Im a woodbutcher, usin only hand tools like i was born a century ago 😂 sharpen whatever way you want to, whatever way you feel comfy. Push, pull, doesnt matter so long as you create the edge ya want 😁 do not listen to anyone who tells ya "x, is the best way to do it"...... Maybe x is the best way for them, but sharpening is a very personal thing. If you use a chisel or plane iron, the larger bevel will make the scratch pattern much more visible. My tools are honed up to about 6k grit, and the bevels are like mirorrs reminding me how my hairline is retreating seemingly by the day 😂 if i showed that 6k bevel to a 1k grit stone id only need a single swipe to see it was a lower grit. To my eyes, 1k i would consider a fine scratch pattern, but visible....... Around 3k i would call it a misted finish....... Around 6k the polish starts to come in and become reflective. It slso depends on the tools use....... Slicing wood shavings i want a pristine surface left behind so i dont have to use sandpaper (yock 😂), if im cutting rope or a tomato, then i want a slight tooth to the edge so it bites. Stones. Not everyone is familiar with the old word "whet", so in future it might be better to call it either a water stone or oilstone. Generally, oilstones are very hard and do not break down readily, and they can become clogged up with swarf. Water stones, generally, break down faster, the grit breaks off and mixes with the water creating a slurry atop the stone, and thats what does the cuttin. Water stones are usually softer than oilstones. Think of an oilstone as similar to sandpaper, it has tiny hills and valleys, the hills are what cuts the steel. The valleeys get clogged and thats when the stone needs to be dressed. Think of a water stone like a block of grinding paste, mixed with water it basicslly becomes a grinding paste on the stone. This stone hollows quite quickly, so dressing it keeps it flat. An oilstone could last two or three generations, butnit also takes an age to sharpen stuff with it, it works relatively slow. A water stone might last a decade or two depending how much its used, but it sharpens quite quickly. Water stones, oilstones, diamond plates, lapping films, hanging out the door of a movin car and creating the edge against the road 😂 doesnt matter how ya do it, so long as ya get it done 😁 Normally id proof resd my comments, but its late and this is long, hopefully my ramblins can be read 😂🤷
Thanks brother. I really appreciate you taking the time to comment. I learn a lot from the comments... Interesting to hear what you do for chisels. Water stones do seem to take more looking after...I may try some diamond plates next.
@@MB_EDC Water stones can be finicky, depending how ya want to use it and how the stone can be stored, they can also be quite delicate. For me, I want the stone ready at all times, splash and go ya could call this type of stone...... I dony want to think ahead and soak the stone 10mins prior to when I reckon il want it. But, some stones can be kept in water, it lives there only comin out when ya need it. I moved away from water stones, the messy slurry kinda annoyed me, and there was a harsh frost one night and the water left in the stone expanded and broke my stone........ Kinda my fault for not letting it dry, but I was workin at 4am that night (insomnia), by morn it was broken. An accumulation of things brought me away from water stones. Oilstones I consider to be too slow for me, for regular maintenance sharpening I want to give the chisel or plane iron a few swipes and be done. Now I use diamond plates up to about 1k, and beyond that I use lapping films (fancy sticky back sandpaper, stuck to float glass or a cheap granite surface plate). Diamond plates can be quite expensive, I got a "seconds" on eBay a while ago, it had been dropped and the short edge was dented, raising some material on the surface...... Useless for stoning a surface, but grand enough for me to sharpen with. It was a Trend double sided stone, got it for about 50yoyo (shipped from England to Ireland). Lapping films over time, work out to be relatively expensive too compared to stones....... Each sheet costs about a fiver, for each grit, and ya might get 4 strips out of each sheet. If ya sharpen a lot youl spend more over time, but for someone who doesn't sharpen a lot they'll last a decent amount of time for a very low cost to get started. Dony waste your money on diamond for anything above 1k-ish...... The diamond doesn't really polish the edge,looked at under magnification it'll still show a significant scratch pattern compared to a stone of equivalent grit (diamond measured in microns instead of grit), a 6k stone will always cut finer than a 6k diamond plate...... In my experience at least, I'm no sharpening guru 😂 Feel. An oilstone feels hard, and sometimes it feels like it's not doin anything. A water stone gives more feedback, ya can feel it cuttin. A diamond plate can sometimes feel "grabby", like ya can't move smoothly over it, it can be kinda annoyin. Best lube I've found for a diamond plate is window cleaner, absolutely FLOOD the plate with it. If it gets clogged up over time, use a rubber to clean it (ya might call a rubber an "eraser", for a pencil) .
Wow! Thanks for all of the tips... I might end up getting a couple of fishings stones. There are a coupler of cheap ones recommended by @OUTDOORS55. He seems to know what he's doing
The art of knife sharpening is all about the angle of the knife edge and to make it more awkward different knives have different angles on their edge, I understand that most kitchen and pen knives have an edge of between 17 and 20 degrees, I have a useful tool i bought off Amazon that sticks magnetically to the knifes blade and you can set the exact angle and see it by the built in bubble level, for years I couldnt get a good edge on my knife using a stone until I realised I was trying to sharpen it at the wrong angle. ps I always push the blade ;)
This came just at the right time for the stabbing culture in the UK there’s so many complaining about blunt knives being used, another thing when I was a joiner for 40 years I was told to soak the stone in oil not water that’s probably why you got the mould
I used to use a waterstone just like this in the past, I got quite handy with it. I will say that I did indeed sharpen using the "pull" method only, flipping the blade over and pulling it in the opposite direction at the end of each pass. I have heard some people say that you have to do one or the other but honestly, I think it is more about getting a feel for the exact right angle, how to hold that angle and applying just the right amount of pressure. An old leather belt or similar to strop the blade at the very end of the process will help a ton also.
@@tombfoot I keep trying different ways to sharpen. Keeping a consistent angle is key I think, whichever way you like to do that... I do usually strop after sharpening. I'm trying out Smurf poo at the moment.
@tombfoot I am definitely improving and I get fewer comments about technique! You might not think looking through the comments for this video, but you should see some off my earlier sharpening videos🤣
Theres a kitchen "trick" where you keep a large bowl of water with a small amount of chlorine in it nearby to wipe off surfaces like counter tops and cutting boards between tasks to keep it clean and combat cross contamination. Aim for a bucket or large bowl and something like 1 tablespoon of chlorine per 5 liters of water or so. Its enough to disinfect alot of things, but still much less concentrated than a public swimming pool keeping things food safe. I dont know if your stone holder needs to be food safe, but it could work pretty well for keeping mold off it? I have done this to my waterstones that tend to sit in water for long periods of time to prevent anything from growing in there at least. Also cheap stones are notorious for the things you mention here. It kinda comes with the territory, if you buy something that is not from a well known manufacturer and it costs significantly less than the "real deal", its almost guaranteed to have errors in grits, be marked wrong or not at all, not tell you what its made from, have severe grit contamination etc etc. Which is fine imo, as long as you know what you get into. I have a bunch of similar stones (no LIDL in my country though) that I use well knowing what they are like, for stuff like scythes, axes, coarse branch trimmers etc. I dont use them on my pocket knives though, and I certainly would not use them on my kitchen knives that I take great pride in keeping in pristine condition. But one could, and it would work. Also, I wouldnt worry too much about comments like you are pushing when you should be pulling, or you are going edge leading when you should be going edge trailing etc. As long as you keep a consistent angle and pressure, thats 90% of it and everything else is just perfecting it. I would suggest you actually check the edge with your fingers a bit more though, since the easiest way to get a really sharp edge is to work one side until you raise a burr on the oposite side, flip it over and try to take off as much metal as you did the other side, and then do some very light alternating strokes until you no longer feel the burr on either side. What can easily happen when you test with paper between passes like this is you raise a wire burr that cant stand up to the paper and it makes you think the edge is in a completely different state than it really is. Checking with fingers is underestimated because human hands can detect 1-2 micron particles which we cant even see. And as long as you dont do any sudden movements, put pressure on or run your fingers parallell to the burr, then your brain will stop you long before you hurt yourself. Sorry for the long comment
Oh and I forgot to say, you said you are a beginner so sorry if this was unsolicited advice, but you seem to do a really good job. And yeah, it would make sense if those grits are marked wrong because the white side sounds alot less "sandy" and finer. Anyway, good job!
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment. I learn so much from the comments. I do struggle to raise a burr - or at least feel it. But I will persevere...
I,ve been using whetstones to sharpen chisels,planes etc and i,ve used ,usually 20/50 motor oil.my dad did the same from about 1930,and finally you push to sharpen and then use the palm of your hand to strop for final sharpness
I have a couple of similar Parkside stones in the same blocks, plus a leather strop on a wooden block. I attached all three to a piece of plywood with a wooden block screwed to the bottom. This then sits in my vise and hangs up when not in use. The two stones live in a plastic container filled with water, so they're always ready for use. Not had any mold issues as I wipe the blocks with a paper towel after use & the must air dry when the 'station' is hung up.
Learning to sharpen wood chisels as an apprentice some 45 years ago, the technique handed down for sharpening chisels and plane blades was to have the cutting edge away from you on the stone and push and pull. I sharpen all my knives the same way. We also used the palm of our hands to strop the edge once sharpened. If you dont have hands like leather use a leather strop to get that final finish.
I put basic 3in1 oil on mine, not water. It doesn't appear to soak into the bamboo either. Though the shaving to tend to create a thick paste which needs clearing off both blade and stone surfaces often. It also doesn't dry out so can carry on using it for a while. Just flip the block twice if you want more oil on the surface. Downside.. have to keep it stored upright at all times.
you need to leave the stone soaking in water until it stops bubbling and then use it out of the wooden box but on the neoprene base, pushing and pulling doesn't really matter, the important thing is the angle you hold it being consistent and many stones are labelled that way, easy to tell which side is which by running a finger over it
The stone soak roughly 100 grams of water and drying lasts approx.3 days. I have weight on every stone and store them after sharpening only, when the weight goes down again. Temperature of the stone is quick indikator too - cold= wet
water stones work in a different way to oil stones. with a waterstone the surface breaks down and its actually the slurry that does the work. they tend to be much softer than oil stones because of this. the object being sharpened should be moved across the stone away from the cutting edge, otherwise it can dig into the stone damaging it and the edge being sharpened.
I have the same stone, the green side is definitely coarser. The green cuts faster and there's more drag or 'bite' on the green side. I use the green for quickly removing a lot of material on very blunt knives, for sharpish knives I go straight to the white side. I then go to a finer diamond stone (it's actually an old budget diamond stone where the diamond grit quickly wore away giving a very fine grind), or for pretty sharp knives I go straight to this diamond stone. Finally I hone on a leather strop with polishing compound, and I then rehone regularly. It does take time to develop a good consistent sharpening technique, especially learning the muscle memory to maintain the right sharpening angle. While I was learning, progressing through finer grits and then strop honing didn't seem very effective, but with enough practice it results in incredibly sharp edges, and sharper is actually safer because it requires much less force to cut. Feeling the burr along the entire blade is the key, until you've raised a burr you will never get a truly sharp edge. I always pull the blade to help form the burr. You must pull when strop honing to avoid cutting into the leather. Stropped blades also hold their edge for much longer because with unstropped blades there's still a micro burr that will quickly break off leaving a rougher edge. I also have some incredibly fine japanese stones, I occasionally lightly sharpen with these after stropping if I want a super sharp blade, usually if I'm cutting tough seasoned wood.
Wow - Thanks for sharing details of your technique. I still struggle to make or feel the burr - but I am still practising. I wanted to show that even beginners can sharpen knives to encourage people to have a go.
@@MB_EDC If you're not getting a burr you might be switching to finer grades too soon. When blades become blunt the edge becomes rounded. To effectively sharpen you need to remove enough metal to create two converging flat planes, the burr forms when these two planes have converged plus a little more, which is why the burr can be felt on the opposite side to the side most recently abraded, it's been pushed slightly over by that plane. If you don't reach the point where a burr has formed before changing to finer grits some of the rounded edge may still remain, so you will end up polishing the bevels without refining the actual edge. It will feel sharper, but you won't get the really sharp edges that just seem to glide through the material that they are cutting. Being aggressive with course grits feels rather daunting, because there's the fear that you'll grind your favourite knife away to nothing. To learn how to raise a burr try sharpening an unwanted old low quality knife, without the fear of ruining a good blade you'll be far less tentative and probably make much better progress. You'll probably also make mistakes, and that's when you'll really start learning. I've just started using and sharpening hook knives, so that's a humbling reminder to me that I still have a lot to learn. They feel difficult to use... is this because they ARE more difficult to use, or am I using them incorrectly, or have I just failed to get a decent edge yet. Only time and more experience will tell, I think the secret is to enjoy the iearning journey! 👍
I bought one of these stones but haven't used it yet. Thanks for the information about mould forming. I'll spray the inside of the wood block using the bottle of the mould remover we have.
Der „Holzblock“ ist aus Bambus; bis das rottet… Gegen den Schimmel hilft Essigessenz (25% Säure). Nach meinem 1. Versuch mit diesen Steinen, mit denen auch die oberste Schicht mit schwacher Bindung abgetragen wurde, habe ich sie 2 Tage durchtrocknen lassen bevor sie wieder in den Karton kamen. Und zum Schleifen kamen die Steine mit ihrer Silikonunterlage direkt auf die Arbeitsplatte ohne Holz-/Bambusblock.
I'm an experienced but still distinctly average sharpener so take these comments for what you will. When I saw these stones in Lidl I considered buying one just to see what it was like but I've got too many already. For the price they must be from one of the many budget Chinese manufacturers, no one else could turn them out for the price. Wooden boxes for water stones are only useful for storing the stones when they're dry, otherwise they're just their to look nice, add perceived value, and imitate oilstones. Use a proper one with rubber clamps held by together by metal rods or a silicone mat and always let your water stones dry thoroughly before putting them away. Budget stones are fine when you're starting out, you'll make mistakes and you won't wreck a quality Japanese model that costs many times more. You can graduate onto stnes made in Vietnam by one of the name brands or an actual Japanese one later. Learn your limits. I realised that I was never going to be good enough to warrant paying top of the line prices so stick with mid price Kings and similar. I simply don't have the hand control. On technique dont push into a cheap or otherwise soft stone unless you get good enough to hold a perfect angle, you'll blunt the blade or worse, score the stone which means having to reflatten it. Use all the surface of the stone, this delays though doesn't prevent hollowing and again needing to reflatten it. A good magnifying glass or pocket microscope is useful. Inspect your edges to check for imperfections and whether your bevel are even, it will help you correct mistakes you don't even realise you're making. Finally, practice, a lot. Use cheap knives that don't matter like low end trades knives from Morakniv or similar. Work on carbon and stainless steels as they respond differently.
Thanks. Great tips. I do have a couple of practice knives. This seems to sharpen OK, but is a pain to use ( soaking, etc.). I may look for some diamond stones.
@@MB_EDC I have Japanese water stones from 120 to 8000 though I usually start at 400 or 809 so I usually soak a few at once and sharpen several knives and tool blades in one session. A small diamond stone or a ceramic rod hone is enough to touch them up. Even a well used knife can go months between needing a full sharpen if the edge is looked after.
I agree, they got it the wrong way around, I push and pull on mine pretty fast and generally press down pretty hard. I don't get me knives to shaving level sharp, but they certainly cut the fruit and veg better. I suspect a leather strop is required to remove the burr. I also noticed Lidl had a lower grit version too.
When I use my stone on the bamboo support, I always wash the support, and dry it. So, never mushrooms on it. If you want to avoid it, just paint the side where water stays. but dryit always.
Good video. I always find it easier and better to sharpen in the opposite direction. That way any burr you create is on the blade's cutting edge which can easily be cleaned up with a few strokes on a leather strop, leaving an almost razor sharp blade. Re the hollowing or dishing out of the stone, you can get conditioning stones which will restore the flatness of the stone. It's well worth having one on hand.
Thanks for the tips. I will try sharpening both ways.. I have always sharpened pushing the blade edge first and pulled when stropping. I am learning and happy to try different techniques...
I'm glad this video popped up in my feed,i have the same stone and cleaned the bamboo block earlier due to mould like you've shown, thankyou very much 👍
Think about it this way, if you are using the push method, you should be pushing the blade away from you. And vice-versa, if you are using the pull method, then you are pulling the blade to you.
I agree with whoever said "no cause of the music " . However , I once watched a video on sharpening and the guy said when you're sharpening you want abrasive as opposed to lubrication. Since then I cleaned all the oil off my stone and swapped to water and it works fine for me. ps, I've never been a fan of bamboo, so I just made a small box out of oak offcuts, and varnished it.
I went through a phase of having music on my videos... didn't work on this one..... Yep... You need to be sure if your stone is a water or oil stone....
Yes, absolutely essential that you allow the stone to dry completely before putting aside. The same is true for diamond stones, as they will corrode if stored damp. I bought the other Parkside stone. I think it is supposed to be 600 and 1000. I'd say it is also incorrectly labelled too. Not always a bad idea to show beginners just how long it takes to put an edge on a blade in real-time. Most people expect that a couple of licks across the stone is all it takes, and just give up on the idea of using stones, opting instead for one of those overpriced gadgets.
Just to add a little clarity, any stone which is used for sharpening is called a WHETSTONE. The term whet is old English for sharpen. You don't necessarily have to use water on a Whetstone, you could use oil or nothing at all depending on the type of stone it is.
@@MB_EDC as you should, using it dry it will wear out quickly, one tip is put a little liquid soap on it after soaking, it helps it keep clean, less clogging and also helps lubricate, and as the original commentis wrong, dry sharpening stones are very different to oil and water stones and using oil on a water stone is a bad idea and will ruin it as is water on oil stones
Great video! I personally push and pull. When I have a burr on a part of the knife I apply a little pressure sharpening that specific area with my fingers.
@@MB_EDC it's not criticism, per se, it's constructive criticism from the hive mind. It's easy to hide behind a screen name and bang away on ones keyboard, but it takes courage, strength, time and effort to create a video and share it with the world. Keep up the good work!!!
@generaldisarray thanks brother. I am pretty thick skinned and try to take the constructive criticism on board, try out the tips and ignore the trolls....
Shirley you should use a curved action so that all the blade gets in contact with the stone. Often the blade is longer than the stone's width. Always finish on a piece of leather for a perfectly honed edge. .
I think the wood is only used as the keeper for the stone, if you just use the rubber grip the stone doesn't move on your work surface when sharpening, and doesn't get the wood wet.
0:51 This happens with all this utensils made of engineered wood out of bamboo. I had the same exact experience with a food container lid made of bamboo. Of course there is no warning anywhere in the instructions for this. Also, just because it make look dry, it is not so necessarily. Always let the bamboo wood utensil out to dry in a well aerated place for at least 24 hours ensuring nothing is covering it so it can dry out uniformly. Turn it over after 12 hours to ensure all sides dry out evenly. Note that it has this property of retaining moisture well within it so, depending on its size and relative ambient humidity and temperature, 24 hours might not be enough. Also keep in mind you might need to take precautions against it warping while drying. Depending on how you do that, this might prolong the necessary drying time.
Seal all new bamboo products first with a small quantity of food grade oil (and other new wooden items that will be used in water or washed up after use).
There are many types of whetstones, including water stones, oil stones, Arkansas stones, diamond stones, and ceramic stones. You can test whether a stone is oil or water based by placing a few drops of water on it. If the water beads up and doesn't soak in, it's likely an oil stone. If the water is absorbed, it's likely a water stone.
@@MB_EDC Hi guys, I have boroughed this from the internet too, I thought similarly, it made clear sense, so I've copied and paste the answer. Glad it helped though. All the best!👍
You probably know this. Most of these cheaper stones and kits are mass produced in china. They leave them unmarked so the retailer can put their name on. The Japanese waterstones are seriously good, the difference in quality is incredible. The problem with these is the price ! Interesting video, goot sharpening tips 👍
@@Countryboy071 Thanks. This does sharpen OK, but a pain as it’s a water stone. It was a gift from my son so I have been keen to try it out. I am thinking of getting some diamond stones.
Nice vid, ta. And my stone (not Parkside) also instructs to soak stone in water for 10 minutes. I wish the 'expert' commenters would contact Parkside to tell them they are idiots rather than whining about this vid. Subscribed. Keep it going, I'll learn along with you :)
This is a water stone so needs water. Its very cheap so dont expect the grits to be accurate. It will wear very quick so needs a flattening stone to flatten it. Will it work? Yes of course it will just as the bottom of a cup will work. Stropping afterwards will of course help. Would i get one? Only to have a play then give it away lol
Hey Mark 👊🏼 That mould may help with the new 'MPox' outbreak!? 😉 I first went to Lidl 25 years ago in Edgware, and you only ever saw Eastern Europeans shopping there. I was with a good Polish woman who introduced me to Lidl. The tool section is always of interest to me. Some are very good value and worth purchasing... Thanks for sharing, ATB Gus 👍🏻
I reckon if uding on a bench the rubber holder should be used without bamboo box but if used in hand or on lap then the box will help!? ...this is just my opinion! 👍
I don't think you're intended to use the box as a holder when sharpening. That is what the rubber piece is for. It is intended to prevent wobbling and prevent the stone slipping on the work surface. I'm sorry to say this, but I don't think anybody with any practical sense would put a wet object in a wooden box and not expect it to go mouldy.
@@MB_EDC you had soaked the stone in water and it absorbed it like a sponge. It is virtually impossible to dry it in a short time. Like other people have commented, I'd ditch the wet stone and buy some diamond plates if I were you. A lot more expensive but far superior.
My finishing stone, a rough hewn Turkey stone, has been in a wooden box screwed to my bench for over 50 years, there is no sign of mould! On the other hand, as it is an oil stone, it has never seen water!
I agree about the grit size being the wrong way round, I've got one of these. I would say that it could be confusing when you say you're using the push method then pull the blade towards you, but thanks for the video anyway, I've subscribed!
Yes, it's one of those situations where one cannot find an unambiguous description! Never fear, we know what you meant, just being mischievously pedantic, keep up the good work sir!
I have a couple of wetstones I use, as the water is just to allow the metal to wash away, I use thinners and it works just as well with miniscule lubricating properties.
The cheapie one I got from Amazon looks pretty much identical. Same flexible intermediate moulding and a similar price too. No text on the bamboo part though. It probably came from the same place in China. Mine has the green half labelled as "1000". Some manufacturers are very lax about labelling.
For Victorinox knives, I personally have always used their small orange stone, and it is easy to use and gets the edge really sharp with little effort ,and they are inexpensive, too! For the amount of time you have taken on this knife I feel this stone isn't that great ? Then again it's come from lidl?
the coarser the stone the faster and the orange one from Victorinox is very coarse. A 1000/6000 grid combination gets your edge to a near mirror polish but it will take a long time to sharpen a realy dull knife on it.
I tend to use my Victorinox dual knife sharpener for most knives (only the ceramic stone end these days) I have a couple videos on it. Not seen the orange stone. I will check it out.
@MB_EDC The duel sharpener is good, too, especially on Vic scissors. Both victorinox sharpeners are easy to use, and I guess that was their intention. I don't like wet stones for such fine pocket knives!
@Mike-kc8rl I think for expensive knives a better sharpening system may be required, one that maintains the angle consistently without scratching the blade...
Mine went moldy too. Thanks for the heads up on that. I think the "6000" grit is 600, it's certainly the coarser of the two. Green side also seems quite soft. Any thoughts on the angle guide that comes with it? I think the angle would depend on the depth of the blade. The only blade I've tried so far (Lidl's own Mora knock off) was too small for the guide.
Thanks for this! I've tried them out recently and packed them back in the boxes. Just looked and both were moldy. Surface thing, so thanks to you got it in time. Grit wise you might be right as well. 400/800 stone feels just like that and 1000/6000 feels more like 600(green) and 1000 (white)...Come to think of it, that 6000 number caught my eye in the store which led me to buy both stones at the end but nevertheless they do seem to be good stones and 400/600/800/1000 is probably more than I'll ever need.
@@MB_EDC Fairly, rubber part alone is enough to keep everything functional but wooden block was a nice addition to the set and would be shame to lose it over something like this.
Interesting, thanks for sharing. I've bought two - one 1000/6000 as yours, the other one is 400/800 with red/white colour combo. I'd do macro lens comparison to figure out grit - do a number of strokes on one side with white, flip, do the same number of strokes with the other side. Take macro shots and compare scratches on the sides... I'm not very good at sharpening so if I did it, I'd doubt my consistency, but I'll try - at least I'll get a bit more much needed practice :)
@@MB_EDC All right, thanks for the effort. I practiced a bit with the stones, and I think you're right, I have the same impression about the mixed up grit labels - you can definitely feel the green side being coarser than the white one under fingers, when the stones are dry. Cheers!
Nice video MB. Maybe I am getting confused. I know you said you believe the grits labels are mixed up. You said the white feels like a finer stone, correct? I would say the labels seem to be correct then.
1:28 Even if you bleach it and scrub it, you can still smell the mould. It is still there. I resorted to locally wetting mine with some rubbing alcohol and setting it alight. That can take care of the most of the smell but can also result in it catching fire or setting the house on fire if not careful. I didn't have a steam cleaner to try. That might be another option.
@@MB_EDC Since this will never come into contact with food, I guess it doesn't matter much if it smells a bit, as long as it doesn't grow back! Be careful with citrus based cleaners. If they are too strong and contain limonene be aware that limonene can dissolve plastics as well as fats. This might weaken the adhesive that holds the bamboo sheets together since engineered woods always use some kind of resin/glue to stay in one piece.
@@Stelios.Posantzis Mould has come back.... will have to disinfect with a pine disinfectant.... My just check the base away and use it just on the rubber gasket...
@@MB_EDC you can also try to scorch it lightly but it has to be very lightly. Then you can lightly sand it if you don't like the scorch marks. It should still be salvageable.
A trick I came across: fasten a bulldog clip to the spine of your blade to establish the sharpening angle. My stone came with a stout plastic clip for that purpose.
I bought one of these on your recommendation and used it to sharpen my old chisels and gouges works great, however I found the gits to be correct but I'd never push the knife, I would always draw to make a burr 😊 strop to finish 😊
i found that stropping reduces some of the serration on the edge, which reduces the "bite". After stropping, one or two light passes on a high grit oilstone just enough to bring back the bite in the edge.
I would say the mold grew on or in the paper label and adhesive used to stick it ,but common sense tells you any damp area will grow mold ,mixed with organic particles .Bonus if you cut yourself and it turns septic you have a ready supply of penicillin available.Or should you wish to poison someone you have the means .Lidl are budget China made no doubt no big deal if the markings upset you don’t buy it
You should try a leather strop too. It jKes a noticeable difference imho. For pocket knives and such an old belt held taught or glued to a piece of birch ply works well but you have to pull the blade away from you instead of bringing it toward you otherwise the blade will cut the leather and ruin it.
@@MB_EDC You should try it. Whereabouts are you in England? I'll send you some samples to try. I'm about to make a batch of 0.5, 1 and 2.5 microns. I've been using 2.5-micron paste on both my fixed angle and on my whetstone wheel machine for 7+ months and I love it and it's about time I got my arse in gear and made the finer pastes.
I picked one of these up last week but havent even unpacked it yet. I would say looking at your video that the grits are definitely the wrong way round but then it is only £6.99 so what can you expect. My other stones cost ten times that. I will use it in the greenhouse to touch up my garden knives.
If your coarse sharpening ,say a spade or Sith file off with a file . If you are sharpening carving chisels ,plain blade's its always against the blade. The only way to know you have arrived is the "Bir" use a coarse grade then remove that Bir and then finer and finer every time creating a smaller new Bir . then "Honing" the end operation can be off blade . Honing means less than a sharpen it's essentially Ironing or combing the cutting edge and is unnecessary for applications where a bit of roughness can be useful (EG starting a cut on watermelon) PS I have always used sharpening stones, but just recently treated myself to Diamond plates . Unlike a stone they are hard to consider as investments as they are essentially disposable as they don't last well.(Granted being new to me I may have pressed too hard ,expecting too much from them.)
@@MB_EDC I have spent a lot on several grades for fun. I have even had to get a new 360 grit as I have used one up. Ok they are fast and anything that makes life easier does help do a Good job, but personally having satisfied my curiosity I'll never get any more . I don't know if I have got better at sharpening or if it is that sharpness evolves but I think my kitchen knifes' stay sharper longer. Chisels are easy but hand plains with their single acute angles always intimidate me a bit.
@johnh539 I have a cheap kitchen paring knife that I use to practice on. I did scratch one of my good pocket knives but it's not wrecked and it is a user...
Thought you were meant to "Sweep" the blade across the stone, in an Arc ? Dad, used to sharpen the meat knife that way on the front door, stone step. 🔪 Yes, doorsteps were proper stone - not concrete back in the day. (Who remembers the Orange Scouring stones, to colour the step edges ?)
@@MB_EDC I'm thinking the stone's, Multi Facet grit, won't all be in the same direction, so Sweeping in an arc would give a finer edge overall ? The stone will also improve with wear/age.
My dad used to do the same thing with the knives, usually the meat knife at Sunday lunchtime before my mum cut the roast. That was our one good meal of the week back in the day. The stones for the steps were called donkey stones where I came from in Oldham. The rag and bone guy used to give them out if you gave him a load of old clothes. They were a yellowy colour as I remember...
Enjoyed the video! Not a fan of the music, especially when you said, 'I hope you can hear it(the stone doing it's work)because I couldn't hear it above the music. Decided to subscribe and give it a chance! Greetz from The Netherlands!
Sorry about the music. I shot myself in the foot there! 🤣 Thank you for your patience! Most of my videos don't have music. If there's a topic you would like a video on.. Let me know... And I'll give it a go if I can...
Parkside is Bosch so it will be what it say s it is. Looks like a nice bit of kit. Shame you left it wet, but its a tool at the end of the day. Ill follow you for a bit and see how it goes. Pethaps 13mins is a bit long for this subject. 5 mins would be better. Have you seen the victrinox swiss army knife sharpener? Nice little addition to the upstairs tool box 😊.
It's Bosch! I never knew. I kept the video longer as I didn't want to be accused of cheating. I love the Victorinox dual Knife sharpener. Easy to use and perfect for SAKs!
The marking are correct for the grit sizes, 1000 at the bottom means 1000 on top and the same with the 6000... It might seem a bit backwards but it makes sense to me... Does anyone remember dual sided dvds? It was the same thing with those and the labelling
That could be one explanation. It would make more sense if the markings were not the same way up...i.e. the marking was the right way up for the stone when on top...
That could be one explanation. It would make more sense if the markings were not the same way up...i.e. the marking was the right way up for the stone when on top...
You seem to be doing rather a lot for little return in the way of sharpness, the paper cutting didn't go to well, finer grit/ strop on leather after the heavier grit. You might get better results with blade going in the opposite direction. Think you are definitely right about the grit rating 😉 I have one or two like it, I sort of look at it the liter the stone the finer the grit. As for the rubber base fine, but, not sure about the wooden base 🤔 I would probably ditch it, I also leave my stones in water pretty much all the time. Good luck 👍. Cheers Les.
On the basis that Ben Orford (a brilliant British custom knife maker) and Ray Mears have knife sharpening videos where they push the blade, and most professional knife makers on UA-cam seem to advise pushing, I’ll stick with that method.
I have an almost identical unit from a well known Asian online shop and mine has the white marked as 6000 and green as 1000 (in what is probably the exact same place and font).
When using a sharpening stone you always push the blade and it also pays to use an expensive stone over a cheap one as although cheap stones may look like a good deal but they wear out a lot faster and don't do the job as well as an expensive stone does
I was given this one so wanted to work out how to use it. I am learning as I go with these videos - especially from many of the comments. I will move onto more expensive stones eventually.
Push or pull the blade is a preference not a rule as it will do the same job. It's so cheap I doubt how flat it actually is before use 🤣 These videos will improve as practice makes perfect in all things.
The gap between 1000 and 6000 thousand is too big. If the grit size is accurate then it takes a really long time to get the "scratches" out with the 6000 grit after you are done with the 1000.
I always use light oil never clean the sharp side of the blade facing your hand I always sharpen one side till I get a burr one the other side then turn knife over do the other works for me I think it's 22degrees for ultermate edge good luck
I have learned through this that there are water stones and oil stones. This is a water stone. I will be trialling alternative sharpening methods, pulling Vs pushing, Vs both.
@@tonyjoe5707 These are water stones though, if you used honing oil on these they would be ruined. One thing I have found though is when using diamond stones or natural stones such as Arkansas stones is using the correct honing solution for different stones makes sharpening a whole lot more effective and a better experience, obvious really but one has be bothered to get specific solutions and the added expense of doing so.
@@MB_EDC Persevere, they cut fast, no messy oil and can give extremely good results. If they get a bit worn in he middle (hollow) get sandpaper or wet and dry lay on a sheet of glass or a flat surface and flatten. When I was workshop based I used them all the time but having now worked on site for 20 years i swapped to diamond stones, easier to maintain and almost indestructible.
@@MB_EDC grind on one side untill you feel a burr drag your nail against the edge you should feel it , you can shine a light on it to help see better. Once you have a good burr switch sides and do the same after move to higher grit and strop the burr off after sharpening.
I totally agree, this technique take time to learn ,but when it finally clicks it gives incredible results. Cutting paper to demonstrate sharpness is a UA-cam thing, try cutting seasoned oak, that's when you really discover how sharp a blade is!
@@doczoff5655 Agreed. The paper test is just a good visual check of sharpness. Most people probably only use their knifes to open packages and cut cardboard😂
Just put a piece of clingfilm on top of the box before putting the stone on it. The clingfilm will keep the oil or water off the bamboo box and stop it from going mouldy. Simples.
Very nice video! I may be completely wrong, but I’ve never heard of a 6000 grit sharpening stone. Even a 1000 grit stone is very fine. Is it possible that both sides of the Lidl stone are incorrectly labeled? 😅
They're 6000# & 1000#. It might be assumed that they designate grit size but without further proof (box details) the # could be the manufacturers own form of stone grading. The fact they stamped 6000# on the coarser side casts further doubt they're regular grit size designations.
Stones can have grit as high as 10,000 or more Suehiro Gokumyo 10k Sharpening Whetstone and Suehiro Gokumyo 15k Sharpening Whetstone if you have the $$$$ good luck on the learning it takes sum time..........
I've never tried a water stone, especially a Lidl one. But if I see it there I'm having a punt at it. Lots of people have lots of ways of sharpening, and eveyone needs to find a way that suits them - and the type of tool they are sharpening. There's no right or wrong stone, abrasive or process. You could spend a week on UA-cam and everyone will tell you their method is the best. Remember the sharper the blade the more sharpening it will require per use. If you're a professional sushimi chef using deba knives all day, the sharpening angle is shallower (about 15 degrees) compared tp that of an SWA (about 20 degrees), because it needs to be surgically precise. No SWA needs a 6000grit finish, that's quite a delicate finish for a rugged tool. It's not cutting wafer-thin tuna all day long. So it all depends on what you are sharpening and for what purpose. Personally, I use a Trend diamond stone and leather strop. The stone is 300 on one side and 1000 on the other so it's very multi-purpose. To test if I sharpened a knife blade sufficiently, I let the edge tough my fingernail. If it bites without slipping, it's food-prep sharp - meaning thin slices on over-ripe tomatoes for a little while. Paper is ok, but we use scissors or craft-blades for their purpose. Cut through a piece of paracord or whittle a stick - or split a cane to see if an SWA will pull you through. I have a deba knife and still haven't sharpened it after a year, but it only comes out for super-fine tasks. It's due a touch-up. Remember, sharpness is only as important as the tool it's intended for.
Thanks for taking the time to comment. You raise some great points. This was my first water stone and my first few uses of it - so I am giving a beginner's view of using it. It sharpens OK and will do better the more practice I get. It is more of a faff to use. I will be getting some diamond stones to try out.
@@MB_EDC Waterstones certainly look like a faff as you put it, but having never tried one I wouldn't mind a pop with a cheap version on an old chisel or knife. I suppose the only beauty is that lapping fluid is cleaner because it's water. Thanks for replying and making the effort to create interesting thought-provoking content 👍
I’ve had some bad luck with some parkside stuff in the past so I don’t bother buying it. I’ve no doubt some products are ok but some are definitely rubbish.
I've got a couple of Parkside waterstones & can achieve razor sharp edges on chisels & plane iron. Could it be quicker with a better quality stone? Probably, but the Parkside one is as cheap as chips, so good enough for the amount of sharpening I do. Their power tools are generally outstanding value for money. The odd dud I've had hasn't broken the bank & is more than balanced out by the more numerous bargains.
wash and heat the Base to remove all the mold heat your oven after washing it. oven warm. then and turn it off add base to kill mold this way you do not Burn the base.
This is an interesting point. Through the comments I have learned that there are water stones and oil stones. This is a water stone. Both work OK. Oil stones trend to be lower grit.
@@johnrhodes3350 Way before oil stones were used knifes were sharpened using water and stone, in fact in Victorian times craftsman went round sharpening kitchen knives using a stone wheel and water. It's a very very old method still used today.
@MB_EDC oil may warp the wood in time ,maybe wax would work better, it won't stop mould occurring. As far as I know though .Good luck, and God bless you and your family. Lee
I would say use water . I spent 40 years using oil and tried water and I think it sharpens better. Peoplr talk about oil stone but all the ones I've come across are like this one better with water.
as someone who worked with a lot of hand tools professionally such a s chisels and planes, i tossed the wet stones and oil stones in the bin when diamond stones became available. i want to be able to get back to work quickly (30 seconds for a chisel). biggest problem with oil and especially wet is the maintenance of them. whereas a good diamond stone never needs flattening and cuts a lot quicker than the others. i think wet stones is more about bragging rights than actually being a better method.
I am new to all of this, but I fully get your point. This water stone sharpens OK, but is a pain to use, having to soak it first and keep it wet. I will be buying a couple of diamond plates at some point..I am sure. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this...
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Im a woodbutcher, usin only hand tools like i was born a century ago 😂 sharpen whatever way you want to, whatever way you feel comfy. Push, pull, doesnt matter so long as you create the edge ya want 😁 do not listen to anyone who tells ya "x, is the best way to do it"...... Maybe x is the best way for them, but sharpening is a very personal thing.
If you use a chisel or plane iron, the larger bevel will make the scratch pattern much more visible. My tools are honed up to about 6k grit, and the bevels are like mirorrs reminding me how my hairline is retreating seemingly by the day 😂 if i showed that 6k bevel to a 1k grit stone id only need a single swipe to see it was a lower grit. To my eyes, 1k i would consider a fine scratch pattern, but visible....... Around 3k i would call it a misted finish....... Around 6k the polish starts to come in and become reflective. It slso depends on the tools use....... Slicing wood shavings i want a pristine surface left behind so i dont have to use sandpaper (yock 😂), if im cutting rope or a tomato, then i want a slight tooth to the edge so it bites.
Stones. Not everyone is familiar with the old word "whet", so in future it might be better to call it either a water stone or oilstone. Generally, oilstones are very hard and do not break down readily, and they can become clogged up with swarf. Water stones, generally, break down faster, the grit breaks off and mixes with the water creating a slurry atop the stone, and thats what does the cuttin. Water stones are usually softer than oilstones. Think of an oilstone as similar to sandpaper, it has tiny hills and valleys, the hills are what cuts the steel. The valleeys get clogged and thats when the stone needs to be dressed. Think of a water stone like a block of grinding paste, mixed with water it basicslly becomes a grinding paste on the stone. This stone hollows quite quickly, so dressing it keeps it flat. An oilstone could last two or three generations, butnit also takes an age to sharpen stuff with it, it works relatively slow. A water stone might last a decade or two depending how much its used, but it sharpens quite quickly.
Water stones, oilstones, diamond plates, lapping films, hanging out the door of a movin car and creating the edge against the road 😂 doesnt matter how ya do it, so long as ya get it done 😁
Normally id proof resd my comments, but its late and this is long, hopefully my ramblins can be read 😂🤷
Thanks brother. I really appreciate you taking the time to comment. I learn a lot from the comments... Interesting to hear what you do for chisels. Water stones do seem to take more looking after...I may try some diamond plates next.
@@MB_EDC Water stones can be finicky, depending how ya want to use it and how the stone can be stored, they can also be quite delicate. For me, I want the stone ready at all times, splash and go ya could call this type of stone...... I dony want to think ahead and soak the stone 10mins prior to when I reckon il want it. But, some stones can be kept in water, it lives there only comin out when ya need it. I moved away from water stones, the messy slurry kinda annoyed me, and there was a harsh frost one night and the water left in the stone expanded and broke my stone........ Kinda my fault for not letting it dry, but I was workin at 4am that night (insomnia), by morn it was broken. An accumulation of things brought me away from water stones. Oilstones I consider to be too slow for me, for regular maintenance sharpening I want to give the chisel or plane iron a few swipes and be done. Now I use diamond plates up to about 1k, and beyond that I use lapping films (fancy sticky back sandpaper, stuck to float glass or a cheap granite surface plate). Diamond plates can be quite expensive, I got a "seconds" on eBay a while ago, it had been dropped and the short edge was dented, raising some material on the surface...... Useless for stoning a surface, but grand enough for me to sharpen with. It was a Trend double sided stone, got it for about 50yoyo (shipped from England to Ireland). Lapping films over time, work out to be relatively expensive too compared to stones....... Each sheet costs about a fiver, for each grit, and ya might get 4 strips out of each sheet. If ya sharpen a lot youl spend more over time, but for someone who doesn't sharpen a lot they'll last a decent amount of time for a very low cost to get started.
Dony waste your money on diamond for anything above 1k-ish...... The diamond doesn't really polish the edge,looked at under magnification it'll still show a significant scratch pattern compared to a stone of equivalent grit (diamond measured in microns instead of grit), a 6k stone will always cut finer than a 6k diamond plate...... In my experience at least, I'm no sharpening guru 😂
Feel. An oilstone feels hard, and sometimes it feels like it's not doin anything. A water stone gives more feedback, ya can feel it cuttin. A diamond plate can sometimes feel "grabby", like ya can't move smoothly over it, it can be kinda annoyin. Best lube I've found for a diamond plate is window cleaner, absolutely FLOOD the plate with it. If it gets clogged up over time, use a rubber to clean it (ya might call a rubber an "eraser", for a pencil) .
Wow! Thanks for all of the tips... I might end up getting a couple of fishings stones. There are a coupler of cheap ones recommended by @OUTDOORS55. He seems to know what he's doing
@@whittysworkshop982 Does it matter whether the moving car is in forward or reverse? 😁
Maybe a snow plough or bulldozer would be a better analogy?
The art of knife sharpening is all about the angle of the knife edge and to make it more awkward different knives have different angles on their edge, I understand that most kitchen and pen knives have an edge of between 17 and 20 degrees, I have a useful tool i bought off Amazon that sticks magnetically to the knifes blade and you can set the exact angle and see it by the built in bubble level, for years I couldnt get a good edge on my knife using a stone until I realised I was trying to sharpen it at the wrong angle.
ps I always push the blade ;)
This came just at the right time for the stabbing culture in the UK there’s so many complaining about blunt knives being used, another thing when I was a joiner for 40 years I was told to soak the stone in oil not water that’s probably why you got the mould
@@catsarereallyfurryaliens Oil stones are different. This is a water stone and is meant to be used with water.
@@MB_EDCexactly, doesnt hurt to add a little washing up liquid also. I really like that set, i think ill get one.
I'll try the washing up liquid next time I use it.
@@MB_EDC just a spot, really helps
@gunner678 👍
I used to use a waterstone just like this in the past, I got quite handy with it. I will say that I did indeed sharpen using the "pull" method only, flipping the blade over and pulling it in the opposite direction at the end of each pass. I have heard some people say that you have to do one or the other but honestly, I think it is more about getting a feel for the exact right angle, how to hold that angle and applying just the right amount of pressure.
An old leather belt or similar to strop the blade at the very end of the process will help a ton also.
@@tombfoot I keep trying different ways to sharpen. Keeping a consistent angle is key I think, whichever way you like to do that... I do usually strop after sharpening. I'm trying out Smurf poo at the moment.
@@MB_EDC Keep at it! There is definitely a knack to it I think and I believe the more you do it and test your results, the better you will get. 👍
@tombfoot I am definitely improving and I get fewer comments about technique! You might not think looking through the comments for this video, but you should see some off my earlier sharpening videos🤣
Theres a kitchen "trick" where you keep a large bowl of water with a small amount of chlorine in it nearby to wipe off surfaces like counter tops and cutting boards between tasks to keep it clean and combat cross contamination. Aim for a bucket or large bowl and something like 1 tablespoon of chlorine per 5 liters of water or so. Its enough to disinfect alot of things, but still much less concentrated than a public swimming pool keeping things food safe. I dont know if your stone holder needs to be food safe, but it could work pretty well for keeping mold off it? I have done this to my waterstones that tend to sit in water for long periods of time to prevent anything from growing in there at least.
Also cheap stones are notorious for the things you mention here. It kinda comes with the territory, if you buy something that is not from a well known manufacturer and it costs significantly less than the "real deal", its almost guaranteed to have errors in grits, be marked wrong or not at all, not tell you what its made from, have severe grit contamination etc etc. Which is fine imo, as long as you know what you get into. I have a bunch of similar stones (no LIDL in my country though) that I use well knowing what they are like, for stuff like scythes, axes, coarse branch trimmers etc. I dont use them on my pocket knives though, and I certainly would not use them on my kitchen knives that I take great pride in keeping in pristine condition. But one could, and it would work.
Also, I wouldnt worry too much about comments like you are pushing when you should be pulling, or you are going edge leading when you should be going edge trailing etc. As long as you keep a consistent angle and pressure, thats 90% of it and everything else is just perfecting it. I would suggest you actually check the edge with your fingers a bit more though, since the easiest way to get a really sharp edge is to work one side until you raise a burr on the oposite side, flip it over and try to take off as much metal as you did the other side, and then do some very light alternating strokes until you no longer feel the burr on either side. What can easily happen when you test with paper between passes like this is you raise a wire burr that cant stand up to the paper and it makes you think the edge is in a completely different state than it really is. Checking with fingers is underestimated because human hands can detect 1-2 micron particles which we cant even see. And as long as you dont do any sudden movements, put pressure on or run your fingers parallell to the burr, then your brain will stop you long before you hurt yourself.
Sorry for the long comment
Oh and I forgot to say, you said you are a beginner so sorry if this was unsolicited advice, but you seem to do a really good job. And yeah, it would make sense if those grits are marked wrong because the white side sounds alot less "sandy" and finer. Anyway, good job!
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment. I learn so much from the comments. I do struggle to raise a burr - or at least feel it. But I will persevere...
I,ve been using whetstones to sharpen chisels,planes etc and i,ve used ,usually 20/50 motor oil.my dad did the same from about 1930,and finally you push to sharpen and then use the palm of your hand to strop for final sharpness
Thanks for sharing. Great to hear what works for you...
Leather is better than the palm of your hand, you can strop with a little toothpaste if you have no stropping compound or jewellers rouge etc
Gaz UK
Thanks Gaz... Great tip
I have a couple of similar Parkside stones in the same blocks, plus a leather strop on a wooden block. I attached all three to a piece of plywood with a wooden block screwed to the bottom. This then sits in my vise and hangs up when not in use. The two stones live in a plastic container filled with water, so they're always ready for use. Not had any mold issues as I wipe the blocks with a paper towel after use & the must air dry when the 'station' is hung up.
Wow! You are much more organised than me!!! Thanks for sharing!
Learning to sharpen wood chisels as an apprentice some 45 years ago, the technique handed down for sharpening chisels and plane blades was to have the cutting edge away from you on the stone and push and pull. I sharpen all my knives the same way. We also used the palm of our hands to strop the edge once sharpened. If you dont have hands like leather use a leather strop to get that final finish.
Thanks for the tip.
After I've used the wet stones, I ALWAYS strop the blades on a leather belt. This polishes the blade making it extremely sharp.
Thanks. Stropping is such an important step in the process..
I put basic 3in1 oil on mine, not water. It doesn't appear to soak into the bamboo either. Though the shaving to tend to create a thick paste which needs clearing off both blade and stone surfaces often. It also doesn't dry out so can carry on using it for a while. Just flip the block twice if you want more oil on the surface. Downside.. have to keep it stored upright at all times.
Interesting. I may try that.. thanks for sharing that tip
you need to leave the stone soaking in water until it stops bubbling and then use it out of the wooden box but on the neoprene base, pushing and pulling doesn't really matter, the important thing is the angle you hold it being consistent and many stones are labelled that way, easy to tell which side is which by running a finger over it
Thanks for the tips...
The stone soak roughly 100 grams of water and drying lasts approx.3 days. I have weight on every stone and store them after sharpening only, when the weight goes down again. Temperature of the stone is quick indikator too - cold= wet
That is a great idea! You are very organised....
I think that wood block will hold up a lot better if you use some beeswax or a treatment to seal the wood and protect it from further moisture maybe?
@@tombfoot Yes. Good idea. I am looking at options for that..
water stones work in a different way to oil stones. with a waterstone the surface breaks down and its actually the slurry that does the work. they tend to be much softer than oil stones because of this.
the object being sharpened should be moved across the stone away from the cutting edge, otherwise it can dig into the stone damaging it and the edge being sharpened.
Thanks for the information!
I have the same stone, the green side is definitely coarser. The green cuts faster and there's more drag or 'bite' on the green side. I use the green for quickly removing a lot of material on very blunt knives, for sharpish knives I go straight to the white side. I then go to a finer diamond stone (it's actually an old budget diamond stone where the diamond grit quickly wore away giving a very fine grind), or for pretty sharp knives I go straight to this diamond stone. Finally I hone on a leather strop with polishing compound, and I then rehone regularly. It does take time to develop a good consistent sharpening technique, especially learning the muscle memory to maintain the right sharpening angle. While I was learning, progressing through finer grits and then strop honing didn't seem very effective, but with enough practice it results in incredibly sharp edges, and sharper is actually safer because it requires much less force to cut. Feeling the burr along the entire blade is the key, until you've raised a burr you will never get a truly sharp edge. I always pull the blade to help form the burr. You must pull when strop honing to avoid cutting into the leather. Stropped blades also hold their edge for much longer because with unstropped blades there's still a micro burr that will quickly break off leaving a rougher edge. I also have some incredibly fine japanese stones, I occasionally lightly sharpen with these after stropping if I want a super sharp blade, usually if I'm cutting tough seasoned wood.
Wow - Thanks for sharing details of your technique. I still struggle to make or feel the burr - but I am still practising. I wanted to show that even beginners can sharpen knives to encourage people to have a go.
@@MB_EDC If you're not getting a burr you might be switching to finer grades too soon. When blades become blunt the edge becomes rounded. To effectively sharpen you need to remove enough metal to create two converging flat planes, the burr forms when these two planes have converged plus a little more, which is why the burr can be felt on the opposite side to the side most recently abraded, it's been pushed slightly over by that plane. If you don't reach the point where a burr has formed before changing to finer grits some of the rounded edge may still remain, so you will end up polishing the bevels without refining the actual edge. It will feel sharper, but you won't get the really sharp edges that just seem to glide through the material that they are cutting. Being aggressive with course grits feels rather daunting, because there's the fear that you'll grind your favourite knife away to nothing. To learn how to raise a burr try sharpening an unwanted old low quality knife, without the fear of ruining a good blade you'll be far less tentative and probably make much better progress. You'll probably also make mistakes, and that's when you'll really start learning.
I've just started using and sharpening hook knives, so that's a humbling reminder to me that I still have a lot to learn. They feel difficult to use... is this because they ARE more difficult to use, or am I using them incorrectly, or have I just failed to get a decent edge yet. Only time and more experience will tell, I think the secret is to enjoy the iearning journey! 👍
Thanks!!! I think you're right about me being too tentative... I have a couple of old knives to practice on.
I bought one of these stones but haven't used it yet. Thanks for the information about mould forming. I'll spray the inside of the wood block using the bottle of the mould remover we have.
Good call.... Or dry thoroughly before putting away......😁
Der „Holzblock“ ist aus Bambus; bis das rottet… Gegen den Schimmel hilft Essigessenz (25% Säure). Nach meinem 1. Versuch mit diesen Steinen, mit denen auch die oberste Schicht mit schwacher Bindung abgetragen wurde, habe ich sie 2 Tage durchtrocknen lassen bevor sie wieder in den Karton kamen. Und zum Schleifen kamen die Steine mit ihrer Silikonunterlage direkt auf die Arbeitsplatte ohne Holz-/Bambusblock.
My mistake for putting it back in the box wet and leaving it for a week. I'll try the vinegar.
I'm an experienced but still distinctly average sharpener so take these comments for what you will.
When I saw these stones in Lidl I considered buying one just to see what it was like but I've got too many already. For the price they must be from one of the many budget Chinese manufacturers, no one else could turn them out for the price.
Wooden boxes for water stones are only useful for storing the stones when they're dry, otherwise they're just their to look nice, add perceived value, and imitate oilstones. Use a proper one with rubber clamps held by together by metal rods or a silicone mat and always let your water stones dry thoroughly before putting them away.
Budget stones are fine when you're starting out, you'll make mistakes and you won't wreck a quality Japanese model that costs many times more. You can graduate onto stnes made in Vietnam by one of the name brands or an actual Japanese one later.
Learn your limits. I realised that I was never going to be good enough to warrant paying top of the line prices so stick with mid price Kings and similar. I simply don't have the hand control.
On technique dont push into a cheap or otherwise soft stone unless you get good enough to hold a perfect angle, you'll blunt the blade or worse, score the stone which means having to reflatten it. Use all the surface of the stone, this delays though doesn't prevent hollowing and again needing to reflatten it.
A good magnifying glass or pocket microscope is useful. Inspect your edges to check for imperfections and whether your bevel are even, it will help you correct mistakes you don't even realise you're making.
Finally, practice, a lot. Use cheap knives that don't matter like low end trades knives from Morakniv or similar. Work on carbon and stainless steels as they respond differently.
Thanks. Great tips. I do have a couple of practice knives. This seems to sharpen OK, but is a pain to use ( soaking, etc.). I may look for some diamond stones.
@@MB_EDC I have Japanese water stones from 120 to 8000 though I usually start at 400 or 809 so I usually soak a few at once and sharpen several knives and tool blades in one session. A small diamond stone or a ceramic rod hone is enough to touch them up. Even a well used knife can go months between needing a full sharpen if the edge is looked after.
@@Matt_The_Hugenot Agreed - I try not to sharpen mine too much and try to strop more frequently
I agree, they got it the wrong way around, I push and pull on mine pretty fast and generally press down pretty hard. I don't get me knives to shaving level sharp, but they certainly cut the fruit and veg better. I suspect a leather strop is required to remove the burr. I also noticed Lidl had a lower grit version too.
Yes I saw the lower grit version. I think I might try diamond stones next…
When I use my stone on the bamboo support, I always wash the support, and dry it. So, never mushrooms on it. If you want to avoid it, just paint the side where water stays. but dryit always.
I have got better at string it after each use... No more fresh mould... Might scorch it to stop any future mould...
Maybe charring a bit the wood and applying some oil to it could serve to deter fungi and insect damage in the future?
Great Idea - I may try that....
Good video.
I always find it easier and better to sharpen in the opposite direction. That way any burr you create is on the blade's cutting edge which can easily be cleaned up with a few strokes on a leather strop, leaving an almost razor sharp blade.
Re the hollowing or dishing out of the stone, you can get conditioning stones which will restore the flatness of the stone. It's well worth having one on hand.
Thanks for the tips. I will try sharpening both ways.. I have always sharpened pushing the blade edge first and pulled when stropping. I am learning and happy to try different techniques...
@@MB_EDC ah it's different strokes for different folks. People just find what works for them and stick to it.
@generaldisarray True, but I'm always keen to try something new...
I'm glad this video popped up in my feed,i have the same stone and cleaned the bamboo block earlier due to mould like you've shown, thankyou very much 👍
@@OutdoorPrepper2025 Thank you! I'm glad you found it useful.
Think about it this way, if you are using the push method, you should be pushing the blade away from you. And vice-versa, if you are using the pull method, then you are pulling the blade to you.
Understood. I was trying to explain the difference between leading with the blade edge (pushing) and trailing the blade edge (pulling)
Far out. Where did you learn what push and pull means and you might be the only person on our planet that knows this. Thanks for sharing.
This was just my way to describe the difference. I have done a separate video about it
I agree with whoever said "no cause of the music " . However , I once watched a video on sharpening and the guy said when you're sharpening you want abrasive as opposed to lubrication. Since then I cleaned all the oil off my stone and swapped to water and it works fine for me. ps, I've never been a fan of bamboo, so I just made a small box out of oak offcuts, and varnished it.
I went through a phase of having music on my videos... didn't work on this one..... Yep... You need to be sure if your stone is a water or oil stone....
Yes, absolutely essential that you allow the stone to dry completely before putting aside. The same is true for diamond stones, as they will corrode if stored damp. I bought the other Parkside stone. I think it is supposed to be 600 and 1000. I'd say it is also incorrectly labelled too.
Not always a bad idea to show beginners just how long it takes to put an edge on a blade in real-time. Most people expect that a couple of licks across the stone is all it takes, and just give up on the idea of using stones, opting instead for one of those overpriced gadgets.
Thanks!
Just to add a little clarity, any stone which is used for sharpening is called a WHETSTONE. The term whet is old English for sharpen. You don't necessarily have to use water on a Whetstone, you could use oil or nothing at all depending on the type of stone it is.
This is a water stone. I was following the instructions that can with the stone. Which said to soak in water before each use...
@@MB_EDC as you should, using it dry it will wear out quickly, one tip is put a little liquid soap on it after soaking, it helps it keep clean, less clogging and also helps lubricate, and as the original commentis wrong, dry sharpening stones are very different to oil and water stones and using oil on a water stone is a bad idea and will ruin it as is water on oil stones
Thanks for the soap tip
Great video! I personally push and pull. When I have a burr on a part of the knife I apply a little pressure sharpening that specific area with my fingers.
Thanks Elan, this is something I will explore in future videos. The direction of my sharpening has been the main subject for comments
@@MB_EDC it's not criticism, per se, it's constructive criticism from the hive mind.
It's easy to hide behind a screen name and bang away on ones keyboard, but it takes courage, strength, time and effort to create a video and share it with the world.
Keep up the good work!!!
@generaldisarray thanks brother. I am pretty thick skinned and try to take the constructive criticism on board, try out the tips and ignore the trolls....
Bought this sharpener a week ago and works fine. But of course I can confirm that the grain size is marked backwards.
@@koblih69 Thanks for confirming that. Do you use oil or water on it? This send to be the latest question people are raising...
Shirley you should use a curved action so that all the blade gets in contact with the stone. Often the blade is longer than the stone's width. Always finish on a piece of leather for a perfectly honed edge. .
I'll try that.... I'm still learning and improving...
I think the wood is only used as the keeper for the stone, if you just use the rubber grip the stone doesn't move on your work surface when sharpening, and doesn't get the wood wet.
Thanks - good idea
0:51 This happens with all this utensils made of engineered wood out of bamboo. I had the same exact experience with a food container lid made of bamboo. Of course there is no warning anywhere in the instructions for this. Also, just because it make look dry, it is not so necessarily. Always let the bamboo wood utensil out to dry in a well aerated place for at least 24 hours ensuring nothing is covering it so it can dry out uniformly. Turn it over after 12 hours to ensure all sides dry out evenly. Note that it has this property of retaining moisture well within it so, depending on its size and relative ambient humidity and temperature, 24 hours might not be enough. Also keep in mind you might need to take precautions against it warping while drying. Depending on how you do that, this might prolong the necessary drying time.
I agree that there should be a warning about this...
Seal all new bamboo products first with a small quantity of food grade oil (and other new wooden items that will be used in water or washed up after use).
@lawrencemartin1113 Good idea. I should have dinner that. Hopefully it's not too late...
I think it's more likely a printing error and it's actually a 600/1000 grit stone.
@@AdBakvis That feels about right and makes more sense as a combination for sharpening
welp... false advertising!
I think it may just be an error
I was always taught that you should use oil on a 'whetstone '
There are many types of whetstones, including water stones, oil stones, Arkansas stones, diamond stones, and ceramic stones. You can test whether a stone is oil or water based by placing a few drops of water on it. If the water beads up and doesn't soak in, it's likely an oil stone. If the water is absorbed, it's likely a water stone.
Hi Tony - @theo9845 has explained it below better than I could....
Thanks Theo - clear explanation... I may borrow this to answer future questions on this....😁
@@MB_EDC Hi guys, I have boroughed this from the internet too, I thought similarly, it made clear sense, so I've copied and paste the answer. Glad it helped though. All the best!👍
👍
You probably know this. Most of these cheaper stones and kits are mass produced in china. They leave them unmarked so the retailer can put their name on.
The Japanese waterstones are seriously good, the difference in quality is incredible. The problem with these is the price !
Interesting video, goot sharpening tips 👍
@@Countryboy071 Thanks. This does sharpen OK, but a pain as it’s a water stone. It was a gift from my son so I have been keen to try it out. I am thinking of getting some diamond stones.
@@MB_EDC yes, I bought some worksharp diamond ones recently, they work great.
@@Countryboy071 I've gone cheap with mine... I'll be doing a review in a couple of weeks
Nice vid, ta. And my stone (not Parkside) also instructs to soak stone in water for 10 minutes. I wish the 'expert' commenters would contact Parkside to tell them they are idiots rather than whining about this vid. Subscribed. Keep it going, I'll learn along with you :)
Thanks brother.. The comments are all good. UA-cam likes lots of interaction!!🤣
This is a water stone so needs water. Its very cheap so dont expect the grits to be accurate. It will wear very quick so needs a flattening stone to flatten it. Will it work? Yes of course it will just as the bottom of a cup will work. Stropping afterwards will of course help. Would i get one? Only to have a play then give it away lol
This was a gift from my son who was shopping in LIDL and thought of me and this channel when he saw it... It sends OK for now...
Hey Mark 👊🏼
That mould may help with the new 'MPox' outbreak!? 😉
I first went to Lidl 25 years ago in Edgware, and you only ever saw Eastern Europeans shopping there. I was with a good Polish woman who introduced me to Lidl. The tool section is always of interest to me.
Some are very good value and worth purchasing...
Thanks for sharing,
ATB Gus 👍🏻
The middle aisle can be very dangerous, with much time and money spent there. In this case my son bought me this....
I reckon if uding on a bench the rubber holder should be used without bamboo box but if used in hand or on lap then the box will help!? ...this is just my opinion! 👍
Great point thanks. As the bamboo box has grown mould again... That is a good idea....
I don't think you're intended to use the box as a holder when sharpening. That is what the rubber piece is for. It is intended to prevent wobbling and prevent the stone slipping on the work surface. I'm sorry to say this, but I don't think anybody with any practical sense would put a wet object in a wooden box and not expect it to go mouldy.
Haha. I did dry it... Not enough obviously!!!!
@@MB_EDC you had soaked the stone in water and it absorbed it like a sponge. It is virtually impossible to dry it in a short time. Like other people have commented, I'd ditch the wet stone and buy some diamond plates if I were you. A lot more expensive but far superior.
@richardl7161 I think that's where I'm headed
My finishing stone, a rough hewn Turkey stone, has been in a wooden box screwed to my bench for over 50 years, there is no sign of mould! On the other hand, as it is an oil stone, it has never seen water!
My thoughts to, but as he said he's new to it. Shame mind you, looks like a nice bit of kit.
We always kept Water stones in water tank with rack on top to use when sharpening
Great idea! Thanks!
I agree about the grit size being the wrong way round, I've got one of these. I would say that it could be confusing when you say you're using the push method then pull the blade towards you, but thanks for the video anyway, I've subscribed!
@@geoffkeeler5106 Thanks. Sorry for the confusion. I was trying to explain that I sharpen with the edge of the blade leading across the strone.
Yes, it's one of those situations where one cannot find an unambiguous description! Never fear, we know what you meant, just being mischievously pedantic, keep up the good work sir!
Thank you!😁
I have a couple of wetstones I use, as the water is just to allow the metal to wash away, I use thinners and it works just as well with miniscule lubricating properties.
Great tip. Thanks!
The cheapie one I got from Amazon looks pretty much identical. Same flexible intermediate moulding and a similar price too. No text on the bamboo part though. It probably came from the same place in China. Mine has the green half labelled as "1000". Some manufacturers are very lax about labelling.
I'm sure that's where Lidl would have sourced them all and just had theirs labelled up...
For Victorinox knives, I personally have always used their small orange stone, and it is easy to use and gets the edge really sharp with little effort ,and they are inexpensive, too! For the amount of time you have taken on this knife I feel this stone isn't that great ? Then again it's come from lidl?
the coarser the stone the faster and the orange one from Victorinox is very coarse. A 1000/6000 grid combination gets your edge to a near mirror polish but it will take a long time to sharpen a realy dull knife on it.
@VolkerHett True...a lot of my Knifer work is cutting string or cardboard. I can maintain a decent edge just by stropping...
I tend to use my Victorinox dual knife sharpener for most knives (only the ceramic stone end these days) I have a couple videos on it. Not seen the orange stone. I will check it out.
@MB_EDC
The duel sharpener is good, too, especially on Vic scissors. Both victorinox sharpeners are easy to use, and I guess that was their intention. I don't like wet stones for such fine pocket knives!
@Mike-kc8rl I think for expensive knives a better sharpening system may be required, one that maintains the angle consistently without scratching the blade...
Mine went moldy too. Thanks for the heads up on that. I think the "6000" grit is 600, it's certainly the coarser of the two. Green side also seems quite soft.
Any thoughts on the angle guide that comes with it? I think the angle would depend on the depth of the blade. The only blade I've tried so far (Lidl's own Mora knock off) was too small for the guide.
I tried the guide in my first video on this sharpener. Even with a fairly broad IKEA kitchen knife, the guide was not great. I don't use it...
Thanks for this! I've tried them out recently and packed them back in the boxes. Just looked and both were moldy. Surface thing, so thanks to you got it in time. Grit wise you might be right as well. 400/800 stone feels just like that and 1000/6000 feels more like 600(green) and 1000 (white)...Come to think of it, that 6000 number caught my eye in the store which led me to buy both stones at the end but nevertheless they do seem to be good stones and 400/600/800/1000 is probably more than I'll ever need.
Concentrated disinfectant seems to have killed it off.
@@MB_EDC Fairly, rubber part alone is enough to keep everything functional but wooden block was a nice addition to the set and would be shame to lose it over something like this.
Agreed
Interesting, thanks for sharing. I've bought two - one 1000/6000 as yours, the other one is 400/800 with red/white colour combo. I'd do macro lens comparison to figure out grit - do a number of strokes on one side with white, flip, do the same number of strokes with the other side. Take macro shots and compare scratches on the sides... I'm not very good at sharpening so if I did it, I'd doubt my consistency, but I'll try - at least I'll get a bit more much needed practice :)
@@zdrz7727 my daughter has a cheap microscope I could take a look at it with that...
@@MB_EDC even better!
Tried it and not really good enough....
@@MB_EDC All right, thanks for the effort. I practiced a bit with the stones, and I think you're right, I have the same impression about the mixed up grit labels - you can definitely feel the green side being coarser than the white one under fingers, when the stones are dry. Cheers!
@zdrz7727 Thanks!
Nice video MB. Maybe I am getting confused. I know you said you believe the grits labels are mixed up. You said the white feels like a finer stone, correct? I would say the labels seem to be correct then.
Thanks...I think the 6000 should maybe be 600.... I am confused too
@@MB_EDC Yes, 600 does sound believable for the course green side.
It does still work....
@@MB_EDC or maybe they missed out a zero from the "1000" side...
@generaldisarray Haha... It's not that smooth...
Yes I agree the grits are back to front! I’m not that imprest with the stone holder either ,,, haven’t tried it on my chiizels yet
It sharpens OK. I did think to pick up the other stone in LIDL it's more coarse than this one...
You might need a more coarse stone before using this one...
1:28 Even if you bleach it and scrub it, you can still smell the mould. It is still there. I resorted to locally wetting mine with some rubbing alcohol and setting it alight. That can take care of the most of the smell but can also result in it catching fire or setting the house on fire if not careful.
I didn't have a steam cleaner to try. That might be another option.
@@Stelios.Posantzis I'll try vinegar... Or maybe one of those citrus based cleaners
@@MB_EDC Since this will never come into contact with food, I guess it doesn't matter much if it smells a bit, as long as it doesn't grow back!
Be careful with citrus based cleaners. If they are too strong and contain limonene be aware that limonene can dissolve plastics as well as fats. This might weaken the adhesive that holds the bamboo sheets together since engineered woods always use some kind of resin/glue to stay in one piece.
@@Stelios.Posantzis Mould has come back.... will have to disinfect with a pine disinfectant.... My just check the base away and use it just on the rubber gasket...
@@MB_EDC you can also try to scorch it lightly but it has to be very lightly. Then you can lightly sand it if you don't like the scorch marks. It should still be salvageable.
@Stelios.Posantzis great idea. I may try that. Thanks.
This came just at the right time for the stabbing culture in the UK there’s so many complaining about blunt knives being used
Well a blunt knife is dangerous!!!
A trick I came across: fasten a bulldog clip to the spine of your blade to establish the sharpening angle. My stone came with a stout plastic clip for that purpose.
I tried the plastic angle guide and didn't find it much help..
@@MB_EDC My opinion too.
👍
I bought one of these on your recommendation and used it to sharpen my old chisels and gouges works great, however I found the gits to be correct but I'd never push the knife, I would always draw to make a burr 😊 strop to finish 😊
Glad you like it.. Did you get this one or the red and white one?
@@MB_EDC white and green 🙂
@markgordon4368 brilliant... Many people have not been able to get them as with Lidl stuff they buy a load and when it's gone it's gone...
i found that stropping reduces some of the serration on the edge, which reduces the "bite".
After stropping, one or two light passes on a high grit oilstone just enough to bring back the bite in the edge.
@trespire thanks for the tip
I would say the mold grew on or in the paper label and adhesive used to stick it ,but common sense tells you any damp area will grow mold ,mixed with organic particles .Bonus if you cut yourself and it turns septic you have a ready supply of penicillin available.Or should you wish to poison someone you have the means .Lidl are budget China made no doubt no big deal if the markings upset you don’t buy it
I Iike the stone. Just need to learn how to use it....
'I hope you can hear that' then plays music over the top of it!. 🤔 Still enjoyable though.
Yep sorry about that. It seemed a good idea in the edit. Glad you liked it!
You should try a leather strop too. It jKes a noticeable difference imho. For pocket knives and such an old belt held taught or glued to a piece of birch ply works well but you have to pull the blade away from you instead of bringing it toward you otherwise the blade will cut the leather and ruin it.
Especially if he uses some diamond past on the leather. It's dead easy and cheap to make too.
I bought a cheap leather strop from Temu and use Smurf poo paste. I have a video on this. Not tried diamond paste yet...
@@MB_EDC
You should try it. Whereabouts are you in England? I'll send you some samples to try. I'm about to make a batch of 0.5, 1 and 2.5 microns. I've been using 2.5-micron paste on both my fixed angle and on my whetstone wheel machine for 7+ months and I love it and it's about time I got my arse in gear and made the finer pastes.
@thechumpsbeendumped.7797 I'm near Bromsgrove, just south of Birmingham. I'd be happy to do a video and give your details out it you sell them..
@@MB_EDC
How do we get in contact with each other? I tried to post my email but it's been deleted.
Great sharpening video, much appreciated. 👍 Take care my friend and Cheers!
Thanks Dave..
Should it be oiled rather than soaked in water?
@@DarkDestroyer-vr4ui A lot of people have asked that. This is a water stone. Oil stones are different. I didn't realise that until I came to use it.
I picked one of these up last week but havent even unpacked it yet. I would say looking at your video that the grits are definitely the wrong way round but then it is only £6.99 so what can you expect. My other stones cost ten times that. I will use it in the greenhouse to touch up my garden knives.
It's not bad at all. Definitely use the green side first. You may need to use a more coarse stone first if the knife is really blunt or damaged...
Could it be possible the 6000 grit should be printed as 600 does sound quite course on camera.
I think you could be right...
I came hear to say the same. 6000 grit should be almost silent and give a mirror polish.
@thechumpsbeendumped.7797 My latest thinking on this use that the 6000 grit use actually 600. It's definitely more coarse than the white side...
You’ve solved it
Maybe.. The key thing is to use the green side first.. Finish on the white
If your coarse sharpening ,say a spade or Sith file off with a file .
If you are sharpening carving chisels ,plain blade's its always against the blade.
The only way to know you have arrived is the "Bir" use a coarse grade then remove that Bir and then finer and finer every time creating a smaller new Bir . then "Honing" the end operation can be off blade .
Honing means less than a sharpen it's essentially Ironing or combing the cutting edge and is unnecessary for applications where a bit of roughness can be useful (EG starting a cut on watermelon)
PS I have always used sharpening stones, but just recently treated myself to Diamond plates . Unlike a stone they are hard to consider as investments as they are essentially disposable as they don't last well.(Granted being new to me I may have pressed too hard ,expecting too much from them.)
Thanks for the tips. I think I will progress to diamond plates at some point
@@MB_EDC I have spent a lot on several grades for fun.
I have even had to get a new 360 grit as I have used one up.
Ok they are fast and anything that makes life easier does help do a Good job, but personally having satisfied my curiosity I'll never get any more .
I don't know if I have got better at sharpening or if it is that sharpness evolves but I think my kitchen knifes' stay sharper longer.
Chisels are easy but hand plains with their single acute angles always intimidate me a bit.
@johnh539 I have a cheap kitchen paring knife that I use to practice on. I did scratch one of my good pocket knives but it's not wrecked and it is a user...
Thought you were meant to "Sweep" the blade across the stone, in an Arc ? Dad, used to sharpen the meat knife that way on the front door, stone step. 🔪 Yes, doorsteps were proper stone - not concrete back in the day. (Who remembers the Orange Scouring stones, to colour the step edges ?)
I'm sure that would work too..I am learning from the comments that everyone has their favourite way to sharpen..
@@MB_EDC I'm thinking the stone's, Multi Facet grit, won't all be in the same direction, so Sweeping in an arc would give a finer edge overall ? The stone will also improve with wear/age.
Maybe... I'm quite new to this sharpening business... Just re-started sharpening about a year ago...
When I was kid knives got sharpened on step
My dad used to do the same thing with the knives, usually the meat knife at Sunday lunchtime before my mum cut the roast. That was our one good meal of the week back in the day.
The stones for the steps were called donkey stones where I came from in Oldham. The rag and bone guy used to give them out if you gave him a load of old clothes. They were a yellowy colour as I remember...
Thanks for this but how can we hear the sound the sharpening process is making if you play music over it? 🤷♂️
Thanks. Point noted. Not everyone likes the sound of sharpening 🤣
Enjoyed the video! Not a fan of the music, especially when you said, 'I hope you can hear it(the stone doing it's work)because I couldn't hear it above the music. Decided to subscribe and give it a chance! Greetz from The Netherlands!
Sorry about the music. I shot myself in the foot there! 🤣 Thank you for your patience! Most of my videos don't have music. If there's a topic you would like a video on.. Let me know... And I'll give it a go if I can...
Good video. Nice and clear. Thanks chap
@@jamescodling8641 Thank you!
Who just happens to know the latin names of all those bloody moulds?
I was impressed.
I have to confess - I am a Microbiologist!!!😎🔬🦠
@@MB_EDC And a good one too. I have no doubt. 🙂
Haha. Not bad. More food safety these days…
Parkside is Bosch so it will be what it say s it is. Looks like a nice bit of kit. Shame you left it wet, but its a tool at the end of the day. Ill follow you for a bit and see how it goes. Pethaps 13mins is a bit long for this subject. 5 mins would be better. Have you seen the victrinox swiss army knife sharpener? Nice little addition to the upstairs tool box 😊.
It's Bosch! I never knew. I kept the video longer as I didn't want to be accused of cheating. I love the Victorinox dual Knife sharpener. Easy to use and perfect for SAKs!
@MB_EDC Parkside is Einhell, not Bosch - similar green but Bosch is a brighter shade - Google is your friend 😊
@jagoq53 haha. You did more research than me!!!
@@MB_EDC An idle two minutes 😆
@jagoq53 Good use of a couple of minutes!
Most whet stones would use oil as a lubricant. Only water stone of Ayer would be water in uk.
Agreed.. It depends on the composition of the stones. These are water stones.
The marking are correct for the grit sizes, 1000 at the bottom means 1000 on top and the same with the 6000... It might seem a bit backwards but it makes sense to me... Does anyone remember dual sided dvds? It was the same thing with those and the labelling
That could be one explanation. It would make more sense if the markings were not the same way up...i.e. the marking was the right way up for the stone when on top...
That could be one explanation. It would make more sense if the markings were not the same way up...i.e. the marking was the right way up for the stone when on top...
You seem to be doing rather a lot for little return in the way of sharpness, the paper cutting didn't go to well, finer grit/ strop on leather after the heavier grit.
You might get better results with blade going in the opposite direction.
Think you are definitely right about the grit rating 😉 I have one or two like it, I sort of look at it the liter the stone the finer the grit.
As for the rubber base fine, but, not sure about the wooden base 🤔 I would probably ditch it, I also leave my stones in water pretty much all the time.
Good luck 👍.
Cheers Les.
Thanks for tips!
On the basis that Ben Orford (a brilliant British custom knife maker) and Ray Mears have knife sharpening videos where they push the blade, and most professional knife makers on UA-cam seem to advise pushing, I’ll stick with that method.
@@keithorbell8946 this is my thinking. I will try the other methods and report back with a video.
@@MB_EDC -- Pushing is fine as long as you've got your knife at the right angle. I push and pull alternately.
@twatmunro Thanks good to know I will try this....
I have an almost identical unit from a well known Asian online shop and mine has the white marked as 6000 and green as 1000 (in what is probably the exact same place and font).
Is the green more coarse than the white on yours too?
@@MB_EDC yes the white is definitely finer. I'm wondering if yours is an anomaly, just printed upside down, or if they were all made incorrectly?
@neilg322 A few other people have ones that match mine. I meant to contact LIDL , but haven’t yet…
When using a sharpening stone you always push the blade and it also pays to use an expensive stone over a cheap one as although cheap stones may look like a good deal but they wear out a lot faster and don't do the job as well as an expensive stone does
I was given this one so wanted to work out how to use it. I am learning as I go with these videos - especially from many of the comments. I will move onto more expensive stones eventually.
Push or pull the blade is a preference not a rule as it will do the same job. It's so cheap I doubt how flat it actually is before use 🤣 These videos will improve as practice makes perfect in all things.
@thanksalotAndy Thanks! Hopefully a few people will stick around to see how I do...
Приветствую! Ещё есть чему учиться. Явно видно, что подводы с разных сторон разные. Угол заточки не одинаковый. Главное не сдаваться и всё получится!
Thank you. Yes I am still learning...Спасибо! Да, я все еще учус
The gap between 1000 and 6000 thousand is too big. If the grit size is accurate then it takes a really long time to get the "scratches" out with the 6000 grit after you are done with the 1000.
I think the consensus is that the"6000" could be 600 grit.
I always use light oil never clean the sharp side of the blade facing your hand I always sharpen one side till I get a burr one the other side then turn knife over do the other works for me I think it's 22degrees for ultermate edge good luck
Thanks
When in engineering we always used oil, never water. We never pulled the cutting towards, always trailing.
I have learned through this that there are water stones and oil stones. This is a water stone. I will be trialling alternative sharpening methods, pulling Vs pushing, Vs both.
@@tonyjoe5707 These are water stones though, if you used honing oil on these they would be ruined. One thing I have found though is when using diamond stones or natural stones such as Arkansas stones is using the correct honing solution for different stones makes sharpening a whole lot more effective and a better experience, obvious really but one has be bothered to get specific solutions and the added expense of doing so.
@@MB_EDC Some expensive ultra fine natural water stones are quite soft, trailing would be a must as a knife would potentially dig into the stone.
@@SnowyAspenHills yes...I am starting to think these water stones are more trouble than they're worth...
@@MB_EDC Persevere, they cut fast, no messy oil and can give extremely good results. If they get a bit worn in he middle (hollow) get sandpaper or wet and dry lay on a sheet of glass or a flat surface and flatten. When I was workshop based I used them all the time but having now worked on site for 20 years i swapped to diamond stones, easier to maintain and almost indestructible.
99,999 % of the people never ever want to cut paper with a knife, try to cut an overripe tomato,
or an is throath.
I get the point...
On my german version of the stone is written 1000 on the green and 6000 on the flint on the stone and the same on the box.
That is interesting! Perhaps that is a later version.
So does mine. I bought it in Portugal. Supposedly it was made in Germany
@PFLMCTT China more likely.... If it was made in Germany - I'm sure the labelling would have been correct...
Raising a consistent burr on both sides of the blade will help with sharpness then all you have to do is remove the burr and refine on higher grit.
I'm still a learner and struggle to raise a burr, or at least recognise when I have...But I'm working on it...
@@MB_EDC grind on one side untill you feel a burr drag your nail against the edge you should feel it , you can shine a light on it to help see better.
Once you have a good burr switch sides and do the same after move to higher grit and strop the burr off after sharpening.
@aaron6841 Thanks.. I'll try that...
I totally agree, this technique take time to learn ,but when it finally clicks it gives incredible results. Cutting paper to demonstrate sharpness is a UA-cam thing, try cutting seasoned oak, that's when you really discover how sharp a blade is!
@@doczoff5655 Agreed. The paper test is just a good visual check of sharpness. Most people probably only use their knifes to open packages and cut cardboard😂
Just put a piece of clingfilm on top of the box before putting the stone on it. The clingfilm will keep the oil or water off the bamboo box and stop it from going mouldy. Simples.
@@neilfoster814 Great idea! I like it and will try it!
I have a similar stone - it’s an oil stone.
This one is definitely a water stone it's in the instruction leaflet.
Yup. Spot on.
Oil. Or ya use spit.
Why the *£*# soak it!!????
@@MB_EDC do you believe everything you read?
Tell the makers.
Haha - I generally do read instructions...
These Lidl wetstones are almost the same size as “WorSharp Whetstone” so I use te WS’s hardware to the Lidl stones instead of the bamboo…
Interesting. Thanks
Very nice video! I may be completely wrong, but I’ve never heard of a 6000 grit sharpening stone. Even a 1000 grit stone is very fine. Is it possible that both sides of the Lidl stone are incorrectly labeled? 😅
Very sorry!! Just now I was thinking of oil stones not whetstones. My mistake.
No worries.. There is another stone out there from Parkside I may need to get that just to compare the two...
They're 6000# & 1000#. It might be assumed that they designate grit size but without further proof (box details) the # could be the manufacturers own form of stone grading. The fact they stamped 6000# on the coarser side casts further doubt they're regular grit size designations.
@stevecade857 True..I did intend to contact LIDL to get a response from them...I will when I'm back from vacation...
Stones can have grit as high as 10,000 or more Suehiro Gokumyo 10k Sharpening Whetstone and Suehiro Gokumyo 15k Sharpening Whetstone if you have the $$$$ good luck on the learning it takes sum time..........
Cillit bang black mould remover and a small paint brush to clean your bamboo block
Great idea! I’ll try that if it comes back. I used concentrated disinfectant, which seems to have worked.
@@MB_EDC if you are in the UK, £4 tesco/sainsbury
I am thanks - I'll check it out...
I've never tried a water stone, especially a Lidl one. But if I see it there I'm having a punt at it. Lots of people have lots of ways of sharpening, and eveyone needs to find a way that suits them - and the type of tool they are sharpening. There's no right or wrong stone, abrasive or process. You could spend a week on UA-cam and everyone will tell you their method is the best.
Remember the sharper the blade the more sharpening it will require per use. If you're a professional sushimi chef using deba knives all day, the sharpening angle is shallower (about 15 degrees) compared tp that of an SWA (about 20 degrees), because it needs to be surgically precise. No SWA needs a 6000grit finish, that's quite a delicate finish for a rugged tool. It's not cutting wafer-thin tuna all day long. So it all depends on what you are sharpening and for what purpose. Personally, I use a Trend diamond stone and leather strop. The stone is 300 on one side and 1000 on the other so it's very multi-purpose. To test if I sharpened a knife blade sufficiently, I let the edge tough my fingernail. If it bites without slipping, it's food-prep sharp - meaning thin slices on over-ripe tomatoes for a little while. Paper is ok, but we use scissors or craft-blades for their purpose. Cut through a piece of paracord or whittle a stick - or split a cane to see if an SWA will pull you through. I have a deba knife and still haven't sharpened it after a year, but it only comes out for super-fine tasks. It's due a touch-up.
Remember, sharpness is only as important as the tool it's intended for.
Thanks for taking the time to comment. You raise some great points. This was my first water stone and my first few uses of it - so I am giving a beginner's view of using it. It sharpens OK and will do better the more practice I get. It is more of a faff to use. I will be getting some diamond stones to try out.
@@MB_EDC Waterstones certainly look like a faff as you put it, but having never tried one I wouldn't mind a pop with a cheap version on an old chisel or knife. I suppose the only beauty is that lapping fluid is cleaner because it's water. Thanks for replying and making the effort to create interesting thought-provoking content 👍
@@dizzybee7386 Thanks!
@dizzybee7386 Thanks. I'm glad you liked the video...
Lift the stone and rubber holder out and use on a bench
I can try that. The bamboo block has a non-slip base...
I’ve had some bad luck with some parkside stuff in the past so I don’t bother buying it. I’ve no doubt some products are ok but some are definitely rubbish.
This Is OK... Not rubbish.. add not really high quality..OK for a beginner like me...
They tend to have agood returns service if needed
I've got a couple of Parkside waterstones & can achieve razor sharp edges on chisels & plane iron. Could it be quicker with a better quality stone? Probably, but the Parkside one is as cheap as chips, so good enough for the amount of sharpening I do.
Their power tools are generally outstanding value for money. The odd dud I've had hasn't broken the bank & is more than balanced out by the more numerous bargains.
@user-tw8bp6jj5v I can test it out!
@McMonkeyful Thanks for sharing your experience. My experience with the stone had been good so far... In fact I may get the other stone they have...
wash and heat the Base to remove all the mold heat your oven after washing it.
oven warm. then and turn it off add base to kill mold this way you do not Burn the base.
Thanks I will try this...
Sjovt at den bare bliver dårligere og dårligere 🎉
Men at du har den helt rigtige teknik ❤
Thanks. I am still working on improving my sharpening technique.
@MB_EDC you can work on it for a lifetime, thanks for your channel. 🥰
@Allan8080 Thank you! Expect more updates as I bumble my way through learning different techniques..
I bought it last week, i also thing that the marking is wrong..the white part seems to be softer.
I think most people agree with this...
I was taught that machine or mineral oil is better than water and it's more healthy for the metal.
This is an interesting point. Through the comments I have learned that there are water stones and oil stones. This is a water stone. Both work OK. Oil stones trend to be lower grit.
@@R6AAO Sorry but that makes no sense as the liquid is used to carry the removed metal away and the blade should be wiped dry anyway.
@@thanksalotAndyback in the day, when you were taught to use an oil stone, these Japanese type water stones weren't commonly available.
@@johnrhodes3350 Way before oil stones were used knifes were sharpened using water and stone, in fact in Victorian times craftsman went round sharpening kitchen knives using a stone wheel and water. It's a very very old method still used today.
@thanksalotAndy agreed.. Good point.
Stick your holder in a plastic bag before using it to prevent any water on the wood
Good call... Someone else has suggested oilling the bamboo base
@MB_EDC oil may warp the wood in time ,maybe wax would work better, it won't stop mould occurring. As far as I know though .Good luck, and God bless you and your family. Lee
@leemichel8199 Thanks Lee...
I bought one of these a few weeks back,paid lidl around 7 squid. The green seems far courser than the white.
Agreed. Either the green is 600 and not 6000 or the grit sizes are the wrong way round. Do you think it sharpens OK?
@MB_EDC
I use it in tandem with a honing guide. Mostly for chisels and plane blades, it works fine.
@@johncorrall1739 Thanks! Good to know...
You can open up a pharmacy with all that mould, you can make your own antibiotics 😂🤣
I was surprised by the growth and variety... As good as growing mould on an agar plate...!🤣
Never used water on my stones... always a light oil. Have I been wrong for the last 60+ years?
Probably not if they are oil stones. This is a water stone. Water stones trends to be a finer grit.
I would say use water .
I spent 40 years using oil and tried water and I think it sharpens better. Peoplr talk about oil stone but all the ones I've come across are like this one better with water.
If you use oil (even light oil) on a water stone it will clog up the surface after a while and it just won't work properly.
@@ferrumignis Thanks for the confirmation...
How about oiling the wood?
Good idea. Someone else has suggested vinegar to remove the mould as well....
as someone who worked with a lot of hand tools professionally such a s chisels and planes, i tossed the wet stones and oil stones in the bin when diamond stones became available. i want to be able to get back to work quickly (30 seconds for a chisel). biggest problem with oil and especially wet is the maintenance of them. whereas a good diamond stone never needs flattening and cuts a lot quicker than the others. i think wet stones is more about bragging rights than actually being a better method.
I am new to all of this, but I fully get your point. This water stone sharpens OK, but is a pain to use, having to soak it first and keep it wet. I will be buying a couple of diamond plates at some point..I am sure. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this...