3 SHARPENING TIPS BEGINNERS MUST KNOW. How to sharpen a knife

[@OUTDOORS55]

The best beginner sharpening stone as of 2023⬇️Highly recommended ⬇ amzn.to/47mOmWW Check out my website where I go over recommended sharpening stones as well as other knife sharpening supplies and mini reviews.⬇ www.outdoors55.com/shop Stones in video ⬇️amzn.to/2OLzcni amzn.to/37cKt6A AS AN AMAZON AFFILIATE I EARN FROM QUALIFYING PURCHASES

[@Gonzalez-en5qt]

Oh shit thanks

[@anonymous111delta4]

loved your video...your definitely a pro...ex-military im assuming...anyway...just brought a set of karambit knives off eBay...but i have no idea how u would sharpen a curved blade like this

[@SnowblindOtter]

You have some good points in your video, but the thing you failed to mention actually happens to be the most important thing to keeping a knife sharp in the first place: *Keeping your stone flat!* Anyone wanting to learn how to sharpen themselves should learn how to maintain their stone before any other skill. You can have perfect technique, but technique doesn't mean jack if your stone is out of whack.

[@Osprey1994]

OUTDOORS55 what if the knife came with fuckered angles? I ordered a knife that has a really good steel buy the rumor is that they cut corners on sharpening. People have said they received it with 24° on one side and 15-17° on the other. How big of a problem is this and do you recommend having a professional reprofile the edge?

[@anthonylevy3410]

OUTDOORSman

[@thatchanguy]

As a city kid who is learning about fundamental skills later in life, I really appreciate your concise, clear, and common sense delivery. Thanks for doing what you do!

[@mygaffer]

Sharpening a knife isn't really a fundamental skill in today's world.

[@sagaflamingwood2841]

@@mygaffer it will always be fundamental. Always. Safety is always paramounr

[@therealblurrybarber]

@@mygaffer it is to many people actually. Unless you don't use knives in your life I guess. But I use knives for many things in everyday life. I carry one in my pocket at all times. And I believe it is fundamental to know how to sharpen it or any kitchen knife I use daily

[@JackTorrance333]

@@mygaffer soy lattes for everyone!!! Foh

[@steveodeluxe]

@@mygaffer why isn’t it? you…don’t cook anything?

[@tinovalle5278]

Nice video. One thing you might consider adding to your beginner advice is to use a black Sharpie marker to color the edge bevel before a person begins working on their blade. It really helps a person see and understand what's happening during the sharpening process when they can see ink removed with just a few strokes against their stone instead of chasing a burr for hours. If others have already mentioned this tip sorry for the repetition.

[@smittywerbenyeagermenjenso3720]

Tino Valle I am just starting with stones and I really suck at it. I watched this video and tried my best but I made my kinda sharp knife so dull it couldn't cut butter. Thanks for the tip, I'll be sure to try it once I find a Sharpie. Let me know if there are any other tips I should know.

[@PlasmaHH]

I prefer other colouors than black since that sometimes can get mixed up with (oxidized) blade material.

[@titoepfx4272]

I mean if ur new to it u would assume its a new whetstone

[@richardhatt6541]

I have been sharpening for a few decades and I still use a sharpie on the secondary bevel. To match the factory angle you can lay the blade on the primary bevel flat to the stone. Come up really slow and can actually feel when the secondary bevel is flat against the stone. Stop when you feel this and lower it a tad and bring it up again to verify. You need to mess up a few times but it is worth it. He also didn't mention to take equal strikes from each side to keep the apex in the middle of the edge. You can alternate sides so you keep it in the middle. A light touch is better than a heavy one.

[@tinaleeth2707]

Cool tip

[@rickyhurtt5568]

See you can always learn something. I’m 53 and you taught me something about the angle while stropping. Always had problems with a strop. Now I know why. Thanks young man

[@deepwoodsbutcher]

I'm a full time butcher and have been sharpening my knives like this since I was about 8 years old. This is an excellent video for beginners.

[@johnmartinez7440]

@@aprawtv No thanks

[@33fastcar]

I come from a long line of German/English butchers... My grandfather was a butcher for 50+ years & he taught me the exact same as in this lesson. In Fredericksburg Texas look up Dutchmans Market. That is the shop my grandfather opened back in the late 60's early 70's. The only reason he quit being a butcher, the grim reaper came to see Pop in 1976. This sounds gross but I grew up in a slaughter house. Learned how to butcher a cow or a deer before the 2nd grade! It comes in handy since I live on a 7K acre Black Angus cattle ranch in Texas!

[@tayvin6538]

@@33fastcar nobody cares

[@shanepurcell8376]

@@tayvin6538 well you don’t have to be an asshole

[@loyalfairman6061]

@@tayvin6538 fuck you, just because your rude ass doesnt care .

[@adamday6598]

Tip for detecting burrs: run a stream of water over the blade from the trailing edge to the cutting edge. Like under a sink tap. As the water glides over the blade and off the cutting edge, you can see disturbances in the stream caused by burrs.

[@JustIn-op6oy]

I've heard of this tip before, but remember differing schools of thought as to the size of blade it works on. From some sharpeners, I've heard/read that smaller blades (something smaller than the clip point blade on a Case medium stockman for example) this doesn't work. Personally I've never tried the running water method, but I am curious as to when this is applicable. (When looking for a burr I use a jeweler's loupe I keep in my sharpening tool box)

[@martinaxe6390]

This is my preferred method if at the house. Keep those fingers clear of the cutting edge!

[@jokov9903]

Something I just found out about. I was getting ready to buy a magnifying glass for the purpose of looking at my knife blades but, did you know that if you have an iPhone it has a built in magnifying glass feature? And that it also has a light. It’s totally awesome. For anyone that doesn’t know, here’s how. Go in settings, then tap on accessibility then scroll down to magnifier and turn it on. Some phones you go settings, general then accessibility. Then to access it, tap you home button 3x or there is a little magnifying glass icon on your slide screen that has your flashlight, calculator, alarm clock etc. on it. It works great and super powerful.

[@cowboykelly6590]

Wow Thank you Sir

[@MoneyManMitch99]

Careful with the water some of my older knives rust very easy

[@illumiNOTme326]

These are the type of videos that I enjoy watching when learning something. No wasted rambling straight-to-the-point clear concise. Thank you

[@OUTDOORS55]

Thanks for stopping by! Good luck with your sharpening 😀

[@charliebaker1427]

OUTDOORS55 i like doing the small circle method instead of back and forth

[@joeysplats3209]

You mean like the review videos where they open and close the knife 17 times, talk about lunch, and their old car, and spend five minutes on the pocket clip?

[@Crazyknives]

Andy sinishtaj Exactly!!!👍

[@applejuicearsenal6806]

Nice name

[@davebeecher6579]

I'm 64 years old , I was born and raised on farm in foothills of smoky mountains, east tennessee, hunted, fished and farm my entire life(so far) so I know a little about sharpening, just want to say thanks for simple basic advice, people should benefit greatly if they listen,and practice, so much time and money spent on expensive gadgets and far out methods, my opinion is you said it best, thanks

[@alphapicturesentertainment]

Maybe the angle is bad?

[@sergeantdef.3572]

@Blazin609 You don't sharpen backwards. Because you sharpen against the edge. Try forwards..

[@GreatJim54]

Blazin609 for every one who says to sharpen backwards there is another who says sharpen forwards. I say do what works for you. I use both methods and get identical results. The key is practice and muscle memory. Be consistent in your angles.

[@Zardoch]

@@GreatJim54 Good comment. I think that all the politics and secterism in the sharpening community is sometimes entertaining, but fundamentally ridiculous.

[@johnbrown3878]

I'm a wood carver since about 1980. This is a good video for newbies. All the basics are covered and the guy doesn't over explain and make it hard to catch on

[@PhilippeCarphin]

My favorite tip for beginners is to continuously cut lots of paper throughout the whole process. The way the sound and the feeling changes is my most important tool to know where I'm at in the process. If you're really a super beginner, then you want to go crazy with the paper cutting: couple strokes on the stone, wipe, cut and repeat. You should end up with a huge mess of cut up paper on your floor and a better understanding of how your actions affect the blade. Most importantly, you'll be able to identify when you do something unsharpens the knife. If you're consistently checking the state of the blade, then you will be aware of its state at all times so you can learn to associate it with other indicators like what sound the blade makes on the stone based on various factors, how it glides etc. Now instead of cutting paper, I use just those other more intangible factors. And if I want to do a peak level job, then I might cut some paper along the way.

[@xqiuvmah]

Another tip is tool keep in mind what steel your blade is made of and how hard it is. A soft blade only needs a few passes before noticeable progress I'd made, where harder blades will take longer. When I was first getting into sharpening, I mainly practiced on a variety of pocket knives I owned which are typically hardened to under 60 Rockwell. I then found an incredibly dull kitchen knife that my parents had and never used because it was too dull. I decided to try and sharpen it, using the same technique I used for pocket knives. This knife was a Japanese style knife with a hardness rating of 65, so it takes a lot more effort to actually sharpen (not to mention this knife was a better hammer then a knife when I started). In the end I did manage to get it sharp but it took my 10× longer then it usually would have because I didn't understand knife hardness at the time. Another pro tip, you can make any steel shaving sharp, but cheap steel is still cheap steel and would be dull again after only a few cuts. Don't put a lot of effort into making cheap steel razor sharp, when it doesn't have the strength to maintain that. This isn't as big an issue with modern blades, because even cheap 440 stainless can hold a decent edge, but older knives can definitely be made of sub par steel that isn't worth the time. Just get a $2 plastic pull through sharpener and use that on them.

[@jeantheron2412]

Thank you for your direct approach to what has alluded me for most of my life. I am an outdoorsman. fisherman , gardener, tinkerer , and I have been able to sharpen drill bits, garden tools, lawn mower blades, axes, machete , etc . But I was embarrassed that I was horrible at sharpening Knives. Now I believe I have the knowledge to remedy this !

[@th34lch3m1st]

The tip of lowing the angle on the strop is great. The sharpening stars on YT never mention it. +1 for you. Thanks for sharing.

[@andrewtucker7990]

Can you use any leather to strop?

[@th34lch3m1st]

@@andrewtucker7990 Short answer: every material that can hold the abrasive paste it's fine, it depends only on your ability to not damage the edge. Long answer: historically the leather used to strop razors was the most stiff leather in the world: shell cordovan. It's the technical name for the leather cut made with the horse's butt skin (and the most expensive leather in the world too). It's a good compromise between a hard surface that can bend your edge while you strop, and a soft surface where your blade can sink and round your edge instead of sharpen it. That said, if you have a trained hand you can strop on hard surfaces like wood or mdf or very soft surfaces like soft leather, cork or even cardboard. As OUTDOORS55 has showed in the video, you can change your stropping technique to adapt to the material. For knifes with a double bevel, my opinion is to prefer more rigid surfaces like the shell cordovan. For other blades, like for example woodworking tools with one bevel only (plane blades, chisels), it depends on how you sharpen the bevel. Some woodworker prefers create a convex bevel with hand sharpening. In that case you can strop on very soft materials or leather with almost no risk. If instead you sharpen your chisel or your plane blade with jigs, you obviously want to maintain planarity on that bevel. In that case more hard and flat materials are recommended (like wood or mdf). PS: Forgive my grammar, I am not native english.

[@JustIn-op6oy]

@@th34lch3m1st honestly, you have better grammar than most native English speakers. Also - great info in your post. I just recently decided to make a couple of strops for some friends out of leather scraps from making sheaths. The quality of lumber available is pretty poor, so I think I'm going to get a few pieces of MDF to use as a backing material.

[@th34lch3m1st]

​@@JustIn-op6oy Thank you. I'm glad I was helpful.

[@silviabayer1213]

@@andrewtucker7990 hi, my father was a wood Carver for 60 years and he used an old belt made of a pig's hide for all his carving knives. His old hunting knives, pocket knives, my mom's kitchen knives, and my assortment of old knives...etc. He said it was perfect. He passed away 8 years ago and now I'm using it. It's pretty beat up but he was right. It's perfect. 🙂

[@szepi79]

DUUUUDE!!!! I cannot express how grateful I am! I have been into sharpening for over a year now, I have a belt grinder with which I can hone quite well, but recently I purchased some wetstones and I kept messing up. I read some books, watched countless hours of youtube videos, but couldn't figure out what I have been doing wrong. Then I found your video, and BAAM. You are awesome!

[@davemeade9489]

I’ve searched for good sharpening techniques for a long time. I’m glad I finally found your channel. Thank you and keep ‘em coming.

[@joelgermano7785]

I've been sharpening my own knives for years and this video has taught me to sharpen correctly. Thanks.

[@secretbeach999]

You mean you’ve been dulling your knives for years

[@DAVIDMILLER-nc9vo]

Excellent bonus! It's overlooked by most channels, but it's a most important topic and should be addressed and not overlooked.

[@jeffcanyafixiy]

I've gotten better results from these 3 tips than anything else I've read or watched. THANKS for the taking the time to post this. 👍👍

[@ememe1412]

I think these are very good advice for beginners. Another thing I'll add is to listen to the sound of the strokes on the stone. Each stroke should sound the same each time and even through the motion of the stroke. If theres any change in the sound, the blade angle is changing or moving against the stone.

[@deppurple700]

Great tip about pulling the knife i was having a hell of a time because I was pushing and pulling on the stone and my angle was changing needles to say it was taking forever to find the burr and the lower angle when stopping wheeweee!!!! My knives are really sharp now thanks to you

[@mikesharp4033]

A clear, concise, tutorial giving all essential information to proceed. If only all presenters were like you. Many, many thanks.

[@joshuahemingway4343]

I've been sharpening for years but I'm so glad I saw this video, I learned loads of new stuff. I love your vids, they're fantastic. Keep up the good work.

[@anotherrandomtexan25]

Seriously you have some of (if not THE) best videos on sharpening and stropping on YT this will be the video I send to anyone that wants to know more or is just starting to work on their own edges!

[@OUTDOORS55]

Thanks for the comment! I really appreciate it! I'm just trying to share some of the mistakes, and things I've learned over the years. Thanks for watching 👍

[@imnainggolanpm2245]

OUTDOORS55 tips n advice through experience are the best. Straightforward addressing the issue, simple (easy) to follow

[@OUTDOORS55]

Wet sand paper on something flat. The same techniques apply.

[@SebastianDaniec]

Probably. It's not impossible to sharpen on 3000 but it will take many many hours. If your knife is quite sharp and you just need to make it sharper you can do it on 3000 but if it's dull you are saving much time by going to a low grit like 200 or 400 and then around 1000. Imagine having a rough plank and trying to make it smooth. You wouldn't start with 1000 grit sandpaper because it would take you forever.

[@jimcanfield5494]

anotherrandomtexan25 and

[@OnlineAdjunct]

I have seen a lot of videos on KZbin about sharpening knives and this is among the best. It is short and simple, and yet thorough. It is easy to understand and explains why certain things are done as well as how they are done.

[@OUTDOORS55]

Thank you very much for the kind words. I really appreciate it! Thanks for watching 😀

[@davidsmith7456]

This was incredibly helpful. I tried your tip at once and I think you just saved my favorite blade from a lot of abuse.

[@rstmadmike]

Great instructions, very well explained not over the head and straight forward. Thank you for sharing.

[@bdcochran01]

I work on knives/swords/hatchets/axes as an avocation. Yours is the best explanation of using stones for a beginner. If a person has limited time, bad lighting, less than perfect eye sight and isn't using the knife to shave or filet sushi, and it is not serrated, a person might consider a two handed, manual, non electric sharpener with a set angle. There are fine ones for under $20. You hold the unit in one hand and draw the knife through with the other. If you are still a beginner, but are working with a volume of knives or the knife has serrations, consider a belt sander. The way you do the serration is to use the edge of the sanding belt which is narrow enough to get into the groove. Hint-I do my belt sanding outside on a stand and not indoors. It reduces the chances of accidental fire and also reduces the amount of particles that might accidentally be inhaled over time. The lighting is also better. You worked with a spyderco. Ok. Guy on eBay advertised a "dull" Endura. Less than $20 delivered. two passes on the belt sander with one a couple of seconds pass on the edge for each serration. Similarly, I sent three nieces college age last month each the same Cold Steel folder bought off youtube, cleaned up and sharpened. Added a leather sheath for each.

[@justinwest7765]

I can sharpen a blade but I didn’t know about the strops or leather part, glad I watched thanks

[@ltgood]

Alabama Gunguy the old time barber always used a strop for his razor.

[@jakemitchell1671]

After poor angles, the most common beginner mistake I see is TOO MUCH pressure. When a person starts out he/she almost always underestimates the effectiveness of the various grits, and they think they have to use force. Once you do it awhile and then experience the effect of something like leather - which some beginners can't even believe actually work - it starts to sink in how little pressure/force is required. Great video. Thank you!

[@ayekantspeylgud]

Jake Mitchell I am one of those beginners lol. It’s less that I don’t believe it and more that I am perplexed how it actually can work.

[@Frostbite1090]

@@ayekantspeylgud A straight edge has a bunch of tiny(very thin, bendable) teeth under a microscope, the strop will align all of this making it much sharper. Ive seen and heard this is why a strop is effective. And when it dulls a little, bring it back to the strop and it will be great again.

[@lukedupont6238]

Pressure (or lack thereof) only matters when you're working the burr off, or if you're sharpening razors. I usually use more pressure when initially profiling the edge, and transition to almost no pressure at all when finishing. A moderate amount of pressure is sometimes necessary when working with some stones, such as Arkansas stones. The biggest mistake I see beginners do is use too fine a stone on a new knife that's never been profiled -- you need to be very patient to apex a new (or old) knife with, say, a 1000+ grit stone.

[@JeffAboularage]

I am a rank beginner. I bought a course stone from ace hardware, and I think it’s like a 200/300 grit. Anyway, I do understand grit and pressure as I work as a fabricator. But this one stroke backwards is great. One stroke, and I am able to work on my form. When I go back and fourth I feel like I am all over the place, and that I am damaging and filling the blade even more!

[@jakemitchell1671]

@@JeffAboularage I had to think back to a post I made 4 years ago, LOL. Darn, time flies! Since that time I've gotten much better at sharpening. The stage I'm working on now is sharpening broadheads for hunting deer during archery season. This has driven the point home even more. It's about angle and pressure, which cannot be taught. You just have to do enough of it to develop FEEL. I can now feel things that wouldn't remotely register years ago. My suggestion is to get a bunch of cheap, dull knives and spend hours getting them sharp. You can do it while watching TV or during breaks at work. Seriously. Just sharpen and sharpen, checking the edge every few strokes. You'll find most of what you do actually makes the blade duller, LOL.

[@zaneellzey1084]

This has always been one of the 'man skills' that I've lacked. Watched your videos and bought a couple of cheap stones on the interwebs. Our worst kitchen knife is now the sharpest. Thank you for the educational video and practical tips. Great job!

[@janholmes3742]

The 1st ever tutorial I've ever seen that made sense on this subject. I like the way it was illustrated.. good job. I've been trying it for years, I'm 64 and can now sharpen a knife.

[@montamiddleton9318]

I'm right there with you. I always used that thing on the back of the can opener ( I know it's should not be considered a sharpener but a duller). Cleaning out our Dada shop my brother handed me a rather large file to replace my "duller". Lol! He then manslained with his engineers way how to use it. I'm 65 and can sharpen kitchen knives and my yard tools ( some of my dad's yard tools) with that old file. Or a rasp as dad called it. And it's a way of keeping him in my thoughts. And that's probably the cornest thing I've ever said. Now let me go look for that sharpening stone I have of his. 😊

[@jonnyboat2]

See, this is what happens when you actually see and hear how someone with experience, knowledge and understanding demonstrates how to sharpen a knife properly. You just showed me the step I didn’t know about when stroppng that is why I sometimes get a slightly rounded over edge. Use a lesser angle. Now it makes sense. That’s why you see guys strop a blade and they’re practically holding the knife parallel to the strop. It’s those key points that are too easily taken for granted that people overlook explaining. Thank you for explaining things properly. A great, to the point, no nonsense video with clear instruction.

[@walterdowns2322]

Great video very informative I have been watching a lot of knife sharpening videos as I'm a beginner and you're the only one that gives an explanation of why you do the things you do thank you

[@mrsteel250]

Very good videos, just started sharpening and you (not to copy everyone else) really do have the best Sharpening videos by far, they're short, straight to the point and simple. Good Job!

[@OUTDOORS55]

Thanks, I appreciate the kind words! Thanks for watching my friend 😀

[@unclegeorge6175]

I agree wholeheartedly

[@epicinator2372]

OUTDOORS55 I don’t think anybody is watching your friend.

[@Watchandcutgearchannel]

This was such a good video.. I rewatched it a few times as a simple refresher... I actually watched this as a beginner.. still am! Solid foundation

[@bobavedian1009]

I’ve been sharpening blades the other way for years with some success and much frustration at dulling edges. God tip about sharpening the other way . Thanks!

[@oldladyrose]

This was the 1st videoI’ve watched that talked about a lesser angle on the strop. But makes total sense. I will be trying that. THANKS

[@OUTDOORS55]

Thanks for watching!

[@rangerjudd528]

He looks like an NPC in oblivion

[@matthewfredrickmfkrz1934]

Which one

[@matthewfredrickmfkrz1934]

Oh lol the sharpening tutorial npc duh

[@dillonfalcomer3107]

Fvcking child grow up

[@dillonfalcomer3107]

​@@matthewfredrickmfkrz1934🤡's

[@Ratlins9]

Very informative video. You thoroughly explained the techniques in sharpening and removing the burr and also demonstrated stropping and how to find the proper sharpening angle. Great job

[@waynesmith4612]

One of the best tutorials I have ever watched, many thanks for that.

[@AuroraLakes]

Im 55, and started out at about 6 years old sharpening like you show here. It is very effective. Then at about the age of 12, a butcher that came to my familys fishing camp said to me, do you cut your meat like that? Ive been sharpening the other way, ever since. My best advice to the newbie, find a beater knife and practice and use notebook paper for your sharp test.

[@annhutcheson5770]

Wow. Best instruction for sharpening I have seen yet. Now I need to see if there is one for asian kitchen knives. I have a brand new Global G-5, and while I realize it isn’t a Masamoto or a Chelsea Miller blade, I’m not a professional chef, and I’m pretty convinced that the Global is still a hell of a nice kitchen knife and I want to know how to bring it back to as close to pristine sharpness as I can. Plus, it’s a tool everyone should have in their arsenal of valuable life skills. I bought a KING KW65 1000/6000 and hope I got the appropriate stone. After we lost everything in one of the California fires, I replaced my kitchen knives with a block set from a very well known “German” brand which is made in Spain (?!?!?!). Yeah. Go figure. Wouldn’t hold an edge for any decent length of time, and when they began to rust, in spite of hand washing and drying in a very low humidity climate - that was it. Garbage confirmed. This time it’s gonna be Global, one fine knife at a time.

[@wmoran7111]

Great tips! Just picked up some of the cheapo Harbor freight stones to learn on some Walmart kitchen knives before trying my EDC leatherman and pocket knife.

[@LostBeetle]

Eventually it's nice to start going forward and backward on your stones, it's much, much faster. When I started sharpening fourteen years ago it's what I did right from the start, but I made a lot of mistakes. When you are ready to learn this I recommend you learn on knives that don't matter much, sharpen kitchen knives you buy from thrift stores or old cheap pocket knives with no sentimental value to you, or even garden tools like an old rust machete or an axe. Get the muscle memory and you will be set.

[@makenchips]

Love your simple presentation and succinct discussion of the subject. You're knocking it out of the ballpark keep up the good work!

[@rosaliecgarcia]

This is the 3rd tutorial I watched and this is the best! I tried to follow the tips and it worked! I was able to sharpen 4 knives. I'm so happy haha.

[@cutter9009]

Have been hand sharpening successfully for decades to razor/shaving edges, and I learned from your video. Great tips!

[@danrich92]

Super helpful, I've been a beginner for years and I think in the last 20 minutes after watching this I at least became a novice

[@hunterscarborough3665]

What an underrated channel. Nice work here

[@TePPoP776]

Every time I feel like wasting some time, I go to KZbin, look up some knife sharpening tutorials and try to sharpen my deadly dull folder (that actually was kinda sharp before I decided to remove a nick in the edge). Pretty much every next tutorial seem to poop all over what was said in the previous one, yet none helped me produce any success so far. I've tried dry stones ,watered stones, oiled stones, moving the knife away, moving the knife towards me, moving the knife in a circle, alternating after 5 strokes, alternating after 20 strokes, alternating after 1 minute, moving alongside the whole edge, sharpening the tip and the blade separately, screaming at the knife in utter despair. I'll either sharpen or just whittle it away eventually.

[@tizianominghelli6786]

Buy the guide-knife it help a lot... you reach a nice angle. I start sharpen 1 year ago my chefknives without results and now slowly slowly i see that every time come better and to adjust a knife you don t need 2000-3000 grit buy a wet stone 400 and 1000 is enough for normal purpose and is enough to keep sharpen most of the knives. When youll learn how to sharpen better move on more grit and when you will learn very good move on diamond stones because diamond stone if you don t know how to sharpen very well are gonna fuck up your blade.

[@edwardkautz4972]

Alexander Samarin oiu

[@edwardkautz4972]

Alexander Samarin i

[@aprawtv]

Sir try to visit my channel... I also have my own techniques in sharpening a knife...

[@jasonanderson7020]

hey man, thanks alot, i have just started trying to sharpen a few knives and ive committed several errors along the way, this video was very helpful and simple. thank you so much for your contribution to the community.

[@axemanlion3475]

I have my own techniques, but you've helped me. I always backwards sharpen, removal of the burr, is always an issue. Thanks for the lesson

[@AnyDayNow360]

This is the best explanation and tutorial video I've come across. Thank you, and Merry Christmas!

[@jasonpettit9984]

Man I appreciate your time and knowledge, Thank you for always sharing these with me...

[@randyroberts2301]

Thanks for the tips. When is wet or dry better for sharpening?

[@razorraider5981]

Not that my opinion matters much, but I have found that wet works better

[@aprawtv]

In my opinion wet is better than dry because you can remove those grains from the stone... Try to visit my channel..I also have a technique on how to sharpen my knife

[@p4polecatpremiumpodcastspr288]

Hey Alex, despite your video making me a bit nostalgic for my hillbilly youth, and at the same time shaming me for lacking the patience to practice and learn how to sharpen from my dad, I truly appreciate what an effective teacher and good communicator you are. Thank you!

[@p4polecatpremiumpodcastspr288]

After posting that message I see that lots of folks recognize and appreciate your talents as a communicator and teacher as well. Those skills may be partially innate but they take focused and persistent practice - have you considered starting your own KZbin channel? 😊

[@chemguynj265]

Good beginner video. I began sharpening knives with my K-bar in Vietnam. This is good fundamental instruction for newbies. Thanks.

[@anamericanpatriot5230]

My intent is not to toot my own horn but I have been proficient with knives and sharpening for decades . this video is very well stated ... A very good tutorial

[@BlackKevin808]

Glad I rewatched this video after getting some hands on practice.

[@whome7004]

I thought I had it figured out but I just got schooled. I Appreciate the knowledge Ever Man Need a good edge. Its just part of being a Man. Now it may cut butter Thank Ser

[@BensBlades]

I love these basic sharpening tips!!! Thank you for the great video!!!🔪🖤🗡

[@Hungrybird474]

4 years later and I m finally here . This vid will have some longevity . So seen most of this fellas vids and of you’re here to learn how to sharpen you fins the right spot , carry on and get a jewelers loupe from Amazon for $10

[@jasonsgrowingtree5764]

I absolutely suck at this. I am so mad at myself right now for I have ruined my mora bushcraft and spyderco polestar edge. You make it look like buttering toast.

[@OUTDOORS55]

You can't really ruin an edge completely unless you took it to a bench grinder. Just practice maintaining an angle and go slow. It does take some practice. The mora bushcraft is a scandi grind. All you have to do with that knife is keep the bevel flat on the stone. Again just go slow and maintain an angle. Hope this helps🙂

[@richardhatt6541]

Smith's or Lansky has a kit for sharpening. Look them up.

[@Zardoch]

​@@richardhatt6541 Systems with a set angle are not the best on Scandi grinds (use the Wicked Edge a lot myself). The problem is that the system is very exact, but the grinding on the knife is not. So it needs a more flexible touch, which can be achieved free hand. Easily, since the grind itself functions as an angle guide.

[@silverwiskers7371]

some of us still use the old straight razors, when you learn to keep it sharp enough to shave daily you can sharpen anything

[@satuurn5245]

I'd love to be that good. I'll keep at it.

[@Beyondthebackyard-au]

Hi Mate, Thanks, really informative videos and very well done, thanks. Had a quick question... I heard that a scandi grind, while time consuming to do initially, was going to be one of the better types for sharpness and ease of keeping sharp. Would you agree?

[@andrewmcmillions3138]

Thank you for the tip of "working backwards" the first sharpening video I watched he was showing it doing it forward, and then forward+backward continuous. But I thought it was interesting he did it forward cause I thought backward would be better for the exact reason you explained. Very thorough video, thank you very much!

[@SpherialDream]

Thank you, I am a beginner, and didn't even know there was such a thing as a strop. THANK YOU!!!

[@bluehornet197]

A strop is basically a strip of leather if you have a 100% genuine leather belt you could use that as a strop if you wanted to we have all seen strops in one form or another but we just never knew it haha

[@ivyarianrhod]

James Quinn I came to the comments to ask what a strop is! Thank you!

[@thejuicer9706]

Thanks bruh, I’ve always sucked at this. I like you’re teaching methods.

[@kenjames3034]

Great tutorial. However, at 3:00 or so I did not quite catch what you said regarding reflection. If light reflects from the edge, does that mean an apex has not been achieved, or vice versa?

[@Oslerian]

My understanding is if you see light reflected off the edge of the primary edge (the part the cuts) then you have to keep going with your sharpening strokes. When the primary edge comes to a true point, light is not visibly reflected off it.

[@Tinhead426]

If the knife is not apexed in a certain way, you will see what looks like a flat spot in the edge when you hold it up to the light.

[@nineinchrails3361]

I fully apexed my pants twice watching this. Good stuff!

[@OUTDOORS55]

😂

[@matkosmat8890]

This is vintage in 2024, a very nice addition to your more recent stuff I've been watching.

[@9jep]

Nice job. I'm a 67 year old cabinet maker. Love this stuff.

[@moonshinerphd9523]

Tip 4. Sharpen your blade with the edge toward you, e.g. forward! You'll end up with a sharper blade. I've been sharpening this way for many years, it works better for me at least.

[@OUTDOORS55]

No you wont. Either way will get just as sharp. Whatever works for you is best.

[@Terrakinetic]

Even his ears, nose, and chin are sharp. ...Bosmer?

[@dusty_playz2783]

Dark elf?

[@CerpinTxt87]

I have a feeling you and I are about to become - V E R Y C L O S E

[@sergeantdef.3572]

Sharpen backwards?? Then you go against the edge.. I learned..never sharpen backwards. There are different methods to sharpen..but backwards?? Alone go backwards when stropping.. But..so I have learned it. Maybe your method works..it's only strange that after the sharping the knife still struggling to cut that paper. I never seen this before..a knife that can shave..always can cut paper easily..

[@lamprosmellis5634]

Exactly!,,and this is better if cut hard materials,just like heavy used ropes, ,,,in my work in the sea we have to do with coarse nailon nets and full of mud ropes. Only a buckwards sharpening on a medium stone have effect. Shave sharpening in a fishing trawler ia absolutely useless .

[@lamprosmellis5634]

you are wrong,,,,

[@bluehornet197]

Your wrong that a knife that can cut paper can shave hair 😂😂😂 my Bowie knife can slice through paper with ease but it struggles to shave arm hair and my other knife can shave arm hair but it can't slice a newspaper or any paper with ease it just tears the paper

[@sergeantdef.3572]

@@bluehornet197 No.. I said..a knife that can shave hair...can cut paper easy.

[@bluehornet197]

@@sergeantdef.3572 yes I know what you said and I said a knife that can cut paper can't always shave arm hair I am being trained in knife sharpeming from a man who has been doing sharpening of all kinds of blades for over 50yrs I have seen knives that can shave your arm actually struggle to slice through paper its the other way around if you can slice paper like butter you can shave your arm hairs and he also repeated back to me what I just told you so I am repeating back to you what a master knife sharpener once told me

[@terrystrong9787]

Great video Thanks for some great training on how to do it I’m 75 and still learning Thanks to you

[@stevenwilgus8982]

You've just changed how I SHOULD be doing it over what I've been DOING WRONG ALL THIS TIME! Outstanding, keto up the great work

[@BrettonFerguson]

Where I come from, toilet paper has perforations every 4 inches or so. This way it will rip where you want to rip it, and you don't need a super sharp knife to cut it.

[@bended6927]

You lucky dog...where I'm from we use our last good tooth,,(usually in the middle up top )

[@nathany6244]

Going backwards on the stone is the best way to get a burr on the edge. Go forward. Lightly. It's like shaving, not slicing a block of cheese.

[@ostmen_draugr]

Thats how ive always been taught to sharpen. Hold the angle & draw the edge along the stone. Ive never seen someone sharpen spine first like this

[@doznt12]

Great comment. Stroking backwards will cause the burr to roll from one side to the other while stroking forward will pull the material away from the apex. 20+ years on a burr bench in a precision machine shop taught me this.

[@jasonrogers803]

Yea it is but you missed the point of why he said that. When you do that it's easy for a beginner to move the angle and mess it up and have to start over.

[@AlainNaigeon]

@@jasonrogers803 But doing it the bad way means being a forever beginner.

[@krustysurfer]

I was told it redeposit's metal where its not needed going backwards, I was taught edge control low angle 22 degree apex going forward on a diamond rod or stone....... But that's me and I am 52 now, we will try this on a axe and see where it ends up. Aloha

[@LambeauLeeeper]

My kids gifted me a stone Sharpening kit for Xmas. Im so excited to try it

[@1959jimbob]

Thank you for doing this vid. I have struggled for years (literally) in getting my blades sharpened correctly. I saw and old timer once a couple decades back who sharpened his blades "backward" and it blew my mind. When I asked him why he did that, he just smiled and said, "when you sharpen a blade backward, it cuts better going forward." I was totally lost as to what he meant but thanks to this very video, I understand now. Please keep up the good, no, make that great diy/how-to videos.

[@olivernordenhok253]

He looks like a dark elf

[@michaelwoodward5787]

Why would someone dislike this video? Do they like dull knives???

[@toby1conoby1]

We call the Burr a feather where I'm from mate

[@OUTDOORS55]

Sometimes I call it a wire😉

[@jakeschumann2186]

Love the channel just got the edge pro blocks 220 600 1000 no strop just a belt back side on a table your channel has brought bandaids alot of my money lol you have the best channel for sharpening idk why i just get what u say thanks man

[@olivermilutinovic749]

Straight forward tips, sharpening backwards and stropping angle. Tried it when stropping the knife I use for my stubborn prickly backyard weeds and other cutting chores. Worked, thanks.

[@jeffreytilton4253]

Is it just me or do you hope this guy doesn’t watch “Dexter”?

[@MakeitorBreakit591]

Directions unclear got d#$% stuck in celling fan

[@rodneysmart9774]

That was to the point, cutting edge commentary. You sliced right to core of the topic. You seem like sharp guy. Sorry, I'm done.

[@jacintosilva8669]

This is one of the best, if not the best knife sharpening tutorial I've seen to date. Thanks

[@slimchance7748]

Thanks! My sharpening over the years has been a little ‘hit & miss’ - that’s not acceptable! I love being able to get schooled privately, rather than get laughed at! Priceless.

[@Ottee2]

Apex, burr, strop. Got it. Your advice is cutting edge, made all the more palatable by your keen wit. Thanks.

[@AndreaAleardi]

Just wanna thank you for this video. You saved my Mora from the garbage! I was stuck with two out of three of this mistakes! Now my blades are all razor sharp, even the poor chinese knifes i bought years ago now cut paper like a 100 € knife! Insane! Thank you again and again.

[@kento8597]

Thank you for the stropping angle tip. I’ve been making the mistake of stropping at the same angle I sharpen at.

[@paulnewsom1764]

I think most people will like this tutorial, very easy to follow. Nice job.!!

[@e.t.preppin7084]

Absolutely can’t believe I have never seen this old video. I love sharpening more than making knives. You did a very good job on this video 👍👍👍

[@Birdman884]

Well said. Free hand sharpening is the way to start, just as iron sights for firearms, but dont discount guided sharpeners like KME and Wicked Edge. Some folks may need a short cut.

[@l.horseman5704]

The best delivered tips i have ever seen. Knives sharp enough to shave with. If you cannot shave with the blade it is not sharp. I liked what you said about muscle memory. When sharpening a blade the angle is a critical element in being able to sharpen it. Thanks! well taught!

[@therealblurrybarber]

Sharpie trick is the best for beginners in my opinion. I still use it myself when sharpening a knife I'm not used to or if it has an edge type that's difficult to sharpen. Also IMO the back and forth method is pretty fundamental and beginner or otherwise you should practice it. You'll never get that muscle memory if you don't start doing it. Sharpie that edge and start doing it. You'll find you've improved amazingly by the end of sharpening a single knife

[@IntelWond]

Thank you a lot for your sharpening series. Given all the videos on this topic in the internet, I still consider yours to be at least ones of the best, I've learned a lot from them and I really like your approach. Didn't move to diamond stropping compounds (I try to do my best with Dialux for the moment), but other than that I've used your advices and they really work well. Haven't been able to achieve the hair whittling sharpness unfortunately - when the knife cuts the hairs in air, and I'm not sure that stropping with diamond compound will give me that.) So still working on my hands and skill. All the best wishes, and thank you again.

[@sunsetz72]

Thank you so much!!!!!! I’ve been trying to get an edge on knives for years!!!! Too no avail nothing ever worked. Trying your method of working backwards and feeling for the right angle helped tremendously! I didn’t work it long enough to get a burr (for fear of reshaping the apex) but the little I did do made it a game changer for me! Once I get a strop I’ll venture to the burr. 👍