Go to the Article: How to Sharpen a Knife
Great demos, very useful and carefully explained - typo: "1000 to 15000"
Oops, thanks for the catch. Fixed now.
I don't see the ones in the video on the site you mentioned above. Are they there? Googling turns up a manufacturer named Norton selling similar looking combinations used in the video (i.e. 220/1000 and 4000/8000).
this gave me wood. you've made my day, thank you. Novice home chef, I'm tired of half sharp knives and know if I put in the time and effort I can do it myself.
- originally posted by Jeff Ross
Welcome aboard Jeff. Glad your knives are sharp now.
For those still looking around...http://www.amazon.com/Norton-W...
What about other kinds of stones, particularly diamond grit?
Yes, they will work. Grit size still matters, and diamond is very abrasive, so it's easier to overdo the sharpening and remove more metal than necessary.
What about ceramic steels for honing? For example: http://www.amazon.com/Messerme...It seems like it sharpens (takes away material) and hones. But people seem to say that it doesn't take away that much material.Now that I look at the honing video more carefully it looks you guys are using a ceramic steel?
Why do you sharpen by pushing the knife towards the cutting edge? I have been taught to always pull away from the edge during sharpening to create the bur. Obviously you are able to create a sharp knife with your technique but is there a reason why you are not pulling away for the cutting edge? Or does it not really matter if you push or pull?
There are, of course, many techniques on how to sharpen a knife. Everyone who has done it a lot has a preferred way, and sometimes people will say something like "never do X" or "always do Y", but our attitude is that you should use the technique whatever technique allows you to be most consistent with maintaining your desired angle. In my personal experience, I have seen very experienced knife makers in Japan sharpen by pushing and pulling.
I sometimes put my chamber vacuum sealer covered in water for quick hydration. I also use it too hydrate wood chips for smoking. Have you tried this method?
For quick hydration I put my knife stones in the chamber vacuum covered with water. I also do a quick soak on wood chips with this method. Have you ever tried this? What are your thoughts about this?
Really clever idea. We'll have to keep that in mind.
what about single bevel knives?
Could you make a video featuring sharpening of a single edged knife like a japanese sashimi knife(yanaigiba), i have some trouble getting mine as sharp as i want it.
If I were to just buy the 3000/8000 stone you guys recommend, would that sharpen my knife to a satisfactory condition for most purposes?
Hi, the course is very helpfull . I want to as =k you something .......i want to bay a dual sharpener stone..if the grid is 2000\5000 is ok,or 1000/4000 is better ???
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Water-Stone-Dual-2-Side-Whetstone-Razor-Blade-Sharpener-Sharpening-2000-5000-/171351124578?pt=AU_Cutlery&hash=item27e552aa62
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Water-Stone-Dual-Whetstone-Knife-Sharpener-Sharpening-Flattening-1000-4000-/390858198624?pt=AU_Cutlery&hash=item5b00f6ce60
Any recommendations on flattening the stones? What method/tool, how often, etc?
Can any knife be sharpened to be literally "razor sharp" as shown in the videos or is this only going to be possible with certain steel compositions? To put it another way, if I sharpen one of my knives and I am not able to shave my arm hair is it all on my sharpening skills? As a follow on, how many passes at each grit would typically be required to get a knife that has never been sharpened before to this level?
basically, Yes, any steel knife can get that sharp this way (I don't know if waterstones are appropriate for ceramic knives or some of the other exotic materials). The difference between steel qualities usually falls somewhere on the scale between how easily it is to sharpen and how long it holds that edge. As a general rule, the easier it is to sharpen then the more often you will have to do it. Yes, there are other characteristics of steel, but they are not that relevant for sharpening. So to answer your second question, how many passes it should take, it depends on your steel. After you set the right edge, every higher grit is just getting the scratches out. Once they are gone it is time to move up... you may also feel the wire burr break off which is usually a good sign to move on to the next grit. If you move up through 8000 then the finish should be mirror like, 1000 will be scratchy and 4000 should look hazy. If you have a steel knife and go through 8000 without being able to shave your arm easily enough, then it is the user skills. (The video showed a very very sharp knife from someone very skilled in free hand sharpening, don't expect to be quite that sharp, but it should cut a hair instead of pushing over it). But don't worry, it takes a lot of practice. Go slow and keep a consistent angle.
Remember, once you have the knife repaired and sharpened, it will only take a few passes each day to keep it that way. If you ignore it for a year it might take you an hour or more to get it back to razor sharp.
Every time you are done with them, put them away flat. You can buy special diamond "dressing" stones for this purpose, but I go with a silcone carbide sand paper stuck (usually with water) to something very flat. A few quick passes usually does the trick, remember to work from your coarsest to your finest grit.
The only difference for single bevel blades is the angle for one side is quite easy to achieve, because it is flat. You can just lay the blade down flat on the stone to flatten the back, and then working through the grits as normal. Once you have dressed it the first time you only need to flatten the very edge for your standard maintenance. Look up some woodworking videos on sharpening paring chisels, as they are single bevel blades usually kept very sharp.
Thanks for the reply, I suspected it was all down to my novice skills I bought a cheap knife from a thrift store just to practice on and while I've sharpened it to the point it will cut through paper fairly easily it fails the shave test. I was also having trouble getting the correct angle on the curved part of the blade so for now I am ignoring it and focusing on the flat portion until I get a little better.
Does the grit size of the nagura matter? I'm about to sharpen my knives for the second time and I'm ready to buy a nagura for maintaining the stones (240, 1000, & 6000).
Why do some knife sharpening 'systems' come with oil? Is there some maintenance, 'oiling', that is done or is it a different type of stone/sharpening altogether?
I have never put my knife to a stone, simply because I would be afraid of ruining it. I sharpen my knife on a diamond steel regularly when using, but I have noticed that the edge isn't as good as it once was. Would you say that a stone is vital to maintain a knifes edge? Also I noticed in the video that the steel used was a pretty standard steel (no diamond coating or ceramic or anything fancy). Would you say that the use of a stone and a standard steel to hone, os better than only a diamond steel? Much obliged!
Oil is used to stones that arent put in water. Whetstones are the best.
Can anyone advise on a flattening stone/method to keep my whetstones even/flat?
I was looking at this exact question and ended up going with a 1000/6000 stone. In the end, I would probably have opted to go 1000/4000; I think no matter what, you want a 1000 stone in your arsenal. I've been using the 1000 side primarily and happy with the results, which is great for everyday use. I go 6000 when I'm looking to get super thin slices.
Thanks!!
Just got a carbon knife...any additional info I need for sharpening? (I've been told to keep the knife super dry; that some chefs actually wipe between slicing -- leaves me a bit concerned with the water portion of sharpening the knife)
I've got a product named Dianova Lapstone. It has two sides: coarse(60 microns/350 mesh) and fine (30 microns/600 mesh). So what are these values as "grid" ?
What is the bare minimum fine grit to produce decent results? I understand that the finer the stone, the sharper the knife.
I have found a sharpening stone in my house but I don't think it is anywhere close to 4000/8000 grit.? It's not labeled.My guess might be 200/400? Would this work to sharpen a knife?
I don't understand how you can develop a burr by pushing the edge into the stone? In my mind, the only way to establish a burr would be by pulling the edge. However, you must understand that my mind doesn't work well most of the time!😝
I love the sound track. Where can I get it from ?
How frequently will you need to replace and re-purchase the sharpening kit? It's a steep, even if worthwhile, ~$240 investment so just curious how often we'd need to make it!
Hi Aaron, I replace my stones every 8-10 years or so, and I sharpen my knives a lot more frequently than any home cook will ever. so assume they will last 10 years plus, depending on how you care for them.
Hello, I have a question about sharpening steel rods. I know that some are labeled Coarse, Fine, Fine Cut and so forth BUT what exactly is a REGULAR CUT steel. What type of grit is that considered to be?
