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New to Sharpening... Need help!
- Thread starter Downhill Trucker
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I think we will have a video in a few days...
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Sorry that it has taken me so long to get the videos uploaded. First off, I want to thank jackknife (Carl) for his help. He is a remarkable fellow and took the time to explain to me in clear, concise simplicity, the key to sharpening a knife. After merely filming the first video, I sat down and had a dull knife sharp in 5 minutes. Carl is a master of his craft and should be watched closely. Here is the much anticipated first video... Sorry, I am by no means a video guy and have no editing skills. The good news is that Carl makes it simple and easy. A great teacher...
Instinctive Knife Sharpening:
[video=youtube;SEMLu8e34ck]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEMLu8e34ck&feature=youtu.be[/video]
After the initial sharpening lesson, we found a rock and a piece of brick nearby. He dulled the knife and sharpened it with these two objects:
[video=youtube;Twduvki8m90]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Twduvki8m90&feature=youtu.be[/video]
Thanks again to the forum members who gave me great info. I have some work to do at sharpening but this has been a great start. Enjoy the videos.
Instinctive Knife Sharpening:
[video=youtube;SEMLu8e34ck]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEMLu8e34ck&feature=youtu.be[/video]
After the initial sharpening lesson, we found a rock and a piece of brick nearby. He dulled the knife and sharpened it with these two objects:
[video=youtube;Twduvki8m90]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Twduvki8m90&feature=youtu.be[/video]
Thanks again to the forum members who gave me great info. I have some work to do at sharpening but this has been a great start. Enjoy the videos.
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I gotta agree with Carl here, learn freehand, learn the basics, too many people get hung up on maintainin' precise angles with accurate edge geometries, all those things help but the ultimate goal it to have the two angle meet evenly in the center, bring up a fine wire edge and strop it off. You can achieve the same result usin' various materials.
The best advice I can give ya is go buy a 8-10X jewelers loupe, take a knife you own that you consider sharp and look at it under a loupe, learn what sharp looks like first then when ya start sharpenin' your own you'll know what to look for.
I have had and still have all the better known systems out there from a set of tri stones to a Ben Dale's EdgePro and 99% of my sharpenin' is done with an 8" fine diamond bench hone and I carry a portable foldin' DiaFold in medium and fine for when I'm not home.
One other thing is to watch some youtube videos, there are tons of 'em out there.
Best of luck in your journey to a sharper edge.
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Kind of like the NCIS episode tonight where Gibbs got his man using the "old school" methods. Carl demonstrates the "old school" method of sharpening a knife into a useable tool with what is available, where he is at, and at 0 cost. Watching him use the small "whet rock" as we used to call it, brought back lots of memories of my grandfather sitting around an old pot bellied stove at the deer camp sharpening his knife in anticipation of the next day's kill. (which usually happened) He taught me how to sharpen my knife on that old stone, and I still have it after all these years. It is now shaped like a canoe, but still works.
I learned the basics of knife sharpening from him, and for many years a simple "whet rock" was my entire knife sharpening kit. Didn't know what a mirror edge was, or a scary sharp knife edge was, and got along just fine with what I had.
Now that I am aware of these new "precise angle" tools to get my knives "scary sharp" and with showy polished edges, I have evolved into using more than just a whet rock. My knives are now much sharper than they have ever been, and look better with their shinny edges. But at the end of the day, they still only cut what I need cutting, and not significantly better than what they did using the "old school" methods.
I have however, discovered a new and fun hobby of knife sharpening, and trying to see just how sharp and how good they look, versus what I accomplished last week. An enjoyable adventure for an old retired guy.
Bottom line is that you can get your knives sharp enough (better than they came new in the box) for a small investment and a little practice, or you can get the latest and greatest for a substantial investment and lots of practice to achieve a sharp knife to cut something. Either way you end up at the same finish line.
I think it is better to start out simple and learn the basics and the mechanics of obtaining a useable knife edge, and then work up to the more expensive "toys" as you grow in this great hobby.
Blessings,
Omar
I learned the basics of knife sharpening from him, and for many years a simple "whet rock" was my entire knife sharpening kit. Didn't know what a mirror edge was, or a scary sharp knife edge was, and got along just fine with what I had.
Now that I am aware of these new "precise angle" tools to get my knives "scary sharp" and with showy polished edges, I have evolved into using more than just a whet rock. My knives are now much sharper than they have ever been, and look better with their shinny edges. But at the end of the day, they still only cut what I need cutting, and not significantly better than what they did using the "old school" methods.
I have however, discovered a new and fun hobby of knife sharpening, and trying to see just how sharp and how good they look, versus what I accomplished last week. An enjoyable adventure for an old retired guy.
Bottom line is that you can get your knives sharp enough (better than they came new in the box) for a small investment and a little practice, or you can get the latest and greatest for a substantial investment and lots of practice to achieve a sharp knife to cut something. Either way you end up at the same finish line.
I think it is better to start out simple and learn the basics and the mechanics of obtaining a useable knife edge, and then work up to the more expensive "toys" as you grow in this great hobby.
Blessings,
Omar
Awesome video! It was very informative to see Carl in action. I have been using the bottom of a mug for some time to touch up my blades, but have never started from something as dull as that blade- it's good to see that the method will work for more than just the occasional touch up.
Something that was demonstrated nicely by Carl was that the same principles of sharpening can be applied to a wide variety of surfaces to produce similar results. The method is the important part, while the medium can vary from diamond rods to pieces of rock. Very cool. Thanks for putting that up, Downhill Trucker.
Something that was demonstrated nicely by Carl was that the same principles of sharpening can be applied to a wide variety of surfaces to produce similar results. The method is the important part, while the medium can vary from diamond rods to pieces of rock. Very cool. Thanks for putting that up, Downhill Trucker.
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Excellent videos. I learned something myself! That's a nice technique, the circular sharpening method on a very small surface, as shown in the second video using the stone and the tiny piece of pottery. Very good. Glad to see it was such a fruitful get-together. Two thumbs up. :thumbup::thumbup:
Downhill Trucker & Carl, Well done!!!! Very good videos!
Thank you for posting them.
I love my Edge Pro and won't quit using it, but IMO the ability to do it by hand is essential. I ain't lugging the EP everywhere I might need to touch up an edge, but there is a pretty good chance that where I am, there will be a coffee mug. It's just that the knife may need to wait until I empty it.
Allen
Thank you for posting them.
I love my Edge Pro and won't quit using it, but IMO the ability to do it by hand is essential. I ain't lugging the EP everywhere I might need to touch up an edge, but there is a pretty good chance that where I am, there will be a coffee mug. It's just that the knife may need to wait until I empty it.
Allen
Thank you all for the kind words. It was my pleasure to offer an alternative.
If you like to sharpen for another hobby, and enjoy all the gear to see how sharp can you get the knife, that's okay. It's all good. But my goal was to show that if you just want to sharpen your knife, you actually need very little, if any gear at all. You can take a very dull knife from dull to newsprint slicing sharp in a very few minutes with almost nothing. Like, if you think about all those Roman Legionnaires on campaigns far from home, or the Crusaders off in the holy lands had great sharpening gear with them? No, they used what was available in the area. Any smooth rock will do in a pinch. A little water on the stone will help. Zach watched while we went over to the parking lot, and I found a smooth little rock, and sharpened just fine on it. Even used some Purell hand sanitizer to moisten the stone. Some strokes on the back of a belt will take it up to shaving sharp. And it's so easy. Once I showed Zach how to do it, he took it from scotch bright dull to newsprint slicing sharp in just a few minutes.
I guess having spent a great deal of my life in a machine shop, now in my retirement I want to be out playing. Anything that is even remotely like what I used to do, fixtures and stuff, is not in the cards for me. I'm too busy woods walking with my better half, canoeing, hiking, shooting, nature watching, museum hopping, and playing. I want to just sharpen on the go with no stopping much for a time out because my knife got dull. For me, the end goal is to be able to sharpen anywhere, at anytime. If my knife gets dull on an outing with Karen, I want to be able to get it done in a few minutes and then it's like "What? Oh yeah, that big redheaded woodpecker is beautiful." Okay, moving on down the trail.
It's all about extremes. Taking it to hair whittling sharp for the fun of it is a good thing. Some like the ritual and time out to do all the gizmos. But some don't. This is just one other way to get a knife sharp in very little time, with very little gear. I think too many young guys who get into knives have never had a father or grandfather sit down with them and show them how to do it. Those young guys hear all this stuff about angles, micro bevels, and other stuff and think it's way more complicated than it really is. There is such thing as over thinking something.
Thank you again for the kind comments
Carl.
If you like to sharpen for another hobby, and enjoy all the gear to see how sharp can you get the knife, that's okay. It's all good. But my goal was to show that if you just want to sharpen your knife, you actually need very little, if any gear at all. You can take a very dull knife from dull to newsprint slicing sharp in a very few minutes with almost nothing. Like, if you think about all those Roman Legionnaires on campaigns far from home, or the Crusaders off in the holy lands had great sharpening gear with them? No, they used what was available in the area. Any smooth rock will do in a pinch. A little water on the stone will help. Zach watched while we went over to the parking lot, and I found a smooth little rock, and sharpened just fine on it. Even used some Purell hand sanitizer to moisten the stone. Some strokes on the back of a belt will take it up to shaving sharp. And it's so easy. Once I showed Zach how to do it, he took it from scotch bright dull to newsprint slicing sharp in just a few minutes.
I guess having spent a great deal of my life in a machine shop, now in my retirement I want to be out playing. Anything that is even remotely like what I used to do, fixtures and stuff, is not in the cards for me. I'm too busy woods walking with my better half, canoeing, hiking, shooting, nature watching, museum hopping, and playing. I want to just sharpen on the go with no stopping much for a time out because my knife got dull. For me, the end goal is to be able to sharpen anywhere, at anytime. If my knife gets dull on an outing with Karen, I want to be able to get it done in a few minutes and then it's like "What? Oh yeah, that big redheaded woodpecker is beautiful." Okay, moving on down the trail.
It's all about extremes. Taking it to hair whittling sharp for the fun of it is a good thing. Some like the ritual and time out to do all the gizmos. But some don't. This is just one other way to get a knife sharp in very little time, with very little gear. I think too many young guys who get into knives have never had a father or grandfather sit down with them and show them how to do it. Those young guys hear all this stuff about angles, micro bevels, and other stuff and think it's way more complicated than it really is. There is such thing as over thinking something.
Thank you again for the kind comments
Carl.
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Great instruction, Carl.
My wireless internet has been horrid lately, so I hadn't been able to view the vids until today. Was glad to see you demo on the Opinels, and using the leather belt as a strop (I have & use a belt similarly, with green compound on the inside face). Your technique with the carborundum pocket hone closely mirrors my own habits, with hone held in one hand, and blade in the other. I have used my diamond 'credit card' hones in a near-identical fashion. You also had me taking another look at my coffee mug. I've used it before, in testing out it's honing capabilities, and I'll likely flip it over again (after I finish my coffee) and do some more tinkering.
You're right, about Opinel's stainless blades being somewhat harder. They are using Sandvik 12c27Mod, and my own experiences with it suggest it is somewhat more durable than the 'carbone' versions. Sandvik specs that steel up to ~59 RC, and I'd bet Opinel took advantage of that.
I have a chunk of red southwestern sandstone (it's everywhere here in NM) that I've occasionally used to hone and even re-bevel a few knives. Works GREAT when used like a waterstone (soaks up moisture like a sponge, and makes a very fine slurry). Seems to do very well on carbon and simpler stainless, like 420HC.
Great vids, and thanks to you and Downhill Trucker for taking the time to share that. :thumbup: :thumbup:
David
My wireless internet has been horrid lately, so I hadn't been able to view the vids until today. Was glad to see you demo on the Opinels, and using the leather belt as a strop (I have & use a belt similarly, with green compound on the inside face). Your technique with the carborundum pocket hone closely mirrors my own habits, with hone held in one hand, and blade in the other. I have used my diamond 'credit card' hones in a near-identical fashion. You also had me taking another look at my coffee mug. I've used it before, in testing out it's honing capabilities, and I'll likely flip it over again (after I finish my coffee
) and do some more tinkering. You're right, about Opinel's stainless blades being somewhat harder. They are using Sandvik 12c27Mod, and my own experiences with it suggest it is somewhat more durable than the 'carbone' versions. Sandvik specs that steel up to ~59 RC, and I'd bet Opinel took advantage of that.
I have a chunk of red southwestern sandstone (it's everywhere here in NM) that I've occasionally used to hone and even re-bevel a few knives. Works GREAT when used like a waterstone (soaks up moisture like a sponge, and makes a very fine slurry). Seems to do very well on carbon and simpler stainless, like 420HC.
Great vids, and thanks to you and Downhill Trucker for taking the time to share that. :thumbup: :thumbup:
David
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Downhill Trucker, Jackknife, thank you!
Great instruction, Carl.
My wireless internet has been horrid lately, so I hadn't been able to view the vids until today. Was glad to see you demo on the Opinels, and using the leather belt as a strop (I have & use a belt similarly, with green compound on the inside face). Your technique with the carborundum pocket hone closely mirrors my own habits, with hone held in one hand, and blade in the other. I have used my diamond 'credit card' hones in a near-identical fashion. You also had me taking another look at my coffee mug. I've used it before, in testing out it's honing capabilities, and I'll likely flip it over again (after I finish my coffee
You're right, about Opinel's stainless blades being somewhat harder. They are using Sandvik 12c27Mod, and my own experiences with it suggest it is somewhat more durable than the 'carbone' versions. Sandvik specs that steel up to ~59 RC, and I'd bet Opinel took advantage of that.
I have a chunk of red southwestern sandstone (it's everywhere here in NM) that I've occasionally used to hone and even re-bevel a few knives. Works GREAT when used like a waterstone (soaks up moisture like a sponge, and makes a very fine slurry). Seems to do very well on carbon and simpler stainless, like 420HC.
Great vids, and thanks to you and Downhill Trucker for taking the time to share that. :thumbup: :thumbup:
David
You're probably right about Opinel taking the RC of the 12c27 up to the limit, as I have noticed that it is harder to sharpen. Takes a little longer to get the edge that I want. For so long, I avoided the stainless Opinels, than someone gave me one as a gift. I thought since I wouldn't like the knife, I'd use it as a beater until it died then go back to my carbon blades. Fooled the heck out of me. Now I've given away my carbon Opy's and just have the stainless, and I've been very happy with them.
That method of sharpening with the stone held in one hand and the knife in the other is the way all us boys learned from our dad's or granddads back then. It was the only way, so you learned fast how to sharpen up your pocket knife.
Carl
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Very cool. Thanks for putting the video together!
Nice video's guys!
I watched a bunch of vid's and read alot of threads and based on not spending a fortune on sharpening gear, I splurged and picked up the Spyderco Double stuff 303MF. I figured I could do anything needed on that and it was only $25 but after watching these vid's, I could have saved $20 or more! LOL
I just wish I used my knives more so I can sharpen them but I dont so I might end up dully them just to play with the Double stuff!
I remember that small circular motion way when I was a kid from my father and one of his brothers used to use that method when we all were out camping but I dont remember what they used and dont have anything here that he left around.
I watched a bunch of vid's and read alot of threads and based on not spending a fortune on sharpening gear, I splurged and picked up the Spyderco Double stuff 303MF. I figured I could do anything needed on that and it was only $25 but after watching these vid's, I could have saved $20 or more! LOL
I just wish I used my knives more so I can sharpen them but I dont so I might end up dully them just to play with the Double stuff!
I remember that small circular motion way when I was a kid from my father and one of his brothers used to use that method when we all were out camping but I dont remember what they used and dont have anything here that he left around.
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Nice video's guys!
I watched a bunch of vid's and read alot of threads and based on not spending a fortune on sharpening gear, I splurged and picked up the Spyderco Double stuff 303MF. I figured I could do anything needed on that and it was only $25 but after watching these vid's, I could have saved $20 or more! LOL
I just wish I used my knives more so I can sharpen them but I dont so I might end up dully them just to play with the Double stuff!
I remember that small circular motion way when I was a kid from my father and one of his brothers used to use that method when we all were out camping but I dont remember what they used and dont have anything here that he left around.
Most of my freehand habits were built around using the DoubleStuff. It's a good hone; I have two of them. I mentioned earlier, I use my pocket hones held in one hand, and blade in the other. The DoubleStuff was what I 'trained' my hands on, to build that habit. Held the hone between my thumb at one end, and my middle & ring fingers at the other, with my index finger folded under the center, to provide support. Not a bad way to learn, in retrospect, and that was the first hone upon which I was actually able to improve an edge (albeit slightly, at times).
David
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Nice video's guys!
I watched a bunch of vid's and read alot of threads and based on not spending a fortune on sharpening gear, I splurged and picked up the Spyderco Double stuff 303MF. I figured I could do anything needed on that and it was only $25 but after watching these vid's, I could have saved $20 or more! LOL
I just wish I used my knives more so I can sharpen them but I dont so I might end up dully them just to play with the Double stuff!
I remember that small circular motion way when I was a kid from my father and one of his brothers used to use that method when we all were out camping but I dont remember what they used and dont have anything here that he left around.
Hey Mike, that small circle method of sharpening can be used with just about any media. A small pocket stone, small diamond hone, bottom of a coffee mug, piece of broken pottery or brick, smooth rock out of a creek. The good thing about it is, that you can sharpen a good size blade with a pretty small stone or hone. The cut down Eze-Lap model L that I carry in my wallet has a diamond surface all of 2 inches by 3/4 inches, but I've used it to sharpen a 6 inch blade with no problem. It will definitely work on the coffee mug ring if you have a little patience. :thumbup:
Carl.
Most of my freehand habits were built around using the DoubleStuff. It's a good hone; I have two of them. I mentioned earlier, I use my pocket hones held in one hand, and blade in the other. The DoubleStuff was what I 'trained' my hands on, to build that habit. Held the hone between my thumb at one end, and my middle & ring fingers at the other, with my index finger folded under the center, to provide support. Not a bad way to learn, in retrospect, and that was the first hone upon which I was actually able to improve an edge (albeit slightly, at times).
David
That is exactly the way I plan to hold and use my Double stuff too! I think it will work very well, if I can dull some knife up!
Hi Carl,
Yeah, it looks like the small circle method will work on alot of different media's. It is just funny that after 35-40 years, I can remember that method being used by my dad for mainly keeping his traditional and one fixed blades sharp enough to clean fist, small game, etc. I wish I had his sharpening stuff that he kept in a cigar box. I bet he had a small stone like you showed in your vid and seems to me he did have something in a small leather pouch but I dont recall if it was that stone I am thinking about of something else.
Like I said, I never use mine knives enough to get them dull, let alone having to sharpen them.
Well Mike, if you ever make it to Maryland, you're more than welcome to come fishing with my family and me. We'll make sure you put your knives to work on some bait and the blue's or stripers if they're running. :thumbup:
Carl.
Wow Carl, that is a very nice gesture and I am sure it would be alot of fun so I will keep that in mind if I ever get out that way! I haven't fished in thirty years and it has been almost that long since I even tasted it. The wifey don't like it.
Thanks!