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knife sharpening: push vs. pull method?

nasv

Hey fellow kitchen-geeks,

I am trying to pay more attention to my knife sharpening with the whetstones, but noticed an inconsistency in technique with the use of the stones for sharpening.

In the ChefSteps class, the technique, in a nutshell, is to push your knife at your preferred angle through the stone to form a burr on the other side. Makes sense. But, as I was researching any alterations with 70/30 bevel knives, I came across the Korin series, this video in particular, where the demonstrated technique is more about pulling your knife across the stone to form a burr on the opposite side.

So... push vs. pull... which way and why?

I'm guessing - as is common with most things - that there are merits to both techniques, and that there are learnings from both that can be applied to one's personal "style" when sharpening knives, but I don't know enough to know any of the possible reasoning for one way vs. the other, so thought I'd ask since I'm trying to take more ownership of the care of my favorite tools.

Cheers,

-Nico

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Comments

Brandon_Byrd_40557

The bigger revelation from the Korin videos (for me, at any rate) was to work your blade in small sections rather than trying to pass the full edge across the stone every stroke.

nasv

Agree, I thought that was interesting too. In ChefSteps series, working the full edge across the stone also seems to cover the entire surface area of the stone rather than the korin method which may concentrate in some central areas. Perhaps a greater need for a "stone fixer" with the Korin method.

I wonder if you could do a hybrid-method... pulling the full edge across the stone with every stroke. Maybe for the final polishing.

fisher23

I think which ever method you use getting the burr is key for a razor edge.

JasonWirth_68226

If you want to see different techniques...

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%E5%8C%85%E4%B8%81+%E7%A0%94%E3%81%8E%E6%96%B9

pd3ski_278514

Ok... there's no wrong way or so called right way. That said I freehand on stones, a lot on synthetics throughout 140-8k but finish with japanese naturals on the final edge. It was a life changing moment sharpening steel to go jnats last!

So enough of that here's what you do ... take your knife and put it on the cutting board... lay it flat and start lifting the spine up with your thumb on the back of the spine as an angle reference, move forward until the edge start to catch in the board. You now know where your edge lives this is important! Feel for where it lives up from the heel to the tip (a very slight elbow lift here is also important) both front side and back side. This is the same place that a stone will place a burr as others have suggested. If you are a righty I would start off with the edge facing me, I do not switch hands but some do, that messes me up ;-) for various reasons but trust me (reverse if lefty). And also see the above YouTube reference 70/30 edge. Use a sharpie to mark the whole edge then using light pressure on your first stone, should be around 1k, see where the scratches are on those first couple of passes.

If you feel that when you are taking your knife up on the board your angle is to high, you will have to do what is called thinning which is removing the metal behind the edge so that the primary edge, the one that contacts mr. carrot, blends in better towards the spine. This helps to eliminate that cracking sound mr. carrot makes. Wedging.

As John says the burr is important. This is what you want feel up and down tip to heel on the edge you start off with.

And I'll make a very important point here. You don't need to use excessive pressure here!!!!!! Let the stone work for you!! And use the whole stone, this is very hard for beginners to do but you will have less wear on the stone leading to less flattening. This is a point missed on a lot of people!

Ok you got burr? Now flip and remove burr .... lightly!!... feel with your thumb for complete burr removal. Point is if you reached a burr on the front you've reached the very edge and by removing from the back ( your left side if your a righty) you now have a fresh edge!

Then starts the same starts through higher/finer grit stones. Finally I end with a series of leading edge very lightly to end the whole deal on whatever stone I want to end up on.

It really isn't hard it just takes practice in quiet space with nobody bothering you.. a little zen zone... mmm relaxing knife sharpening... you're with me right?.

So many techniques so many results for different cutting. The rabbit hole is deep my friend.

And to answer that first question, I go both ways on the stone full contact!! ;-)

Kinda of a knife nerd here.

I'll try to post a couple of vids tomorrow for you.

geemcwee

Any luck with those vids - am curious to see the above in action....here's me thinking Grants drag across full face of stone was THE way to go.

pd3ski_278514

Oh sorry forgot... doh. I'll link a couple shortly. In the mean time here is a link to the kitchen knife forum in the sharpening section... lots and I mean LOTS of info here!!

http://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/forumdisplay.php/110-Sharpening-Station

Edit... here watch Jon at jki he's very skillful....https://www.japaneseknifeimports.com/blogs/media