What tools can I use to sharpen these kitchen knives?
https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3893/1...c9d71925_c.jpg

I have never sharpened a knife before, but I have a few
rather old tools I got from somewhere ages ago which
I think, are intended for sharpening things:
https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5596/1...85a1af1a_b.jpg

I don't have a bench grinder, nor any fancy knife-sharpening
tools (I had never needed them before); but can't I sharpen
those three kitchen knivdes with these existing tools?

How do I use that cylindrical slotted thing, for example?

On Fri, 18 Jul 2014 17:26:07 +0000 (UTC), "Danny D."
wrote:

What tools can I use to sharpen these kitchen knives?
https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3893/1...c9d71925_c.jpg

I have never sharpened a knife before, but I have a few
rather old tools I got from somewhere ages ago which
I think, are intended for sharpening things:
https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5596/1...85a1af1a_b.jpg

I don't have a bench grinder, nor any fancy knife-sharpening
tools (I had never needed them before); but can't I sharpen
those three kitchen knivdes with these existing tools?

How do I use that cylindrical slotted thing, for example?

Use the black handled "steel" (left) on the two black handled knives
(right). Leave the wooden handle knife alone. It is serrated and cuts
at the tip.

Do not use any grinder. See Honing steel:

(remove metal along the edge).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butcher_steel

On 7/18/2014 1:26 PM, Danny D. wrote:
What tools can I use to sharpen these kitchen knives?
https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3893/1...c9d71925_c.jpg

I have never sharpened a knife before, but I have a few
rather old tools I got from somewhere ages ago which
I think, are intended for sharpening things:
https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5596/1...85a1af1a_b.jpg

I don't have a bench grinder, nor any fancy knife-sharpening
tools (I had never needed them before); but can't I sharpen
those three kitchen knivdes with these existing tools?

How do I use that cylindrical slotted thing, for example?

I learned knife sharpening from my Dad, who learned
from his Dad. I'd suggest you find some boy scout
troops near you, and ask to learn in person. Hard to
describe over the internet. Might be some good web
sites, though.


--
..
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

"Danny D." wrote in message

What tools can I use to sharpen these kitchen knives?
https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3893/1...c9d71925_c.jpg

I have never sharpened a knife before, but I have a few
rather old tools I got from somewhere ages ago which
I think, are intended for sharpening things:
https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5596/1...85a1af1a_b.jpg

I don't have a bench grinder, nor any fancy knife-sharpening
tools (I had never needed them before); but can't I sharpen
those three kitchen knivdes with these existing tools?

How do I use that cylindrical slotted thing, for example?

You can sharpen a knife with anything that will abrade steel. Main thing
is to maintain the same angle while you are sharpening...if you wobble the
sharpener around you won't have much luck.

The honing steel is used by moving the knife as if you were trying to cut
the honing steel...sort of slicing toward the handle while also moving the
knife from heel to toe. They are really meant to be used to freshen an
edge rather than extensive sharpening. They also work best with a rather
soft steel such as that in the knives used by pro butchers.

Sharpeners like this...
http://obsoproject.wordpress.com/201...ife-sharpener/

are easy to use: insert knife blade heel in the "V" groove between the two
sets of steel wheels and pull with moderate downward pressure; repeat
until sharp. They are also cheap and last forever. Most will pooh-pooh
them because you can get a better edge in other ways.

As Oren said, don't mess with the serrated edge.


--

dadiOH
____________________________

Winters getting colder? Tired of the rat race?
Taxes out of hand? Maybe just ready for a change?
Check it out... http://www.floridaloghouse.net

Oren wrote, on Fri, 18 Jul 2014 11:06:37 -0700:

Use the black handled "steel" (left) on the two black
handled knives (right).

OK. I'm not sure where I got that "steel" (maybe a
garage sale?); but it has the following stamped on
the cylinder near the handle:

"J.A. Henckels, International, Solingen, Germany"

I'll google how to use a "steel".

On Friday, July 18, 2014 5:32:05 PM UTC-4, Danny D. wrote:
Oren wrote, on Fri, 18 Jul 2014 11:06:37 -0700:



Use the black handled "steel" (left) on the two black

handled knives (right).



OK. I'm not sure where I got that "steel" (maybe a

garage sale?); but it has the following stamped on

the cylinder near the handle:



"J.A. Henckels, International, Solingen, Germany"



I'll google how to use a "steel".

As someone else pointed out, they don't really put a new edge on
a knife. What they do is straighten out the edge, which with use can
wind up becoming kind of wavey. They are for regular use between
sharpenings. I have one of these that I received as a gift. It
works great, but it's not cheap:

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...FekF7AodfBMAxQ

dadiOH wrote:

Sharpeners like this...
http://obsoproject.wordpress.com/201...ife-sharpener/

are easy to use: insert knife blade heel in the "V" groove between the two
sets of steel wheels and pull with moderate downward pressure; repeat
until sharp. They are also cheap and last forever. Most will pooh-pooh
them because you can get a better edge in other ways.

http://www.amazon.com/Smiths-PP1-Pocket-Multifunction-
Sharpener/dp/B000O8OTNC

Is the 21st century version. It has one set of carbide blades for badly worn
knives and a set of ceramics for touchups, as well as the tapered diamond
rod if you really must mess with serrated blades. Walmart and most sporting
goods stores will have them for about the same price and there is a video on
youtube showing it in use.

On Friday, July 18, 2014 11:06:37 AM UTC-7, Oren wrote:
On Fri, 18 Jul 2014 17:26:07 +0000 (UTC), "Danny D."
wrote:

snip

Use the black handled "steel" (left) on the two black handled knives
(right). Leave the wooden handle knife alone. It is serrated and cuts
at the tip.

Do not use any grinder. See Honing steel:
(remove metal along the edge).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butcher_steel

The "steel" is a hone, not a sharpener. Used regularly it will keep a sharp knive "scary sharp". It works just find on serrated knives such as bread knives.

Harry K

Harry K

Harry K wrote, on Fri, 18 Jul 2014 21:54:01 -0700:

The "steel" is a hone, not a sharpener.
Used regularly it will keep a sharp knive "scary sharp".
It works just find on serrated knives such as bread knives.

I'm surprised the steel will work on the serrated knives.

But, I watched a few videos today, and while it's easy to
get used to using the hone, the stones simply dulled my
knives even further.
https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5551/1...ac215781_b.jpg

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

The hardest part is keeping a steady angle.

On 7/18/2014 1:26 PM, Danny D. wrote:
What tools can I use to sharpen these kitchen knives?
https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3893/1...c9d71925_c.jpg

I have never sharpened a knife before, but I have a few
rather old tools I got from somewhere ages ago which
I think, are intended for sharpening things:
https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5596/1...85a1af1a_b.jpg

I don't have a bench grinder, nor any fancy knife-sharpening
tools (I had never needed them before); but can't I sharpen
those three kitchen knivdes with these existing tools?

How do I use that cylindrical slotted thing, for example?


My kitchen knife sharpener is the lowest cost Presto Eversharp:

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&key...l_2ovmg7v7oz_b

I also use a steel to freshen them up.

| What tools can I use to sharpen these kitchen knives?
| https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3893/1...c9d71925_c.jpg
|

For non-serrated knives:
We have something that looks like a ridiculous scam.
It's just a small, plastic case, a bit smaller than a pack
of cigarettes, with a lengthwise groove on one side.
Set in the groove at one end are two tiny honestone
pieces, in a sort of X or V pattern. One pulls the knife
backward through the groove, pulling through the notch
formed by the honestones. It works amazingly well.

On 7/18/14, 1:26 PM, Danny D. wrote:
What tools can I use to sharpen these kitchen knives?
https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3893/1...c9d71925_c.jpg

I have never sharpened a knife before, but I have a few
rather old tools I got from somewhere ages ago which
I think, are intended for sharpening things:
https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5596/1...85a1af1a_b.jpg

I don't have a bench grinder, nor any fancy knife-sharpening
tools (I had never needed them before); but can't I sharpen
those three kitchen knivdes with these existing tools?

In 1975, I got a couple of stones, 2" wide and a little more than 4"
long. One was coarse and medium carborundum. The other was Wa****a and
Arkansas.

They're oil stones. Using the oil was a hassle. Pressure helps with the
coarser stones, and it was hard to apply much pressure. The worst part
was keeping a proper angle.

Twenty years later, I cut a 2-foot 2x4 and tacked some pieces of wooden
molding near one end to make a sort of picture frame the same size as my
stones. If I put a stone in the "box", it wouldn't slide. I could lay
the board on the counter beside the kitchen sink with the box end toward
me and the other end against the wall. Suppose I wanted a 40 degree
edge. It would be 20 degrees on each side. Sin(20) * 24 inches is 8.2
inches. So if I propped the wall end of the board up 8" and kept the
blade in a plane parallel to the counter, I could push as hard as I
wanted and make a 40 degree edge.

Baking soda and water seem to keep my stones working as well as oil,
with less mess. Wet the stone, sprinkle on some soda. When the stone
isn't cutting as well, rinse and sprinkle on a little more soda.

I usually skip the Wa****a and Arkansas because a ceramic rod works
faster. It takes a light touch, just removing the burr caused by the
carborundum. I have a couple of clamps to help me stroke at a precise
angle. In many cases, a ceramic rod will produce a keen edge without
pre-sharpening. It works best if the angle set with the carborundum is
a couple of degrees more acute than the finishing angle of the ceramic rod.

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'.

On Fri, 18 Jul 2014 21:32:05 +0000 (UTC), "Danny D."
wrote:

Oren wrote, on Fri, 18 Jul 2014 11:06:37 -0700:

Use the black handled "steel" (left) on the two black
handled knives (right).

OK. I'm not sure where I got that "steel" (maybe a
garage sale?); but it has the following stamped on
the cylinder near the handle:

"J.A. Henckels, International, Solingen, Germany"

Germany makes fine quality cutlery. What does the piece go for on
Ebay? You paid three bucks at a yard sale?

I'll google how to use a "steel".

Got a local butcher shop? The honing steel is used before & after
cutting meat. As Trader stated, it takes the angle waves out of the
sharpened edge.

On Saturday, July 19, 2014 11:33:19 AM UTC-7, Oren wrote:
On Fri, 18 Jul 2014 21:32:05 +0000 (UTC), "Danny D."
wrote:

Oren wrote, on Fri, 18 Jul 2014 11:06:37 -0700:

snip

I'll google how to use a "steel".

Got a local butcher shop? The honing steel is used before & after
cutting meat. As Trader stated, it takes the angle waves out of the
sharpened edge.


Also used during the cutting as shown on many TV 'how it's done' shows. I've never tried that as I am afraid it would gum up the steel with the gunk on the knife. But then I've never cut enough at one time that it would need it.

Harry K

On Friday, July 18, 2014 10:27:36 PM UTC-7, Danny D. wrote:
Harry K wrote, on Fri, 18 Jul 2014 21:54:01 -0700:

The "steel" is a hone, not a sharpener.
Used regularly it will keep a sharp knive "scary sharp".
It works just find on serrated knives such as bread knives.

I'm surprised the steel will work on the serrated knives.

No, they don't work on serrated knives like the one shown in your picture. Bread knives and some others have a wavy edge with wide spaced peaks - those hone just fine.

But, I watched a few videos today, and while it's easy to
get used to using the hone, the stones simply dulled my
knives even further.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5551/1...ac215781_b.jpg

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

The hardest part is keeping a steady angle.

It becomes pretty much automatic and it does not have to be a precise angle.. Pretend you are trying to shave a slice off the stone as you work should result in a good edge. As opposed to all the 'how-to-do-it' I draw the knife TOWARD me, both on the stone and the steel, seems easier to control the angle that way.

Harry K

rbowman wrote, on Sat, 19 Jul 2014 11:59:13 -0600:

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.

Thanks for the advice.
I think I need a bigger stone.
That might help keep the edge the same angle.

Frank wrote, on Sat, 19 Jul 2014 08:20:31 -0400:

My kitchen knife sharpener is the lowest cost Presto Eversharp:

Looks like the $16 one is the cheapest.

J Burns wrote, on Sat, 19 Jul 2014 10:02:58 -0400:

I cut a 2-foot 2x4 and tacked some pieces of wooden
molding near one end to make a sort of picture frame the same size as my
stones. If I put a stone in the "box", it wouldn't slide.

That's interesting because I did have a problem with the stone
sliding around, although I think the small size of my stone
is another problem because the knife is much longer than the
stone.

So, I get *different* angles on various portions of the knife.

J Burns wrote, on Sat, 19 Jul 2014 10:02:58 -0400:

Baking soda and water seem to keep my stones working as well as oil,
with less mess. Wet the stone, sprinkle on some soda. When the stone
isn't cutting as well, rinse and sprinkle on a little more soda.

Funny you mention that, as I had started to resort to running water.
I put the stone on a cloth at the top separator of the kitchen sink
and ran the water on top as I slide the knife across.

Unfortunately, the stone wobbled as the sink separator was about the
same size as the stone, so I abandoned the running water idea, but,
as you have, I've also given up on the messy oil.

I'm not sure what sodium bicarbonate is supposed to do though.
Why not just use water?

Does the CO2 bubbling lift up the particles out of the stone's recesses?

On 7/21/14, 2:31 AM, Danny D. wrote:
J Burns wrote, on Sat, 19 Jul 2014 10:02:58 -0400:

Baking soda and water seem to keep my stones working as well as oil,
with less mess. Wet the stone, sprinkle on some soda. When the stone
isn't cutting as well, rinse and sprinkle on a little more soda.

Funny you mention that, as I had started to resort to running water.
I put the stone on a cloth at the top separator of the kitchen sink
and ran the water on top as I slide the knife across.

Unfortunately, the stone wobbled as the sink separator was about the
same size as the stone, so I abandoned the running water idea, but,
as you have, I've also given up on the messy oil.

I'm not sure what sodium bicarbonate is supposed to do though.
Why not just use water?

Does the CO2 bubbling lift up the particles out of the stone's recesses?

I don't know an explanation. I read about a couple of professional
sharpeners who found that oil stones work dry. Mine wouldn't - maybe
because they were full of oil.

A pair of rubber gloves and baking soda make it easy to remove soap scum
in the shower. Maybe that's why I tried it on oil stones.

J Burns wrote, on Mon, 21 Jul 2014 11:44:29 -0400:

A pair of rubber gloves and baking soda make it easy to remove soap scum
in the shower. Maybe that's why I tried it on oil stones.

OK. Baking soda just makes carbon dioxide bubbles in
water, so, I think the millions of tiny bubbles might
simply agitate the metal shavings out of the recesses
of the stones.

Otherwise, I don't see what it would accomplish in
addition to plain water.

On 7/21/2014 12:20 PM, Danny D. wrote:
OK. Baking soda just makes carbon dioxide bubbles in
water, so, I think the millions of tiny bubbles might
simply agitate the metal shavings out of the recesses
of the stones.

Otherwise, I don't see what it would accomplish in
addition to plain water.


Only if the water is acidic....

--
..
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

On 7/21/14, 12:20 PM, Danny D. wrote:
J Burns wrote, on Mon, 21 Jul 2014 11:44:29 -0400:

A pair of rubber gloves and baking soda make it easy to remove soap scum
in the shower. Maybe that's why I tried it on oil stones.

OK. Baking soda just makes carbon dioxide bubbles in
water, so, I think the millions of tiny bubbles might
simply agitate the metal shavings out of the recesses
of the stones.

Otherwise, I don't see what it would accomplish in
addition to plain water.

Baking soda bubbles in acid, but I don't see any bubbling on a stone.

Now I remember how I started using it. A pair of fine alumina ceramic
rods, set in a wooden base like rabbit ears, makes a nice kitchen
sharpener; you need only keep the blade in a vertical plane.

A black streak will appear on the rod. It's metal scraped from the
blade. That will clog the rod, so you rotate the rod slightly for a
fresh surface. When there were no fresh surfaces, I'd scrub the rod
with scouring powder.

Then I discovered that baking soda did the job easier. I don't know
why. Later I got the idea of using it on an oil stone. I understand
oil floats particles so they don't clog the stone. A watery "gravy,"
made by sprinkling a little soda onto a wet stone seems to do the same
thing. I can feel the improvement.

On 7/21/2014 2:27 AM, Danny D. wrote:
Frank wrote, on Sat, 19 Jul 2014 08:20:31 -0400:

My kitchen knife sharpener is the lowest cost Presto Eversharp:

Looks like the $16 one is the cheapest.


It's been a couple of years. Could have been $25. Model 0880002 but
does not show up at Amazon. When I bought it, I just went there and
bought cheap model with highest rating.

Prior to that I had a $100 diamond kitchen sharpener versus this one
with stones. The diamond mounts fell of and it only lasted a few years
and knives were no sharpener.

One nice thing about the Presto is that my wife can even get a sharp
knife with it.

"J Burns" wrote in message


Then I discovered that baking soda did the job easier. I don't know
why. Later I got the idea of using it on an oil stone. I understand
oil floats particles so they don't clog the stone. A watery "gravy,"
made by sprinkling a little soda onto a wet stone seems to do the same
thing. I can feel the improvement.

For most of my life I shaved with straight razors. When I had need to use
a stone the only thing I used as a lubricant was lather.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

Winters getting colder? Tired of the rat race?
Taxes out of hand? Maybe just ready for a change?
Check it out... http://www.floridaloghouse.net

On Sat, 19 Jul 2014 05:27:36 +0000 (UTC), "Danny D."
wrote:

Harry K wrote, on Fri, 18 Jul 2014 21:54:01 -0700:

The "steel" is a hone, not a sharpener.
Used regularly it will keep a sharp knive "scary sharp".
It works just find on serrated knives such as bread knives.

I'm surprised the steel will work on the serrated knives.

But, I watched a few videos today, and while it's easy to
get used to using the hone, the stones simply dulled my
knives even further.
https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5551/1...ac215781_b.jpg

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

The hardest part is keeping a steady angle.

Best thing I have found is the small ceramic sharpeners. I have one
that's similar to this (mine has longer ceramic elements)

http://www.knivesforsale.us/SingleKn...Cat=Sharpeners

I also use mine on serrated knives and it works fine to sharpen them
too despite what some people claim.

On Mon, 21 Jul 2014 12:30:04 -0700, Ashton Crusher
wrote:

The hardest part is keeping a steady angle.

Best thing I have found is the small ceramic sharpeners. I have one
that's similar to this (mine has longer ceramic elements)

http://www.knivesforsale.us/SingleKn...Cat=Sharpeners

I have one of these, almost the same as on the link:

http://www.knivesforsale.us/SingleKnivesForSale.asp?ID=205&Cat=Sharpeners

Every fishing tackle box should have one... g

On Monday, July 21, 2014 4:11:52 PM UTC-4, Oren wrote:

Every fishing tackle box should have one... g

I keep one of these in the tackle box
http://eze-lap.com/hunting_fishing_o...se/hone-stone/

and touch up every hook before use, with the SCS (side cutting scalpel) edge

On 7/21/14, 3:30 PM, Ashton Crusher wrote:
On Sat, 19 Jul 2014 05:27:36 +0000 (UTC), "Danny D."
wrote:

Harry K wrote, on Fri, 18 Jul 2014 21:54:01 -0700:

The "steel" is a hone, not a sharpener.
Used regularly it will keep a sharp knive "scary sharp".
It works just find on serrated knives such as bread knives.

I'm surprised the steel will work on the serrated knives.

But, I watched a few videos today, and while it's easy to
get used to using the hone, the stones simply dulled my
knives even further.
https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5551/1...ac215781_b.jpg

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

The hardest part is keeping a steady angle.

Best thing I have found is the small ceramic sharpeners. I have one
that's similar to this (mine has longer ceramic elements)

http://www.knivesforsale.us/SingleKn...Cat=Sharpeners

I also use mine on serrated knives and it works fine to sharpen them
too despite what some people claim.

That's how I got started with ceramics. It was hard to keep the little
rods from getting dull by accumulating metal. So I switched to the kind
with 8" rods stuck in a board.

I see Lansky now sells kits with a board, a pair of 5" medium rods, and
a pair of 5" fine rods, and holes for a 25 degree or a 20 degree edge.
I think the old kits were set for 40 degrees. If I wanted a more acute
edge, I'd put the blade in a clamp to guide a rod. (For some knives and
some uses, 40 degrees is more practical than 20.)

On 7/21/14, 4:32 PM, TimR wrote:
On Monday, July 21, 2014 4:11:52 PM UTC-4, Oren wrote:

Every fishing tackle box should have one... g

I keep one of these in the tackle box
http://eze-lap.com/hunting_fishing_o...se/hone-stone/

and touch up every hook before use, with the SCS (side cutting scalpel) edge

In the early 80s, I bought a jig with a couple of 4x1" DMT diamond
"stones". They were great at first. Then it was as if I'd scraped off
the diamonds. I cleaned them in various ways. It didn't help. I went
back to conventional stones and ceramic rods.

When I saw your link, it occurred to me to try baking soda. Eureka! It
easily fixed an edge that was in bad shape. I could feel the stone cut
and see lots of gray steel come off. Still, the stone didn't seem as
aggressive as when new. I thought I was using the coarse one. In fact,
it was the fine one. Oops.

Diamond sharpeners are pretty nice. It took 30 years to figure it out.

On 7/21/14, 7:53 PM, J Burns wrote:
On 7/21/14, 3:30 PM, Ashton Crusher wrote:
On Sat, 19 Jul 2014 05:27:36 +0000 (UTC), "Danny D."
wrote:

Harry K wrote, on Fri, 18 Jul 2014 21:54:01 -0700:

The "steel" is a hone, not a sharpener.
Used regularly it will keep a sharp knive "scary sharp".
It works just find on serrated knives such as bread knives.

I'm surprised the steel will work on the serrated knives.

But, I watched a few videos today, and while it's easy to
get used to using the hone, the stones simply dulled my
knives even further.
https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5551/1...ac215781_b.jpg

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

The hardest part is keeping a steady angle.

Best thing I have found is the small ceramic sharpeners. I have one
that's similar to this (mine has longer ceramic elements)

http://www.knivesforsale.us/SingleKn...Cat=Sharpeners


I also use mine on serrated knives and it works fine to sharpen them
too despite what some people claim.

That's how I got started with ceramics. It was hard to keep the little
rods from getting dull by accumulating metal. So I switched to the kind
with 8" rods stuck in a board.

I see Lansky now sells kits with a board, a pair of 5" medium rods, and
a pair of 5" fine rods, and holes for a 25 degree or a 20 degree edge. I
think the old kits were set for 40 degrees. If I wanted a more acute
edge, I'd put the blade in a clamp to guide a rod. (For some knives and
some uses, 40 degrees is more practical than 20.)

After looking at a photo, I believe Lansky means the angle of each side,
not the angle between the two sides. When they say 20 or 25 degrees,
they mean the sides meet at 40 or 50 degrees.

On Monday, July 21, 2014 2:29:32 AM UTC-4, Danny D. wrote:
So, I get *different* angles on various portions of the knife.

Run a Sharpie marker on the edge and sharpen the marker off. You will see what angle you are getting.

On 7/22/2014 10:36 AM, Thomas wrote:
On Monday, July 21, 2014 2:29:32 AM UTC-4, Danny D. wrote:
So, I get *different* angles on various portions of the knife.

Run a Sharpie marker on the edge and sharpen the marker off. You will see what angle you are getting.

Sharpen after sharpie? That's a sharp idea.

--
..
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

On Tuesday, July 22, 2014 7:36:10 AM UTC-7, Thomas wrote:
On Monday, July 21, 2014 2:29:32 AM UTC-4, Danny D. wrote:

So, I get *different* angles on various portions of the knife.

Run a Sharpie marker on the edge and sharpen the marker off. You will see what angle you are getting.

That works but IMO there is entirely too much worrying about the angle. As long as it is approximately equal (not hard to do freehand) and one is "shaving the stone" you will wind up with a sharp knife.

Harry K

On 7/22/14, 11:56 AM, Harry K wrote:
On Tuesday, July 22, 2014 7:36:10 AM UTC-7, Thomas wrote:
On Monday, July 21, 2014 2:29:32 AM UTC-4, Danny D. wrote:

So, I get *different* angles on various portions of the knife.

Run a Sharpie marker on the edge and sharpen the marker off. You
will see what angle you are getting.

That works but IMO there is entirely too much worrying about the
angle. As long as it is approximately equal (not hard to do
freehand) and one is "shaving the stone" you will wind up with a
sharp knife.

Harry K


Freehand is fine if all you want to do is slice tomatoes. A rough edge
with a fairly blunt angle (30 degrees per side or 60 degrees) would
work. For some uses, a fine edge with a more acute angle, perhaps 15
degrees per side, works much better.

That takes a lot more strokes than 30 degrees per side. A single stroke
that's a couple of degrees too steep can ruin it. A good edge at the
curve and the tip can be important, and in my experience it's hard to
keep the angle right freehand.

J Burns wrote:
On 7/21/14, 12:20 PM, Danny D. wrote:
J Burns wrote, on Mon, 21 Jul 2014 11:44:29 -0400:

A pair of rubber gloves and baking soda make it easy to remove soap scum
in the shower. Maybe that's why I tried it on oil stones.

OK. Baking soda just makes carbon dioxide bubbles in
water, so, I think the millions of tiny bubbles might
simply agitate the metal shavings out of the recesses
of the stones.

Otherwise, I don't see what it would accomplish in
addition to plain water.

Baking soda bubbles in acid, but I don't see any bubbling on a stone.

Now I remember how I started using it. A pair of fine alumina ceramic
rods, set in a wooden base like rabbit ears, makes a nice kitchen
sharpener; you need only keep the blade in a vertical plane.

A black streak will appear on the rod. It's metal scraped from the
blade. That will clog the rod, so you rotate the rod slightly for a
fresh surface. When there were no fresh surfaces, I'd scrub the rod with scouring powder.

Then I discovered that baking soda did the job easier. I don't know why.
Later I got the idea of using it on an oil stone. I understand oil
floats particles so they don't clog the stone. A watery "gravy," made by
sprinkling a little soda onto a wet stone seems to do the same thing. I
can feel the improvement.

I'll have to try the soda. I mostly use three knifes. A Magna Wonder Knife,
a small cheap knife, and a small steak Gunsu, in the kitchen. Most of the
other stash is junk, except for a really thin high carbon steel knife of my
grandparents. That's so easy to sharpen on the rods. The rods work well on
the serrated Magna.

Greg

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

On 2014-07-23, gregz wrote:

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.

I should receive my Accusharp 001 sharpener tomorrow.

http://www.amazon.com/AccuSharp-1-00.../dp/B00004VWKQ

Gotta ancient Buck 110 folding hunter I'm dying to try it on. I
woulda never given this sharpener a 2nd glance, until I saw EriK
Salitan (Life Below Zero) sharpening his skinning knife with an
Accusharp. Skinning knives gotta be sharp. Plus, it gets rave
reviews all around the web. We'll see. I'll reply tomorrow.

nb

On 7/23/14, 1:32 AM, gregz wrote:


I'll have to try the soda. I mostly use three knifes. A Magna Wonder Knife,
a small cheap knife, and a small steak Gunsu, in the kitchen. Most of the
other stash is junk, except for a really thin high carbon steel knife of my
grandparents. That's so easy to sharpen on the rods. The rods work well on
the serrated Magna.

Greg

Online, I see that the Japanese system is to soak water stones in water
and baking soda before use. I see it's an old trick of Army cooks to
boil a clogged sharpening stone in water with baking soda.

I was able to get my Cub Scout knife sharp enough to hurt myself, but
most of my injuries were blisters from whittling.

At 11, I bought a leather-handled Schrade, similar to a K-bar, with a
sheath, for $1.57 new. I sharpened it with a device that looked like a
big, wide yo-yo: a 2" round stone with a 3" wheel on either side.

At 15, I woke up on an overnight hike, and everything was fog. Not even
paper would burn, and birch bark wouldn't get wet kindling going. We
had nothing to eat raw. With that cheap knife, I whittled through the
wet wood on a pine log and made such a big pile of dry shavings that I
could get wet wood to burn. We gorged on oatmeal.

At 25 I bought a Case Sodbuster Jr. Everyone but me admired it. It
wouldn't take a sharp edge, and the blade didn't lock for safety.

At 28, I bought a folding Gerber that weighed about 9 ounces. It was
very sturdy. After I put a very sharp edge on it, I couldn't think of a
use. One evening, I came in from the field and heard there would be an
inspection in the morning. I was a mess and the barber shop was closed.
I used that knife to cut my hair and dry shave my neck, and I passed.
Later, I used it for butchering.

A sharp knife that will keep its edge helps in butchering. Even the
best blade will get gummed up and need washing, and it's dangerous to
make a lot of cuts with a long, sharp blade while laboring on a carcass.
I found a $10 knife that works better. It looks like brass knuckles
with a sort of curved box-cutter blade. Because the blade is short,
it's safer. Because the tip is close to the hand, it's easy to control.
There's also a slitting blade, like the protected blade of a letter
opener. It's a breeze!

At 38, I bought a Gerber pocket knife with an orange handle of miracle
nonslip plastic. It was also noncleanable plastic. What good is an
orange handle after it turns black? So I bought a couple of $3 pocket
knifes, one yellow and the other orange. The bolsters aren't as strong,
but the handles stayed bright. The steel takes and holds a slightly
sharper edge than the Gerber. (Steel is a relatively cheap part of
knife manufacture, so cheap knives can have good steel.)

So many seemingly harmless uses will dull a "razor" edge that now I use
EMT shears when possible, such as opening shipping cartons.

At 44, I spent $50 (sale price) for a Chicago Cutlery chef's knife. It
took such a sharp edge that I made a scabbard on the underside of a
shelf, to protect my fingers as well as the edge. Using it is a treat,
but it stays there most of the time because the cheap Sears knife my
grandparents owned is usually more practical. It will take a fairly
impressive edge but won't keep it. I cut only on a board, but dings
soon appear. I've never figured it out. I've never bitten down on
metal or seen a glint in my food, and they're easy to remove by
sharpening. I don't bother to sharpen it until I have trouble with
things like tomatoes.

There's an expensive-looking fileting knife in a spring-loaded scabbard
with a built-in sharpener. The steel won't hold an edge, and passing it
a dozen times through the sharpener makes no difference. I don't often
need that knife, and sharpening it with a clamp and stone is quick.

I use a swivel peeler a lot. It helps to sharpen it with a fingernail
board from the top and a ceramic rod to clean up the burr on the bottom.
It peels easily, but I have to avoid my fingers!

My paring knifes usually serve well if a little dull. Sharpening
doesn't take long.