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I want to start a thread about sharpening.
I have an old sharpening kit from my grandfather which contains several stones and a metal clamp which locks the blade in place and also acts as a guide for the stone, maintaining the correct angle.
But I cant shake the feeling that the blades feel somewhat duller after I try to sharpen them.
I followed the instructions for the kit but Im still arent confident its working correctly. there are certain points in the stones movement which it isn't even really in contact with the blade edge.
I was a butcher for years, and got adept at using a steel.
Do steels work as well as anything else? Is there anything to consider using a steel vs using a stone? What may be the problem with my stones?
Sharpening general as well.
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>>649528
Just freehand it bruh, sounds like you have the experience. Do a test before and after sharpening by cutting a piece of paper or even your arm hair.
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>>649529
You mean just use a steel or free hand sharpen with the stones?
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>>649528
Darken the edge of the blade with marker so you can see where the stones are hitting the edge
You also need to make sure that you place the clamp in the same spot on the blade or else the angle will be different from sharpening to sharpening
Cut or grooved steels remove very little steel from the edge, their primary purpose is dressing a burr, you don't really sharpen knives as such but you can improve light damage to the edge, smooth packing steels are better than grooved butcher steels as they are less aggressive and can be used to keep a fine edge going
Steels effect different knives in different ways, they work best on thinner and softer knives like what you would find in kitchens and butcher shops
Diamond coated steels or rods are different entirely and are something you should consider if you are good with a steel, they work just like a stone by abrasions, and are aggressive enough to do a fair amount of sharpening, the technique is the same as a steel, just use very light pressure
The grit is generally in the mid range so a ceramic steel is a good follow-up option to refine the edge, ceramic steels or rods are the perfect replacement for butcher steels, they remove a small amount of metal at the edge so they can remove burrs and they also fix rolling like the steels do and with the right technique they can keep a fine edge going for a long time
Some people don't like any round sharpener for various reasons but other people get by perfectly fine with them
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>>649528
Maybe the angle you set on the guide is not the correct angle for the blade.
I don't use guides,
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>>649597
As long as the edge is even (same amount of material on both sides) just stop when you're content with the results. If the edge is uneven your knife won't cut straight and it'll feel weird.
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the most important rule of sharpening is to stay away from the 45ยบ bevel
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>>649597
I count strokes
I want the same amount of material removed from the left side as I am removing from the right side,
If the knife is really dull then I start with a a medium grit stone
Save the course grits for your shovel or hoe or machete But not usually for a knife, if you break a tip and want to reshape your blade then I might use a course stone.
If it's not too dull I start with fine grit
Then move to extra fine
I finish with a steel to Aline the edge, some might use a strop but I don't have one.
Take the knife and put the blade against your thumb nail. Don't push down, just use the weight of the blade.
If the blade skips off your thumb nail keep sharpening.
Thread posts: 10
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Thread images: 5