Thread: Kitchen Knives and Honing

I have become obsessed with sharpening in the last 2 years. I do freehand all of my knives once a consistant bevel has been created. My preference of stone is a Norton type double sided stone with 200 on one side and 800 on the other. I bought it for $8.00 at a mall kitchen outlet store. What I love about it is that it is 10"x4"x2"! Once I have created my primary bevel, I take it to a fine diamond bench hone or for that gleaming edge, I have a translucent arkansas.
Some advice for a newbie would be to log on to John Juranich's web site (google it), and order his book for $20.00. It has the simplest, yet most fundamentally sound instructions in my opinion. He walks you through every aspect of edge geometry using illustrations and terms men can understatnd. He is also really good at what he does.
I have purchased his Razor's Edge Guide, and it was a wonderful tool for training my eyes and hands what a proper sharpening motion should be.

Originally Posted by 4Shore

I have become obsessed with sharpening in the last 2 years. I do freehand all of my knives once a consistant bevel has been created. My preference of stone is a Norton type double sided stone with 200 on one side and 800 on the other. I bought it for $8.00 at a mall kitchen outlet store. What I love about it is that it is 10"x4"x2"! Once I have created my primary bevel, I take it to a fine diamond bench hone or for that gleaming edge, I have a translucent arkansas.
Some advice for a newbie would be to log on to John Juranich's web site (google it), and order his book for $20.00. It has the simplest, yet most fundamentally sound instructions in my opinion. He walks you through every aspect of edge geometry using illustrations and terms men can understatnd. He is also really good at what he does.
I have purchased his Razor's Edge Guide, and it was a wonderful tool for training my eyes and hands what a proper sharpening motion should be.

Thanks for the info. That is exactly what I was looking for... a source for instruction. I looked up John Juranitch, and found what appears to be his website at: www.razoredgesystems.com

On Amazon I looked up his book, The Razor Edge Book of Sharpening, and found recommendations for another book: The Complete Guide to Sharpening by Leonard Lee. After reading several reviews of each, I think I'll get both.

I hand sharpen my kitchen knives.

If i were to buy an aid, it would be Ben Dale's Edge Pro. http://www.edgeproinc.com/

I suggest that if you have single grit stones, you mark one side for knives and one for razors. The knife side will need lapped more often.

I hand sharpen mine as well. I usually do it on a belgian blue. They're not very expensive and the result is GREAT.

I'm with ernestrome, the edgepro seems like the best midpriced aid. I have had the best results with a 1"x30" beltsander with many grits of sandpaper. I began with pieces of 1/8" flat stock until I could run consistant bevels along 10" long pieces. Then I used 8" round pieces. The most difficult thing with power sharpening is consistency of an edge. I have tried the slow moving round wetstones and have always had problems with them grabbing the blade, creating more work than when I started. With a belt, you just make sure your draw along the belt is continuous from heel to tip.
The paper wheels work very well, but take tremendous concentration and a lot of practice for the results most want.
No matter what you use, safety can not be overstressed! Even sharpening by hand can bring many stiches, power tools can lead to body parts in ice chests with doctors saying, "I'll do the best I can, but I can't promise anything."

Originally Posted by 4Shore

No matter what you use, safety can not be overstressed! Even sharpening by hand can bring many stiches, power tools can lead to body parts in ice chests with doctors saying, "I'll do the best I can, but I can't promise anything."

Now that is the truth! Good advise.

So I take it you're a blade smith as well? That is something I'd love to venture into eventually. You know, once I can reliably sharpen a knife...

Like we tell our kids, "Education is the first step you must take in learning."
Read the books, follow the procedures. Work slowly. I think everyone will agree that using faster or stronger strokes has never ever produced a better edge than slower, more controlled motions.

Juranich's book is old. Back then, diamond hones were very course and expensive. He says don't use them. There have been several advancements since he wrote the book. Diamond hones are now very cheap and work very well for fast stock removal. Don't worry, his technique is the gold standard for sharpening tools and equipment.

Leonard Lee teaches how to sharpen certain tools that Juranich doesn't, woodworking tools. He is the gold standard in that area.

Just remember to take your time. I sliced my palm more than once holding a stone in one hand and a tool in the other, (chisels more than once).
Liquid bandage may not stop the bleeding, but it makes a great skin prep for butterfly sutures!

I've been hand sharpening my knives since the early seventies. I always told customers that the important thing was not that you exactly duplicated factory angles, but that you were consistent in your angles. My kitchen knives rarely see a fine oval diamond 'steel', and usually just see the large Chicago Cutlery steel followed by the very large ceramic rod. I wouldn't shave with my knives after that, but they're plenty good for the kitchen.


Wayne, who has forge welded his own blade

As you guys are honing kitchen Knives, I am wanting to hone up my grandpa's swiss army knife he promised me after he passed away. I have his stones he used for them, which I will take pics of later (don't know if they are oil or not). Just was wondering the angle I should use for it? I have been told 22.5 as it is half of 45 for a good guesstimation.

22.5 is an easy enough angle if you fold a piece of paper twice or you could use a couple of coins. In general you use an acute for kitchen knives and a more obtuse one for outdoor use but it's also a matter of personal preference. 20 to 25 should be fine for a pen/pocket knife.