First knife in the books with 130!
- This topic has 6 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 07/23/2018 at 10:09 am by
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William, your stones will improve with use resulting in better outcomes. You can not over-do an edge. If in doubt whether you have done enough to achieve good results, always err on the side of more.
Your burr should not be hard to discern…it should be very evident. If your having doubts whether you have indeed created a burr indicating your grinds have apexed the edge, then I suggest you continue with your strokes. Like I said you can’t over-do it or cause negative results. The burr on the opposie side, for me is a little more difficult to discern. I believe it’s easier to draw the burr prematurely to the second side than drawing the first side burr. Especially an even height and positioned burr.
Once I have created burrs, on both sides indicating to me my bevel grinds have reached the apex, my next step is to do alternating left-right-left-right strokes to make the apex even and more keen. I verify by finger feel across the entire length that the edge is sharp. Again, more strokes are always better then less. Only when I’m sure my edge is sharp do I move on to the next grit.
Each grit done again the same way will result in an increasingly sharper edge. It is not necessary to create a burr after the first time. Just to feel or visually see the grinding has apexed the edge.
Marc
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If you recorded your clamping position for that Wustof you can re-clamp it and fix the edge so that it is sharp all the way from heel to tip. I would drop back down to 400 grit and get a good burr on both sides of the blade before progressing through your other grits. It also helps to re-check the angle with each grit change. You will find that the angle can vary by as much as half a degree or so from one stone to the next.
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When re-clamping for your touch-up, apply marker to the bevel so you can see that you’re removing steel from right at the bevel. The marker should help you make any fine clamp placement adjustments.
You can rework the tip then blend the tip with the rest of knife edge as you progress up the grits. When done you should not have any evidence that you did it in two stages.
Marc
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Yes, essentially. I alternate the scrubbing, up-down-up-down, stroke on one knife side, with the same scrubbing, up-down-up-down, stroke to the other knife side, in order to keep the grind work more balanced, from knife side to side. I do not work exclusively, one side, till I have a burr across the entire knife’s edge length, then work the other. Alternating your grind work keeps the bevel more even and it allows me to keep the burr to a minimum. A burr really wastes steel. As you gain experience you’ll feel the knife edge coming around and getting sharper as you’re grinding action apexes the bevels. It’s also helpful to visually inspect your work with a loup or my preference an USB Microscope. I do this as long as it takes to get my results, results driven, not time driven. It usually takes the longest the first time sharpening the knife on the WE.
In most sharpening scenarios, we’re trying to establish a balanced, centered “V” grind. To work exclusively one side till finished then repeat on the other side is IMO chasing the grind back and forth across the steel’s thickness. If you work towards centering the bevel from the start it just make the effort more practical, quicker and easier.
After I have drawn both sides together up to a centered apex, I begin an alternating left side – right side – left side – right side, stroke to even the cutting edge and make it more keen. I start by working a small portion of the edge and keep expanding the portion until I am working the entire knife’s edge, if possible. It is more difficult with a long kitchen knife. I always try to keep my stroke with some angle to it and not horizontal or parallel to the knife’s edge.
You’ll determine what strokes work best for you with experience and what is important to you in the appearance of the scratch pattern. As you put this experience together this will become your technique.
Marc
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