This is my favorite sharpening video because finally it's not just someone describing the angle and and motion, but what it is you're actually looking for with the different steps. Thank you
I watched this instruction several times. After having tried many other methods, I found out that this method fits me the best. I bought exactly the suggested grits. The first one 1200, already made my knife sharp. And after honing , it became surgically sharp. Thank you for your time for making this video available to all !
This video became my solution to the problem of knife sharpening. Finally, I could learn how to do it myself without somebody's assistance. The process is easy, and the supplies are available and affordable. Also, everything is portable and suitable even for the purse! I appreciate this tutorial that led me to success in carving.
Thank you for this video! You talk, in detail on specific points of procedure that the others don't even mention. Sharpening has always been kind of a mystery to me but now the subject is clear to me..... all of it! Again, thanks!
After all my years of carving Marty has finally lead me in the right direction of a sharp knife. Thanks Marty you have made my carving much more enjoyable. Be well
Marty you mentioned you prefer the White Gold. Is there, in your opinion a big difference between Green and White? Last question when stopping do you lay flat? Or do a 5-8 degree angle? Thanks for all you do
this is usually the most difficult part of sharpening for me, knowing when to move to the next grit or keep sharpening and this video is one of the best explaining what to look and feel for. Excellent video !! 👍
I got a set of knives for carving for Christmas at age 62. Here they sit. Every video I've watched you men just make cuts like butter, I thought it was because yall have muscles lol. Now, I'm thinking my knives are super dull. Thank you so much. I have six heart conditions and have a lot of sit down time because I am so weak. If this works for me it will be a lifesaver for occupying my mind. Blessings
HI Linda, I know the Scary Sharpening method will work, guaranteed! Follow the steps and be sure to turn a burr before you start counting down. I'll be here to help!
I just started carving a few months ago. Best sharpening video, ever. I have the website up and thinking it's a scary sharp idea to get that kit! Thanks for the precise, clear direction.
when sharpening for hardwood cuts I would recommend a steeper angle. More steel behind the edge will make a stronger cutting edge. при заточке лиственных пород я бы порекомендовал более крутой угол. Чем больше стали за краем, тем сильнее режущая кромка.
You all probably dont care at all but does anyone know of a way to get back into an Instagram account..? I stupidly forgot my account password. I love any tricks you can give me
@Rey Ray Thanks for your reply. I found the site thru google and im trying it out atm. Seems to take quite some time so I will reply here later with my results.
Raise up the spine on a knife similar to the one shown about the thickness of a dime. Raising it up creates a small secondary bevel to create the Scary Sharp edge! Leaving it flat would require removing all of the metal on each side of the blade until the sides meet at the cutting edge. That's not necessary and would take a long time removing metal that doesn't need to be removed. Removing just a small amount of metal to form the secondary bevel is all that's needed to make a knife Scary Sharp and cut beautifully. Thanks for your question.
I never really considered using a leather strop for finishing. It makes sense, and I wonder if I could/should do that for kitchen knives and shears as well.
After sharpening Scary Sharp, a strop and compound are an excellent way to hone the edge. There's no reason you couldn't do the same with your kitchen knives and shears. Get Scary Sharp first!! :-)
Use the same technique and pull the blade across the abrasives in a sweeping motion. Turn a burr first. then start counting down Glad you liked this video
Knives and guns are tools in the right hands and don't aim either at yourself and others. I would think the reputation or strokes would depend on the hardest of the blade as knives and knives brands are not equal but varied greatly. Great instructions and BIG THANKS for teaching me Sir
If I understand your question, the small bevel on the edge of the blade (forming the "horizontal line") is all that needs sharpening. This is called the secondary bevel.
Just a question; when you sharpen your knife, how long does it stay sharp? Of course I understand that it will vary with usage and the type of wood you’re carving, etc. But with your experience you can probably give some clue as to how often you have to sharpen. Twice a day, once a day, twice a week, etc.
Hello - when carving basswood I'll try to strop my knife after every 20-30 minutes of carving. I use a leather strop with white gold strop compound and will strop each side of the blade 7 times and then 6 times, 5 etc. down to 1. I've found this keeps my knife sharp for a long time (months). When the stropping doesn't seem to be achieving the desired sharpness, I then use the higher-grit abrasives to touch up the blade.
Hi Robert, I'm using a 1-1/2" aluminum tube now. One grit on each side of the tube. It works great! Here's the link - mychipcarving.com/product/aluminum-stick/
Hello Zirbo Man, After brief research, titanium has very low carbon amounts which means it can be sharpened using this method but probably won't hold an edge for very long and won't get as sharp as higher carbon steels. If the knife comes from China it may not be titanium at all. Here's a link with more info material-properties.org/steel-vs-titanium-comparison-pros-and-cons/. Interesting question :-) Thanks
Thank you. I got the Beavercraft version of this knife, unfortunately it came very dull doesn't cut through a grape. I struggle to sharpen it. Do i need those exact numbers? Or any course / fine sharpener would work?
These abrasives are needed with a strop to get a Scary sharp edge. Lower grit abrasives will work but your edge won't be as keen. Mychipcarving.com for complete Kit
@@MyChipCarving when you use the Strop every 20 min, do you only do 10 passes per side or do you use the technique of 10-9-8-7 .... 1? thanks again, you are really very kind
Hello bonsoir, merci pour cette vidéo instructive. Faut il expressément du grain 1200 pour affûter le couteau émoussé ? Il est très difficile de savoir quand le papier émeri de cette finesse est usė vu que la douceur au toucher est sensible. Usez vous le papier jusqu’à la trame ? Cette technique d’affût âge est-elle valable pour tout type de couteau de sculpture sur bois ? Merci de votre réponse, Michèle
Bonjour, 1200 grains sont nécessaires avec un couteau très terne pour former le tranchant et tourner une bavure. Vous devez tourner une bavure! Lorsque l'eau cesse de devenir noire, il est temps de remplacer le papier abrasif. Oui, vous pouvez utiliser cette technique pour affûter tout type de couteau ou d'outil à bord plat. Cela fonctionne très bien! Ravi d'avoir de vos nouvelles! visitez MyChipCarving.com pour plus d'informations sur la sculpture de puces. Hello, 1200 grit is needed with a very dull knife to form the cutting edge and turn a burr. You must turn a burr! When the water stops turning black it is time to replace the abrasive paper. Yes, you can use this technique to sharpen any type of knife or tool with a flat edge. It works great! Nice to hear from you! visit MyChipCarving.com for more information on chip carving.
For honing I find plain printer paper works well instead of leather when loaded with the white compound. All you need is a flat hard surface under the paper. When the strip of paper loads up with old compound and filings, just move the paper over for a new surface. Cutting the paper into strips may make it easier, and the paper can be used on both sides. It is easy to see which side has been used as it will be black. I think this works even better than leather because leather is soft. As you pass the knife over it, it will wrap around the edge of the blade rounding the edge to some degree. Maybe a microscopic rounded edge will stay sharp longer I don't know, but you could do that with the paper as well with a slight flip of the wrist on the last stroke or two.
Thanks for your comment. You are correct in many regards. I started by using cereal box packaging in the same way. Hard, flat and holds some compound to do the honing. With the same principle in mind, the leather on my strops is thin so it compresses very little. This will avoid any rounding if a thick soft leather were used. I had to think of my customers, end users in mind when providing a strop. Something that would last a really long time.
Brother, I have a Tormek T-8 which is Amazing, but my question is, (and maybe I missed it), what are you using to hold the sandpaper down? Is it double face tape? Thanks!!!
Don't start with 120. Start with 800 or 1000 unless your knife is really bad. Finish with 3000 but spend a lot of time on the strop. It won't be Scary Sharp, but it will be sharp
Great video. Your close-up shows a small bevel at the sharp edge. I’ve seen other demos where they said that bevel should be flattened, meaning knock the points (or shoulders) off the bevel. What are your thoughts on that?
Hi Andy, sharpening a single bevel all depends on how thick the blade is. Makes sense on a hatchet or chisel. MyChipCarving Knives are very thin. 0.040" at the spine. A single bevel would create a very weak edge because there would be very little metal behind the edge for strength. I hope this makes sense
Hi thank you for this great tutorial. I have 2 questions, can I start with a 1000 grit wetstone instead of 1200 grit sanding paper? And 2nd question, how often does one have to go through this whole shaperning process? At what point after some time carving do you have to do maintenance and with what type of grid can you do just maintenance? Best regards.
To maintain a scary sharp edge, use a leather strop and compound to hone the edge every 20 minutes while carving. Use the countdown method as explained in this video. You can start with a 1000 grit wetstone. Just be sure it is dead flat! Glad you learned something from this video. More at mychipcarving.com
Once you have a scary sharp knife, stropping it after every 20-30 minutes of carving will keep it sharp for quite a while (weeks, if not several months) before having to sharpen it again. When you do need to sharpen it again, you may not have to use all of the grits. It may only require the last 2 grits or so. When you feel the knife isn't cutting as well as it used to and stropping alone isn't sharpening it enough, that's when it's time to sharpen it again.
Ive been looking around in person and online but i have not found a source for the grits of sandpaper used here. Can anyone provide some help? EXCEllent video by the way
You may want to start on a coarser grit stone first remove the rust and form the bevel. After that you can start on the Scary Sharp Board 1200 grit and work through the grits and hone with the strop for a Scary Sharp Edge. You can do it!
So questions about grits to anyone reading. Can i go with a different set of grits because those are hard to find. And if so can you give me the numbers to ise
My only problem is keeping the knife at the same angle through all the sharpening. Rolling is a big problem. Practice, I guess. What is the difference between the white compound and the green compound?
Thx for your comment, Bruce. Remember that the movement is not like an airplane taking off. You can even stop the stroke without lifting the blade off the abrasive or strop. I've found white compound to do the best for honing the edge. Other colors have different materials in them for different steels or more aggressive metal removal. More information at mychipcarving.com
Why the high grit abrasive? This seems like a lot of extra work considering lower grits will take less time. I'm just trying to understand the difference between the two.
The higher the grit, the smaller the 'scratches'. After 8000 grit you'll have a mirror finish. Honing on a leather strop finishes the process leaving you with a Scary Sharp edge, guaranteed! If you stopped at 1800 grit or 4500 grit, you'd be sharp but NOT Scary Sharp!
@@MyChipCarving Thanks, I'm just recently getting into carving. I've sharpened a few chisels from 80 to 600 grit and finished with the strop. They are sharp with a nice finish and cut well. But I'm intrigued with your method. Maybe I'll try it someday
On the strip there appears to be a groove(?) and it appears to less dark. Does this mean there is a depression and the middle of the stroop and the knife is not being honed? Thanks for the demo. It makes more sense to me this time around.
HI Karl, it's not a groove but the nap of the leather sticking up a bit. It is still black which means the entire width of the blade is being honed. If it were white then it would be a problem. So glad this video helped you understand sharpening and honing better. More tutorials at mychipcarving.com
I really wish I knew what I was doing wrong. I ordered your kit and am trying my best to sharpen it but it's not getting anywhere near as sharp as your's 😢
It's a good way to build muscle memory when learning and to keep things simple. Too few strokes won't sharpen the blade effectively. Until a person has had some success achieving a sharp blade and understands what to look for throughout the process, it's better to do a few extra strokes. As one becomes more familiar with the process, one can determine the number of strokes needed to achieve the results they are after.
You should press firm enough so that the abrasive strip turns grey from the metal being removed. It should be fairly firm. It is crucial to feel a burr on the lowest grit before moving on to the next higher grit. If you're not feeling a burr after 10 strokes on each side, continue sharpening on the same grit for another 5 or 10 strokes. I will occasionally wipe off the metal shavings from the abrasive strip and apply more water before continuing to sharpen. I'd recommend focusing on applying firm pressure and maintaining a consistent angle from start to finish. Don't give up - you will get there!
i like taking the second bevel off my chip knives. i find it helps glide though the wood better. great video brother. I learned how to chip carve watching your videos
Sure enough!! To clean your strop roll your knife over and use the spine to scrape it clean. Do this over a trash can as it is pretty messy. Thanks for the reminder :-)
Hello Curtis, the abrasive strips are self-adhesive silicon carbide. They are impossible to find so save yourself the time and get them from mychipcarving.com.
Great technique, I just wish someone would design a device to hold knives at the proper angle while drawing across the sharpening strips!!! I have "shaky hands" which makes it very difficult for me to sharpen. I am able to chip carve by bracing my hand against the wood. I have some ideas for making such a device just an "inventor" of sorts to help fabricate.
I find it hard to be consistent in my holding angle. Looking at the blade I see the surface is rounded with the way it reflects light. So I hold the knife in one position pushing down on the sandpaper and then pull the paper through instead of moving the knife. I don't lift the paper very high when I pull. I try to keep it as low to the surface as possible. One other thing that may help you is using a knife that has a true "Scandi" grind. You just lay it on it's face which is easy to feel when sharpening.
@@MyChipCarving Thank you very much. I'm considering just getting a double sides waterstone, maybe 1000 grit and 4000 grit, then using my strop. I'm new to wood carving, (whittling mostly at this point) and the number of stones and sharpening systems is overwhelming! I will go off the principle of keeping my tools sharp, where I can. Besides my strop, which grit, or two grits would be most important? And would you say stones which only require water are better? I REALLY appreciate your help, as it's clear you have a lot of experience.
@@Meloncholymadness waterstones will give you a nice edge as long as they are kept flat. They do require maintenance / flattening so keep this in mind ☺.
Nice tutorial. The countdown would be so much easier than saying 55 strokes each side alternating between sides in sets. Are any carving knives single bevel? Or, are they all double bevel?
Save time and buy a Harbor Freight belt grinder and leather stropping belt..When you think you have a sharp edge, try stabbing and slicing a clean cut in a Kleenex tissue..the ultimate test for sharpness,
Takes way to long..Buy a 1"X30" belt grinder with a leather strop..I don't know why people do it by hand when the belt grinders are so cheap .They take about two minutes from dull to shaving sharp.
Having declared my dissatisfaction with this sharpener last night ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxDcr-y2Pf6xdnrFHrSP7dl9kpKaCozcSQ I thought about the problem some more. It occurred to me that I might be undoing each attempt at achieving a sharp edge by the repeated attempts. So, I tried to clean up the unsatisfactory result by honing with only positions 3 and 4.Miracle!! A really nicely sharpened chef's knife, more than enough to handle my needs. Admittedly, it did not reach professionally sharpened razor-fineness, but it is now significantly sharper than it was. A bout of breaking down carrots convinced me. So, major apologies to the manufacturer, Amazon, and all happy and potential owners! Follow the directions: don't buy it if you have ceramic blades; and don't overwork your knife blade.
This is my favorite sharpening video because finally it's not just someone describing the angle and and motion, but what it is you're actually looking for with the different steps. Thank you
I watched this instruction several times.
After having tried many other methods, I found out that this method fits me the best. I bought exactly the suggested grits.
The first one 1200, already made my knife sharp. And after honing , it became surgically sharp.
Thank you for your time for making this video available to all !
This video became my solution to the problem of knife sharpening. Finally, I could learn how to do it myself without somebody's assistance. The process is easy, and the supplies are available and affordable. Also, everything is portable and suitable even for the purse! I appreciate this tutorial that led me to success in carving.
This is fantastic! I'm happy for you. So glad you now have Scary Sharp Knives!! ❤
Great tutorial covering the things that others don't. Thanks from Cumbria, England.
Thank you for this video! You talk, in detail on specific points of procedure that the others don't even mention. Sharpening has always been kind of a mystery to me but now the subject is clear to me..... all of it! Again, thanks!
I'm really glad to hear this! Thanks for letting me know. Please share with others you know so they too can learn how to get their knives Scary Sharp!
Dude I know. Same problem big bamboo. This is helpful as hell
After all my years of carving Marty has finally lead me in the right direction of a sharp knife. Thanks Marty you have made my carving much more enjoyable. Be well
I couldn't be more pleased, Dave!
Marty you mentioned you prefer the White Gold. Is there, in your opinion a big difference between Green and White?
Last question when stopping do you lay flat?
Or do a 5-8 degree angle?
Thanks for all you do
this is usually the most difficult part of sharpening for me, knowing when to move to the next grit or keep sharpening and this video is one of the best explaining what to look and feel for. Excellent video !! 👍
Excellent tutorial Thanks
You're very welcome. Glad you found it helpful.
I got a set of knives for carving for Christmas at age 62. Here they sit. Every video I've watched you men just make cuts like butter, I thought it was because yall have muscles lol. Now, I'm thinking my knives are super dull.
Thank you so much. I have six heart conditions and have a lot of sit down time because I am so weak. If this works for me it will be a lifesaver for occupying my mind. Blessings
HI Linda, I know the Scary Sharpening method will work, guaranteed! Follow the steps and be sure to turn a burr before you start counting down. I'll be here to help!
@@MyChipCarving Thank you. I tried to find the sandpaper you suggested and can't find any. Please tell me where I can buy some.
Paper and entire Kit available at mychipcarving.com
@@lindalrb3864 Any automotive supply store.
Thank you.
Best sharpening instruction on you tube. Thank you
It works. Simple and very effective. Get it. You'll be glad you did.
Thank you! Results are guaranteed!!
Fantastic, simple with great visual references. Helpful -thank you!
The sharpening video I've been looking for. Thanks
great! Share it with others who it will help.
Excellent video, does the sandpaper last for repeated sharpening? If so how many?
The abrasives will last quite a while. When the water stops turning black, it's time to replace the abrasive.
I just started carving a few months ago. Best sharpening video, ever. I have the website up and thinking it's a scary sharp idea to get that kit! Thanks for the precise, clear direction.
You are very welcome. Scary sharp is guaranteed!
when sharpening for hardwood cuts I would recommend a steeper angle. More steel behind the edge will make a stronger cutting edge.
при заточке лиственных пород я бы порекомендовал более крутой угол. Чем больше стали за краем, тем сильнее режущая кромка.
Great point.
You all probably dont care at all but does anyone know of a way to get back into an Instagram account..?
I stupidly forgot my account password. I love any tricks you can give me
@Waylon Bruno instablaster ;)
@Rey Ray Thanks for your reply. I found the site thru google and im trying it out atm.
Seems to take quite some time so I will reply here later with my results.
@Rey Ray it worked and I actually got access to my account again. I'm so happy!
Thanks so much, you saved my account !
Thanks-really appreciate this tutorial!
1:42 "raised up a bit". You don't want it flat? What is a little bit? I'm new to sharpening. Thanks
Raise up the spine on a knife similar to the one shown about the thickness of a dime. Raising it up creates a small secondary bevel to create the Scary Sharp edge! Leaving it flat would require removing all of the metal on each side of the blade until the sides meet at the cutting edge. That's not necessary and would take a long time removing metal that doesn't need to be removed. Removing just a small amount of metal to form the secondary bevel is all that's needed to make a knife Scary Sharp and cut beautifully. Thanks for your question.
@@MyChipCarving thanks!
Can you use just the strapp when it's not that dull ( regular use)?
Sharpen first and then hone with a strop. Use the strop to hone your knife and keep it sharp!
I never really considered using a leather strop for finishing. It makes sense, and I wonder if I could/should do that for kitchen knives and shears as well.
After sharpening Scary Sharp, a strop and compound are an excellent way to hone the edge. There's no reason you couldn't do the same with your kitchen knives and shears. Get Scary Sharp first!! :-)
A must have video for any Carver. A+ content as usual.
Thx Randy. Please share with others 😁
newbie here. can you use this method on other (not chip carving) wood carving knives?
Most definitely! This method will get all knives Scary Sharp, guaranteed! Read customer reviews at mychipcarving.com
1 of the best so far. I will be making a sharpening board....But what's the best way to sharpen a curved blade.
Use the same technique and pull the blade across the abrasives in a sweeping motion. Turn a burr first. then start counting down
Glad you liked this video
What is the aluminum stick in your kit for? Is it just a container for the strips? I didn't see it in the video.
I replaced the melamine board with the aluminum stick. Abrasives are stuck to the 4 sides and extras stored inside. It's a nice upgrade.
Thank you. It is a very good video.
Knives and guns are tools in the right hands and don't aim either at yourself and others.
I would think the reputation or strokes would depend on the hardest of the blade as knives and knives brands are not equal but varied greatly.
Great instructions and
BIG THANKS for teaching me Sir
explaining the importance of burrs separates this video from the rest
That's sharper than mine! Amazing sir
There is a horizontal line in middle of blade shude stuck blade from this line below completely to sandpaper?
If I understand your question, the small bevel on the edge of the blade (forming the "horizontal line") is all that needs sharpening. This is called the secondary bevel.
I use the 10 - 9 - 8….. thing when stropping, if nothing else it fends of boredom! Great video for people without a whetstone 👍
Great video. Is it best to use the smooth side of the leather or the textures side?
It really doesn't matter, I've used both and am currently using smooth side on all of my strops I sell. mychipcarving.com
Really helpful video. Really easy to understand description of burrs. Ty
You're very welcome!
Good instructional video. Well done, mate
Thanks, Geoff!
Just a question; when you sharpen your knife, how long does it stay sharp? Of course I understand that it will vary with usage and the type of wood you’re carving, etc. But with your experience you can probably give some clue as to how often you have to sharpen. Twice a day, once a day, twice a week, etc.
Hello - when carving basswood I'll try to strop my knife after every 20-30 minutes of carving. I use a leather strop with white gold strop compound and will strop each side of the blade 7 times and then 6 times, 5 etc. down to 1. I've found this keeps my knife sharp for a long time (months). When the stropping doesn't seem to be achieving the desired sharpness, I then use the higher-grit abrasives to touch up the blade.
Can you show me how you made your whittling knives sharpening board to sharpen your whittling knives
Hi Robert, I'm using a 1-1/2" aluminum tube now. One grit on each side of the tube. It works great! Here's the link - mychipcarving.com/product/aluminum-stick/
@@MyChipCarving thank you for sending the link to the stuff that you are using
Do you stop on the front or back of leather??
I've found it doesn't really matter. The rougher side holds more compound but the smooth side is good as well.
Where did you get the honing compound stuff? (I'm learning how to whittle and I found this video very useful.)
Hey! Glad you found the video helpful. The honing compound and other sharpening supplies used in the video are at mychipcarving.com
About how much pressure should I be applying?
loved your tutorial...the best one...what would you raccomend for a titanium wood carving knife ?
Hello Zirbo Man, After brief research, titanium has very low carbon amounts which means it can be sharpened using this method but probably won't hold an edge for very long and won't get as sharp as higher carbon steels. If the knife comes from China it may not be titanium at all. Here's a link with more info material-properties.org/steel-vs-titanium-comparison-pros-and-cons/. Interesting question :-) Thanks
Thank you. I got the Beavercraft version of this knife, unfortunately it came very dull doesn't cut through a grape. I struggle to sharpen it. Do i need those exact numbers? Or any course / fine sharpener would work?
These abrasives are needed with a strop to get a Scary sharp edge. Lower grit abrasives will work but your edge won't be as keen. Mychipcarving.com for complete Kit
while working the wood after how long do you have to sharpen the blade? do you just use the Strop or do it all over again? thanks!
Strop every 20 minutes while carving to maintain the Scary Sharp edge!
@@MyChipCarving when you use the Strop every 20 min, do you only do 10 passes per side or do you use the technique of 10-9-8-7 .... 1? thanks again, you are really very kind
@@mikefrosio3331 use the countdown method. You can start at 6 and countdown and then on occasion start at 10.
Friend can i try it on ma mora 120 ? with this Grips ?
Thank you this helps a lot
Excellent, James!! Glad you let me know it helped you get your knives to Scary Sharp!!
Hello bonsoir, merci pour cette vidéo instructive. Faut il expressément du grain 1200 pour affûter le couteau émoussé ? Il est très difficile de savoir quand le papier émeri de cette finesse est usė vu que la douceur au toucher est sensible. Usez vous le papier jusqu’à la trame ? Cette technique d’affût âge est-elle valable pour tout type de couteau de sculpture sur bois ?
Merci de votre réponse,
Michèle
Bonjour, 1200 grains sont nécessaires avec un couteau très terne pour former le tranchant et tourner une bavure. Vous devez tourner une bavure! Lorsque l'eau cesse de devenir noire, il est temps de remplacer le papier abrasif. Oui, vous pouvez utiliser cette technique pour affûter tout type de couteau ou d'outil à bord plat. Cela fonctionne très bien! Ravi d'avoir de vos nouvelles! visitez MyChipCarving.com pour plus d'informations sur la sculpture de puces.
Hello, 1200 grit is needed with a very dull knife to form the cutting edge and turn a burr. You must turn a burr! When the water stops turning black it is time to replace the abrasive paper. Yes, you can use this technique to sharpen any type of knife or tool with a flat edge. It works great! Nice to hear from you! visit MyChipCarving.com for more information on chip carving.
SO- you need to achieve a burr for EACH grit before moving on to the next?
Yes, but the burr will eventually get so small you won't be able to feel it.
@@MyChipCarving Thanks!
For honing I find plain printer paper works well instead of leather when loaded with the white compound. All you need is a flat hard surface under the paper. When the strip of paper loads up with old compound and filings, just move the paper over for a new surface. Cutting the paper into strips may make it easier, and the paper can be used on both sides. It is easy to see which side has been used as it will be black.
I think this works even better than leather because leather is soft. As you pass the knife over it, it will wrap around the edge of the blade rounding the edge to some degree. Maybe a microscopic rounded edge will stay sharp longer I don't know, but you could do that with the paper as well with a slight flip of the wrist on the last stroke or two.
Thanks for your comment. You are correct in many regards. I started by using cereal box packaging in the same way. Hard, flat and holds some compound to do the honing. With the same principle in mind, the leather on my strops is thin so it compresses very little. This will avoid any rounding if a thick soft leather were used. I had to think of my customers, end users in mind when providing a strop. Something that would last a really long time.
Possibly because most printer papers are covered with a very fine chalk to hold the ink properly
Thank you
I'm glad this will help you because a Scary Sharp knife is so important! :-)
Great video!!! Many thanks!
Brother, I have a Tormek T-8 which is Amazing, but my question is, (and maybe I missed it), what are you using to hold the sandpaper down? Is it double face tape? Thanks!!!
The abrasives are self-adhesive silicon carbide. More portable than our Tormeks 🙂. Abrasives are available at mychipcarving.com. Thx for reaching out.
This video is so educational :D Thanks
Thank you!
Brilliant, thank you for sharing!
I'm glad you found this helpful!
The grit i have is120- 3000, would that still work?
Don't start with 120. Start with 800 or 1000 unless your knife is really bad. Finish with 3000 but spend a lot of time on the strop. It won't be Scary Sharp, but it will be sharp
Where did you get the sharpening plate or how did you make it?
Hello Victor, All the supplies needed are in the Scary Sharp Sharpening Kit at mychipcarving.com. It really does the trick!!
Great video. Your close-up shows a small bevel at the sharp edge. I’ve seen other demos where they said that bevel should be flattened, meaning knock the points (or shoulders) off the bevel. What are your thoughts on that?
Hi Andy, sharpening a single bevel all depends on how thick the blade is. Makes sense on a hatchet or chisel. MyChipCarving Knives are very thin. 0.040" at the spine. A single bevel would create a very weak edge because there would be very little metal behind the edge for strength. I hope this makes sense
How to hold in right angle and how to put it into the right angle?
Color the edge with a permanent marker. This will show you when you're at the right angle because the marker will be removed
Hi thank you for this great tutorial. I have 2 questions, can I start with a 1000 grit wetstone instead of 1200 grit sanding paper? And 2nd question, how often does one have to go through this whole shaperning process? At what point after some time carving do you have to do maintenance and with what type of grid can you do just maintenance? Best regards.
To maintain a scary sharp edge, use a leather strop and compound to hone the edge every 20 minutes while carving. Use the countdown method as explained in this video. You can start with a 1000 grit wetstone. Just be sure it is dead flat! Glad you learned something from this video. More at mychipcarving.com
How often should you sharpen your blade?
Once you have a scary sharp knife, stropping it after every 20-30 minutes of carving will keep it sharp for quite a while (weeks, if not several months) before having to sharpen it again. When you do need to sharpen it again, you may not have to use all of the grits. It may only require the last 2 grits or so. When you feel the knife isn't cutting as well as it used to and stropping alone isn't sharpening it enough, that's when it's time to sharpen it again.
Ive been looking around in person and online but i have not found a source for the grits of sandpaper used here. Can anyone provide some help? EXCEllent video by the way
HI Robert, the abrasives are available at mychipcarving.com. I had to look really hard to find them. Glad you liked the video.
Any automobile supply store.
Will it help sharpen an old and bit rusty blade?
You may want to start on a coarser grit stone first remove the rust and form the bevel. After that you can start on the Scary Sharp Board 1200 grit and work through the grits and hone with the strop for a Scary Sharp Edge. You can do it!
So questions about grits to anyone reading. Can i go with a different set of grits because those are hard to find. And if so can you give me the numbers to ise
HI Billy, go to mychipcarving.com to find these abrasive strips. Order strips or full sheets. They really work!
My only problem is keeping the knife at the same angle through all the sharpening. Rolling is a big problem. Practice, I guess. What is the difference between the white compound and the green compound?
Thx for your comment, Bruce. Remember that the movement is not like an airplane taking off. You can even stop the stroke without lifting the blade off the abrasive or strop. I've found white compound to do the best for honing the edge. Other colors have different materials in them for different steels or more aggressive metal removal. More information at mychipcarving.com
Why the high grit abrasive? This seems like a lot of extra work considering lower grits will take less time. I'm just trying to understand the difference between the two.
The higher the grit, the smaller the 'scratches'. After 8000 grit you'll have a mirror finish. Honing on a leather strop finishes the process leaving you with a Scary Sharp edge, guaranteed! If you stopped at 1800 grit or 4500 grit, you'd be sharp but NOT Scary Sharp!
Kits and Strips available at mychipcarving.com
@@MyChipCarving
Thanks, I'm just recently getting into carving. I've sharpened a few chisels from 80 to 600 grit and finished with the strop. They are sharp with a nice finish and cut well. But I'm intrigued with your method. Maybe I'll try it someday
@@geeblaze984 If you take it all the way through 8000 grit and hone with a strop, you'll never stop at 600 again. Scary Sharp Guaranteed!
How long does stay sharp, if I may ask??? Omg that's sharp
Great video! Very good information!
Thank you. 👍🏼
On the strip there appears to be a groove(?) and it appears to less dark. Does this mean there is a depression and the middle of the stroop and the knife is not being honed?
Thanks for the demo. It makes more sense to me this time around.
HI Karl, it's not a groove but the nap of the leather sticking up a bit. It is still black which means the entire width of the blade is being honed. If it were white then it would be a problem.
So glad this video helped you understand sharpening and honing better.
More tutorials at mychipcarving.com
I really wish I knew what I was doing wrong. I ordered your kit and am trying my best to sharpen it but it's not getting anywhere near as sharp as your's 😢
What is the rationale for so many strokes per side? It would seem to be wasting steel.
It's a good way to build muscle memory when learning and to keep things simple. Too few strokes won't sharpen the blade effectively. Until a person has had some success achieving a sharp blade and understands what to look for throughout the process, it's better to do a few extra strokes. As one becomes more familiar with the process, one can determine the number of strokes needed to achieve the results they are after.
How hard should I be pressing to try to get a burr
You should press firm enough so that the abrasive strip turns grey from the metal being removed. It should be fairly firm. It is crucial to feel a burr on the lowest grit before moving on to the next higher grit. If you're not feeling a burr after 10 strokes on each side, continue sharpening on the same grit for another 5 or 10 strokes. I will occasionally wipe off the metal shavings from the abrasive strip and apply more water before continuing to sharpen. I'd recommend focusing on applying firm pressure and maintaining a consistent angle from start to finish. Don't give up - you will get there!
I find it weird at my work the people were using dull knifes, I literally told them that's dangerous and sharpened them all
If you are reading this, just a tip, skip 0.10 - 0.50.
i like taking the second bevel off my chip knives. i find it helps glide though the wood better. great video brother. I learned how to chip carve watching your videos
Excellent Jason! Thx for sharing. Check out MyChipCarving.com for more!!
You should clean your strop after awhile by scrapping the excess layers of compound off it will work a lot better and last longer
Sure enough!! To clean your strop roll your knife over and use the spine to scrape it clean. Do this over a trash can as it is pretty messy. Thanks for the reminder :-)
Can you use a knife sharpener.
Hello Donald, I'm not sure what you mean by your question? Can you clarify? I'll be glad to help.
white stropping compound is between 4000 and 5000 grit so you go from 8000 back to 4000 why ?
I'm trying to get there
You can do it. Be sure to turn a burr before you start counting down!
What were those strips called?
Hello Curtis, the abrasive strips are self-adhesive silicon carbide. They are impossible to find so save yourself the time and get them from mychipcarving.com.
@@MyChipCarving Thank you
May I share so knowledge, get a piece of granite, 2x2 4,6,8 ish. 30 paces each side, stroff.
ARe you just using sand paper to sharpen?
Silicon carbide with self-adhesive back. 1200, 1800, 4500 and 8000 grit! Available at mychipcarving.com
Great technique, I just wish someone would design a device to hold knives at the proper angle while drawing across the sharpening strips!!! I have "shaky hands" which makes it very difficult for me to sharpen. I am able to chip carve by bracing my hand against the wood. I have some ideas for making such a device just an "inventor" of sorts to help fabricate.
I find it hard to be consistent in my holding angle. Looking at the blade I see the surface is rounded with the way it reflects light. So I hold the knife in one position pushing down on the sandpaper and then pull the paper through instead of moving the knife. I don't lift the paper very high when I pull. I try to keep it as low to the surface as possible. One other thing that may help you is using a knife that has a true "Scandi" grind. You just lay it on it's face which is easy to feel when sharpening.
It seems the more do in sharping the duller the blade gets
Turn a BURR first. Follow the directions in this Scary Sharp Sharpening Kit and you can't go wrong. Guaranteed.
Where do you get those strips from? Is there something I can Google? I live in the UK.
They were very hard for me to find in the US. You can search for "self adhesive silicon carbide abrasive". Good luck!
Use water to lubricate abrasive strips
@@MyChipCarving Thank you very much. I'm considering just getting a double sides waterstone, maybe 1000 grit and 4000 grit, then using my strop. I'm new to wood carving, (whittling mostly at this point) and the number of stones and sharpening systems is overwhelming! I will go off the principle of keeping my tools sharp, where I can. Besides my strop, which grit, or two grits would be most important? And would you say stones which only require water are better? I REALLY appreciate your help, as it's clear you have a lot of experience.
@@Meloncholymadness waterstones will give you a nice edge as long as they are kept flat. They do require maintenance / flattening so keep this in mind ☺.
@@MyChipCarving Thank you, I'll be going with waterstones, and then a flattening bar.
well crap, that explains why i never got my blades to work right. thanks for the lesson ill be fixing them tonight
oh man that dulling was hard to watch
Nice tutorial. The countdown would be so much easier than saying 55 strokes each side alternating between sides in sets. Are any carving knives single bevel? Or, are they all double bevel?
There are some single bevel knives. The Same method would be used to.sharpen single bevel except one side would be laid flat during countdown.
That's scary sharp
Nice
I swear that’s bill Murray talking
cool!
You can do it! Scary Sharp!!
now if pfeil could just actually send out knives without fucked grinds
holy shit its hard to reshape a knife edge vs sharpening it
Have you tried using coarse diamond sharpener?
I tryed to carve a tiki head and my hand slipped and the chisel cut my wrist yesterday, it was bleeding so fucking much
Save time and buy a Harbor Freight belt grinder and leather stropping belt..When you think you have a sharp edge, try stabbing and slicing a clean cut in a Kleenex tissue..the ultimate test for sharpness,
I think I just felt physical pain watching you try to carve with the knife once it was dulled, POINT DEFINITELY GETTING ACROSS.
Oh, oh! How could you do that!?!?
🤣🤣😭😭🤣🤣
Takes way to long..Buy a 1"X30" belt grinder with a leather strop..I don't know why people do it by hand when the belt grinders are so cheap .They take about two minutes from dull to shaving sharp.
Oh man... The first minute of this video was painful to watch
Replace my granite pass
Having declared my dissatisfaction with this sharpener last night ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxDcr-y2Pf6xdnrFHrSP7dl9kpKaCozcSQ I thought about the problem some more. It occurred to me that I might be undoing each attempt at achieving a sharp edge by the repeated attempts. So, I tried to clean up the unsatisfactory result by honing with only positions 3 and 4.Miracle!! A really nicely sharpened chef's knife, more than enough to handle my needs. Admittedly, it did not reach professionally sharpened razor-fineness, but it is now significantly sharper than it was. A bout of breaking down carrots convinced me. So, major apologies to the manufacturer, Amazon, and all happy and potential owners! Follow the directions: don't buy it if you have ceramic blades; and don't overwork your knife blade.
Bla, bla ,bla ...ect