How to Sharpen A Knife Like Bob Kramer

Learn to sharpen a knife with Bob Kramer's Sharpening method
Kramer knives are available here bur.re/kramer
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0:00 paper cutting ASRM
0:15 full knife sharpening tutorial
0:33 sharpening bob kramer knife
1:15 how to sharpen like bob Kramer
2:00 sharpening with cerax 1k whetstone
2:14 how to grip knife for hand sharpening
3:17 how to choose best sharpening technique
4:12 what is best knife sharpening angle
4:25 how to find knife’s factory sharpening angle
4:45 why you should not have office in garage
5:15 the perfect sharpening technique - crescent pull
5:50 best whetstone sharpening position
7:30 sharpening belly of knife
9:00 sharpening body of knife
9:28 the perfect stroke
11:00 mastering hand sharpening on whetstone
11:40 sharpening left side of knife
15:00 how much pressure to apply during knife sharpening
15:30 how fast should you sharpen a knife
15:50 combining two sharpening strokes
16:10 how to progress to polishing whetstone
16:30 counting down method
19:40 polishing on Suehiro Rika whetstone
22:00 real knife cut test
22:22 paper cut test ASMR
23:00 stropping on leather strop
24:55 how to check knife edge sharpness
25:45 pro sharpening tip
30:10 what is in the box?
30:48 best knife sharpening tutorials

[@Burrfection]

latest updates and content burrfection.com/ my trusted knife store bur.re

[@The_RC_Guru]

10:50 that’s exactly been my problem 😂. Thanks 3 years later and you’re still helping people.

[@baby-shane]

I do garage doors for a living. You need to get that thing insulated, put some nylon rollers in it, and lube up all the hinges. Now I feel like I've paid you back for all the lessons I've learned from you.

[@jpulidol]

Best comment!

[@Burrfection]

Nylon rollers.... time to up my garage game

[@ronm2970]

This site is so full of information!!! Just ordered nylon rollers!!

[@baby-shane]

@@ronm2970 That's awesome! Glad I could help, be safe changing them out.

[@cassieb4162]

I love your videos. It’s taught me how to better care for my knives. I have a set with some chips in the edge that I plan on tackling when I get my sharpening stones.

[@capnsean8365]

Watching this man work is like watching Bob Ross paint. Very tranquil.

[@crattis]

I really enjoy listening to the sound of the metal on the stone too.

[@kevincasimiro1684]

Doesn't it make you eager to try on a paper?

[@skeetorkiftwon]

John Ross?

[@capnsean8365]

Watched this video last night. This morning my wife asked why we replaced all the butter knives with katana swords.

[@Burrfection]

Make it happen

[@Sundrop2204]

😂😂👍👍👍

[@traestorm]

THAT made me laugh out loud! TY!

[@Duca4]

Almost split my morning coffee 😂😂

[@clairebordeaux]

cap'n sean Sounds like you were successful 👏🏻. Well done! Did you watch then sharpen, or sharpen while following along with the video? Or both?

[@hoffmancapote]

Learned some good tips. Your comment is so true about feeling the grip of the blade against the stone to get the right sharpening angle. For a long time I measured the angle and could never get a consistent level of sharpness, but as soon as I followed the feel of the blade grip the stone my sharpening improved

[@toddburdick1]

Thank you RyKy! I appreciate your teaching. I've been spreading the love. I sharpen knives for others and try to share the knowledge.

[@sanctufilms]

I hope you will continue with this kind of instruction/demonstration as you did a few years ago. Some things you taught back then need to be visited again in light of things you learned later or changes in materials and companies since then. If you have a heart for it, this is a good time to touch base with what you used to teach.

[@jetobey5656]

I like the long form video. It allows for spotting details more than once, and then I can embed them in my memory and put them into practice. Thank you.

[@pavolfedor9681]

Thank you for this video, I like to watch you sharpen knives and I started myself, mainly due to your videos. Finally you mentioned the tip on sharpening the tip of the knife, as I have seen you doing it, but you never mentioned something in this regard. Great you have addressed it now. As already mentioned in the comments before me, would be nice to see you sharpen a pocket knife.

[@firmian]

Really love the the way you are moving your body in the sharpening motion. Getting the to-and-fro out of your legs helps a lot staying focused on angle and knife movement on the stone ...

[@ramonrojo5033]

When first started watching your videos a few years back my edge came out consistent through out the blade length, a few months ago it became smaller as it approached the tip and although baffling because it wasn't intentional, my technique changed over time, it was aesthetically pleasing to play around it, couldn't find any video where you would explain something regarding this until you made this video. Love your passion towards knife making and maintenance.

[@Burrfection]

Glad it helped!

[@kennyhallam]

Again another awesome video. I always love your humility and willingness to admit mistakes along the way, thank you for that!

[@brianbell3849]

Thank you! Love getting back to basics. Few years ago that Bob Kramer video inspired me to start sharpening our knives. But soon after found your channel. Tip of the knife is so tricky.

[@kevincasimiro1684]

That smile when the blade cut through the paper so smoothly, anyone else had the same feeling? when your knife did the same thing or tried it in a plastic bag???

[@di9it4l]

This is super informative! I love your teaching style and long format is very much appreciated.

[@alfredvigil8394]

Thank you for this video, I learned a lot. It was worth the time you took.

[@Viewsonic61]

Excellent tuition. First video I’ve seen that breaks it down into easy to learn step by step chunks.

[@cwsaxx]

I just got my first whetstone set up and have watched dozens of videos. Yours is the most complete and informative by far. Thank you.

[@Burrfection]

Thank you!

[@salvation_by_hisblood_alon417]

Thank you for the in-depth full length tutorial. Although I was not anticipating a Bob Kramer type sharpening tutorial, I definitely learned some things I can use. I stole my sharpening techniques from Knife Merchant videos featuring Dave & his master sharpener. One thing I do is to switch hands for each side, doing the same thing on both sides with my hands,, ambidextrous style. Since I'm new to stones, I thought it just made sense to learn new skills with both hands, which in turn, gives each hand a break when I switch sides, and for me, gets more consistent results. I can't say one way is better than another, I just think it's something everyone needs to work out for themselves. Looking forward to more videos in 2020. P.S., now I'm inspired, and will sharpen my long neglected knife today.

[@meaty109]

TY...my skills are getting so much better because of your tutorials!

[@xsez2]

Wow, I have watched this couple times, Still one of the best Knife Sharpening videos in Dec 2022

[@crominion6045]

I salute you guys who can sharpen freehand. I tried to learn for many years and never could get the hang of it. I ended up giving away or selling my stones and other gear and buying an Edge Pro Apex. Now I actually get decent edges, but it's not quite the same as being able to do it on your own without a mechanical guide.

[@hongman24]

Just watched the video while sheltering in place for dah COVID .. fantastic explanation.. and the "Pro Tip" at the end was worth the wait !! The curved section of the blade leading to the tip is always the most difficult for me to sharpen, so I am looking forward to using this technique next time I get around to sharpening Keep it up Ryky, your work is really appreciated... and... hope you picked up your kids on time too..!

[@haisamjab]

It's remarkable how well communicative you are. Teaching is not simple and it seems to be natural for you. Thank you for everything you share with us "learning people". Bye from Rome :)

[@Jimbonj]

I enjoyed the video I was needing a refresher course on sharping from you

[@michaelrelaz4808]

HOLY CRAP! This video was great timing for me. On my second sharpening on the wet stone this video took me 100 levels better than what I was doing. 😂🤷‍♂️🔪

[@steveogle8942]

Still learning to hand sharpen. I've watched this video several times and I pick up something new everytime.

[@jaaxxone]

Love this channel! Keep in mind that you don't have to be a master to have sharp knives. You can go as far down the rabbit hole into hobby territory as you like, but these tutorials are a service to home cooks, pro chefs and the knife hobbyist. Relax and have fun knowing whatever camp you are in you will benefit.

[@gregmccormack5709]

Love the longer sharpening videos with technique breakdown. Thanks for another great Video.

[@jetobey5656]

The full length videos are best. They are complete. For those who have a deep interest in fine knives, the time invested with you has real value. Please keep this format.

[@chrischerry2787]

I've never sharpened a knife properly before but REALLY need to learn as this will make fish filleting so much easier. This video is excellent & it gives me the confidence to try it for myself. Thank you 😊

[@suleimanshaik]

I dont get many whetstones in South Africa. As a complete newby to sharpening my kitchen knives, I love this video tutorial. Thanks a million Sir.

[@andrewblomberg3479]

You can't stop giving can you. I started watching your videos to learn how to better sharpen my own knives. Then I realized you love knives even more than me and have been enjoying your channel ever since. I volunteer to teach cooking classes in a undeserved neighbor hood in my area, since we can't do that right now we have been making lunches every day to help keep people in the area fed. That honey comb handle, ebony handle, or either kramer shaped would sure make food prep easy and sexy.

[@einundsiebenziger5488]

"... you love knives more than I*". He does not know you personally, so it should be a given that he prefers his knives over you😉.

[@billymkirkwood4956]

I really like this explanation.. God knows I have watched enough knife sharpening technique videos now to fully understand, but this for me has galvanised and fine tuned my understanding, also I love the fact you use two fingers rather than three, which makes perfect sense and a more natural feel with the counter balance... brilliant thank you 😊🙏👍

[@Burrfection]

thank you for your kind words

[@vietdadirt]

Missed these longer vids ryky. Amazing as usual, can't wait to sharpen my new knives like this

[@Burrfection]

you will get there

[@zed9452]

Very interesting and informative video. I saw what I need to change with my technique with the motion and applying pressure. I’ll give it a try the next time I’m going to sharpen. Great job 👍

[@ronver6089]

Great video. Been waiting for some time till you started to make such vids again. I'm glad I didn't wait in vain. Thnx 👍

[@undrachevr]

So much nostalgia from this video. It brings me back to those early days. 👍

[@jsvedjefalt]

Hahaha same here

[@sterlinghein]

Thank you this is super helpful!

[@rjd659]

Always love your videos, Ryky. Thanks for your expertise!

[@greglivesey1734]

This answers so many questions I have had. Thanks.

[@garywelch12]

You have taught me how to sharpen my knives and my clevers razor,razor,sharp.knowing your different types of steel is very important.thank you very much for your mastery in sharpening these blades. Gary.

[@Burrfection]

Wow, thanks!

[@easyaussietarget3355]

When you practice the ability to feel and hear the burr between the knife and sharpening medium of choice becomes quite noticeable. Great tutorial

[@jpulidol]

Hi Ryky, Thank you for offering this video it is very helpful.

[@chriserickson4417]

Nice work. A fine edge is a thing of Beauty. Thanks again for another excellent video.

[@tomacana]

I have always had a good knack with sharpening knives. The main thing I rely on is the sound of the stroke. Your strokes are really consistent.

[@victormaack2353]

Great video!!! I have been watching a ton of you videos, as I want to get into wetstone sharpening. Your videos on knives, stones and sharpening have been the most informative for me on KZbin yet. As a beginner many tutorials say a larger stone is easier to learn on. With your knowledge of so many stones I was wondering about your opinion of the Dalstrong XL wet stones? You have there knives in some of your videos, but I haven't seen anything on there wet stones. Looking forward to hearing from you. Thanks

[@Dave-nm3xc]

This is what I've been looking for. You are a master!

[@victor-vieira]

Thank you for sharing your experience to sharp knife. Sharpening knife it is obviously knowing take time . Thank you very much again

[@jnccreativestudios]

This tutorial was great!

[@ColeJT]

This really helped me; splitting it up into two motions, practicing each, then combining. One thing that I've heard in other videos is that you only apply pressure in the direction away from the cutting edge (so you do not push your cutting edge into the stone). That motion felt very unnatural for whatever reason, but after some practice I got my $10 foodlion knife I picked up in college 6 years ago to slice paper nicely; some sections even got sharp enough to push cut!

[@Burrfection]

glad this helped at least one person

[@joshcoulson7659]

i just got my first set of stones as a gift, two double sided stones, 4 grits total, i am really glad i found this video thank you!

[@frp05]

just got wet stones and have been watching a lot of vids on sharping most say do not put pressure on the push but a little on the pull back some say lift knife off stone and reset to pull knife with blade facing away from you . i do like yours or the Kramer method so ill probably watch this another 20 times and i like this video would like to see more like it

[@shelbyglazer3948]

Best sharpening video on youtube period!

[@Swolimandius]

I recently started sharpening knives as a way to make a little extra money since my business has been shut down. Thank you for your informative videos, It has really shown me how much more there is to learn and practice.

[@Burrfection]

Best of luck!

[@lanceyonis5197]

very nice video. thank you. this helps my technique to improve my blade edges. thanks

[@Lindrake]

Learned to sharpen knives with this video. Now my veggies cut edges are silky smooth. Nice work.

[@xmateinc]

I sharpened my knives last night for the first time every, and definitely had a hard time with the first blade keeping an angle. Knives are sharper then when I started but feel I could improve A LOT more. This is a great video for a beginner like me just trying to get a good technique.

[@everydaypatriot1083]

Thanks for the tips, Ryky.

[@danltm]

After taking a break from sharpening suddenly i got it! Woah ginally managed to get the techinique right. Razor sharp clean edge. Sometimes a break will relax what u have learned. Thanks Burrfection!

[@Burrfection]

Great to hear!

[@schriebeschriebs7501]

Excellent instructions, thank you for the video Mate 👍👍👍

[@grimreapings743]

I would LOVE to see a video on sharpening western style 6” curved boning knives, such as victorinox, wusthof, and dalstrong. I’m a butcher and it seems like I cannot keep these knives sharp for more than a day, and it’s killing me at work! Love your videos!!

[@jamestyrer6067]

I'm learning alot watching your videos. Thanks

[@childowar]

Love this channel. Safe to say it's probably my most watched. I have a question regarding smaller knives on stones and especially ones that have a foot at the heel of the blade making your stroke stop short. I'm a complete novice but came across this and it made me want to cry. Is it best to simply push/pull from the tip to the foot? Any help would be great thanks and keep up the great work! 😁

[@garywelch12]

May love and light be with you and your family always.thank you again,for your help. Gary.

[@Burrfection]

So nice of you

[@RobertOrtiz1015]

The motion is the basically the same as pocket knife and hunting knife sharpening. Thanks for video

[@jemmscrew]

@burrfection thank you for making these videos. We've never met. But I've learned a lot from you keep rocking!

[@Burrfection]

My pleasure!

[@andrewwong9769]

Thank you so much for your tutorial. It is very useful

[@PatMende]

Regarding your protip: this is actually something I noticed, and wanted to figure out how to ask you about on one of your videos, so thanks for bringing it up It's possible to realize that the bevel will get wider without adjusting how the knife is tilted simply by examining the geometry when you're finding the angle initially. If you find your starting angle, look at the tip: it's not touching the stone *and never would* if the flat portion of the blade is touching the stone. If you hold the knife horizontally, and pull it horizontally in the direction of the handle, *then* the curved portion of the knife will start to touch the stone. Now consider the extreme case where you have a knife with a completely flat blade *except* that the tip is a quarter circle. This is actually much easier to think about than a regular knife. If you wanted to keep the bevel the same along the whole tip, you wouldn't just need to lift your hand as you were moving toward the point of the tip during sharpening. You'd *also* have to roll the spine toward the stone as you pulled your hand upwards. I don't know if that explanation made any sense xD. But the key take away is that: to fully correct for the curved portion of the knife, you have to both pull your hand up, *and* move the spine towards the stone as you sharpen closer to the point of a curved tip. Obviously this is *wayyy* more difficult than the suggestion you gave, and requires *even more* control.

[@adanma17]

Would love to see your thoughts on sharpens best knife sharpeners.

[@claresinclair8030]

Thank you for showing me this. I ended up blunting my Japanese knife when following another video and this method has helped me to get my knife sharp, Maybe not as sharp as yours but it cuts tomatoe without me having to hold it on the board so its sharp. I used 1000, 3000 and 8000 wet stone.

[@TheDarkWallChris]

I never knew that trick for finding the sharpening angle. That's really cool, thank you

[@versusv7134]

Thank you, Ryky. Many useful tips.

[@TheMiniD3]

great effort there Ryky and well done..........learnt heaps, now I just got to put it into practice Thank you Regards, Gary ............Au

[@roundtree3936]

The way I learned to sharpen in Japan is similar to how Vincent Lau @Korin does it, in sections and with much lighter pressure on the stones. Applying so much pressure to the point of flexing the knife prematurely wears out stones, knives, and your wrist.

[@Burrfection]

Vincent knows his stuff

[@richardreyes584]

I remember long before the Japanese cutlery era an instructor in culinary school demo this method as cutting into the stone. This was on oil stones mostly norton and with Henkel or Wustuf knives. King stones where mostly ignored. On the 2nd sushi craze in the late 90s and early 2000's equipment was noticed more than the mid 80's this helped places such as Korin in NYC do very well.

[@einundsiebenziger5488]

... Henckels* or Wüsthof* knives.

[@brandonhoffman4712]

Sharpened my first knife today! I'm trying to prepare myself for some Miyabi knives that are coming @ Christmas. I scratched the paint on the Cuisinart knife and sharpened one side harder than the other. The knife still cuts better than it did, and I learned a lot in the process. Now I need to sharpen every knife I can find lol! My mom wants her Cut Co. knives sharpened but I need the skills first... Also, I wouldn't want to do what I did to any of my Miyabi's. Thats what learner/beater knives are for.

[@onemorething100]

Wonderful explanation. It can be difficult in the beginning. Thank You

[@sebastiantyler7874]

Thanks, excellent Video! Can't wait for follow ups... 👍

[@jimburns1927]

Awesome Job Ryky. Thank you 🙏

[@miguelpimentel8539]

Really awesome simple steps thanks for sharing

[@georgeneckrock7575]

Hey Ryky great instructional video just what I needed to see. Thank you

[@Burrfection]

Glad it helped

[@TToall]

Maaan..... You has become a real pro.... I usually use these 'western strokes' as you demonstrating here. Very nice, thanks :-)

[@esechanchez]

Thanks for all the tips! Do not change!

[@Burrfection]

Always!

[@wingmanhoy3999]

Truly awesome beautiful technique you have, perfection in the highest skills, thank you for what you do, all the very best.

[@juanar6233]

You have incredible skills.

[@1guitarlover]

Very well explained. Thank you

[@carlredmond3642]

Great video.... thanks for sharing your knowledge

[@sterlinghein]

I’ve been doing that raising of the sharpening angle in the knife tip for a couple years and I also find that the knife tip is sharpened better. For some reason when I don’t do it, the tip doesn’t feel as sharp as the rest of the knife (which to me seems counter intuitive because I think a higher sharpening angle usually would mean not quite as fine of a cutting edge).

[@sonkekoster3105]

Great video - it helps me allot. Especially for my German Chef knifes. Thank you!

[@Burrfection]

Glad it was helpful!

[@einundsiebenziger5488]

... helps me a* lot* (allot = to invest) / chef knives* ...

[@GmailNexus]

Love this Old School Video :)

[@kenny0813]

Thanks for the video! Do you recommend using a flattening stone on the Whetstone after you've sharpened your knife? And if so, when should you use it to flatten it?

[@mannsdan]

when your mechanics are so fluid and perfect you look like a robot. so smooth!

[@Burrfection]

Nah.... just practice!

[@PassionStudioMedia]

this was helpful. Thank you

[@jillhooper8199]

This was a really useful video. I've been trying to copy the Bob Kramer video from Sur La Table and this video provides a better explanation of how to sharpen like Bob. It would be awesome if you were able to do a video from above...like if you were looking down at your hands. Thank you.

[@tytorubio3271]

Sharpening knifes and chisels is the most meditative thing i have ever done.. i get so relaxed every time

[@Burrfection]

i agree

[@profesorEDC]

Have always enjoyed your vids!

[@yousseftemmam2317]

It's been one year that I sharpen my chef knife alone. And today, I have just finished sharpening my knife and I realised how much important to know the right angle. In fact my knife seems sharper than the other times but I would like you to make a short video to show how to find the best sharpening angle. Thanks !

[@yousseftemmam2317]

@Mother Algorithm but how can I measure it ?

[@yousseftemmam2317]

@Mother Algorithm Thanks :)

[@loganb.768]

You make this look so easy bud!