Sharpening Round Knife Alternatives Good Enough?

[AlamoJoe2002]

Thanks for the feedback all. I'm breaking out the water sharpening stones and start at 400 grit. I will send a  ton of time at this grit and work the round knife in thirds...two outside and inside. I will get the hang of this sooner or later. If it is totally out of my realm I send it to Bruce Johnson for sharpening.

 

[Dwight]

Hey, Alamo . . . believe me . . . if I can figure it out . . . get a knife that will skive off about one oz at a time . . . anybody can do it . . . and I did it.

I watched that video I sent you . . . went to work on it . . . and so help me . . . I think I could come close to dissecting a fly's chin whiskers.

I am VERY careful with it . . . didn't used to be before . . . and almost never used it.

Now it is the first knife I think of . . . 

May God bless,

Dwight

[Klara]

Finally watched the above video - is anybody else surprised that the man sharpens his knife in the opposite direction to the rest of the world? And by rest of the world I not only mean YouTubers but also the author of "An Edge in the Kitchen" and a knife maker friend... Now I'm going to check what Stohlman says...

Edited April 25, 2022 by Klara

[chuck123wapati]

the video is spot on,  i will say though they are stropping the blade after the edge has been established, or in essence keeping it sharp. You still need to create the edge before you can proceed to this step. Rough stones create the edge then the edge gets polished finer like they are doing to the point you are satisfied.

[Klara]

What surprised me is that I've learned to sharpen a knife by pushing the cutting edge, as if trying to cut a thin slice off the stone. Which is what Denny says not to do, he says to pull the blade in the opposite direction. Stohlman recommends a circular motion...

I'm wondering whether maybe it doesn't matter, as long as the angle stays constant and I end up with an edge.

 

[billybopp]

3 hours ago, Klara said:

What surprised me is that I've learned to sharpen a knife by pushing the cutting edge, as if trying to cut a thin slice off the stone. Which is what Denny says not to do, he says to pull the blade in the opposite direction. Stohlman recommends a circular motion...

I'm wondering whether maybe it doesn't matter, as long as the angle stays constant and I end up with an edge.

 

I've seen experts recommend just about every way possible, but I honestly think that keeping a constant angle is FAR more important than which way you move the blade.  Whatever helps you do that is the best way for YOU!.   I always had trouble getting the angle just right, and found these a couple of years ago to help out.  https://www.amazon.com/Wedgek-Angle-Guides-Sharpening-Knife/dp/B01N4QMO7U/ref=sr_1_3?crid=NPOJ866V0K3G&keywords=wedgek+angle&qid=1650970482&sprefix=wedgek+angle%2Caps%2C103&sr=8-3

- Bill

[chuck123wapati]

4 hours ago, Klara said:

I'm wondering whether maybe it doesn't matter, as long as the angle stays constant and I end up with an edge.

 

[Tequila]

1 hour ago, billybopp said:

I've seen experts recommend just about every way possible, but I honestly think that keeping a constant angle is FAR more important than which way you move the blade.  Whatever helps you do that is the best way for YOU!.   I always had trouble getting the angle just right, and found these a couple of years ago to help out.  https://www.amazon.com/Wedgek-Angle-Guides-Sharpening-Knife/dp/B01N4QMO7U/ref=sr_1_3?crid=NPOJ866V0K3G&keywords=wedgek+angle&qid=1650970482&sprefix=wedgek+angle%2Caps%2C103&sr=8-3

- Bill

I wish there was a “like” button 

[Matt S]

1 hour ago, billybopp said:

I've seen experts recommend just about every way possible, but I honestly think that keeping a constant angle is FAR more important than which way you move the blade.  Whatever helps you do that is the best way for YOU!.

This. Like Billy I've seen people who know what they're about sharpen knives and other edge tools in just about every direction -- push, pull, little circles and parallel along the edge. Even Tormek acknowledge that sharpening into or away from the edge is perfectly acceptable and design their machines and jigs to work both ways. How you establish and maintain that consistent edge angle is the thing. With practice it's perfectly feasible to do it freehand -- millions of carpenters, saddlers and luthiers have been doing it since the Iron Age. It's not cheating if you use a bought or DIY jig though. Assuming that you're not deliberately reshaping the edge of the blade just maintain that angle while honing both sides until you bevels meet (it will develop a consistent wire edge all along), then go up a grit size or strop and a slightly steeper angle on something gentle like your palm or jeans just until the burr comes off. Then strop to polish the bevel and get cutting.

I've found that the edge is only part of the story when it comes to cutting tool effectiveness, especially on something like a head or round knife. The bevels leading up to the edge are crucial too, especially with thicker and stiffer materials. While you might be able to get away with a straight, flat piece of steel a couple millimetres back from the edge if you're cutting a piece of basil you need a long, smooth and well polished taper if you're cutting bridle back or tooling shoulder. The reason should be obvious: a steep bevel gets jammed into the cut on thicker leathers, and an unpolished one drags more than a polished one. Grinding long, smoothly tapered or convexed bevels is a time consuming job, so a lot of knives these days don't come like that from the factory. Many head and round knives are overthick too. My favourites are all 2mm max thickness at the ferrule and taper gradually to the main cutting bevel.

[tsunkasapa]

2 hours ago, Matt S said:

This. Like Billy I've seen people who know what they're about sharpen knives and other edge tools in just about every direction -- push, pull, little circles and parallel along the edge. Even Tormek acknowledge that sharpening into or away from the edge is perfectly acceptable and design their machines and jigs to work both ways. How you establish and maintain that consistent edge angle is the thing. With practice it's perfectly feasible to do it freehand -- millions of carpenters, saddlers and luthiers have been doing it since the Iron Age. It's not cheating if you use a bought or DIY jig though. Assuming that you're not deliberately reshaping the edge of the blade just maintain that angle while honing both sides until you bevels meet (it will develop a consistent wire edge all along), then go up a grit size or strop and a slightly steeper angle on something gentle like your palm or jeans just until the burr comes off. Then strop to polish the bevel and get cutting.

I've found that the edge is only part of the story when it comes to cutting tool effectiveness, especially on something like a head or round knife. The bevels leading up to the edge are crucial too, especially with thicker and stiffer materials. While you might be able to get away with a straight, flat piece of steel a couple millimetres back from the edge if you're cutting a piece of basil you need a long, smooth and well polished taper if you're cutting bridle back or tooling shoulder. The reason should be obvious: a steep bevel gets jammed into the cut on thicker leathers, and an unpolished one drags more than a polished one. Grinding long, smoothly tapered or convexed bevels is a time consuming job, so a lot of knives these days don't come like that from the factory. Many head and round knives are overthick too. My favourites are all 2mm max thickness at the ferrule and taper gradually to the main cutting bevel.

 The edge needs to be sharp, but the long, POLISHED taper is vitally important to get the job done easily.