What do you sharpen for?

bpeezer

bpeezer

Joined
Jan 27, 2013
Messages
2,078
I see a lot of people post pictures of their knives sharpened to perfect mirror edges with their edge pro apex. I always wonder, do my knives need to have perfectly flat bevels? Do I need to be able to hang my knife in the car as a rearview mirror just in case? Does attractiveness of the edge affect quality of the cut?

I like to sharpen freehand because it's a great stress reliever for me. Unfortunately, I can't get that perfect mirror edge freehand like people can with their angle guided systems. It's like going to workout at a gym full of bodybuilders. No matter how hard I work, it seems that everyone does substantially better with much less effort.

I love sharpening, but at my level of skill I can't produce the consistency to get that mirrored appearance. I have decided to focus on refining my skill at relatively lower grit stones. I take pride in every stroke on the stone, I carefully test the edge and I take the time to care for my stones. I am trying to work with just a 1k and a 3k stone, going for the best sharpness I can achieve with these two stones. I can push cut receipt paper with the 3k finish, but my bevels are ugly as sin, especially near the tip.

My goal now is to get a knife as sharp as possible, sharpening freehand, using only one stone, in under 15 minutes of actual sharpening. What do you sharpen for?
 
bpeezer said:
p.My goal now is to get a knife as sharp as possible, sharpening freehand, using only one stone, in under 15 minutes of actual sharpening.
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My goal is similar to yours, except input paper wheels instead of "freehand using only one stone", and it takes me about 3 to 5 minutes. My edges are hair popping sharp and polished, but not mirror polished. My bevels are even and look good to the eye. My knives will cut anything I ask of them and keep on cutting. They need re-sharpening or stropping after some continued use, but will stand up as good as any of the same steel sharpened on an Edge Pro or any other guided device sharpener.

I have less than $100 invested in my system, and it provides me with relaxation, relieves stress, and satisfaction knowing I did all this without sacrificing all my knife money on a high priced sharpening system. Bottom line is I need and want my knives to be as sharp as is practical for my intended use and needs. My preferred system gives me this. If yours does the same and you are satisfied with the results, then I applaud you! I don't think everyone should use what I use, nor do I want to use what they might use. We should all use what works for us within our budgets and try to get the best possible results out of it. My system works, and I hope yours does likewise.

Blessings,

Omar
 
You don't need a edge pro to produce a mirror edge, you just need the right tools (stones).

Having that level of refinement has its place but not too often in your EDC.
 
I just use a strop to sharpen mine, can get hair whittling edges so that's fine for me. I don't sharpen until they reluctantly shave though.
 
I just sharpened my first two knives today. I bought an Arkasas tri-stone set up from Amazon. I grabbed a couple of old knives from the kitchen knife drawer. I improved the edge enough to cut paper but there is a definite drag on the paper. The edges wouldn't cut paper before I started.


My problem is at the tip of the blade where it curves I don't know how to hold my hand to maintain the bevel. I plan on hitting the yard sales and trying to pick up old knives that I can practice on. Does anyone have any advice on the holding the bevel angle when the blade tip starts to curve?
 
2013-02-23_18-57-09_530_zpsd0157e8d.jpg


Freehand, it's about materials. I sharpen to a mirror for looks and do the equivalent of a 1k japanese micro
 
knifenut1013 said:
You don't need a edge pro to produce a mirror edge, you just need the right tools (stones).
Click to expand...

Razorsharp-Travis said:
Freehand, it's about materials. I sharpen to a mirror for looks and do the equivalent of a 1k japanese micro
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I don't have the skills yet :o I'm focusing on the lower grit stones to get the technique down so I can actually have a consistent bevel. Is that smart, or should I buy stones up to 10k and a strop so I can see exactly where I need to work? I figured the refinement produced by higher grit stones wouldn't be a substitute for excellent sharpening technique.

Both of you obviously have a ton of sharpening skill. Do you think I would learn faster from trying to refine my inconsistent edges, or focusing on getting hours of practice on my technique?
 
My 2 cents, start with coarse and medium grits stones and slowly work your way up. When it comes to freehanding, your margin of error for holding a clean bevel angle is relative to the size of the abrasive. A few degrees of angle wobble on a coarse stone will still look optically flat, as you progress up to finer abrasives it will take on a more convex appearance. With sloppy enough angle control it almost doesn't make sense to go for a fine stone, you'll probably wind up rounding the edge somewhat, even as you get pretty good edges at low to medium finish. You want to eliminate as much slop from your technique as possible. At some point you'll need to try for a higher polish, but for now your time is probably better spent mastering low and medium so you have a solid foundation. This is also a good spot to learn burr removal, observational skills etc.

HH
 
I sometimes sharpen to a mirror edge because I can, and I like the look. I also like to show off. It's not necessary for an effective cutting edge. A toothy 600 grit edge will slice tomatoes better than a mirror. Neither is it necessary to have a perfectly flat edge. A fairly straight Apex is important. Deburring is too. Don't be hard on yourself. Judge your edge by its performance, not what it looks like.
 
bpeezer said:
I don't have the skills yet :o I'm focusing on the lower grit stones to get the technique down so I can actually have a consistent bevel. Is that smart, or should I buy stones up to 10k and a strop so I can see exactly where I need to work? I figured the refinement produced by higher grit stones wouldn't be a substitute for excellent sharpening technique.

Both of you obviously have a ton of sharpening skill. Do you think I would learn faster from trying to refine my inconsistent edges, or focusing on getting hours of practice on my technique?
Click to expand...

If you don't have the stones how can you judge your progression or ability?
 
Perfectly flat and symmetrical bevels, and realistically-useful edge angles are a good foundation (GREAT, in fact) for starting out. Maintenance and touch-ups are much easier after that's established, with almost all touch-ups being done in a minute or two's time, on a strop with or without compound. But, the same initial degree of refinement or attention to detail won't be necessary for functionality in general. I usually set new bevels with a guided setup, initially, which helps ensure the integrity and purity of the new edge. Beyond that, I do all maintenance free-hand, usually edge-trailing, which gradually convexes the previously-flat bevel's shoulders and makes slicing a true pleasure. :)


David
 
knifenut1013 said:
If you don't have the stones how can you judge your progression or ability?
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I can see that my bevel is neither consistently flat nor consistently convex, it's almost like 3 or 4 bevels trying to give the appearance of being convex. What you say makes a lot of sense though, I may get an 8k soon to try to judge my edges better. I like baby steps :)

Everyone, thanks for all the advice. I'll put in some hours practicing my angle control and going for consistency, but I'll keep my thoughts on the fundamentals. Going through the process consistently, from low grit to high grit, getting and removing the burr, refining my scratch pattern without dulling the edge, and of course testing continually throughout the process. I guess it makes sense that if I spend hours of practice on a 1k stone, and no time on a higher grit stone, when I try to bring the new stone into my process I will make things worse before they get better.
 
bpeezer said:
My goal now is to get a knife as sharp as possible, sharpening freehand, using only one stone, in under 15 minutes of actual sharpening. What do you sharpen for?
Click to expand...

Why so long?:D

My goal is to sharpen my knife in a few minutes, to a good using edge that cuts what I need to cut, easily, and go on about my life. I've long gotten over the ego and showiness of hair whittling, and wasting what's left of what time I have left on this planet. As long as I can open my mail and UPS boxes, slice a rope in one swipe, and open those accursed plastic blister packages cleanly, I'm happy. A few minutes on a stone, a few minutes stropping, and I'm good. I don't care what it looks like, just that it cuts what I have to cut and move on with life.

Carl.
 
jackknife said:
Why so long?:D

My goal is to sharpen my knife in a few minutes, to a good using edge that cuts what I need to cut, easily, and go on about my life. I've long gotten over the ego and showiness of hair whittling, and wasting what's left of what time I have left on this planet. As long as I can open my mail and UPS boxes, slice a rope in one swipe, and open those accursed plastic blister packages cleanly, I'm happy. A few minutes on a stone, a few minutes stropping, and I'm good. I don't care what it looks like, just that it cuts what I have to cut and move on with life.


Carl.
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You said it. A knife is a tool.
 
It depends on many factors. With a heavy user I typically aim for speed and efficiency which usually means powered assisted sharpening. The general exception to that would be when I am trying out a new sharpening device or abrasive. In that case I am experimenting and evaluating so I would take more time and be more precise.

With a premium steel light user, for example, I tend to seek precision as well as appearance and time is really not a factor. I might freehand on stones, use a guided system, strops or a even a combination of those.

Sharpening for me is also a stress reliever, so sometimes I just grab a knife and abrade away my built up tension. Stropping is usually my choice for that.
 
I use all of my knives, and find it useless (for me) to have a high mirror polished edge on a blade. However, I sharpen a lot because I have several friends who carry lots of knives, and find sharpening to be somewhat therapeutic.
 
jackknife said:
Why so long?:D

My goal is to sharpen my knife in a few minutes, to a good using edge that cuts what I need to cut, easily, and go on about my life. I've long gotten over the ego and showiness of hair whittling, and wasting what's left of what time I have left on this planet. As long as I can open my mail and UPS boxes, slice a rope in one swipe, and open those accursed plastic blister packages cleanly, I'm happy. A few minutes on a stone, a few minutes stropping, and I'm good. I don't care what it looks like, just that it cuts what I have to cut and move on with life.

Carl.
Click to expand...

You sound like the exact opposite of me :D I get more enjoyment out of sharpening my knives, sometimes I only use them so I can sharpen them again!
 
jackknife said:
Why so long?:D

My goal is to sharpen my knife in a few minutes, to a good using edge that cuts what I need to cut, easily, and go on about my life. I've long gotten over the ego and showiness of hair whittling, and wasting what's left of what time I have left on this planet. As long as I can open my mail and UPS boxes, slice a rope in one swipe, and open those accursed plastic blister packages cleanly, I'm happy. A few minutes on a stone, a few minutes stropping, and I'm good. I don't care what it looks like, just that it cuts what I have to cut and move on with life.

Carl.
Click to expand...

Threading every breadth in life interaction quilt, taste every breath, embrace a smiling end.
We shall use our sharp knives to splice time lengthwise.
:ghost:
 
Chris "Anagarika";12118119 said:
Sounds like coming from Thich Nath Hanh ;)
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Thích Nhất Hạnh would call me a Thích Tầm Xàm :p (a 2 cents philo).
 
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