Freehand Sharpening, Alternating Hands?

[oXObsidianXo]

So recently I've been trying to work on my freehand sharpening skill, and after sharpening some kitchen knives to moderately sharp (slicing printer paper) 600 grit, I decided to watch some videos. Now, I only watched two videos, and the people I saw both used the same hand to sharpen both sides of the blade. I on the other hand, alternated hands to keep the edge always facing away from me (Prefer pushing into the stone). So I'm wondering, is there any particular reason to use the same hand to sharpen both sides of the edge, or is it just preference?

 

[Philbird]

If you use your dominant hand for both sides, you have more control. If you're ambidextrous, no problem.

 

[Cynic2701]

If you can hold the angle better by alternating hands, by all means do so. If you have better angle control by only using one hand, then that is just fine as well.

I'm ambidextrous and can use either hand, so I prefer to keep my motions symmetrical by alternating hands.

 

[Squashfan]

What Cynic said. Go for which ever way feels best.

 

[Portman30-06]

Unless you have some decent quality stones I wouldnt push into the stone. Cheap stones have a tendency to deteriorate during the cut. If you move backwards I think you'll get better results.

 

[awestib]

I think the two main reasons why people use their dominant hand only is better control and speed. It is just faster to just flip the knife in your hand than give it to the other side. I personally also switch hands now although I still notice "a weaker left". The reason why I now have been practicing/sharpening with alternating hands is that I think I can eyeball the angle better when judging the height of the spine above the stone. I too sharpen the knife with the edge facing away from me.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

If you use your dominant hand for both sides, you have more control. If you're ambidextrous, no problem.

If you can hold the angle better by alternating hands, by all means do so. If you have better angle control by only using one hand, then that is just fine as well.

I'm ambidextrous and can use either hand, so I prefer to keep my motions symmetrical by alternating hands.

My own habits started out in relying on my dominant hand (right). Downside was, even with my dominant hand, the held angle was never the same on both the 'away' and 'toward' strokes. I also could tell the pressure exerted wasn't the same, so the two discrepancies always produced asymmetrical bevels. I started switching hands due to this, and kept the edge facing me, using only 'toward' strokes. At least this way, I could see the apex when it was (or wasn't) flush to the hone, and it was easier to then train my left (non-dominant) hand to the motion and pressure exerted. I've never been ambidextrous in the truest sense, but I'm definitely getting better when using both hands for sharpening. The muscle memory developed in doing so has paid off in other ways, as I'm noticing I'm getting better use out of both hands in doing other things as well. And the 'non-dominant' side of my brain seems to benefit as well, as I've noticed I always feel more mentally acute after I've been exercising both hands during an extended sharpening session.

I think if one makes the effort to use both hands equally for things like this, it's possible to develop some ambidexterity, even if one believes they're not capable of it. Nothing to lose in doing so, and so much to gain.


David

 

[HeavyHanded]

So recently I've been trying to work on my freehand sharpening skill, and after sharpening some kitchen knives to moderately sharp (slicing printer paper) 600 grit, I decided to watch some videos. Now, I only watched two videos, and the people I saw both used the same hand to sharpen both sides of the blade. I on the other hand, alternated hands to keep the edge always facing away from me (Prefer pushing into the stone). So I'm wondering, is there any particular reason to use the same hand to sharpen both sides of the edge, or is it just preference?

It really is just preference. I used to swap hands/side, but following some wrist surgery I had my left (non-dominant) hand in a cast and could only use the fingertips. Swapping hands/side I always felt I'd gotten good results, sometimes struggling with unfamiliar edge profiles or larger tools but overall very good, and had been sharpening in this manner my entire life.
Anyway, I knew I wasn't going to go 4 weeks without sharpening something, so I was forced to use my dominant hand and offhand for the same assignment on either side. To my surprise, I quickly realized I was able to get more consistent results by doing so - within an hour or two of practice. Keeping the same assignment per hand but changing the variables, was easier than changing hands - essentially changing assignments and variables per hand.

Have had surgery on both hands and so have had plenty of ambi-experience. I also am somewhat active (still) in martial arts - mostly FMA so use stick/knife in both/either hand(s), in fact have always worked both sides equally in that respect. Even when shadow boxing or doing heavy bag I change leads often and have some experience of this handgunning as well. One side always will outperform the other for some tasks no matter how much practice it gets or basic proficiency is achieved, is not always a case of simple re-programing. When it comes to two-handed tasks, this performance boost might not always be in the favor of the dominant hand either, one has to figure out by doing.

My motto is to experiment and see what works best after an honest attempt. It could go either way.

 

[Chris "Anagarika"]

I do similar to Andy, by judging the spine height so naturally I switch hands.

Have always been practicing some ambi, I found it good for my brain

YMMV.

 

[fervens]

Unless you have some decent quality stones I wouldnt push into the stone. Cheap stones have a tendency to deteriorate during the cut. If you move backwards I think you'll get better results.

While partly true, this is a severe over simplification. Stones are designed to wear down. That's how they present fresh grit and keep cutting. Also, edge leading has been shown to de burr better than edge trailing. If you are cutting into your stone though, adjust your technique.

 

[fervens]

I can't do anything with my left hand, so I never could sharpen by switching hands. Although looking at it kinematically, it should produce more even bevels. The way your elbow and shoulder and wrist bend during sharpening doesn't allow you to really follow the curve and angle of an edge when switching a knife around. Think about how divinci(?) wrote in books with his left hand, right to left, and mirrored.

 

[bgentry]

Add me to the list of those who sharpen switching hands and facing the edge away from me on either side. I tend to use the thumb of the hand holding the handle on the back of the spine to stabilize it and of course use the other hand with finger tips at the edge where I want the grinding to happen.

I think I get pretty good results doing this, which tends to surprise a lot of people that try things with "the opposite hand". If you believe some high level martial artists, martial skills naturally mirror from one side to the other with minimal to no training of the opposite side. In other words, if you train on the right only, those skills tend to mirror over time so that you can execute them on the left similarly. Martial arts tend to be more gross motor skills than fine, so this might not apply all that well to sharpening. Whatever the case may be, it has worked well enough for me that I think I'd be going backwards to try to use only my dominant hand and flip the blade over.

Though it's hard to say which really is my dominant hand. I write left handed, but I do tons of other things right handed. Most of those things I learned either by watching or by being taught and just did them right handed. I guess I'm more ambidextrous than I normally think of myself being.

Brian.

 

[G. Scott H.]

I switch hands too, because it works for me. Some people swear by using the same hand for both sides. As I always say, whatever gets your edges where you want them and feels comfortable to you is the "right" way to do it. :thumbup:

 

[Glytch5]

I've always used the same hand, but lately I'm really focusing on switching hands. I find it easier to get the tip of the knife done switching hands than using the same. I don't know why I find it most difficult to sharpen pushing with the edge facing away form me. My right handed, edge facing me stroke is perfect, and I am quite decent right handed, edge facing away however the tip can be harder to control. When pushing away it seems awkward to push down on the knife with my left fingers, with the edge facing away because your fingers are forcing the blade to lay back, when right handed edge facing forward, my fingers seems to push the edge more flatly down onto the stone. When switching hands I use my right hand to really move the blade, and just hold the angle with my left. with my right hand I move the knife a lot more my right hand, and use my left hand fingers just to lightly guide the knife and focus on certain areas of the blade. It really depends on the knife. The larger the knife, the easier it is to switch hands. IDK its weird stuff.

 

[Fred.Rowe]

I sharpen on a diamond plate and use degree wedges to control the angle, therefor switching hands is what works with this technique. Locking the wrist once the angle has been established can only be accomplished switching hands. A side note: the degree wedges have cut the time needed to sharpen by half; each pass is identical to the one prior.
If you stay on one side for half a dozen passes the sharpening goes faster as well.

Do others make multiple passes on one side before moving to the opposite side of the blade?


Fred

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

I sharpen on a diamond plate and use degree wedges to control the angle, therefor switching hands is what works with this technique. Locking the wrist once the angle has been established can only be accomplished switching hands. A side note: the degree wedges have cut the time needed to sharpen by half; each pass is identical to the one prior.
If you stay on one side for half a dozen passes the sharpening goes faster as well.

Do others make multiple passes on one side before moving to the opposite side of the blade?


Fred

I do. A lot depends on how big the job is; if I'm completely re-bevelling, I'll work for quite a while on one side in establishing the foundation for that side's bevel, before switching and doing the same from the other side. If the job is REALLY big, sometimes I'll just switch to rest my 'working' hand for a bit (my hands sometimes cramp up; I'm older now, and that seems to happen more often ). I don't quite push it all the way to apex while doing this, waiting until I'm pretty close on each side, before reducing the number of passes on each as I get closer to the apex. By the time I start seeing at least a partial burr on one side or the other, I'm usually down to ~5-10 passes per side before switching. That's also how I do lighter touch-ups, doing maybe 5-10 passes on each side, at a time. When I can see I've got a burr full-length, that's when I'll take it maybe a single pass or two per side, while cleaning that up.


David

 

[Fred.Rowe]

I do. A lot depends on how big the job is; if I'm completely re-bevelling, I'll work for quite a while on one side in establishing the foundation for that side's bevel, before switching and doing the same from the other side. If the job is REALLY big, sometimes I'll just switch to rest my 'working' hand for a bit (my hands sometimes cramp up; I'm older now, and that seems to happen more often ). I don't quite push it all the way to apex while doing this, waiting until I'm pretty close on each side, before reducing the number of passes on each as I get closer to the apex. By the time I start seeing at least a partial burr on one side or the other, I'm usually down to ~5-10 passes per side before switching. That's also how I do lighter touch-ups, doing maybe 5-10 passes on each side, at a time. When I can see I've got a burr full-length, that's when I'll take it maybe a single pass or two per side, while cleaning that up.


David

I do exactly the same thing and for the same reason, my hands tend to cramp. As you say, when approaching the finish, the last few passes go side to side.
There is something about maintaining better control of the angle in this as well. When I grind primary bevels [making a new knife] this is the technique I use as well. Starting with 10 passes a side until approaching the spine.


Fred

I'm way older now

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

I do exactly the same thing and for the same reason, my hands tend to cramp. As you say, when approaching the finish, the last few passes go side to side.
There is something about maintaining better control of the angle in this as well. When I grind primary bevels [making a new knife] this is the technique I use as well. Starting with 10 passes a side until approaching the spine.


Fred

I'm way older now

Forgot to mention that in my own reply, and I completely agree. I think that's why I initially started doing it that way, to keep some consistency in the angle and get a 'rhythm' going, especially with a back/forth 'scrubbing' stroke, when doing the heavy grinding.


David

 

[mrdeus]

To me, alternating hands seems more ergonomic. I also seem to get a more consistent angle with my left (weak) hand, since I tend to push more with my right.

 

[kwackster]

For freehand sharpening on bench stones or Diafolds i only use my right hand, but for sharpening on Tormek & Paper Wheels i use both hands.