How I sharpen a knife. (Video Tutorials)

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Re: How I sharpen a knife. (Video Tutorials)

Post by ChefKnivesToGo »

My pleasure guys. I enjoy sharpening so it's not much of a burden to turn on my phone and chat while I do it.

Here is my next victim.

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Re: How I sharpen a knife. (Video Tutorials)

Post by Peter Nowlan »

Mark,
I always use the pinky to teach novices to quickly achieve a sharpening angle, a great angle to achieve muscle memory. That pinky creates a space between the spine of the knife and the surface of the stone. Once you learn to control that space, sharpness follows, it's inevitable.
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Re: How I sharpen a knife. (Video Tutorials)

Post by cherrick »

Any chance you could do a video on sharpening an Usuba? Mine has come back from your repair service to Japan, the edge is fresh but it needs sharpening and a great edge. Do you work both sides or just the "edge side"?
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Re: How I sharpen a knife. (Video Tutorials)

Post by cherrick »

What/Who makes a good flattening stone for Shapton water stones? Do you sell them?
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Re: How I sharpen a knife. (Video Tutorials)

Post by ChefKnivesToGo »

Diamond plates work well for flattening and we sell several of them. Try the Atoma 140: https://www.chefknivestogo.com/at14dipl.html
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Re: How I sharpen a knife. (Video Tutorials)

Post by cherrick »

cherrick wrote: Fri Sep 07, 2018 4:51 pm Any chance you could do a video on sharpening an Usuba? Mine has come back from your repair service to Japan, the edge is fresh but it needs sharpening and a great edge. Do you work both sides or just the "edge side"?
Or just chat on about how you do the Usuba?
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Re: How I sharpen a knife. (Video Tutorials)

Post by cherrick »

Another request for info - you use several interesting devices for sharpening. Examples: bed or frame/platform on which you put your stone. Also it looks like a sand bed in a frame? Also, that neat pressurized water spray bottle.

Can you itemize these and where they were purchased or if built by hand, how?
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Re: How I sharpen a knife. (Video Tutorials)

Post by ChefKnivesToGo »

cherrick wrote: Mon Sep 10, 2018 10:56 am Another request for info - you use several interesting devices for sharpening. Examples: bed or frame/platform on which you put your stone. Also it looks like a sand bed in a frame? Also, that neat pressurized water spray bottle.

Can you itemize these and where they were purchased or if built by hand, how?
The spray bottles I buy on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/node/9299 ... 9299244011

The shapton holders and pond you can find here: https://www.chefknivestogo.com/shapton.html
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Re: How I sharpen a knife. (Video Tutorials)

Post by ChefKnivesToGo »

Here is a discussion and demo of removing a chip.

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Re: How I sharpen a knife. (Video Tutorials)

Post by Jeff B »

After removing that much steel to do away with the chip, wouldn't it need a little thinning now too?
If God wanted me to be a vegetarian he wouldn't have made animals taste so good.
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Re: How I sharpen a knife. (Video Tutorials)

Post by ChefKnivesToGo »

Yes indeed. I thought I would do a thinning video next.
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Re: How I sharpen a knife. (Video Tutorials)

Post by Jeff B »

Awesome Mark, I'm enjoying this thread!
If God wanted me to be a vegetarian he wouldn't have made animals taste so good.
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Re: How I sharpen a knife. (Video Tutorials)

Post by Jason H »

This is a great thread! I’d love to see a tutorial on sharpening a large cleaver.
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Re: How I sharpen a knife. (Video Tutorials)

Post by Horizonson »

Having difficulty walking one's dominate fingers, while using one's off-hand, make a lot of sense.

The good news is; for many(most?) it can be overcome, in the same way one becomes better at a sport, martial art, or any other type of activity that combines muscle memory, agility, flexibility and strength.

Why does it start out so difficult, awkward and mind-boggling? After all, it is one's dominate hand that is feeling crutched!

It's all about the "role reversal"! One's dominate hand is used to doing such type of similar activities. One's off-hand is used to assuming a supportive role.
Having your off-hand "at the wheel" requires a significant more about of concentration. So much so, that it can lock down one's dominate hand.

Hope this helps 👍

Fun tid bit: "Adaptive type" lefties generally have an easier time with this type of transition. But it's no guarantee. Also; many lefties are not the "adaptive type".
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Re: How I sharpen a knife. (Video Tutorials)

Post by Horizonson »

Jason H wrote: Mon Oct 15, 2018 7:11 pm This is a great thread! I’d love to see a tutorial on sharpening a large cleaver.
Indeed!

If Teddy was a cook: "Speak softly, and carry a big cleaver." 😁
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Re: How I sharpen a knife. (Video Tutorials)

Post by ChefKnivesToGo »

Here is a How to Strop lesson.

If you don't want to fall asleep watching, the main points are:

1. Swipe the blade using edge trailing strokes only.
2. Place the blade down on the strop before you pull toward you or you'll cut your strop.
3. Use the same angle as you sharpen at.
4. If you use compound, a little goes a long ways. Don't act like it's spackle on a wall. A few drops and spread it out is all you need.
5. Don't do like me and strop on wet paste. Let it dry.
6. Try stropping by counting strokes. 10 left/10 right, 6 left/6 right etc.

I think that will get you started. I love stropping my knives. It's satisfying and easy.

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Re: How I sharpen a knife. (Video Tutorials)

Post by ChefKnivesToGo »

Hi Mark,

Do you happen to remember how you sharpened my new Yusaku Blue #2 Nakiri? https://www.chefknivestogo.com/yubl2na18.html

I'm trying to improve my skills and I just chopped up an onion quick and I'm really impressed. I have a Takeda Gyuto that does all the Youtube tricks, paper, shaving, ect. but it doesn't cut quite like the one you just sharpened for me. Thanks,

Ross
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Re: How I sharpen a knife. (Video Tutorials)

Post by ChefKnivesToGo »

ChefKnivesToGo wrote: Thu Dec 06, 2018 9:54 am Hi Mark,

Do you happen to remember how you sharpened my new Yusaku Blue #2 Nakiri? https://www.chefknivestogo.com/yubl2na18.html

I'm trying to improve my skills and I just chopped up an onion quick and I'm really impressed. I have a Takeda Gyuto that does all the Youtube tricks, paper, shaving, ect. but it doesn't cut quite like the one you just sharpened for me. Thanks,

Ross
Hi Ross,

Thanks but most of the credit goes to the blacksmith who did the initial grind and edge. I just tune up the edge by taking it higher and importantly I check the edge before, during and after. If I have a secret it's that I strop it with a progression of diamond pastes and sprays.

On an edge like yours I would finish the knife with:

Leather loaded with 1 micron paste
Leather loaded with .5 micron spray
Bare leather

Just as important is I draw the edge through newsprint and listen to it. The less noise it makes the sharper it is. If I hear or feel anything I go back and either touch it up again or go back to the stones and work my way back up. Guessing it's sharp is a mistake I made years ago and I don't take it for granted anymore until I test it on the same paper and it passes the test.

That usually results in a screaming sharp edge if the edge is well formed at that point.


Kind Regards,

Mark Richmond
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Re: How I sharpen a knife. (Video Tutorials)

Post by ChefKnivesToGo »

Hi CKTG,


II don't think I have a forum account as I haven't purchased knives from your website in a while.

I have a question in regards to "chasing the burr". I've watched all your tutorials on sharpening knives.

How do you actually remove a burr from one side of the knife, if the burr constantly moves from one side to the other.

Do you just add less pressure to finish off; so that the other side doesn't burr?


Thanks,
Derryn
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Re: How I sharpen a knife. (Video Tutorials)

Post by ChefKnivesToGo »

Hi Derryn,

When you grind an edge on one side you start to form a burr which is a thin flap of metal that forms from the other side.

When you flip the knife over you usually remove that burr on the first or second stroke and then start forming a new burr on the other side.

So "chasing" is really not an accurate description of what's going on.

There are a variety of ways to remove the burr. You can strip it off using a felt block or a piece of wood or synthetic cork. Or you can simply do as you suggest and take a light swipe of the knife on the opposite side to remove it. They usually come off with very little effort.

Kind Regards,

Mark Richmond
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