As a retired meat cutter I am very critical of these sharpening videos. Kyle is giving very good information, listen very carefully to what he is teaching. 95% of these Utube sharpening videos are complete trash. It does take time to learn this skill, but, you will use it for the duration and hopefully pass it down.
I mean, I'm inclined to disagree with a lot of sharpening tutorials, not because I believe I know better, but rather because I attempt them and struggle to get a razor edge, despite the fact I'm reasonably dexterous and good at following directions. So I'd have to say, I feel like your criticism would be more helpful if you explained what exactly you take issue with in this tutorial and explained how it could be taught better. Go over what you think the most important aspects of sharpening are, even just in outline form.
@@DaimyoD0 Another excellent knife sharpening video is on the channel "the bearded butchers " by watching these type of professionals you learn how to get sharp edge but more important a DURABLE edge. The quality of your tools is important too. Don't spend 100's of dollars on kitchen knives, here are 2 brands who make excellent kitchen knives at very reasonable prices, Mercer and Victorinox
30 years ago I worked for Edge Craft and helped in the development of the Chefs Choice 2000 Pro sharpener. I built the first prototypes and later the pre-production units that were taken to the trade shows. You cover the sharpening part very well referencing information about the "wire" or "burr" edge that very few people know and even fewer understand. Let me say that if the sharpening process does not create that ever so slight wire edge, ultimate sharpness, that truly "shaving sharp" edge, cannot be accomplished. The full razor edge is accomplished not by getting rid of that wire edge, but refining it. A wire edge, that grabby little burr that you feel as you wipe your fingertip from the back edge of the blade towards the sharpened edge and off the sharp edge, as you said, which is weak, and fragile. The tip of that burr is actually not aligned for proper, if any, cutting. Under the microscope the burr may be rolled over resembling a fish-hook shape with the sharpest part of it at right angles to where the normal sharp edge of a knife is found. Watchers should be aware that the burr is actually EXTREMELY sharp and if you ran a finger along that burr the length of the knife, you might get aligned with at supersharp part of the burr and cut the dickens out of your finger. The sharpness can be greater that the best surgeon's scalpel and you might know your finger is cut until you see blood. After you finish with the 400 grit surface, you will usually have at the microscopic level, some degree of burr. Moving to the finer grit side of the stone, first contact to the edge should be should be on the side opposite the the last stroke on the 400 grit stone. And should be a draw stroke rather than a cutting stroke. This will be the first refinement move of the burr. It will un-roll the burr back to the center alignment with the blade's edge. Make several draw stokes and feel if the burr is still detectable . If it is, continue stroking that side a couple more strokes then switch to the other side of the blade. Work back and forth from one side and back checking for sharpness occasionally. This process has smoothed the edge of the courser scratches and reduced the height of that very sharp burr and aligned it making it the sharp edge of the blade. If you looked at the edge now under a microscope in cross-section you'd see the sides of the blade angling to converge to at the apex of the edge with a small pyramid on the top. The top point of the microscopic pyramid shape will be your very sharp edge.The squat shape of that pyramid is angled to support the sharp edge (top of the pyramid) and makes a stronger edge that will neither bend over or break off under use. The stropping process refines that edge even more polishing the metal to a mirror finish. This, when correctly and conservatively done will give you the true "shaving edge!" In fact, I coined that phrase for the ads in the early days. The head of the company walked into my lab as I had just finished to examining the sharpness and durability of the edges we were developing, I blurted out, "these aren't razor shark, they'er shaving sharp!" And for a while that appeared in our ads. Last points, if you really want to protect that edge you worked so hard to create, don't scrape the edge sideways across the cutting board, to move the cut veggies or meat into the pan regardless of what the cutting board is made of . That sideways scrape can easily and quickly rolls the sharp edge. That slight damage may be quickly repaired with just the strop. Knife steel is constantly being researched for strength, durability, and resistance to corrosion. If knife steel is on the softer side it resharpens quickly to a very sharp edge, but may get dull after only 4 or 5 filet processing, A harder steel may hold an edge longer. Much longer in some cases, but it will take more effort to resharpen. Knife steel that is too hard can be EXTREMELY difficult to impossible. Primary reason is that the refinement needed to that burr to sharpen to a truly shaving edge, tends to break the burr off due to inherent alloy brittleness and the work-hardening of bending that microscopic edge back and forth. Again microscopic examination of that very hard knife's edge may show rather than a smooth polished continuous wall-like edge of steel, it will resemble the blocked toothed top of the wall of King Authur's castle. . .suitable only for cutting bread. Avoid putting your sharp knives in the dishwasher. That supper-fine edge, even on a stainless alloy steel blade is corroded/etched by the hot water and the chemicals in the detergent. Avoid ever checking sharpness by running a finger down a blade even with the lightest touch. If you have done your job well, that ultra sharp, now refined, burr is the very edge that can cut you so easily that you don't feel it, or know you are cut, until you see the blood. Many of you may check sharpness by trying to shave arm hair with the blade, which when done carefully is OK, unless yo are sharpening all the knives in the kitchen in one sitting. At Edge Craft, we used squares of cow hide which sill had the hair on it. One didn't actually have to shave the hair off, but show that the blade was sharp enough to actually get a "bite" into the hairs. Sorry to be so verbose! Be careful!
Why did you make the honing wheel so soft and weak mine stopped working after using it like 40 times I have to strop it know and cant use the third station anymore
This is the first man I’ve seen to actually explain in understandable terms the what and why of making a good edge. This is a great video. His explanation of burrs and a wire edge and how to avoid them is just fabulous.
The second point he made is just as important. Most people have no understanding that there is an inversely proportional relationship between how fine an edge you have and the life of that edge. You want a razor sharp edge on your knife, you're going to have to sharpen it fairly regularly and hone it constantly.
@@feez357 you can't sharpen anything with any stone... you HAVE TO use a steel or strop to hone it... its like polishing your car with sandpaper... this guys a fool
Very good explanation! I am 64 and have been sharpening knives since I was 8. I can sharpen ANYTHING, just about, with a rock because of not giving up and keep on keeping on. A shaving edge and a working edge are two different edges. Most people DO NOT need a shaving edge. Thank you for educating people! 😊
Dear lord you are genius! What you said about the shadow is critically important. I reckon one placed small flashlight on my work surface would probably teach me where Im going so badly wrong. I have watched thousands of sharpening videos and never heard this tip before. Brilliant mate!
Nice video, good information. I've been sharpening for going on 30 yrs and for me personally, it is more about the "sound" of the stone than the feel. Another good piece of info for people is to not let the edge become completely dull/rolled. Even though this may get some negative comments, another thing I have found is that just because a blade has an "established" edge does not mean that is the best angle for that blade even if it is a 1 degree difference. I would say that the majority of people own mass produced knives which are ground to a certain angle at the factory. Blades are as individual as the owner, 2 identical blades even from the same batch will respond differently to identical honing methods. Another thing I have found is that certain blades can become "too sharp" and have such a fine edge that it dulls even faster, so a good lesson is to learn when to stop honing. Listen to the blade/stone and they will tell you when the blade is finished.
I agree, sound is just as important. Theres a sort of vibration and tone that tells you that you are doing it right. I 'show' people how to use a steel pretty frequently, and always tell them that im showing them and that im showing them and that they will teach themselves how to do it. You have to listen and feel to the steel to get it right.
On most of my knives I use my home made 15 inch strop way more than my stones. Stropping after use is to me an efficient way to maintain a razor edge on all my knives. Plus it's way more easy on the blades in the long run. I find it relaxing.
That fine burr on the edge is known as an arris edge, in cabinetmaking parlance , a very sharp chisel, knife or razer has it's beginnings with an arris edge. The technique of rolling the arris edge over, where you take a strop or the palm of your hand, moving the edge of the tool side to side until the arris or fine wire edge is broken off. Once the arris has been relieved, go over the edge once again with a very fine stone to bring back a much stronger edge, known as a bolstered edge. This will last 4x longer then the arris edge would. Also during the process of stropping, that fine arris wire is bent back and forth enough times to brake off. Seen under a microscope, a bolstered edge has two distinct angels if done right. Thanks for a great video.
That's where I got confused years ago. Some old timer spoke of bringing(rolling) an edge over...arris as you said. And he sounded as patience to go straight to what you called a bolstered edge. Heck, I can get arris edge on a putty knife using a 10" bastard file. (parts of my job was scraping Huge SS tanks, parts) ...removed by running along some piece of wood. ~ I learned to back off and my edge did last longer. ~~ Crazy them tank cleaning jobs. Say 1/4 of my time was resharpening, but I could clean tanks thrice as quick as many others. Thanks Jager. My minds eye pictured the burr breaking off and not as sharp even though it would shave my arm.
Good video. I am no expert in this, although I taught myself to free-hand sharpen a few years ago. The point about patience is key. Don't rush any part of this, both the learning how to do it, and the actual process once you've learned. I find and maintain the right angle largely by feel, you can actually feel the point where you are working the edge correctly with a little practice. Just get yourself a couple of stones, and an old kitchen knife you don't care about. Practice on that thing until you get a sense of how it goes. Don't try to learn on a knife you are worried about destroying. You need to know what being "off" feels like both when the angle is too shallow and also when it is too steep. You'll likely put scratches into the face of that old knife, but that is just part of learning. Eventually, if you just do it enough, you can start to feel the difference. Do it in a quiet space with no distractions and just zen out on it.
I love when you do sharpening videos, I’ve been sharpening for a couple years now and even if I’d been doing it for 20 years there’s always room for improvement, I always learn something when I watch these videos. -Kyle
Great video -- you are a skilled teacher/explainer and have a natural, relaxed presence in front of the camera. Awesome information too; I feel smarter now than I did 12 minutes ago. :)
A good day, knife sharpens easily and quickly. Bad day it gets duller as I think I'm sharpening. As I gain experience there are less bad days. Great video... thanks
You really pulled together a lot of the pieces I'm trying to learn about sharpening with your advice in this video. Explaining inconsistencies with the visual lines and the 'sharp' burr left on an unfinished blade makes the concepts clear. I appreciate your content. Thanks from Ontario!
I've been sharpening since i was a kid. I do it for a living now. One thing I've noticed through out the years, and i heard it in this video too. When you've got your angle and you're in the zone, your stone will sing to you. Listen to the steel and the stone together. When you hear it sing, that's when the best edge is produced.
Finally some professionnal comment. Thanks. I was thinking about leaving a comment saying draw a picture and dude is actually drawing while i'm writing this.. 🤷🏻♂️ the better sharpener doesn't use his eyes .
Love the Newfoundland accent. I spent five years in Corner Brook and had started to learn to detect where a person lived in Newfoundland by their accent. 45 years later that "skill" is completely gone. Great instruction on knife sharpening. It really is an art.
I would add the angle of the edge also impacts how long it can retain a "sharp" edge for, example a chef's knife tends to be a steeper angle than something like a bushcraft knife with a Scandinavian grind on it so will be sharper but require more maintenance to keep it that way, but the angles will depend on what you use your knife for. Just an extra thing to take in to consideration when sharpening and maintaining your knife and may help with expectations of the life of the edge you put on. Great video my friend thank you for sharing your extensive knowledge with us.
I agree however I just received a new USMC Kay-bar and it came with a 20 deg edge. In the suck Kay-bars have a specific purpose but I always considered it to be a bush knife. This knife came with a “ laser grind” edge and is sharp as heck and will take a finger with no hesitation. Working on my sharpening skills to keep it that way but was thrown by the steep angle of the knife edge.
I’m a new subscriber and new to free hand sharpening - thank you for your comment regarding being new and being patient - it’s a good reminder for the noob
Good to see a real sharpening video for a change that has the correct info, you freehand the same way as I do with the pressure and the edge leading finish. The final strop is just a magical moment that transfers all the work into a perfectly refined edge. Many forums have posts against the strop bragging that they can finish on a stone and that's it, do not underestimate the power of good stropping technique. I run 3 strops (actually I have loads of paddle strops) mainly, Flesh side with green, flesh side clean and grain side clean. The first one will save you getting the stones out and touch up the edge better than you might think and the other 2 are used after the stones flesh then grain. Good job...
great advice on the leather strop, more often than not when I sharpen finishing on a leather strop is all it needs to go from a seemingly inconsistent edge to a fantastic mirror polished hair popping edge.
Finally, a Canadian! And an east coaster at that. I'm sharpening my own stuff for over 30 years and i can't say enough about the strop ! You hit the nail on the head. 1) Proper stones. 2) Proper angle back and forth. 3) Take your time. It's not a race. Learn to like it. Make yourself comfortable;music, whiskey, cigar,whatever. 4) Strop Strop Strop. You don't have to spend a lot of money to buy one. You can glue a piece of leather 2 the back of a board. Experiment with different kinds of leather just a small piece 12 in Long 4 inches wide that should do it. A little bit of Carpenter's glue and roll it down tight. If you take your time with that leather you can actually shave depending on the knife. My test is on my left arm. If I can actually shave the hair on my left arm then it's good enough for me. And yes my left arm is practically bald going to have to start shaving the coin purse soon.
You made a great point at the end regarding unrealistic ideas about how long a knife will retain that razor edge. I've sharpened knives to such a fine edge you can whittle a hair but it never lasts very long. I have three faithful edc knives that I rotate so I dont have to resharpen every couple days. They get pretty hard use as part of my job. Good video!
I've watched a lot of videos about sharpening knives and this is the first one I've come across that explains the knife angle. Tilting the blade up slowly until the shadow disappears. That part right there made it for me. Before the video was over, I grabbed a knife and a stone and ran the knife over the stone in the way he described. It was like I was given the golden key to knife sharpening. I have never been able to sharpen a knife by hand and get the results that would make me happy. Until now,
Great video! One other thing I found helpful, when I was learning, was using a marker to "paint" the edge, so I had an accurate idea of what part of the bevel I was actually sharpening.
When I lately tried out a guided sharpening system, I realized how easy you get knifes sharp through holding a consistent angle (and a bit of time, of course). Thanks for making those points easily clear in a precise AND very polite manner.
Good to see someone that doesn't use gadgets to sharpen knives. I do think however that people generally concentrate too much on getting "razor edges" when they should really be concentrating on perfecting general knife sharpening. If you know how to sharpen a knife then getting a razor edge is nothing more than spending extra time on it. I also think that putting razor edges on knives is considered more important than it actually is, there usually isn't a need for it, in fact none of my knives have razor edges on them, but mind you they will cut you with just the slightest accidental tap. The only time I put a razor edge on a knife is when someone asks me to sharpen their knife because they don't know how. Then I will do it to show them what can be achieved with just your hands and no gadgets. I consider putting a razor edge on my knives to be a waste of time as the edge will last no longer than an edge I have spent a third of the time on and it will not cut more material before needing a touch up than a regular edge. Also, it depends on what I am going to be cutting with a knife on what sort of an edge I will put on it. On freshly killed game I prefer a rougher edge as it cuts better through rubbery warm meat. On my cheap kitchen knives I don't bother with stones, I run them against a smallish slow running wheel on one of my grinders and touch them up with a steel or porcelain rod when needed, I can get through a dozens knives in about two minutes using a grinder. Do I recommend this? No. You do have to know what you are doing when using a grinder to sharpen knives, a little goes a long way. As for how I tell at what angle to hold a knife against a stone when sharpening, its not even something I think about, I know just by looking at the knife against the stone what is correct for that particular knife. Sharpening knives is an art form and it takes practice to get proficient, there is no other way around it. Yes you can show someone how to best go about it but in the end its practice and lots of it. You can tell someone how to ride a bike but they will never learn unless they ride the bike themselves and fall off a few times. Learn to use a steel or porcelain rod (get full size rods not these gimmicky pocket things) to maintain your knives between sharpens, it saves a lot of time and your knives will also last longer. There is a reason why you always see butchers using them.
@Kyle Noseworthy - Thank you so much. You explained so much with your shadow example and your cross-sectional drawing and not underestimating the stropping. Now I must decide on how to start my sharpening stone collection. Again, excellent video. Thanks a million!
The Naniwa Superstone's are an awesome stone to buy! 400 grit, 1000 grit, and 3000 grit is the PERFECT setup to begin. Later, you could invest in something finer than a 3000 grit. Say, a 5-6000 :-)
Some how, I ended up with my Uncle old Scythe. You can see the Damascus steel on the edge. When it got worn away, he would take it over to the forge, and weld some old file, or whatever steel he had to keep the tool going. I also got his big forge, 3 feet by 5 feet and at least one inch thick cast iron. Now I am keeping an eye out for a suitable anvil. Scythes are supposed to be sharpened about every 15 minutes of use when cutting. They are much faster than a weed wacker. My Uncle used to cut about 10 acres of wheat with the old scythe, but it is so great seeing the different layers on it. Thanks for the info. I used to build some molds, and I have the polish from that field. It works great on a strop. Smiles!
After watching a couple of american youtubers I am so happy I stumbled upon your channel. The moment you introduced yourself in your warm, polite and modest way, just saying that you just want to share your knowledge, you got my thumbs up. After your smart and hands-on advice with the distance of finger under the blade you got one more subscriber. You got social skills and give great explainations - please stay that way! Greetings from Germany :)
Great video. I had to learn a thing or two about sharpening once I picked up some woodworking chisels and hand planes. You don't get good results with those tools unless you bring your edges to a proper bevel! I still use a guide with my chisels and plane irons (because it's easier and the single bevels are just so much wider than your typical knife), but I freehand just a few swipes on the 8000 grit stone to get a secondary micro-bevel and get rid of any remaining burr. I am able to get wood shavings just a few thousandths thick afterward. It's a good feeling. As for knives, I freehand them 100%. I like to take friend's knives to show them what sharp REALLY means, and they love it. I haven't even started stropping to hone yet, because I've been too lazy to put the on-hand materials together. But I will soon have a couple of oiled vegetable leather strops. I plan on using some buffing compound on one (green?), then Tormek polishing paste on the second.
Once you've gotten as close as you can get to the angle of the established edge, from there you can use the sound and the feel of the vibration to tune into the sweet spot of the angle of attack that you want. The other trick is that you need to match the abrasion on both sides, -you can either reverse the motion with the same hand, or, so long as you're establishing the skill anyways, might as well learn the mirror image of the motions with your non dominant hand.
I have watched tons of videos how to sharpen but this Video Really shows you how to sharpen your blade step by step it’s like (Sharpening for Dummies) that would be Me Excellent Tutorial Kyle Noseworthy
Great content. Your videos helped me get started freehand sharpening. I'm probably about a C+ student at this point, so more sharpening videos are appreciated. Would like to hear your thoughts on edge angles, such as your preferred angles and maybe some reasons why. Keep up the great content.
to sharpen existing knives, I always like to just use the original geometry that the knife had on it. could be 15 degrees, could be 25- but you ll be able to tell by just putting it against your stone
This was incredibly helpful, thanks. Using the finger as a guide and continuously checking the angle immediately improved my edges, I was also moving through the grits too quickly. Great video, keep it up.
Thanks Kyle - I'm a beginner sharpener, you highlighted alot of the sharpening stone pitfalls & clarified a several misconceptions. A helpful starting point. Excellent. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Bedtime Stories - Trance Classics on Piano - I have absolutely no idea why I’m watching this at 2:43 AM or how I got here either! This must be UA-cam’s version of a dead end street....
The sound at like 8:17 was perfect. Nice and smooth and consistent the whole length of the blade. Also a good rule of thumb is to double your strokes each grit. So 50 at 400 grit. 100 strokes at 1000 grit. And 200 strokes on the strop. It gets boring but it gives you a good baseline for how much time you really need. Also you need to make sure your stones are flat. You can probably cover stone maintenance in a separate video.
I've been sharpening for a few years, I learned a few things today. Thank you. I never finish on cutting strokes. I'm going to try it tonight. I cut cardboard all day had no idea it had clay in it. I figured something was in it because I get my knife plenty sharp but it last a few weeks and I'm back sharpening again.
Thank you for this brother. Finally someone actually teaches you about my beloved craft. I love and respect the steel. Learn & know the Riddle of steel. Crom will ask you when your standing before him at Valhalla.
I have a pair of fillet knives with buffalo horn handle custom made in the Philippine. The high carbon steel blade from spring leaf suspension recycled from old trucks holds a razor sharp edge like no other. Filleting sea bass and halibut has never been so easy..
Iam in the Philippines right now, 4th time here and every time I always go on purchase sprees of custom blades, mostly karambits. And I've yet to get a blade that was hard to work with, even the cheap ones. Something about them, amazing.
Good video Kyle. Sharpening on a stone does take a lot of practice. I was spoiled. Worked in a knife shop, where we had a one inch vertical sanding machine, and a circular leather wheel on a machine. This too took practice, but was very fast once you got the hang of it. We applied a green medium rouge to the leather wheel, and this really did the trick. Also, watch the steel you buy. Cheap Chinese steel is almost impossible to get an edge, or get it to hold. Enjoyed hearing from another knife sharpener. My hats off to you for doing it the old school way. Takes a lot of patience and skill.
Sound advice young man! I used to sharpen blades for money when I was in high school. (Graduated in 1982) The importance of stropping is so often overlooked. It was the reason that I could make money; because that slightly convex polish held the edge longer during use. Back then, it was just a proper leather belt with no stitching or embellishments, strapped around my foot and pulled tight by my left arm. I haven't tried the leather on wood method yet, but I should. Maybe you'll find interest in trying out the old school method, and offer up some feedback. I liked the way that a "simple" strop could be made to adjust to different thicknesses/shapes by using variations in tension. Keep up the good work, and stay sharp!
Nice video Kyle! You definitely know your sharpening skills! I'm a Canadian chef/lumberjack/carpenter and I love seeing other Canucks flaunt their skills on YT. Only thing you could have mentioned is the steel itself, and how it relates to sharpness and edge-keeping. Basically, harder steel will be more difficult to sharpen, but hold its edge longer, and softer steel will sharpen up quickly, but lose its edge just as readily. Don't listen to the rumours about your accent dude! Your perfectly understandable for a BC native. Ps: I dislike angle holders mounted on the back of the blade while sharpening, because they DESTROY polishing stones!
Good info Kyle. If I had ran across someone like you ten years (or more) ago I would have saved myself from years of hard knocks! I just wanted to add my 1 cent....When finishing a blade I take one more step after stropping with compound by stropping my blades on thick cotton material. This gets rid of that micro-edge that is subject to rolling. I then test my edge and if necessary go through more compound stropping and final cotton stropping until I'm happy ;-)
A tip ive learned, and seams to help find the actual edge and not the burr, is to run the edge of the blade over a piece of wood lightly. I use an okd paint brush handle. If theres a burr, the wood will flatten/break it off, then feel the edge to see if its still sharp
Really informative, thank you... I sharpen both on my stones and belts. I get a better edge on my belts, but I think that may be from a lack of practice with the stones.
Thanks so much for this video! I think I'm finally figuring out that while many people (including yourself!) make sharpening a knife look quick and easy--it's a learned skill that takes a LOT of practice. So, back to it for me, AND I think I'm going to look a lot closer at my stones, because I certainly don't have anything with the fine grain that you do!
He is correct it takes practice and attention to detail. I finally just bought a work-sharp with the sandpaper belts and it has a guide on it! Still use the leather and the stones also. Good vid! "KEEP ON KEEPIN ON"!
Flat stones are great round rod ceramics are excellent for finest edges . maybe try the shadow trick with flashlight it really shows up well .also by slowly and carefully running your thumbnail on each side the blade it will help determine where problem spots occur. Keep it Sharp
One thing I wasn’t quite sure that came across is quality of steel. A Chicago blade is softer metal it won’t hold a edge as long. But it sharpens faster. Harder steel takes longer to sharpen but hold a edge longer. Great video good tips thanks.
Knives can dull when not in use because of oxidation of the steel at the microscopically thin edge. This is also true of razor blades. Keep some oil or silicone on your knife edge and keep razors out of the humid bathroom. Cellulose (wood and paper) contain amorphous silica that is harder than steel, which is why cardboard, paper, and wood (and leather) dull knives.
Thanks dude, wish I could show you a video of my arm hairs popping off my arm with the slightest touch of my knife. You had some solid advice which helped a lot, especially the two way stroke on the low grit stone saved a lot of time and helped me to better maintain the angle. 👍🏻
Just cause your blade can cut arm hair doesn't mean it's razor sharp lol its the whole reason why people do the paper test instead i have plenty of knives that can cut arm hair but they won't get paper cleanly so just cause a knife or razor or blade can shave your arm hair doesn't always mean it's razor sharp
This is the first video of yours I've watched, and I have to say I was absolutely thrilled to see the NFA No Compromise logo being represented. Also enjoyed the video and learned a few things. Keep up the good work Sir. 😎
Gotta say bud. You have probably the best blade care videos on the net. So detailed so easy to follow. Movin to NL in a month, gonna be starting a channel of my own. And your sharpening tips are gonna save me a lot of frustration when im prepping my blades for my outings and videos. Thanks and Cheers!
I absolutely believe that the strop is one of the most underrated sharpening tools, i usually use only a strop for edge upkeep, going to a 5000 grit stone for initial sharpening, this system works near perfect for me and i can achieve a nice mirror edge with some effort.
Good information Kyle, especially about stropping. I could not believe how much sharper my knives were after sharping with a short time on the strop. I use black compound first then go to the green. ray, Oklahoma
Not all stroping compounds are created equal. Sometimes different colors correspond to to different grit levels sometimes they don't. There are stropping pastes that are as fine as .01 micron (maybe finer for all I know). Anyway, the color isn't necessarily the benchmark but knowing how rough or fine of a paste you have is.
Kyle, at age 77, I have been sharpening cutting tools from small pocket knives to machetes, as well as, hatchets to axes & bush hooks beginning to learn at around age six, taught by my grandfather. Many of my friends bring their pocket and skinning knives to me for sharpening. Most want me to "tell" them how to sharpen their knives. As you know, that is impossible to do when each knife or tool is a little different than the other. You can show them, (I tell them to listen to the knife with the fingers of their weak hand. it will talk to you via vibrations). However, the vast majority are not willing to make the investment required to purchase and maintain quality stones, much less dedicate the hours, days, and months of practice required to become proficient. I have reviewed numerous sharpening videos and am proud to tell you, your video is the simplest, most accurate, and most informative I have reviewed. Very few will follow your instructions, much less, dedicate the practice time, but please, keep putting the information out there for the very few who will!
Nice a fellow Canadian!!!!...thank you for the advice ....eh ...question....do you recommend and type of fixture or jig to hold the knife at the various angles ....or just free hand everything??? Thanks davide
Thanks for the info, no other channels go into the detail with regards to what happens to the edge when switching grits. Nothing like taking care of a gorgeous knife.
Great video! I was taught that steeper the edge angle, sharper the knife but the lifespan of that edge is shorter. A more shallow angle makes for a stronger edge that lasts longer but will not be as sharp. I usually sharpen right around 25 degrees as I have found it is sharp enough for what I do and it lasts a good amount of time. I am rough on knives. My straight razor is sharpened at a much steeper angle (8 degrees or so??). Way sharper than my pocket knife, but the edge is really thin and nowhere near as durable.
its just a matter of time... i can achieve a shaving edge (and i am) with a chinese double grit dollar stone and a strop.... depending on the knife i would do a serrated edge instead of a shaving edge cause its just better at heavy duty than a shaving knife... the only advice i give if anyone wants it... is to practice all the time, take half an hour and sharp or re sharp a knife, no matter the knife (i mean its preferred if you use a cheap knife) and get on with it... sooner or later you will master the sharpen technique and the best part it will be your technique... angles are important but not that much, you can achieve a shaving edge with different angles on each side... just go at it... i watched lots of sharpening videos, tips, tricks you name it... but when one doesn't have access to japanese wet stone or a fancy diamond/ceramic stone one's has to work with one's have (a literal dollar chinese sharpening stone). one thing i would say, the strop is the most important thing you will need if you want a shaving edge...and of course a fine compound.
One thing you left out is the hardness of the steel you’re trying to sharpen if it is not hard enough you will get flaking on the edge and you will never get it to keep an edge
Richard Pharo You're absolutely right. Steel too soft will sharpen easy but go dull quick. Steel too hard will be hold an edge longer… But be much harder to sharpen. I find that knives with a medium grade hardness are the best to work with. At least with hunting knives anyway.
Hell....a strop even without compound makes all the difference in the world (although compound doesn't ever hurt). The back side of my belt or the side edge/spine of my knife holster (if it's leather) works for me.
Great info...the one thing you missed...or at least I missed...was angle. What is a preferred angle for various task. I had a cheaper but decent set of kitchen knives sharpened to about 15 degrees as recommended. They would not hold an edge very long. I recently re-profiled them to about 18 degrees and now they hold an edge reasonably well....given their price. A great piece of info you gave is what to expect out of certain steel. Some steels just will not take a great edge nor hold an edge. I'm still working on freehand and getting better. I still have to continually remind myself to back off the pressure....particularly while stropping. It is easy to inadvertently convex an edge...even with a strop. Thanks for sharing your great skills.
Ever sharpen a knife with wet hands? Applying pressure a few fractions of an inch away from the edge of the blade? Yeah, didn't think so.. You'll get anal about dry hands too if you put the work in.
realistic expectations of what you should cut with a knife so true ive sharpened a few knives for friends just for them to lay what there cutting on concrete or steel and dull there edge in a few strokes and say i guess its just a crappy knife but even a cheap knife can be ok if you maintain it and use for intended purpose .
Just cause a knife is cheap doesn't mean shit that explanation "it must be a shit knife" no mate you just don't know how to look after your blade its that simple I have bought top quality knives that were made with shit quality steel and I have bought cheap blades as cheap as $1 and the steel quality has been amazing but even with shit steel I can maintain that sharp edge on the knife I am sorry your friends don't appreciate there blades the way they should my friends treat there knives like tools and leave them around and they wonder why there knives never stay sharp my last knife i sharpened was my 20cm kitchen knife and that was 2 months ago because i look after my blades which i presume you do as well my point is you and i can maintain our sharp edges and yet it baffles us how people can dull a blade so quickly
I've watched a lot of videos on this subject, nevertheless I got in love specifically in mora garberg, I found that scandi grind is very easy to find an angle and learn to sharp freehand on stones. So I just went and bought my first serious knife with scandi blade and I'm more than satisfied from what I learned and how I got good into this.
Kyle Noseworthy, I've always assumed cardboard has something abrasive in it, so if it will dull a knife cutting through it, I reasoned that I could strop on a box... That's my M.O. now- after cutting open a box, I strop on it immediately afterwards. It really seems like I keep a sharper edge longer doing this. Any thoughts? Am I only imagining it stays sharper?
, great video, thank you. you are correct in saying that keeping the ANGLE is of most important. a trick I learned from my grandfather is to use a sharpie and run it down your edge. that way you can actually see if your staying on your edge when sharpening. they also make a angle CLAMP that actually holds your blade and uses guide holes for your stones with a rod that goes through a hole to keep that perfect ANGLE that cannot move so it's absolutely perfect every stroke.
Thank you. Very informative. I'm a beginner, but I've wondered about how long a "Razor Edge" can last. It never made sense to me that it would last very long if it was that sharp, since "Sharp" means "Thin."
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As a retired meat cutter I am very critical of these sharpening videos. Kyle is giving very good information, listen very carefully to what he is teaching. 95% of these Utube sharpening videos are complete trash. It does take time to learn this skill, but, you will use it for the duration and hopefully pass it down.
Thx for commenting. Seriously accurate. I saved this video, and watched more as your comment suggested.
I mean, I'm inclined to disagree with a lot of sharpening tutorials, not because I believe I know better, but rather because I attempt them and struggle to get a razor edge, despite the fact I'm reasonably dexterous and good at following directions.
So I'd have to say, I feel like your criticism would be more helpful if you explained what exactly you take issue with in this tutorial and explained how it could be taught better. Go over what you think the most important aspects of sharpening are, even just in outline form.
@@DaimyoD0 Another excellent knife sharpening video is on the channel "the bearded butchers " by watching these type of professionals you learn how to get sharp edge but more important a DURABLE edge. The quality of your tools is important too. Don't spend 100's of dollars on kitchen knives, here are 2 brands who make excellent kitchen knives at very reasonable prices, Mercer and Victorinox
30 years ago I worked for Edge Craft and helped in the development of the Chefs Choice 2000 Pro sharpener. I built the first prototypes and later the pre-production units that were taken to the trade shows. You cover the sharpening part very well referencing information about the "wire" or "burr" edge that very few people know and even fewer understand. Let me say that if the sharpening process does not create that ever so slight wire edge, ultimate sharpness, that truly "shaving sharp" edge, cannot be accomplished. The full razor edge is accomplished not by getting rid of that wire edge, but refining it.
A wire edge, that grabby little burr that you feel as you wipe your fingertip from the back edge of the blade towards the sharpened edge and off the sharp edge, as you said, which is weak, and fragile. The tip of that burr is actually not aligned for proper, if any, cutting. Under the microscope the burr may be rolled over resembling a fish-hook shape with the sharpest part of it at right angles to where the normal sharp edge of a knife is found. Watchers should be aware that the burr is actually EXTREMELY sharp and if you ran a finger along that burr the length of the knife, you might get aligned with at supersharp part of the burr and cut the dickens out of your finger. The sharpness can be greater that the best surgeon's scalpel and you might know your finger is cut until you see blood.
After you finish with the 400 grit surface, you will usually have at the microscopic level, some degree of burr. Moving to the finer grit side of the stone, first contact to the edge should be should be on the side opposite the the last stroke on the 400 grit stone. And should be a draw stroke rather than a cutting stroke. This will be the first refinement move of the burr. It will un-roll the burr back to the center alignment with the blade's edge. Make several draw stokes and feel if the burr is still detectable . If it is, continue stroking that side a couple more strokes then switch to the other side of the blade. Work back and forth from one side and back checking for sharpness occasionally.
This process has smoothed the edge of the courser scratches and reduced the height of that very sharp burr and aligned it making it the sharp edge of the blade. If you looked at the edge now under a microscope in cross-section you'd see the sides of the blade angling to converge to at the apex of the edge with a small pyramid on the top. The top point of the microscopic pyramid shape will be your very sharp edge.The squat shape of that pyramid is angled to support the sharp edge (top of the pyramid) and makes a stronger edge that will neither bend over or break off under use.
The stropping process refines that edge even more polishing the metal to a mirror finish. This, when correctly and conservatively done will give you the true "shaving edge!" In fact, I coined that phrase for the ads in the early days. The head of the company walked into my lab as I had just finished to examining the sharpness and durability of the edges we were developing, I blurted out, "these aren't razor shark, they'er shaving sharp!" And for a while that appeared in our ads.
Last points, if you really want to protect that edge you worked so hard to create, don't scrape the edge sideways across the cutting board, to move the cut veggies or meat into the pan regardless of what the cutting board is made of . That sideways scrape can easily and quickly rolls the sharp edge. That slight damage may be quickly repaired with just the strop.
Knife steel is constantly being researched for strength, durability, and resistance to corrosion. If knife steel is on the softer side it resharpens quickly to a very sharp edge, but may get dull after only 4 or 5 filet processing, A harder steel may hold an edge longer. Much longer in some cases, but it will take more effort to resharpen. Knife steel that is too hard can be EXTREMELY difficult to impossible. Primary reason is that the refinement needed to that burr to sharpen to a truly shaving edge, tends to break the burr off due to inherent alloy brittleness and the work-hardening of bending that microscopic edge back and forth. Again microscopic examination of that very hard knife's edge may show rather than a smooth polished continuous wall-like edge of steel, it will resemble the blocked toothed top of the wall of King Authur's castle. . .suitable only for cutting bread.
Avoid putting your sharp knives in the dishwasher. That supper-fine edge, even on a stainless alloy steel blade is corroded/etched by the hot water and the chemicals in the detergent.
Avoid ever checking sharpness by running a finger down a blade even with the lightest touch. If you have done your job well, that ultra sharp, now refined, burr is the very edge that can cut you so easily that you don't feel it, or know you are cut, until you see the blood. Many of you may check sharpness by trying to shave arm hair with the blade, which when done carefully is OK, unless yo are sharpening all the knives in the kitchen in one sitting. At Edge Craft, we used squares of cow hide which sill had the hair on it. One didn't actually have to shave the hair off, but show that the blade was sharp enough to actually get a "bite" into the hairs.
Sorry to be so verbose! Be careful!
Do you have any thoughts on the guided knife sharpening systems now available, i.e. KME, Edge Pro, Lansky, Hapstone and a half dozen others.
Amazing information. Thank you.
Thanks a ton!
Thanks for the info. Very helpful to understand the sharpening process.
Why did you make the honing wheel so soft and weak mine stopped working after using it like 40 times I have to strop it know and cant use the third station anymore
This is the first man I’ve seen to actually explain in understandable terms the what and why of making a good edge. This is a great video. His explanation of burrs and a wire edge and how to avoid them is just fabulous.
Right! Definitely agree. I left with a lot of overstanding just on the first watch.
The second point he made is just as important. Most people have no understanding that there is an inversely proportional relationship between how fine an edge you have and the life of that edge. You want a razor sharp edge on your knife, you're going to have to sharpen it fairly regularly and hone it constantly.
@@Rowgue51 Real butchers are the only people to really understand this. They sharpen knives several times a day.
@@feez357 you can't sharpen anything with any stone... you HAVE TO use a steel or strop to hone it... its like polishing your car with sandpaper... this guys a fool
@@Errol.C-nz Who are you saying is a fool? Nobody said not to strop or hone.
Very good explanation! I am 64 and have been sharpening knives since I was 8. I can sharpen ANYTHING, just about, with a rock because of not giving up and keep on keeping on. A shaving edge and a working edge are two different edges. Most people DO NOT need a shaving edge.
Thank you for educating people! 😊
Dear lord you are genius! What you said about the shadow is critically important. I reckon one placed small flashlight on my work surface would probably teach me where Im going so badly wrong. I have watched thousands of sharpening videos and never heard this tip before. Brilliant mate!
Nice video, good information.
I've been sharpening for going on 30 yrs and for me personally, it is more about the "sound" of the stone than the feel.
Another good piece of info for people is to not let the edge become completely dull/rolled.
Even though this may get some negative comments, another thing I have found is that just because a blade has an "established" edge does not mean that is the best angle for that blade even if it is a 1 degree difference.
I would say that the majority of people own mass produced knives which are ground to a certain angle at the factory.
Blades are as individual as the owner, 2 identical blades even from the same batch will respond differently to identical honing methods.
Another thing I have found is that certain blades can become "too sharp" and have such a fine edge that it dulls even faster, so a good lesson is to learn when to stop honing.
Listen to the blade/stone and they will tell you when the blade is finished.
I agree, sound is just as important. Theres a sort of vibration and tone that tells you that you are doing it right.
I 'show' people how to use a steel pretty frequently, and always tell them that im showing them and that im showing them and that they will teach themselves how to do it. You have to listen and feel to the steel to get it right.
🍻😎👍 The song of the steel.
On most of my knives I use my home made 15 inch strop way more than my stones. Stropping after use is to me an efficient way to maintain a razor edge on all my knives. Plus it's way more easy on the blades in the long run. I find it relaxing.
Fuck yeah,strop keeps the wife's lip in check too!
One of your best videos. Well explained without getting too far "down in the weeds" Well Done!!!
One of the best, thorough, most patient explanations of the topic I’ve heard. You’re a natural educator.
That fine burr on the edge is known as an arris edge, in cabinetmaking parlance , a very sharp chisel, knife or razer has it's beginnings with an arris edge. The technique of rolling the arris edge over, where you take a strop or the palm of your hand, moving the edge of the tool side to side until the arris or fine wire edge is broken off. Once the arris has been relieved, go over the edge once again with a very fine stone to bring back a much stronger edge, known as a bolstered edge. This will last 4x longer then the arris edge would. Also during the process of stropping, that fine arris wire is bent back and forth enough times to brake off. Seen under a microscope, a bolstered edge has two distinct angels if done right. Thanks for a great video.
Interesting, I will try this the next time I am sharpening a chisel or plane iron. Thanks for the info!
Check you out,smarty pants!!!
That's where I got confused years ago. Some old timer spoke of bringing(rolling) an edge over...arris as you said. And he sounded as patience to go straight to what you called a bolstered edge.
Heck, I can get arris edge on a putty knife using a 10" bastard file. (parts of my job was scraping Huge SS tanks, parts) ...removed by running along some piece of wood. ~ I learned to back off and my edge did last longer.
~~ Crazy them tank cleaning jobs. Say 1/4 of my time was resharpening, but I could clean tanks thrice as quick as many others. Thanks Jager. My minds eye pictured the burr breaking off and not as sharp even though it would shave my arm.
Are you Potato?
Interesting. I'm going to try that!
Kyle, I just wanted to compliment your outstanding English. It makes for a very clear and listenable presentation.
Good video. I am no expert in this, although I taught myself to free-hand sharpen a few years ago. The point about patience is key. Don't rush any part of this, both the learning how to do it, and the actual process once you've learned. I find and maintain the right angle largely by feel, you can actually feel the point where you are working the edge correctly with a little practice. Just get yourself a couple of stones, and an old kitchen knife you don't care about. Practice on that thing until you get a sense of how it goes. Don't try to learn on a knife you are worried about destroying. You need to know what being "off" feels like both when the angle is too shallow and also when it is too steep. You'll likely put scratches into the face of that old knife, but that is just part of learning. Eventually, if you just do it enough, you can start to feel the difference. Do it in a quiet space with no distractions and just zen out on it.
I love when you do sharpening videos, I’ve been sharpening for a couple years now and even if I’d been doing it for 20 years there’s always room for improvement, I always learn something when I watch these videos. -Kyle
Thanks so much bud!
Kyle Noseworthy you’re welcome brother, it’s always a joy watching your work in action, genuinely.
Agreed. I run a sharpening service, and you really can't learn enough, as there's always tips to get it to the next level! Good job!
@@sharpen-up Thank you!
I've been sharpening knives for 48 years. There's still room for improvement.
Great video -- you are a skilled teacher/explainer and have a natural, relaxed presence in front of the camera. Awesome information too; I feel smarter now than I did 12 minutes ago. :)
Thanks Kyle, you're a good teacher. You explain things well, and you're willing to explain the same thing over and over again.
thanks so much
A good day, knife sharpens easily and quickly. Bad day it gets duller as I think I'm sharpening. As I gain experience there are less bad days.
Great video... thanks
One of the best explanations on sharpening knives.. passion , patience and knowledge leads to sharp edges, exactly what your video teaches . Thanks.
And the best presentation of information, calm, to the point, and clear. No filler.
You really pulled together a lot of the pieces I'm trying to learn about sharpening with your advice in this video. Explaining inconsistencies with the visual lines and the 'sharp' burr left on an unfinished blade makes the concepts clear. I appreciate your content. Thanks from Ontario!
I've been sharpening since i was a kid. I do it for a living now. One thing I've noticed through out the years, and i heard it in this video too. When you've got your angle and you're in the zone, your stone will sing to you. Listen to the steel and the stone together. When you hear it sing, that's when the best edge is produced.
My brother Ralf could sharpen. Never ever got the hang of it. Tried to emulate him. I think it's in the blood natural. Like a musician who is good
Finally some professionnal comment. Thanks. I was thinking about leaving a comment saying draw a picture and dude is actually drawing while i'm writing this.. 🤷🏻♂️ the better sharpener doesn't use his eyes .
Wish I could. I just can't
Can't is not an action. Remove that from your head. You can. Ok so you might have to work on it a little harder than others, but you can do this.
@@danndyandy Yeah. I can get a reasonable edge but not razor
Love the Newfoundland accent. I spent five years in Corner Brook and had started to learn to detect where a person lived in Newfoundland by their accent. 45 years later that "skill" is completely gone. Great instruction on knife sharpening. It really is an art.
I would add the angle of the edge also impacts how long it can retain a "sharp" edge for, example a chef's knife tends to be a steeper angle than something like a bushcraft knife with a Scandinavian grind on it so will be sharper but require more maintenance to keep it that way, but the angles will depend on what you use your knife for. Just an extra thing to take in to consideration when sharpening and maintaining your knife and may help with expectations of the life of the edge you put on.
Great video my friend thank you for sharing your extensive knowledge with us.
I agree however I just received a new USMC Kay-bar and it came with a 20 deg edge. In the suck Kay-bars have a specific purpose but I always considered it to be a bush knife. This knife came with a “ laser grind” edge and is sharp as heck and will take a finger with no hesitation. Working on my sharpening skills to keep it that way but was thrown by the steep angle of the knife edge.
I’m a new subscriber and new to free hand sharpening - thank you for your comment regarding being new and being patient - it’s a good reminder for the noob
Good to see a real sharpening video for a change that has the correct info, you freehand the same way as I do with the pressure and the edge leading finish. The final strop is just a magical moment that transfers all the work into a perfectly refined edge. Many forums have posts against the strop bragging that they can finish on a stone and that's it, do not underestimate the power of good stropping technique.
I run 3 strops (actually I have loads of paddle strops) mainly, Flesh side with green, flesh side clean and grain side clean. The first one will save you getting the stones out and touch up the edge better than you might think and the other 2 are used after the stones flesh then grain. Good job...
......
great advice on the leather strop, more often than not when I sharpen finishing on a leather strop is all it needs to go from a seemingly inconsistent edge to a fantastic mirror polished hair popping edge.
strops don't work on all grinds
@@Enonymouse_ How do you mean, like what?
Finally, a Canadian!
And an east coaster at that. I'm sharpening my own stuff for over 30 years and i can't say enough about the strop !
You hit the nail on the head.
1) Proper stones.
2) Proper angle back and forth.
3) Take your time. It's not a race. Learn to like it. Make yourself comfortable;music, whiskey, cigar,whatever.
4) Strop Strop Strop.
You don't have to spend a lot of money to buy one. You can glue a piece of leather 2 the back of a board. Experiment with different kinds of leather just a small piece 12 in Long 4 inches wide that should do it. A little bit of Carpenter's glue and roll it down tight. If you take your time with that leather you can actually shave depending on the knife. My test is on my left arm. If I can actually shave the hair on my left arm then it's good enough for me. And yes my left arm is practically bald going to have to start shaving the coin purse soon.
You made a great point at the end regarding unrealistic ideas about how long a knife will retain that razor edge. I've sharpened knives to such a fine edge you can whittle a hair but it never lasts very long. I have three faithful edc knives that I rotate so I dont have to resharpen every couple days. They get pretty hard use as part of my job. Good video!
Intuitive way of describing, i have been having problems sharpening, I didn't think to measure shadow as a way to find edge, thank you
I've watched a lot of videos about sharpening knives and this is the first one I've come across that explains the knife angle. Tilting the blade up slowly until the shadow disappears. That part right there made it for me. Before the video was over, I grabbed a knife and a stone and ran the knife over the stone in the way he described. It was like I was given the golden key to knife sharpening. I have never been able to sharpen a knife by hand and get the results that would make me happy. Until now,
Great video! One other thing I found helpful, when I was learning, was using a marker to "paint" the edge, so I had an accurate idea of what part of the bevel I was actually sharpening.
Yep, some people like that little trick!
@@kyle_noseworthy
I think it's the most valuable tip there is, for anyone trying to sharpen a blade,,
The video was well done. And full of simply explained tips, and tools.
Thanks
Great tips, I learned more in 3 minutes than in years of 'sharpening'. Most insightful sharpening videos I've ever seen.
Thank you, this was an unpretentious, informative video. I've watched several videos about sharpening and stones and this was definitely the best one.
Strop/hone regularly after sharpening. Maybe after every half hour of use. Will help keep the edge super sharp
When I lately tried out a guided sharpening system, I realized how easy you get knifes sharp through holding a consistent angle (and a bit of time, of course). Thanks for making those points easily clear in a precise AND very polite manner.
You know your stuff kyle, its very rare for a young bloke, please keep up the good work. Regards jack australia
Good to see someone that doesn't use gadgets to sharpen knives. I do think however that people generally concentrate too much on getting "razor edges" when they should really be concentrating on perfecting general knife sharpening. If you know how to sharpen a knife then getting a razor edge is nothing more than spending extra time on it. I also think that putting razor edges on knives is considered more important than it actually is, there usually isn't a need for it, in fact none of my knives have razor edges on them, but mind you they will cut you with just the slightest accidental tap. The only time I put a razor edge on a knife is when someone asks me to sharpen their knife because they don't know how. Then I will do it to show them what can be achieved with just your hands and no gadgets. I consider putting a razor edge on my knives to be a waste of time as the edge will last no longer than an edge I have spent a third of the time on and it will not cut more material before needing a touch up than a regular edge. Also, it depends on what I am going to be cutting with a knife on what sort of an edge I will put on it. On freshly killed game I prefer a rougher edge as it cuts better through rubbery warm meat. On my cheap kitchen knives I don't bother with stones, I run them against a smallish slow running wheel on one of my grinders and touch them up with a steel or porcelain rod when needed, I can get through a dozens knives in about two minutes using a grinder. Do I recommend this? No. You do have to know what you are doing when using a grinder to sharpen knives, a little goes a long way. As for how I tell at what angle to hold a knife against a stone when sharpening, its not even something I think about, I know just by looking at the knife against the stone what is correct for that particular knife. Sharpening knives is an art form and it takes practice to get proficient, there is no other way around it. Yes you can show someone how to best go about it but in the end its practice and lots of it. You can tell someone how to ride a bike but they will never learn unless they ride the bike themselves and fall off a few times. Learn to use a steel or porcelain rod (get full size rods not these gimmicky pocket things) to maintain your knives between sharpens, it saves a lot of time and your knives will also last longer. There is a reason why you always see butchers using them.
@Kyle Noseworthy - Thank you so much. You explained so much with your shadow example and your cross-sectional drawing and not underestimating the stropping. Now I must decide on how to start my sharpening stone collection. Again, excellent video. Thanks a million!
The Naniwa Superstone's are an awesome stone to buy! 400 grit, 1000 grit, and 3000 grit is the PERFECT setup to begin. Later, you could invest in something finer than a 3000 grit. Say, a 5-6000 :-)
Some how, I ended up with my Uncle old Scythe. You can see the Damascus steel on the edge. When it got worn away, he would take it over to the forge, and weld some old file, or whatever steel he had to keep the tool going.
I also got his big forge, 3 feet by 5 feet and at least one inch thick cast iron. Now I am keeping an eye out for a suitable anvil.
Scythes are supposed to be sharpened about every 15 minutes of use when cutting. They are much faster than a weed wacker.
My Uncle used to cut about 10 acres of wheat with the old scythe, but it is so great seeing the different layers on it.
Thanks for the info. I used to build some molds, and I have the polish from that field. It works great on a strop.
Smiles!
Well...that may of been one of the best videos on blade sharpening ever. Thank you!!!!
Excellent Kyle, thank you very much. I learned two important things: patience through grit increments, and a strop - outstanding. Cheers.
Excellent takeaways. Thanks
After watching a couple of american youtubers I am so happy I stumbled upon your channel. The moment you introduced yourself in your warm, polite and modest way, just saying that you just want to share your knowledge, you got my thumbs up. After your smart and hands-on advice with the distance of finger under the blade you got one more subscriber. You got social skills and give great explainations - please stay that way! Greetings from Germany :)
Love it. Most important statement made "Take some pride in your work".
Great video. I had to learn a thing or two about sharpening once I picked up some woodworking chisels and hand planes. You don't get good results with those tools unless you bring your edges to a proper bevel!
I still use a guide with my chisels and plane irons (because it's easier and the single bevels are just so much wider than your typical knife), but I freehand just a few swipes on the 8000 grit stone to get a secondary micro-bevel and get rid of any remaining burr. I am able to get wood shavings just a few thousandths thick afterward. It's a good feeling. As for knives, I freehand them 100%. I like to take friend's knives to show them what sharp REALLY means, and they love it. I haven't even started stropping to hone yet, because I've been too lazy to put the on-hand materials together. But I will soon have a couple of oiled vegetable leather strops. I plan on using some buffing compound on one (green?), then Tormek polishing paste on the second.
Once you've gotten as close as you can get to the angle of the established edge, from there you can use the sound and the feel of the vibration to tune into the sweet spot of the angle of attack that you want.
The other trick is that you need to match the abrasion on both sides, -you can either reverse the motion with the same hand, or, so long as you're establishing the skill anyways, might as well learn the mirror image of the motions with your non dominant hand.
I have watched tons of videos how to sharpen but this Video Really shows you how to sharpen your blade step by step it’s like (Sharpening for Dummies) that would be Me Excellent Tutorial Kyle Noseworthy
Great content. Your videos helped me get started freehand sharpening. I'm probably about a C+ student at this point, so more sharpening videos are appreciated. Would like to hear your thoughts on edge angles, such as your preferred angles and maybe some reasons why. Keep up the great content.
I agree on the angles. A video on that would be nice.
Great idea. I may get to that. Thanks!
to sharpen existing knives, I always like to just use the original geometry that the knife had on it. could be 15 degrees, could be 25- but you ll be able to tell by just putting it against your stone
This was incredibly helpful, thanks. Using the finger as a guide and continuously checking the angle immediately improved my edges, I was also moving through the grits too quickly. Great video, keep it up.
Great video ...thank you! This was hands down the best video on sharpening I've seen. I'm learning this skill and this was a huge help.....you rock!
Thanks Kyle - I'm a beginner sharpener, you highlighted alot of the sharpening stone pitfalls & clarified a several misconceptions. A helpful starting point. Excellent. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Glad to help!
How the heck did I end up here at 2:00 AM? I don't even have a knife!!
Bedtime Stories - Trance Classics on Piano - I have absolutely no idea why I’m watching this at 2:43 AM or how I got here either! This must be UA-cam’s version of a dead end street....
Hahahaha. I'm here at 3:15 AM and like you, I don't have a knife either
How do you cut your onions then?
And two weeks later at 0:33 AM I found myself here too..that is odd
Bedtime Stories - Trance Classics on Piano get one. 5 bucks from Walmart
The sound at like 8:17 was perfect. Nice and smooth and consistent the whole length of the blade.
Also a good rule of thumb is to double your strokes each grit. So 50 at 400 grit. 100 strokes at 1000 grit. And 200 strokes on the strop. It gets boring but it gives you a good baseline for how much time you really need.
Also you need to make sure your stones are flat. You can probably cover stone maintenance in a separate video.
You are the Bob Ross of knife sharpening, Great job!
Remember to make your edges, happy edges. And that little burr right there, that'll be our secret
I've been sharpening for a few years, I learned a few things today. Thank you. I never finish on cutting strokes. I'm going to try it tonight. I cut cardboard all day had no idea it had clay in it. I figured something was in it because I get my knife plenty sharp but it last a few weeks and I'm back sharpening again.
Have never seen anyone with such an aversion to having wet fingers.
Captain OCD
Sooo good. Bothering me too. Stop touching it then!!! Great video. Dry fingers.
You must get triggered easily. Dry hands are safe/non-slip hands. Plus he is making a video/distracted.
just force of habit.
I can’t unsee
Thank you for this brother. Finally someone actually teaches you about my beloved craft. I love and respect the steel. Learn & know the Riddle of steel. Crom will ask you when your standing before him at Valhalla.
I have a pair of fillet knives with buffalo horn handle custom made in the Philippine. The high carbon steel blade from spring leaf suspension recycled from old trucks holds a razor sharp edge like no other. Filleting sea bass and halibut has never been so easy..
Iam in the Philippines right now, 4th time here and every time I always go on purchase sprees of custom blades, mostly karambits. And I've yet to get a blade that was hard to work with, even the cheap ones. Something about them, amazing.
Good video Kyle. Sharpening on a stone does take a lot of practice. I was spoiled. Worked in a knife shop, where we had a one inch vertical sanding machine, and a circular leather wheel on a machine. This too took practice, but was very fast once you got the hang of it. We applied a green medium rouge to the leather wheel, and this really did the trick. Also, watch the steel you buy. Cheap Chinese steel is almost impossible to get an edge, or get it to hold. Enjoyed hearing from another knife sharpener. My hats off to you for doing it the old school way. Takes a lot of patience and skill.
I always finish with a strop. It's part of the process for me. An edge isn't finished until it's been all stropped up.
What’s a strop??
Sound advice young man!
I used to sharpen blades for money when I was in high school.
(Graduated in 1982)
The importance of stropping is so often overlooked. It was the reason that I could make money; because that slightly convex polish held the edge longer during use.
Back then, it was just a proper leather belt with no stitching or embellishments, strapped around my foot and pulled tight by my left arm.
I haven't tried the leather on wood method yet, but I should.
Maybe you'll find interest in trying out the old school method, and offer up some feedback.
I liked the way that a "simple" strop could be made to adjust to different thicknesses/shapes by using variations in tension.
Keep up the good work, and stay sharp!
Nice video Kyle! You definitely know your sharpening skills! I'm a Canadian chef/lumberjack/carpenter and I love seeing other Canucks flaunt their skills on YT. Only thing you could have mentioned is the steel itself, and how it relates to sharpness and edge-keeping. Basically, harder steel will be more difficult to sharpen, but hold its edge longer, and softer steel will sharpen up quickly, but lose its edge just as readily.
Don't listen to the rumours about your accent dude! Your perfectly understandable for a BC native.
Ps: I dislike angle holders mounted on the back of the blade while sharpening, because they DESTROY polishing stones!
Good info Kyle. If I had ran across someone like you ten years (or more) ago I would have saved myself from years of hard knocks! I just wanted to add my 1 cent....When finishing a blade I take one more step after stropping with compound by stropping my blades on thick cotton material. This gets rid of that micro-edge that is subject to rolling. I then test my edge and if necessary go through more compound stropping and final cotton stropping until I'm happy ;-)
One thing I learned the hard way is you need to be careful mindful and most of all be patient with skills that he shows here
A tip ive learned, and seams to help find the actual edge and not the burr, is to run the edge of the blade over a piece of wood lightly. I use an okd paint brush handle. If theres a burr, the wood will flatten/break it off, then feel the edge to see if its still sharp
Really informative, thank you... I sharpen both on my stones and belts. I get a better edge on my belts, but I think that may be from a lack of practice with the stones.
Thanks so much for this video! I think I'm finally figuring out that while many people (including yourself!) make sharpening a knife look quick and easy--it's a learned skill that takes a LOT of practice. So, back to it for me, AND I think I'm going to look a lot closer at my stones, because I certainly don't have anything with the fine grain that you do!
Love to see a fellow Newf with something to say. Great info.
He is correct it takes practice and attention to detail. I finally just bought a work-sharp with the sandpaper belts and it has a guide on it! Still use the leather and the stones also. Good vid!
"KEEP ON KEEPIN ON"!
Flat stones are great round rod ceramics are excellent for finest edges . maybe try the shadow trick with flashlight it really shows up well .also by slowly and carefully running your thumbnail on each side the blade it will help determine where problem spots occur. Keep it Sharp
I notice the difference between different types of steel when shaping but some just aren't good at holding an edge.
You dont sharpen your knife with a ceramic honing rod, all you do is straighten the edge made using the stone.
Aragon Farseer
Titanium knifes are a gimmick. I got two, used them a couple of times but they were crap. Imho, nothing beats VG10.
Thanks for the thumbnail trick. It helped me on the first knife after this video!
One thing I wasn’t quite sure that came across is quality of steel. A Chicago blade is softer metal it won’t hold a edge as long. But it sharpens faster. Harder steel takes longer to sharpen but hold a edge longer. Great video good tips thanks.
Knives can dull when not in use because of oxidation of the steel at the microscopically thin edge. This is also true of razor blades. Keep some oil or silicone on your knife edge and keep razors out of the humid bathroom. Cellulose (wood and paper) contain amorphous silica that is harder than steel, which is why cardboard, paper, and wood (and leather) dull knives.
Thanks dude, wish I could show you a video of my arm hairs popping off my arm with the slightest touch of my knife. You had some solid advice which helped a lot, especially the two way stroke on the low grit stone saved a lot of time and helped me to better maintain the angle. 👍🏻
Just cause your blade can cut arm hair doesn't mean it's razor sharp lol its the whole reason why people do the paper test instead i have plenty of knives that can cut arm hair but they won't get paper cleanly so just cause a knife or razor or blade can shave your arm hair doesn't always mean it's razor sharp
This is the first video of yours I've watched, and I have to say I was absolutely thrilled to see the NFA No Compromise logo being represented. Also enjoyed the video and learned a few things. Keep up the good work Sir. 😎
Gotta say bud. You have probably the best blade care videos on the net. So detailed so easy to follow. Movin to NL in a month, gonna be starting a channel of my own. And your sharpening tips are gonna save me a lot of frustration when im prepping my blades for my outings and videos. Thanks and Cheers!
NICE comment
Good vocabulary with excellent explanations of techniques.
Brilliant. I bought a 600/1500 Japanese whetstone and wasnt producing the results I wanted
I will return to it with your tips in mind. Thank you!
I absolutely believe that the strop is one of the most underrated sharpening tools, i usually use only a strop for edge upkeep, going to a 5000 grit stone for initial sharpening, this system works near perfect for me and i can achieve a nice mirror edge with some effort.
That tip about the blade shadow is invaluable! Thankyou!
Good information Kyle, especially about stropping. I could not believe how much sharper my knives were after sharping with a short time on the strop. I use black compound first then go to the green. ray, Oklahoma
Millbank Bags USA just a tip go from black to white and you might just forget about the green unless you just like seeing yourself in the edge 😂
Not all stroping compounds are created equal. Sometimes different colors correspond to to different grit levels sometimes they don't. There are stropping pastes that are as fine as .01 micron (maybe finer for all I know). Anyway, the color isn't necessarily the benchmark but knowing how rough or fine of a paste you have is.
@@ssgtdolan Your correct
Kyle, at age 77, I have been sharpening cutting tools from small pocket knives to machetes, as well as, hatchets to axes & bush hooks beginning to learn at around age six, taught by my grandfather. Many of my friends bring their pocket and skinning knives to me for sharpening. Most want me to "tell" them how to sharpen their knives. As you know, that is impossible to do when each knife or tool is a little different than the other. You can show them, (I tell them to listen to the knife with the fingers of their weak hand. it will talk to you via vibrations). However, the vast majority are not willing to make the investment required to purchase and maintain quality stones, much less dedicate the hours, days, and months of practice required to become proficient. I have reviewed numerous sharpening videos and am proud to tell you, your video is the simplest, most accurate, and most informative I have reviewed. Very few will follow your instructions, much less, dedicate the practice time, but please, keep putting the information out there for the very few who will!
NICE comment
Nice a fellow Canadian!!!!...thank you for the advice ....eh ...question....do you recommend and type of fixture or jig to hold the knife at the various angles ....or just free hand everything???
Thanks davide
Thanks for the info, no other channels go into the detail with regards to what happens to the edge when switching grits. Nothing like taking care of a gorgeous knife.
Good information and polite presentation.
Very polite 😎
Great video!
I was taught that steeper the edge angle, sharper the knife but the lifespan of that edge is shorter. A more shallow angle makes for a stronger edge that lasts longer but will not be as sharp. I usually sharpen right around 25 degrees as I have found it is sharp enough for what I do and it lasts a good amount of time. I am rough on knives. My straight razor is sharpened at a much steeper angle (8 degrees or so??). Way sharper than my pocket knife, but the edge is really thin and nowhere near as durable.
its just a matter of time... i can achieve a shaving edge (and i am) with a chinese double grit dollar stone and a strop....
depending on the knife i would do a serrated edge instead of a shaving edge cause its just better at heavy duty than a shaving knife...
the only advice i give if anyone wants it... is to practice all the time, take half an hour and sharp or re sharp a knife, no matter the knife (i mean its preferred if you use a cheap knife) and get on with it... sooner or later you will master the sharpen technique and the best part it will be your technique...
angles are important but not that much, you can achieve a shaving edge with different angles on each side...
just go at it... i watched lots of sharpening videos, tips, tricks you name it... but when one doesn't have access to japanese wet stone or a fancy diamond/ceramic stone one's has to work with one's have (a literal dollar chinese sharpening stone).
one thing i would say, the strop is the most important thing you will need if you want a shaving edge...and of course a fine compound.
You’re so helpful and patient, thanks Kyle for your knowledge.
One thing you left out is the hardness of the steel you’re trying to sharpen if it is not hard enough you will get flaking on the edge and you will never get it to keep an edge
Richard Pharo
You're absolutely right. Steel too soft will sharpen easy but go dull quick. Steel too hard will be hold an edge longer… But be much harder to sharpen. I find that knives with a medium grade hardness are the best to work with. At least with hunting knives anyway.
AKA stainless steel, as well.
I like to mark my blade with a sharpie marker to indicate my progress as well. Great video. You explain it well.
Hell....a strop even without compound makes all the difference in the world (although compound doesn't ever hurt). The back side of my belt or the side edge/spine of my knife holster (if it's leather) works for me.
Great info...the one thing you missed...or at least I missed...was angle. What is a preferred angle for various task. I had a cheaper but decent set of kitchen knives sharpened to about 15 degrees as recommended. They would not hold an edge very long. I recently re-profiled them to about 18 degrees and now they hold an edge reasonably well....given their price. A great piece of info you gave is what to expect out of certain steel. Some steels just will not take a great edge nor hold an edge. I'm still working on freehand and getting better. I still have to continually remind myself to back off the pressure....particularly while stropping. It is easy to inadvertently convex an edge...even with a strop. Thanks for sharing your great skills.
I couldn't help but HONE in on the fact that he wiped his hands 9000000 times. He's like a cat, he hates getting his hands wet😂😂😂😂😂
Can't unsee now -_-
Man. I usually preview comments prior to watching video to see if worth watch or not. This comment ruined video. Make me focus on this tick.
A knife is less likely to slip in a dry hand. And those look like sharp knives.
And you couldn't help mentioning it.
Ever sharpen a knife with wet hands? Applying pressure a few fractions of an inch away from the edge of the blade? Yeah, didn't think so.. You'll get anal about dry hands too if you put the work in.
Very good video. Glad to see youngsters with skill.
(I've made knives since 1985)
realistic expectations of what you should cut with a knife so true ive sharpened a few knives for friends just for them to lay what there cutting on concrete or steel and dull there edge in a few strokes and say i guess its just a crappy knife but even a cheap knife can be ok if you maintain it and use for intended purpose .
haha yes, it's important to be realistic!
Just cause a knife is cheap doesn't mean shit that explanation "it must be a shit knife" no mate you just don't know how to look after your blade its that simple I have bought top quality knives that were made with shit quality steel and I have bought cheap blades as cheap as $1 and the steel quality has been amazing but even with shit steel I can maintain that sharp edge on the knife I am sorry your friends don't appreciate there blades the way they should my friends treat there knives like tools and leave them around and they wonder why there knives never stay sharp my last knife i sharpened was my 20cm kitchen knife and that was 2 months ago because i look after my blades which i presume you do as well my point is you and i can maintain our sharp edges and yet it baffles us how people can dull a blade so quickly
That's what utility knives are for; buy 50 or 100 packs of blades, use and abuse them as the job requires, Chuck them and replace them as needed.
I've watched a lot of videos on this subject, nevertheless I got in love specifically in mora garberg, I found that scandi grind is very easy to find an angle and learn to sharp freehand on stones. So I just went and bought my first serious knife with scandi blade and I'm more than satisfied from what I learned and how I got good into this.
Kyle Noseworthy, I've always assumed cardboard has something abrasive in it, so if it will dull a knife cutting through it, I reasoned that I could strop on a box... That's my M.O. now- after cutting open a box, I strop on it immediately afterwards. It really seems like I keep a sharper edge longer doing this. Any thoughts? Am I only imagining it stays sharper?
Best video hitting all essential points. I realize now how the burr misleads you into thinking you have yourself a fine, durable edge
Mate, as someone from Belfast, I find your Newfie accent absolutely fascinating
They speak irish there
@@toomuch9762 Where?
The Saint in Newfoundland. Though not as much today as they did in the past
, great video, thank you.
you are correct in saying that keeping the ANGLE is of most important.
a trick I learned from my grandfather is to use a sharpie and run it down your edge.
that way you can actually see if your staying on your edge when sharpening.
they also make a angle CLAMP that actually holds your blade and uses guide holes for your stones with a rod that goes through a hole to keep that perfect ANGLE that cannot move so it's absolutely perfect every stroke.
I stick a piece of leather to an orbital sanding pad, add some fine compound and strop away to get an awesome edge every time 👍
Are you concerned about building up enough heat at the edge to affect temper?
Thank you. Very informative. I'm a beginner, but I've wondered about how long a "Razor Edge" can last. It never made sense to me that it would last very long if it was that sharp, since "Sharp" means "Thin."
You'd make a great tutor. Excellent explanation and useful tips