2 simple hints for new users

Legacy Forum Archive basic-techniques-and-sharpening-strategies
1

If you are new to Wicked Edge, here are two simple tips that will help.

  1. You'll want an even bevel on both sides of the blade. One bevel should not be steeper than the other nor longer than the other (depending on how you say it). What happened to me was this, because I am right handed, I was pushing the stone into the knife harder on the right side than I was on the left, so the bevel on that side of the knife ended up being longer than the bevel on the other side.
So here's my solution: Do not hold the stone firmly. Hold them loosely with fingertips only. Let the weight of the stone determine how hard it presses against the blade. For me, the problem went away when I curled my fingers and held the stones by my fingertips. The pressure on both sides of the knife equalized and the size of the bevels equalized too.
  1. If you’re tired of rounding off the point of a knife, then listen up. If you allow your wrist to roll inward towards at the very end of the stroke, you’re rounding off the point. Rolling inward is super easy to do and it’s a hard habit to break. Concentrate on keeping the stone straight and moving in a straight direction at the end of the blade. This may be applicable only to guys like me who start their stroke near the choil and push towards the tip.

Faithfully yours,

FP

2

Also, to keep from rounding off the point of your blade, don’t extend the tip side of your stone more than halfway of the width of the stone past the tip. Lift the stone as you get to the center of the stone or before halfway.