rbowman wrote:
Danny D. wrote:

So, I have a loooooong way to go to becoming a better knife
sharpener!

The hardest part is keeping a steady angle.

Yup. Lansky and others offer clamp on guides that help you keep the angle.
It wouldn't work on knives, but I've got a similar device for chisels and
plane irons.

Feel the edge to see what's happening. Not the classic redneck deal of
rubbing your thumb across it, but run your finger nail down the side of the
blade in the direction on the edge. What you're looking for is a slight
catch at the edge opposite the side you've been honing that indicates you've
turned a burr. There should be a uniform burr the length of the blade. Then
turn it over and work on the other side.

Start with the coarse stone, particularly if the knife hasn't been sharpened
in a long time, and work your way through the finer. Eventually you'll have
an edge without the burr. Sometimes you'll even see a little wire of steel
as the final burr is removed.

You don't have to buy a bunch of expensive stones. Wet and dry paper on a
sheet of glass works very well. Google on 'scary sharp'.

I've used many of the sharpeners. Lansky, wet roller stones, metal shim,
alumina rods. I've used grinders and sanders. Good steel is easy to
sharpen, and likewise junk is junk. Some I've tried to sharpen and failed.
Some have to much mass in the body and need ground off, so a sharpener can
work or even fit into sliders.

Greg