I never consider how long it takes to sharpen a knife. For me this is an enjoyable hobby. It takes what ever time it takes. I continue working at it till I have results I’m satified with. Whether it’s a 30 minute touch-up or a two day sharpening marathon, it’s all the same.
That’s not to say I don’t recognize that I’m extending more effort then I think I should have to and then I may step down to coarser grit stones or change to other sharpening mediums to help improve the efficiency of my effort.
The bottom line is, the Wicked Edge Sharpeners are a “hand tool”. It is simply a bench vise that securely holds th e knife at a precisely and determined position. We then move an abrassive medium across hardened, tempered steels as long as it takes to shape these steels in the manner we are working towards. Some newer steels are compounded with very tough and durable components. These new steels are exceeding all previous specifications and expectations we have experienced while sharpening in the past. Possibly our contemporary sharpening stones will become ineffective and obsolete. In the mean time as long as I see it’s doing the job, and I’m making progress, I’ll continue working at it, while sharpening with these stones I have available.
You may change up your sharpening technique to make the effort a little easier. Try starting at a wider bevel angle setting then your planned profile angle. Then lower bevel angle as you have removed the steel from the bevel near the knife’s edge. This will limit the swatch or width of steel you’re grinding off, at one time. This way you’re only working on a smaller strip of this extra hard steel at a given time. As you adjust the bevel angle lower you’ll add some fresh untouched steel to the strip you’re working on. Eventually you’ll be working the entire bevel width at your desired bevel angle.
When you’ve finally reached your desired bevel angle you’ll have profiled the entire bevel height, shoulder to apex, completely and thoroughly. The progressive grits in your sharpening routine will be flattening and refining the bevel as you continue this repetitive process. It shouldn’t be as tough as the beginning coarsest grit since all the profiling has been completed.
Whether you choose to verify and adjust your bevel angle with each and every grit change, that’s up to you. Whether it’s necessary has been debateable but still it’s a personal decision. I prefer to take the few minutes to do this. I feel more comfortable knowing my bevel angle is set appropriately and my guide rods are tight and secure. Sharpening results with the Wicked Edge Sharpeners is a consistency driven repetitive process. Our results are based on our attention to detail and the time and effort extended. I’m ok making this little routine a regular part of my sharpening routine. It may be helpful. It certainly can’t hurt.