Why Bother?

I am always amazed when someone can sharpen a knife. People that I know that carry, collect and use knives have little to no idea about sharpening.

How many people can say that they know how to sharpen a shovel? Growing up in Idaho I learned to sharpen just about everything. Another one that astounds me is that no one sharpens their axes. And when I have done it for someone, they think that something is wrong, it shouldn’t be that sharp should it.
 
bruce> it's fun to do that to them. I know, I did that once at our local fair-type-dealie... Demos going on inside from crapco, and sawing cans, then cutting rope... My Spyderco Cricket shut them up last summer. Didn't get to do it this summer as I was away.

logan> my folks figure I'm crazy when I sharpen the axe to go camping or on survival exersizes. Take that sucker so it almost shaves, and strop the edge. Then don't touch it for about a week. Let the steel relax, and strop it again. It'll shave, and yet chop like there's no tommorrow. My 3lb axe will outchop the 8lb axe our officer takes.
 
My mum taught me how to sharpen things!! When I got married, went to inlaws house and proceeded to sharpen all knives I can lay my hand on. Sharpening knives whiling the time to go back seems to shorten the time. Had 1 problem.

Mum inlaw complaint that the knives are too sharp and scared the hell out of her. She used to cut using sawing motions, now she only has to push to cut.

Go figure?
 
kevtan, I have the same problem! I got bored once and sharpened my Mom's kitchen knives, thinking it would be a nice surprise. Unfortunately the surprise came when she used one of them to cut vegetables with her thumb as a cutting board :eek: . Now I make sure I warn her whenever I sharpen the kitchen knives.
 
Chuck,

I am with you about school (it needs major revamp, teach the important things in live instead of politically correct things, abolish grades so people learn for the sake of learning, no humiliation if you have to return to same class because you are slow).

Also about father to son role. Do you read James Dobson's "Bringing Up Boys"?. I was taught by my dad about sharpening, although later on in highschool a class mate taught me tips to improve that.

Me: I am going to teach my son about knives when he is big enough ...

Kevtan: same problem. In laws complained the knives were too sharp (I don't stay with them anymore). In fact my wife also complains if I sharpen her knife too sharp :D
 
I sometimes sit back and think about all of the shipping and handling charges and sharpening charges I could have avoided if I'd learned to sharpen knives myself when I was younger. Maybe that's how I became such a big Spyderco fan (free sharpening).

My dad carried a Stanley Utility knife my entire childhood. Man they're a breeze to sharpen!
 
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