Touch ups with a pocket steel

O

olddogrib

Joined
Apr 18, 2011
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when using a pocket steel such as the old Schrade/Gerber Honesteels to realign an edge, some Youtube videos show slicing into the edge as you would sharpening on a whetstone and some use a reverse motion as you would on a strop. What's the consensus of the proper way?
 
With honing steels, either edge-leading or edge-trailing can work. Most everything comes down to the right 'touch', in terms of maintaining the optimum angle and use of pressure. I use steels with an edge-leading technique at very light pressure. Too heavy with pressure or too steep with the angle tends to create some heavy, rolled burrs on honing steels. They don't abrade much (although a small bit), but instead work more to align an edge. This is seen in attempting to sharpen a really dull edge on them - it'll be a painfully slow process, if it can be done at all. So, for alignment's sake, it's more important to keep the angle right at a very light, skimming touch. Honing steels are at their best when an edge is already apexed and sharp, but just rolled a bit or just a hair away from being as sharp as it can be.
 
Here is a picture of a ZDP-189 blade at 67 HRC being “steeled” edge leading on a Titanium Nitride coated blade at 82 HRC.View attachment 1749723on a Titanium Nitride coated blade at 82 HRC.
 
I always use an edge-trailing stroke on a steel, because some of mine are antiques and have small nicks or pitting. Pulling the edge, it just bounces right over those flaws. Sometimes on the job I use a drill bit shank, drift pin or big screwdriver, same idea. A leading stroke would jam the edge into the divots.

Takes a few more strokes, I can live with that.

Parker
 
I have the Gossman version of the sharpening steel.
All the instructions seemed vague to me, so I've tried everything.
Leading, trailing, swirling....... everything seems to work.
Idk what I'm doing..... but my knives have never been sharper
 
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