot of time at 20 degrees to reprofile and get the initial burr, or go in at a 25 degree secondary bevel.
Then, when you get comfortable and want a further refined edge, you'll have a feel for what you're doing when you step into free-handing on your choice of bench stones, sandpaper on glass for scary-sharp edges, or sandpaper on mouse pads for convex edges.

Free-handing gives you much more freedom to get the exact edge you want, and puts you in touch with your knife in a way few other things can. But the learning curve is so long and so steep (at least for a klutz like me) that the frustration can easily lead to burn-out long before you get a truly satisfying edge on your blade.

 

[zfJames]

I haven't tried it, so should probably keep my trap shut.
But: the Sharpmaker still requires the user to have a steady hand to maintain a consistent edge, and
I've seen recommendations to use Extra Course Diamond rods (bought separately) to re-profile and repair. Like, it'll take hours and hours on the supplied medium stones.
(Side note, I love Spyderco knives and carry at least one every day.)

If the WorkSharp is out of your reach (which I totally understand) I'd take a long hard look at one of the $50 DMT, Lansky or Gatco guided systems to give good, consistent results with the least amount of cost and trouble. Just use light pressure - like you're shaving. Beckers come with a 23dps factory edge, which may not be available on the supplied clamp guides. Either spend a lot of time at 20 degrees to reprofile and get the initial burr, or go in at a 25 degree secondary bevel.
Then, when you get comfortable and want a further refined edge, you'll have a feel for what you're doing when you step into free-handing on your choice of bench stones, sandpaper on glass for scary-sharp edges, or sandpaper on mouse pads for convex edges.

Free-handing gives you much more freedom to get the exact edge you want, and puts you in touch with your knife in a way few other things can. But the learning curve is so long and so steep (at least for a klutz like me) that the frustration can easily lead to burn-out long before you get a truly satisfying edge on your blade.

I will definitely take a very hard (and long) look at the guided systems, since I think that you're right on the length of time it will take me to figure out how to use the Spyderco. I don't think I will purchase the Lansky, just because I feel a little cheated (at the moment) by the brand name. I bought my old system (if you can call it that) after only a little research because I found that their name was trusted. I will try one of the guided systems and see if I can rescue my edge. The current blade edge isn't horrible since it will cut paper, but who knows what angle the edge is currently 'sharpened' to.

Free-handing is out as far as I am concerned. For now, I just want to get this blade fixed up. Then maybe in 100 years I will feel confident enough to try free-handing it.

 

[zfJames]

I haven't tried it, so should probably keep my trap shut.
But: the Sharpmaker still requires the user to have a steady hand to maintain a consistent edge, and
I've seen recommendations to use Extra Course Diamond rods (bought separately) to re-profile and repair. Like, it'll take hours and hours on the supplied medium stones.
(Side note, I love Spyderco knives and carry at least one every day.)

If the WorkSharp is out of your reach (which I totally understand) I'd take a long hard look at one of the $50 DMT, Lansky or Gatco guided systems to give good, consistent results with the least amount of cost and trouble. Just use light pressure - like you're shaving. Beckers come with a 23dps factory edge, which may not be available on the supplied clamp guides. Either spend a lot of time at 20 degrees to reprofile and get the initial burr, or go in at a 25 degree secondary bevel.
Then, when you get comfortable and want a further refined edge, you'll have a feel for what you're doing when you step into free-handing on your choice of bench stones, sandpaper on glass for scary-sharp edges, or sandpaper on mouse pads for convex edges.

Free-handing gives you much more freedom to get the exact edge you want, and puts you in touch with your knife in a way few other things can. But the learning curve is so long and so steep (at least for a klutz like me) that the frustration can easily lead to burn-out long before you get a truly satisfying edge on your blade.

Since you've got experience with WorkSharp, what do you think of their Guided Field Sharpener? I know it's not electric, but it seems like something I would like to try as long as it works and I'm not getting myself into a massive amount of work...

 

[tjswarbrick]

Since you've got experience with WorkSharp, what do you think of their Guided Field Sharpener? I know it's not electric, but it seems like something I would like to try as long as it works and I'm not getting myself into a massive amount of work...

Haven't tried that one, but compared to the clamp-guided ones, the "guides" look like a cop-out, to me.
Better than nothing, but basically freehand once you begin moving the blade across the stone.
Plus, I think they're trying to pack too many features into what should really be a fairly simple device.

 

[milkyeye]

I have the $50 DMT sharpening system I use on my spydercos, and small stuff. I recently bought that Lansky little block with 2 sets of ceramic rods, predrilled angles for the rods. All I can say is for <$20, it works like a dream on kitchen knives, and brought my BK 4 up to shaving sharp in no time. I spent alot of time with a strop, on bark river knifes, and unless it hardly had any belly, I never thought I got good at it. Still trying though. I think the Lansky device I bought, makes it easy and idiot/novice proof, I know you may not like the name now. Good luck on cleaning up that edge, yep don't use that v notch thing on anything I care about.

 

[bladesmith3]

Those carbide sharpeners are notorious for that.

yes those carbide pull through are very bad for your knives. if you need any type of simple pull through the ones with ceramic rods
are safe at least. my best advise is to practice using whatever system you get on junk knives. then move up to better quality blades
as your skill level improves.

 

[Xr6x]

What knoefz said is how I like to sharpen my knives too. It takes practice, but once you learn you have a skill that will allow you to keep all your knives sharp. Holding the knife at a 20 degree or about angle and keep the same number of strokes even for both sides. If you want at first you can mark the edge with a marker so you can see Where the edge is touching the stone. Holding the same angle is the most important thing for both sides of the edge. The power sharpeners I'am sure are nice but they must have a learning curve as well. The good thing about sharpening with a stone is you can do it anywhere and you don't need a power supply The little chip will take some time but it's also something that you don't have to work out right away but to be honest I would. I can't say enough good about what what I recently learned from 91bravo and that's the DMT diamond wet stone is the way to go . It will save a lot of time when straightening out uneven or a damaged edges. I think all the options have been covered . Good luck with which ever way you want to try .Here a pic

Oh yea I like to just use a ceramic rod to maintain a razor edge at all times

 

[Tanker 1/66]

Depending on what needs to be done. This is some of my arsenal
https://www.flickr.com/photos/153781516@N05/

 

[knoefz]

...
What grits should I do for a set of benchstones? I’m definitely thinking about the Spyderco SharpMaker, since it seems cheaper than the other options.

My first decent set was 2 doublesided waterstones, one with 240/800 grit, one with 2000/5000 grit. They still serve me well. They get hollowed out so every so many sharpenings you need to flatten them every once in a while. Coste about $40,- for the both of them iirc.

They're the red/blue and blue/white stones in the pic below.

I'm afraid of using a powertools like the KO worksharp on my knives...
they eat up metal pretty fast.

 

[Tanker 1/66]

With the KO I mark the edge with a Blue Wipe board marker. Start with a smooth polishing belt to see wear it's going to convex. Work with the smooth belts until you get comfortable with the worksharp. Stop the tip before you get to the half way point on the belt or you will round the tip. Practice on some junk knives for sure. Blades more than .250 will push the outter guide at 15° So take care and check the true often. 18° doesn't push the outter guide on a .250 blade. If you jump on it with an X65 or a P120 belt and don't know what your doing. Well!!!! Sorry about your luck lol P.S. The easiest knife i ever sharpened on the KO was a Bk9 at 20° what a Dream.

 

[zfJames]

My first decent set was 2 doublesided waterstones, one with 240/800 grit, one with 2000/5000 grit. They still serve me well. They get hollowed out so every so many sharpenings you need to flatten them every once in a while. Coste about $40,- for the both of them iirc.

They're the red/blue and blue/white stones in the pic below.

I'm afraid of using a powertools like the KO worksharp on my knives...
they eat up metal pretty fast.

Thanks guys for the great input and ideas! I’ll let you know what I end up getting and how I repair this blade sharpening deficiency!

With the KO I mark the edge with a Blue Wipe board marker. Start with a smooth polishing belt to see wear it's going to convex. Work with the smooth belts until you get comfortable with the worksharp. Stop the tip before you get to the half way point on the belt or you will round the tip. Practice on some junk knives for sure. Blades more than .250 will push the outter guide at 15° So take care and check the true often. 18° doesn't push the outter guide on a .250 blade. If you jump on it with an X65 or a P120 belt and don't know what your doing. Well!!!! Sorry about your luck lol P.S. The easiest knife i ever sharpened on the KO was a Bk9 at 20° what a Dream.

Well, it was my own dumb fault to not practice on a cheap knife first. Thanks for the valuable tips!

 

[Tanker 1/66]

zfJames I have a lot of blades that are a 1/8-1/4 inch shorter than there supposed to be lol

 

[knoefz]

zfJames I have a lot of blades that are a 1/8-1/4 inch shorter than there supposed to be lol

is this your ZT for sale on a dutch site ??

 

[Tanker 1/66]

is this your ZT for sale on a dutch site ??

Lol Thats Funny

 

[zfJames]

zfJames I have a lot of blades that are a 1/8-1/4 inch shorter than there supposed to be lol

Can't argue with that! Sounds like my blade will get the same treatment (over time). As long as my BK7 doesn't look like a fillet knife when I'm done, then I'll be ok with the results!