Newbie to sharpening, wondering if I should practice first and then take a class

[sndraco]

or take a class first and then practice.

I have a 1k/6k king combo stone, a Daovua 210 gyuto, and a ali express carbon knife https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3261317 ... 4c4d0yxhWd. I live in SF and have Bernal Cutlery close by, so could take their class and then practice, or start with you tube videos practice for a while and then go to Bernal.

Thoughts/advice?

Thanks much

S

[jmcnelly85]

The sooner you start practicing, the sooner you will be better at sharpening. Dive in, watch videos, take classes, but most importantly, get some swarf on your fingers. The order doesn’t matter, the muscle memory does.

[ken123]

I do teach sharpening classes - both basic and advanced.

I also live near Tracy, so I'm not too far from you.

Having said all that my recommendation is that you spend time here. You will get the opportunity to learn from all of us - both points of agreement and controversial opinions. This is an opportunity to learn far exceeding any one person's experience.

A local shop won't have the breadth of experience to teach you as much. Not even close. Unless they know about natural stones, have 5 million grit compounds, etc etc.

Stick around here and ask us questions.

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Ken

[Huntdad]

Read the forums...watch ken on youtube...practice practice practice. You will find YOUR groove.

[Papou]

As others have said , spend time onboard here .Listen n watch Peter Nowlan has some good vids on (Knife Planet) as well as Ken and heaps of others on Youtube . Practice and gain a passion , wont take long to get the hang of it ..

[polytope]

I took Josh's class at Bernal, back when his store was actually in Bernal. It was fine. Back then there wasn't much in the way of other resources, and it got me started.

The class came with equipment, which I didn't expect. Since you have your own, you may want to ask up front whether you can take the class without buying the equipment too; or see if you can walk away with a stone that doesn't overlap yours. I think I ended up with an imanishi pink brick, which I don't especially like.

[Cigarguy]

You can learn how to sharpen without taking a class but you'll never learn how to sharpen without practicing.

[Jeff B]

Grab a knife and have at it. If you feel like taking a coarse later will help you then do it.

[Aogam123]

Start practicing and if you are still unsure how to do it or doesnt get the results you want, take a course. I started out practicing, watching youtube, reading forum, practicing some more etc. also took a class but felt it didnt really help me or progress my skills. Been sharpening 3 years

[Peter Nowlan]

10 years ago I would have advised to take a lesson from the right person first. Now however, with all the information available on YouTube and here you can get the ball rolling very nicely on your own. Then perhaps down the road if you’ve run into some problems or just need confirmation in person to overcome an obstacle or just add a few layers of confidence take the lesson. Watch the right videos of course, soak up as much as you can here and just sharpen as much as you can.

[Aogam123]

If you consider taking a class, make sure you decide for yourself what you want to get out of it, or learn or progress what skills. And try to ask the provider if that is going to be the outcome from the class. Often classes imo is only basic stuff and you dont get to progress your own skills. When i took a class it didnt help me. Maybe confirmed what I was doing was on the right path

[Aogam123]

Still a newbie

[Steel+Fire]

Hopefully you know what your learning style is. Results may vary depending on how you process info. I have always been a pretty dynamic learner meaning I can learn from reading, watching and doing equally well. Some folks like my wife really appreciate having an expert help them, I like to dive in and see what I can do first and then if I feel it is warranted reach out for expert help.

On the other hand taking a class at Bernal is likely a nice way to get some exposure to the process and make it feel less daunting than buying a bunch of rocks and doing what you see people do on You Tube. Certainly not a waste of money if it gives you the confidence to break out the stones and make the steel as sharp as it was created to be.

[Peter Nowlan]

I’m going to change my mind on this one. Knowing what I know now and dealing with several students, I recommend the class. I’ve had people who have never seen a whetstone as students. They walk away with a solid grasp of the fundamentals and can sharpen a knife. So assuming the instructor is good then the knowledge gained in 2 hours has the potential to be well worth it by setting you off on the right foot. It would build confidence and a strong foundation. Then things you read afterwards would perhaps make more sense.

[slickmamba]

The guys at Bernal have a great class. I would recommend learning the basic concepts and trying a little yourself before going in. It will accelerate your learning and understanding much more than going in blind or with just surface knowledge.

Personally, I don't think you need a class, but if you are unsure of you ability or just want someone to help you along, its not too expensive

[Aogam123]

whats the cost of the lesson? Im sure there are people here on the forum that would do it for half the price over facetime or skype lol

[ChefKnivesToGo]

I’m with Ken. Get a middle grit stone, watch some videos on YouTube and pull out a crappy knife and have a go. It’s not nearly that hard to get an edge after a few tries. When I started, I watched some of Murray Carter’s videos and then got a couple phone lectures from Ken and that got me going.

Just remember starting is different than mastering. I sharpen everyday and I still learn things if I concentrate and pay attention to my work. I try not to do too many in a row so it encourages me to keep my concentration. After 10 years I consider myself competent.

[ken123]

"I do teach sharpening classes - both basic and advanced."
"Just remember starting is different than mastering."

Let's put these two sentences together.

So for a newbie, go for the basics first. Get some swarf under your fingernails! Learn a bit of basic sharpening - see if you like it or hate it.

Assuming you have survived round 1, now it's time to consider a more advanced approach. This is not for everyone. You might even consider this a bit elitist. And possibly unnecessary if you are satisfied with your edges. You might even consider this if you feel that your lessons or experience have been a bit of tunnel vision. There is more than one way to sharpen a knife. You might want to learn more about natural stones, higher grit finishes and compounds or even alternative coarse grit finishes. Or even understanding that there are different KINDS of sharpness. You will want to understand burr formation, types of steel and types of abrasives, kasumi finishes, etc. There is a LOT to learn if you wish. Ive been intensely studying the subject for over 12 years and always feel I'm still beginning. My advanced courses are typically 8 hour sessions - far more than a beginner needs. But for a prepared mind there is a lot to absorb. File this away for future study ...

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Ken

[ronnie_suburban]

Why is knife-sharpening like D&D? Because in the beginning it's fairly easy to level up. I'm a complete n00b, now having sharpened a combined total of about 30 knives in my lifetime (aka in the past 2 weeks) But in all seriousness, in that short time, with the help of these exceptionally helpful forums, a couple of knowledgeable and generous friends, and youtube, I've gone from knowing absolutely nothing to having an effective ability to sharpen knives in a meaningful and noticeable way.

Obviously, I still know next to nothing but the very act of practicing has germinated my sharpening skills and developed my abilities to assess, understand, diagnose and problem-solve. The more variables you encounter, the easier it becomes to recognize and resolve them. I offered a few friends to give me some beater knives (to which they had no emotional attachment) for sharpening. I made no promises other than I wouldn't ruin them and that if I did, I'd replace them. But you know what? Over the past two weeks, I've sharpened their knives and gotten better with each and every blade. They're happy and I've learned quite a bit in the process.

Will I improve when I start to take classes? Absolutely but there's just no substitute for doing. So, my totally n00b advice is to practice as much as you possibly can. Get knives from friends and family members because by doing so you'll see more variables than if you just sharpen your own knives. And, at least for me, I'm way more committed to doing a diligent job for a friend than for myself. Today I sharpened five of my friend's knives and I joked with him afterwards that they were so sharp now, I wasn't going to return them!

If knife-sharpening knowledge is a room, I'm still standing outside it but my hand's on the knob and the door's unlocked. And I attribute that to the wealth of knowledge I've picked up here and to the practicing I've done so far. I know I'll never likely be great at it but that really doesn't matter. As long as I keep learning, it'll all be just fine.

[sndraco]

Thanks to all, I did take the class at bernal, and also watched some you tube videos, Peter Nowlan's, and also Jon Broida, will check out Ken's as well. Will also ask questions (have a couple already) on the forums page.

Shri