Last Article and Video on Knifeplanet

Moderator: Peter Nowlan

Post Reply
Peter Nowlan
Posts: 1281
Joined: Tue Jan 31, 2017 12:05 pm
Been thanked: 57 times

Last Article and Video on Knifeplanet

Post by Peter Nowlan »

https://www.knifeplanet.net

Hi folks, just popping in to say that my last video is up on Knifeplanet. Took 2 months to complete it and at this stage I’m not sure if I’ve added anything new. It’s an attempt to reinforce fundamentals and demonstrate how easy it can be to get started on the right foot.
User avatar
Jeff B
Posts: 14736
Joined: Fri Jan 27, 2017 5:59 pm
Location: Louisville, Kentucky
Has thanked: 1951 times
Been thanked: 2312 times

Re: Last Article and Video on Knifeplanet

Post by Jeff B »

Excellent simple start to finish sharpening video Peter, you make it look so easy! I've really enjoyed watching your videos, there have been many teaching moments in them for me.
If God wanted me to be a vegetarian he wouldn't have made animals taste so good.
User avatar
Kit Craft
Posts: 4844
Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2017 8:57 pm
Location: Pennsylvania
Been thanked: 11 times

Re: Last Article and Video on Knifeplanet

Post by Kit Craft »

I missed this post for a few days! Thank you for updating! I'll go have a watch.

Edit: Watching now. I missed your videos. :)
salemj
Posts: 3707
Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2017 9:27 pm
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Has thanked: 197 times
Been thanked: 528 times

Re: Last Article and Video on Knifeplanet

Post by salemj »

Hey Peter, I know you are very open to different approaches and often discuss your own method as a personal one, filled with personal preferences which work well for you. However, in watching your video and reading the page, I wanted to probe you on your decision to emphasize trailing strokes "only." You don't inhibit others from doing other things, of course, but you seem pretty firm in your resolve on this point in terms of your own sharpening, and it comes off to me as a bit of a recommendation to others at least as a starting point for their own journeys. Can you describe the journey that led you to this practice? I'm sorry if this is discussed on your blog already...if it is, please feel free to direct me rather than repeating yourself!

ps> Enjoyed the video very much. It seemed extremely well edited to provide a very good amount of information at a great pace and without any distractions or digressions. Bravo!
~Joe

Comments: I'm short, a home cook, prefer lighter, thinner blades, and own mostly Konosukes but have used over a dozen brands.
Michaelrax
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Jun 14, 2018 11:09 am
Location: Virgin Islands
Contact:

Last Article and Video on Knifeplanet

Post by Michaelrax »

Hi my last try,

Great losses so far, you sound like your in the right zone to be here.... thank you for sharing and allowing us to follow your journey with you.

Look forward to reading your future achievements.

Judy
nakneker
Posts: 2359
Joined: Thu Feb 22, 2018 8:37 am
Location: Taylor, Az
Has thanked: 185 times
Been thanked: 142 times

Re: Last Article and Video on Knifeplanet

Post by nakneker »

Nicely done Peter. I’ve learned a lot watching your videos and by rewatching your videos. It’s been helpful for me to listen to you teaching what to do and then spending some time with the stones and then watching your videos again after a few sessions.

This last video and the article was excellent.
“The goal is to die with memories, not dreams.”
Peter Nowlan
Posts: 1281
Joined: Tue Jan 31, 2017 12:05 pm
Been thanked: 57 times

Re: Last Article and Video on Knifeplanet

Post by Peter Nowlan »

[quote=salemj post_id=58608 time=1529774358 user_id=84]
Hey Peter, I know you are very open to different approaches and often discuss your own method as a personal one, filled with personal preferences which work well for you. However, in watching your video and reading the page, I wanted to probe you on your decision to emphasize trailing strokes "only." You don't inhibit others from doing other things, of course, but you seem pretty firm in your resolve on this point in terms of your own sharpening, and it comes off to me as a bit of a recommendation to others at least as a starting point for their own journeys. Can you describe the journey that led you to this practice?

Joe,
If I come across as “you’re better off with Trailing Strokes” that’s a mistake on my part. While it’s true I use them I don’t believe that I can do a better job than a person using Edge Leading strokes. I really didn’t mean it to sound like that, but it’s to late to correct now.
But there was a point in my journey about 8 years ago when I made the switch from EL to ET and it was due to something I was doing wrong. I was finding that the bevels were not as consistent in width, especially on the left side of the knife. When I switched it was easier for me to control the knife, to keep it stable. Now that you’ve mentioned it however I wonder if my inconsistencies at the time had anything to do with the direction of the strokes, may have just been me. In my mind however, the switch to Edge Trailing solved the problem which developed confidence so it was the answer for me.

I’m quite sure that today, my resultant edges and bevels would be the same regardless of the direction.

I’ll go make a comment on Knifeplanet actually stressing the point that it’s a personal preference not a must to achieve sharpening success.

Very cool that you picked that up though, thank you.
salemj
Posts: 3707
Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2017 9:27 pm
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Has thanked: 197 times
Been thanked: 528 times

Re: Last Article and Video on Knifeplanet

Post by salemj »

Thanks, Peter. I've been trying to incorporate more trailing strokes in my "normal" sharpening strokes (read: my cutting strokes rather than stropping strokes) every time I sharpen, but I struggle with it. I'm also not 100% sure that I'm comfortable with the concept intuitively. Your video and your description above give me good reasons and guidance to keep at it to see if it leads to better consistency in my edges from the first through the last stroke.

Just to elaborate: I don't trust intuition as an end point, but I do think it is a good guide as a starting point. In reading about some stropping motions and how it affects the edge (and easily creates a burr), I started to intuit that - because of the malleability of metal - trailing strokes may in fact accelerate the stretching/deformation of the metal over the apex as a burr, at least when compared to edge-leading strokes, when using light pressure; in contrast, edge-leading strokes seem like they'd stretch/deform the metal less because they abrade by pushing the metal into itself (assuming you're not pushing so hard as to stress the edge beyond the sharpening angle, which is what the goal would be with P4 pressure, for example).

I realize this is a "stretch," but it did get me thinking. I find edge-leading strokes to be considerably more aggressive, but ironically, I've started to think about them as more efficient and potentially wearing less metal. I also wonder if they might be a tad better at burr removal, even if they may be a little slower or less accurate at burr formation (your comment about the evenness of bevels fits perfectly here and is something I've experienced as well: edge-leading strokes produce a bevel much faster when the angle of approach is steeper than the native bevel angle in my experience, which means it is easy to end up with different visual bevel heights/polishes when using fast-cutting stones if you examine the blade after every couple of strokes, early in the sharpening process, before there is an opportunity for "even" bevel production across the edge with the new angle; it also means changing sides of the blade could result in different bevel heights because the motion is a bit more demanding on the muscles in determining a specific angle and holding it when applying higher levels of pressure, and the motion we use for one side could vary in terms of muscle control than the motion for the other side).

When it comes to sharpening kitchen knives, I don't think this "matters" too much—I've just been pondering it as I practice and think more about sharpening. Often, my knives sharpen so quickly (or, more accurately, "touch up" so quickly) that I don't even have a chance to really test or experiment with any of these ideas. A couple years ago I stopped using cork and started to practice burr removal on stones almost exclusively; similarly, I've more recently tried experimenting with whether or not I apply slightly more pressure on the trailing or leading stoke. And I'm always trying new blade positions across the stone. So, all of this is just food for thought as I try to find my own comfort zone. Most of my practice is, in fact, on finishing strokes. It is amazing how much an edge can change with just two strokes at light pressure...

One real test of success was a recent trip to see family. I don't think I've ever sharpened "bad" steel so quickly and efficiently in my life! I think bringing my own stones and focusing on lower-grits was a big part of my success, but I also realize now how much pressure makes a difference on soft steel (and not just my harder Japanese steels). It turns out a lot of the "gummy" aspects of softer stainless had more to do with my approach on the stone than the steel itself.

Sorry for rambling. I appreciate your ability to both suggest direct causality while also admitting there are often other factors, which I think is a regular part of sharpening. While it is easy to say "A causes B," there are often three or four other factors at play that affect the situation, and you always seem to tacitly acknowledge this in your discussions of sharpening without ever overcomplicating the discussion itself, or messing with the priorities or goals of any session focused on a usable edge. I think this is a special talent and I think it is what makes your entry-level discussions of sharpening so incredibly clear and useful—so many recent cookbooks would benefit from a sharpening chapter written by you!
~Joe

Comments: I'm short, a home cook, prefer lighter, thinner blades, and own mostly Konosukes but have used over a dozen brands.
Peter Nowlan
Posts: 1281
Joined: Tue Jan 31, 2017 12:05 pm
Been thanked: 57 times

Re: Last Article and Video on Knifeplanet

Post by Peter Nowlan »

I forgot to mention something Joe. Thank you by the way for your overly kind words.

I never used a cork or wood to debut, it always felt so counter productive to me, to run that freshly sharpened edge across a piece of wood.

On a trip to NYC I was fondling my new Shapton Glass Stones and stone holder while sitting in a hotel lobby. Before I new what was happening a little old Japanese man was picking up the stones and nodding approvingly. Next thing I’ve got a kitchen knife from the kitchen and I’m showing this nice man (no English) how I sharpen a knife. He is the fella who started the whole pressure thing with me as he got me to linger longer than normal in the 500 stone after the burr was formed. So I did that but got softer and softer with the pressure. It was a lesson that lasted 5 min tops and I used Trailing Strokes but that event changed my Sharpening life. Over the next 6 years I learned to use pressure to remove the burr.

Still learning though 😊
Post Reply