I've been chasing my tail for some time trying to learn knife sharpening.  I have used the Lansky system, flat bench / diamond hones, all kinds of different methods with said stones, but I think I've finally found a method I like and seems to produce a sharp edge for me.  I've been putting the knife in a bench vise with the blade out and I'm using the Lansky stone to swipe down the blade. I do one side then flip it, or if I can just do the other side without flipping it around (usually do this with very small blades)

The problem I seem to be running into is I just keep pushing the wire edge from one side to the other when I get down to the finest stone. How do I get rid of that wire edge when I get down to the finest stone?

strop it

Pencil eraser.

They make these things.

http://www.chefknivestogo.com/harohadefebl.html

I use a 5 gallon bucket paint stirrer from Lowes. I just broke it about 6 inches long at the handle and use the jagged end to run the blade through every time I change grits. It revmoves the burr.


Have you ever looked at the Spyderco Sharp Maker?

It's easy and works. Check out YouTube. JDavis882 and others.

I use a Spyderco sharpener.  I am horrible at sharpening knives, but between the Sharpmaker and a strop with green compound I consistently get shaving sharp blades on even the hardest blades.  

Still learning myself, but I've had luck going from diamond stones to arkansas stones(black or translucent) and finish up w/ stropping.

I was just out in the garage experimenting with the tips you've given me. Man, this is frustrating for sure. I get down to the super fine and I tried the eraser. It seemed to remove some of it, but still left some. I tried the wood but it seems like I dulled it. I took a piece of wood and lightly pulled the blade over the edge. I must not be doing it right.  I get mixed results with this method. I can get blades sharp, but can't seem to get that razor sharp hair "pop" or slice paper like in the videos.

Ok, The wood. Do you just pull the edge over a piece of wood? or does it need to be a broken edge?

The felt I will try.

Stropping, it seems when I use the stopping motion by dragging the blade over leather seems to dull it. Am I doing it to hard? Maybe I need a real strop. I've used an old belt

I don't know. I will experiment more tomorrow.

Strops are cheap. You can even glue that old belt to a piece of wood and put the green compound on it. The green compound is a polishing compound, you don't need to hold the knife at the exact angle but you should try to hold it fairly close. The leather will give/flex enough that it will polish the edge for you and rub the burr off the edge. Stropping is no substitute for proper sharpening but it will take a sharp knife to an extremely sharp knife in no time.

You can even use the carboard back of a notepad or phone book and the like to strop, but if it feels like it gets dull after you strop, you never had a sharp edge to begin with.  The sharpness you were feeling was your bur.  Keep working it.

What angle are you sharpening to?

You can use the factory cut edge to pull the knife through.

I prefer the broken end as I felt the knife cut deeper into the jagged parts.

On the factory cut edges it didn't feel like it was getting as much bite.

Ok, You saying to actually use more pressure. I have been using the "let the stone do the work" method.  Very light pressure.

I'm copying the factory angle

Easy, don't apply ANY pressure. Do 2 or 3 swipes with just the weight of the stone. Don't push at all, that should keep the edge from rolling over and grind it off instead.

I use the Sharpmaker and finish it with a strop.  When I'm done the bevel looks like a mirror and is scary sharp.

I cheat and use a KO worksharp with blade grinding attachment.

I've used the Lansky and a variety of stones, but an angle change and/or reprofile takes too long.

This is what I do with the Lansky.  I use a fair amount of pressure to get the edge I want and then use very light pressure with the ultra-fine (white) stone for a few passes.  Hair shaving sharp.

See, this is what's frustrating. I follow the directions on the Lanskys system to a t and it is never hair shaving sharp.  No method I've tried has ever produced a hair poping sharpness. None!! LOL fuck I don't know.

I really don't want to spend a bunch of money to get a knife sharp since people have been putting shaving sharp edges on metal for freaking centuries now.

Are you trying to sharpen one knife and having this problem or multiple knives.
If one knife, which knife and steel?

Are you starting with a course stone making sure the knife gets sharp before moving on to finer stones?

What YEEEEEEHAW said.  What steel is your knife?  I had trouble getting the Elmax on my ZT 0566 sharp.  I discovered I was not using enough pressure on the Lansky stones to cut into the steel.  I do about 10 passes on one side, clean the stone with honing oil and do 10 passes on the other side.  I do this about 2-3 times before moving to the next finer stone.  I always clean the stone before flipping the knife over to do the opposite edge.

Edit:  This may be a dumb question but are you using the same number of passes on both sides of the blade?

Yes I am talking about any knife I sharpen has the same poor results.   I think I may be moving onto finer stones before they have had a chance to actually move some steel. I have a ZT I was experimenting on my 8" diamond bench stone. I was using more pressure and a straight back and fourth action. While it didn't address the belly and the point, I did see progress on the long flat of the blade.

Thank you all for the feedback. I will report back. I feel this is an important skill to have and have been frustrated for years with my mediocre results.

I'm going to figure this out!

http://www.bladeforums.com/threads/the-burr.697747/

It sounds like you are not raising a burr on one side before going to the other side. The blade is not "apexed" meaning both sides coming together into a point (not the tip point but the edges coming together to make a point)

Attached File

I am no knife sharpening expert but it is my understanding that going back and forth on the edge is a not good.  You only want to go against the edge.  Someone with greater knowledge will correct me.  Also, when sharpening you will want to do the belly and point with the straight.  You will end up with an uneven edge.  Again, someone correct me if i'm wrong.

Try this:

Run a permanent marker down the edge of the blade covering the area where the knife has been sharpened.
Using only a coarse stone begin sharpening the knife.
After a few passes stop and look at where the maker has rubbed off. Examine to see if you have sharpened to the edge. If not keep going until the marker is gone all the way to the edge. Flip and do the other side.

Don't get hung up on equal passes on each side, or the amount of pressure you are using.
If a blade steel is really hard sometimes Ill use a lot of pressure and fast back and forth motions to as quickly as possible remove steel to get to the edge. If you use a light stroke it just takes longer. On softer steels soft pressure is OK since the steel is easily removed. Either way it doesn't matter until you have reached the edge on both sides. Once you do that you want to reduce pressure and sort of even out the edge. Using light pressure at the end also acts like a finer stone which helps when you're about to move on to a finer stone.

First you have to figure out getting to the edge.
If you do it right the knife will be sharp and will cut paper with ease off the course stone. Don't move to another stone until you get to this point.

Many times you will not reach the edge on both sides but will form a burr and the burr will act like a sharp knife for a few passes until the burr gets knocked off or deforms. Experience will allow you to know when that is happening. While you're learning you can run the blade edge down a piece of wood to knock off a burr, then try to cut paper to see what the real edge is performing like. If youre sharpening correctly the burr will come off on its own on most steels (IME VG10 likes to hang on to the burr)

If you get real frustrated with sharpening a good inexpensive tool to learn on would be a Ruixin pro sharpener. I have taught a few people how to sharpen on it. It produces outstanding results for the price and you can practice apexing the edge quickly. If you go that route pick up a neodymium magnet to hold the knife blade to the platform. From there you can slightly adjust the angle and play around with sharpening technique which will aid in learning the process of sharpening a knife with a course stone, and progressing to finer stones (which isn't sharpening anymore it is honing the already sharpened edge).