The Biggest Lies Knife Trolls Will Tell You

[@Burrfection]

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

[@henryhill6126]

Hello

[@mrnine295]

@Sham bote he mentions in the video and other videos that he knows chefs that only hone the knife regular and in another video he just uses one stone to get the knife sharp - I stopped using more than one stone or a two sided stone long ago and my knives still cut well! You may save time and money by taking care of just one of your stones - ie use one of your higher grit stones

[@kairoward7738]

I sharp swords with using 400 1000 grit wet stone too easy whitout any of those expensive stuff its all about the angle your are sharpening the smaller mistake will make a big diference

[@andreasltveit8580]

Hey i just want to say something about sharpening. I used to work as a fisherman for 6 years. Sharpening my knife i had to do every hour almost. IT DOES NOT MATTER HOW YOU SHARPEN IT! AS LONG AS YOU DONT SHARPEN IT IN DIFFERENT WAYS. Sharpen it in the same way every time, will reforge the blade to become super sharp in the way YOU sharpen your knife, a little tip if you are new to sharpening, star with a cheap knife, and a standard dual stone, one rugged for reforming, and one finer on the other side. If you start with the rugged side, you just need to do it a few times and you will already start seeing the difference, now the important part is to dont give up. It might take a few times for it to be completely reforged on the blade. But after trying a bit, you will absolutely notice the difference. Not sure if anyone will read this. But this is true! A knife that is sharpend by more than one person might not become that sharp if you use different ways to sharpen the knife! So consistency is really important to sharpening ;)

[@kairoward7738]

@@andreasltveit8580 that hing of 20 degrees is a mistake i sharp my knives 40 or 30 degrees try that and is alwasy bout the angle you are sharpening

[@heqitao]

I am a chef. One thing I have found in the kitchen is that there are many different ways to do the same thing (true in Martial Arts as well). Your advice is spot on, but if someone has found a way that works for them I encourage them to stick to it, even if all the so called experts say it's wrong. I still use the same knives I bought when started my apprenticeship at 18, I am now 48. Never thinned a knife, used mostly sharpening stones (never flattened), but the occasional electric sharpener too. I am also a sharpness snob, a sharp knife is a safe knife, so I sharpen at least once a week and hone many times a day. Treat your knives with respect and never put them in the dishwasher and they will love you for a very long time. How are there 1.2 million views and only 19k likes. Click the like button people.

[@Burrfection]

THANK YOU ! love hearing from my working chefs.

[@mattiasklement2677]

Its not a fear of cutting my self, its the fear of making the knife even more dull.

[@dabinhaler1337]

buy a cheap knife, victorinox are affordable and the blade isnt a total piece of trash, then just practice over n over. A knife can be brought back from pretty savage damage on a whetstone.

[@Huwbacca]

Then you just try again! Kitchenware doesn't need to be babied. Wash your cast iron, blunt your knives. You can always reseason and resharpen.

[@BB-1990]

@@Huwbacca Salt scrub or just scrap off residue, you don't wash cast iron.

[@ArfurFaulkesHake]

@@BB-1990 How about you read Huwbacca's comment again?

[@BB-1990]

@@ArfurFaulkesHake How about no. You don't wash cast iron! Yes you can re-season it like an idiot who washed his cast iron.

[@markkoetsier6475]

I like this man's dedication to knife sharpness to the point where even his hair is a blade.

[@Burrfection]

just keeping it real

[@marquisbean1752]

Who else scrolled back to the top of the video to verify this comment? LOL

[@savedfaves]

@@Burrfection real-sharp

[@koczeniakmike]

thats the dullest and most jagged knife haircut ive ever seen..... if we're supposed to go off his hair I would not trust any information he has about knives.

[@andrewmaperson]

@@marquisbean1752 lol i did

[@shigeruimaoka5169]

I'm over 60 yrs and have learned that this young man did his homework and I have been practicing this process, and the statements he made is what I believe in. And I really like the way he explains and shows the methods/procedures that really works. Thank you very much for your personal efforts to provide the information on this subject.

[@nikminassian9084]

Your information is priceless! I use a 1000 grit whetstone, wet towel, and a honing rod. That's it. I spend 10 hours a day in a high end kitchen and I worked in a sushi for many years as well. This is all I need to keep my knife sharp. Using a honing rod I probably only re-sharpen my knife once a month. Your channel for sure has helped me stay informed and inform other cooks throughout the years. Thank you burfection! 🙏

[@348loadedlever3]

Conan used a rock to sharpen his sword, and look how he mastered his destiny

[@daphnechristensengreenlee4593]

Hahaha love that

[@kukurbuki]

He solved the Riddle of steel.

[@monp5001]

Yeah, but did he ever get it sharp enough to slice a tomato?

[@silentvoiceinthedark5665]

He had brute strength he could have whacked the head off a horse even if the sword was blunt

[@Raven.flight]

yes, and he crushed his enemies, saw them driven before him, and heard the lamentation of their women!

[@cheftechnique]

Same comment as everyone else ...I am chef for 20 years and have sharpened thousands of knives. You nailed it in this video.

[@twintyara6330]

Proof

[@jdtremblay2331]

I forge knives and I approve this message

[@craigbrock847]

Do you come across many knife forgeries?

[@richardsteinbergmakingknives]

From this professional sharpener, you are absolutely correct! Great video...

[@gooddaysahead1]

I agree with EVERYTHING you said about knife sharpening. When I started, I was so nervous. I was afraid I would ruin my blades and I would make my knives unusable. I watched your sharpening videos 3 times and convinced myself I could do it. I started practicing using moderately good German knives and a relatively inexpensive whetstone you recommended. I soaked it in water for about 15 minutes, and found my own way to move the knife, to and fro, at a consistent angle. Starting with German knives, I tried an angle of what I thought was about 15 degrees. But I found out, the knife showed me where I needed to set the angle. I could tell that if the angle was too low, the blade would slip and slide. So I moved the angle up, just a little, until I felt it "grab" (slight friction) onto the 1000 grit stone. At that point, I followed your directions and found that I had a way of moving the knife edge, gradually from top to bottom, in a way that was a little different than yours. But you know what? My way worked just fine. I made my burr. I turned the knife over changed my grip...which was a little different than what you showed...and it worked just fine. I turned the whetstone over to the 6000 grit and did the same procedure I described above. At the last step, I used my equine strop with green grit and polished the edges...moving the knife edge almost the same way I did the sharpening. After practicing 3 times, I moved on to my Miyabi SG2 knives and a Yaxell Dragon knife After I sharpened them, they were so sharp I was able to slice magazine paper into very thin pieces and actually felt no drag whatsoever. It was like cutting through air. Did this outcome happen on my first try? Almost, but it only took a little more practice. (Just so you know, I only have a rubber whetstone/strop holder and I sit it down on my granite counter top. The rubber and stainless steel whetstone holder cost under $20. I have an equine strop which was also less than $20. My whetstone was a little over $40. I soak my whetstone in my wife's Pyrex baking dish)

[@Burrfection]

Nicely done!

[@Emivioricomex]

Hi could you please give me links form where you bought these items ? Thanks beforehand

[@gooddaysahead1]

@@EmivioricomexAmazon: Whetstone holder Sharpening Stone Base Adjustable 304 Stainless Steel No-Slip Rubber; King KDS Whetstone 1000/6000 Grit, Double-Sided; LAVODA Paddle Strop 2" by 9" Double-sided Leather Strop with Green White Compounds Kit... Don't soak the 6000 grit side!! Soaking it in water makes it too soft. I chipped mine a little bit. Just just drip water over it. Just soak the 1000 grit side. ⁹

[@BrianWMay]

I'm nearly 70 and have been sharpening my kitchen knives for years - this is the first time I've heard of 'thinning' them. Thanks for an informative presentation that neatly debunks so many 'purists' rules. I tend to use Spyderco and Lansky to SET the edge then just lightly hone with a fine ceramic 'dog-bone' just before use. Works fine for me.

[@Eveonthehill]

I went through knives fast working with leather (cooking knives last longer just cutting soft stuff) - I would thin my work knife to get it to an optimal shape or edge for the jobs. Same same.

[@NikhilKumar-pd2el]

I totally advocate being tool independent and being self sufficient in our day-to-day skills. The ability to use what we have to get our day-to-day tasks done is golden!

[@swingbelly]

I totally agree. The internet provides us with education which we then practically apply. Nothing is better than practical experience after some education. We eventually hit the mark, or not. 🦒

[@adb888]

I once watched my Japanese mother-in-law take a normal ceramic saucer, flip it over, put a little water on it, and then proceed to get the sharpest edge I've ever seen on a cheap kitchen knife by just running it along the raised roughened bottom of the saucer - so I believe every word you said...

[@rlmaiden5722]

Yep. I usually sharpen mine on the bottom of a cup or saucer. The finer china, the easier it is to finish. There are ceramic sharpening steels; my kids usually broke mine. 😁

[@lemons1559]

Used to have a swiss army knife I got to razor sharp with an upside down coffee cup. It's 99% willingness to try and fail until you succeed and 1% a coffee cup or a nicer stone.

[@keepsgoing4evr1]

​@@lemons1559 yep! I have a broken piece of ceramic I keep in my sharpening drawer. I think it was once the bottom part of a vase or a teapot. Idk lol. But it broke off totally flat across the top. Any time I'm finishing one of my many knives, they go across that broken ceramic. It's lasted years and I'll probably have it till the day I die. It's fantastic for just a quick little hone, followed by a strop with an old leather weight lifting belt that's probably as old as I am. I recently just purchased one of those Work Sparp kits with the guide rods. It's pretty cool for my collectable knives or the ones I carry as pocket jewelry lol. My work knives get the broken china and weight belt though lol. If you know a small amount about abrasives and metallurgy, there are hundreds of ways to sharpen blades. I even saw an old farmer that would sharpen the ends of his farming implements on a smooth patch of concrete in his garage. If it's stupid and works, it isn't stupid lol

[@daveheuer6932]

A True Professional Anyone From An Old Hand Or Just a Beginner Can Learn a Lot From This Gentleman.Excellent,Informative And Simple.Thanks.

[@granfabrica]

"Willingness to try." Wise words, applies to everything in life

[@Burrfection]

Yes!

[@hecate235]

lololol I hear Yoda in my head.....

[@juliotoru]

My business is sharpening, knives are the bulk of my business. You are spot on ! Thank you for demystifying the process. I always encourage people to do it, I even tell them where to get stones.

[@eddiemyler6356]

Please tell me Julio.. 👍🔪

[@marksardelich9939]

where can I get a good stone? Brand? For my Bill Moran Drop point VG-10 skinning knife.

[@Erebus.666.]

@@marksardelich9939 Hmm? Absolutely anywhere. If you look you will find.

[@jeremybowen5813]

After watching this video, I feel that It is the appropriate time to thank you for giving me the courage and the knowledge to begin freehand sharpening on stones. I must have watched every video that you had made twice. In 2003 my entire family pitched in and gave me four Shun knives. They are a great knife for people transitioning from German to Japanese. For 13 years I paid to have them sharpened; poorly I might add. I finally made the decision and bought some Shapton Pro stones (1k & 5K)on Amazon and got to work. You were absolutely right about the 5k. You have to be a determined novice to learn on it. There was definitely a learning curve, but after 5 or so sharpening sessions I could produce an edge that could slide through paper for the length of the blade. I have become so confident, that this week, I ordered an Anryu Blue #2 Hammered Gyuto. If you want to own great knives, you have to learn to sharpen, polish and strop; and you learn that from watching Ricky Tran.

[@myartprocess6003]

Great message, Thank you! I always asked my husband to sharpen my knives until now. I just sharpened them to razor sharpness ( by my estimation) on a stone. I watched your video and my knives are amazingly sharp! Now all my husband has to do, is complement the food I've prepared for him without having to deal with sharping my knives! Great video! Thank you again!

[@savedfaves]

Yay.

[@mrlondon963]

All the points you made make sense, and are very good tips for beginners in knife sharpening. Thank you.

[@DesChew]

Thanks for sharing. I went from sharpening a knife using a normal cheap stone to an expensive cross sharpener. I think it's still the same. I am a newbie in cooking and knife technique. Whatever convenient and cheaper ways of doing, I will go. Thanks

[@TyMalhoneson]

You are absolutely correct. Been sharpening for about a year and a half and I can shave now with my blades. It is just practice and patience. Not hard at all.

[@nicholashunt1983]

I think we can all agree, we never are truly "done". It's a rainbow we chase that is always just ahead in the greener grass.

[@Nanakuri]

It's funny you mention the fear of getting injured while sharpening a knife. I'm more worried about injuring my knife when my hand slips than injuring myself. Man, am I glad I found this channel when I was figuring out how to sharpen my parents' old knives before I started trying everything else I saw on forum posts. Next, to figure out this whole stropping thing; I figured I was missing half of the process.

[@madnessbydesign1415]

I feel the same way about fearing for the knife over the flesh. I've cut myself more times than I can count, and I always heal. A knife on the other hand... :)

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

Okay, it's an old thread and you don't know me from the man in the moon... SO it's just an offering. Leather stropping... SIMPLICITY itself. Building your own leather strop... You obviously need a piece of leather and to cut it to approximately what you want... this is personal taste. I've made several of different sizes for different reasons... The longest is for my kitchen and is about three inches across and about two and a half feet long... so by the math eq. 7.6cm wide and 76cm long. The "standby" is "Valve grinding compound" which you can find at ANY automotive parts/supplies store, like O'Reilly's or AutoZone. It's usually in tubes like toothpaste and has a sandy consistency of about toothpaste as well... Apply the grinding compound in small amounts and rub, rub, RUB... to work it into the leather. I usually apply it to the "suede" side of leather, so the grainy "furry" stuff captures and holds onto that grit. That's the important stuff for this. It's likely I over-do the paste, but I like to really get paste on (in) the leather... trying to achieve a reasonably even coverage over the entire strop. You CAN use your fingertips to apply it and rub it in, BUT... it's not comfortable. A simple wood peg or block is also effective, and you can experiment with plastics and putty knives if you like to see what works best for YOU... USING... The "easy" way is to lay the strop on a flat surface big enough to support it entirely. Any strop not being supported is just going to hang over an edge uselessly, and you're going to want to hold it down somehow while sharpening, so... it's not harmful to let it just hang. I mean, it's not going to hurt the blade. It's just not going to do anything either... Now, with firm pressure on the blade, draw the knife over the leather AWAY from the cutting edge. You'll probably want to study as you begin this to see how it looks and feels and listen to the sound as you drag along the edge specifically. There's a particular "most effective" angle for each knife you sharpen this way, and for me, the SOUND seems most effective at finding that... BUT I had to lean way over and carefully watch while figuring it out myself... so understand this is probably the SLOWEST means of sharpening and refining your edges, so any "harm" caused per stroke will be minimal... This is more a finishing technique to refine from a "really sharp" edge to a "razor edge" in both sharpness and cleanliness of the cutting surface. AND that's about it. I usually take a pause to check on my work about every dozen or so strokes... AND I'm kind of heavy handed about most things "knife craft", so your particular count will probably be a bit different, especially before you're just supremely confident in your style. The important point is to stop every so often and physically look at the "working surface, that part that you've been shining and refining against the leather. You SHOULD see a noteworthy difference between the edge you've worked and the edge fresh from a stone. Generally it's going to be shinier, fewer "grains" and scratches in it. I sharpen a LOT of knives, and this is my favorite way to finish any knife to just get rid of all the burs, grains, and tiny imperfections left behind by rougher stones and such. You can find "porcelain rods" and "butcher steel" to do similar work, but it's just my experience that the right grade of "grinding compound" can beat those things, and picking or cutting the perfect size of strop makes it SO much easier, quicker, and more convenient. Finally, regarding "fear for the knife"... You'd be well advised to get a Dremel (rotary tool) with VARIABLE SPEED CONTROL. With this fancy little tool, you can use fine grade stone bits to "un-do" some of the gouging and "goofs" involved in slipage with knife sharpening. True, you're still "getting rid of metal" so it's not a perfect fix. BUT short of becoming a smithy and forging a new knife, it's as good and clean a method as I've got for "fixing" those "goofs" while we're still learning and "just want the damn thing to work"... You can also invest in an assortment of "jeweler's polishing bits" and "rouge" which is a wax-based material very similar to "grinding compound"... This stuff comes in grades, too. And the right "rouge" for steel will allow you to run the polishing bits over a knife and make a mirror shine. It still takes a bit of patience and technique, but you can really make things POP(!) when you decide to do it. AND grinding compounds come in forms other than the automotive "valve grinding compound"... Usually noted by numerical grades equivalent to the "screen" count, or how many holes in the sifting screen per inch at the factory putting out the grit in the compound. That means the higher that "grit number" the finer the compound... It really depends on how far you WANT to take it. BUT there are some really high grits, upwards of 10,000 for polishing metals and fine stones... there's nothing wrong with using it to finely hone steel blades... IF you wish to spend on it and go for that kind of thing. In any case, hope this helps... At least, it should give you some good terms to look up in google and elsewhere when you want to "make that plunge". ;o)

[@thomasafactor2461]

gnarth d'arkanen c

[@ghiagoo]

Never ever thought about injuring myself. Only worried about screwing up the knife edge

[@world4saker]

same here I feel like my heart stop whenever someone else or me drops my knife by accident. I am like oh please be okay or please don't get chipped. I dropped on of my knives and the tip broke, I felt like shit for being to careless and almost cried

[@SurvivalRussia]

All points made are valid and true.

[@adrianro1238]

@Burrfection thanks for the tips, im a sushi chef from Mexico. I try to perfectly sharp my knifes. And then i found you. Thank you very much

[@jonny5ive167]

Thanks man! I have found that confidence is also the main obstacle to the people I teach about automotive repair. They are so afraid they will RUIN their cars. Sometimes they do! haha! and then we fix it together. They are like new people when I am done with them. So amazing to see that growth.

[@collinstphillip]

Here's the thing, agreeing or not with any one particular teachers methods is at the discretion of a particular student. It's a matter of prerogative. That being said, any attempts to dispute actual facts that teacher has proven, time and time again, without fail and more importantly, without agenda, is the failing of the student. Not the teacher. I have been watching your videos ( probably 90% of them) For several months and your approach to teaching is as pragmatic, logical, honest and insightful as any that a teacher of mine has ever had, across the board. Thank you. My sharpening abilities have progressed well past embarrassing to speak of and I mainly credit this channel for that. If you could venture once or twice into the "e.d.c." knife sharpening arena and help explain why I can slice a tomato filament thin one handed, but my pocket folder is, after 30 or 40 minutes on a stone, any stone... Is only slightly sharper than my thumb... Lol. Regardless, you have my regards.

[@Uncle_Red]

Steel and heat treatment are an issue with a lot of pocket knives when it comes to sharpening. With the softer and/or poor heat treated steels, it seems like you get to a point where the burr and edge just crumble away. It's very frustrating. For those, I find it best to use a pull through sharpener and try to be happy with it, or toss it...

[@keystothebox]

Sharpness comes down to the quality of the steel, edge geometry, time, and stone grit. If it is terrible steel it won't keep any edge for long. If your stone grit is too coarse it won't get a even edge. Lots of edc/pocket knives have terrible edge geometry too, so it may take some serious time to fix a stamped blade.

[@adlanti-definitionleague8659]

@@Uncle_Red thanks for your input. I've been trying to restore my stainless pocket folder and I think I've made progress but it still can't cut anything like a tomato I don't think.

[@adlanti-definitionleague8659]

@@Uncle_Red I put my folder through a V pull through sharpener after using a quick sharp tool to scrape away at the dents in the edge and it seemed to help but I'm unsure if the edge will hold or, like you say, crumble away

[@jeremyblack3869]

Collin St. Phillip what kind of pocket knife do you have? Also, what is the blade shape? I have an assortment of pocket knives and sharpen them on various stones (carborundum, Arkansas, diamond, etc.) all around a 20 degree angle per side. Typically have good results.

[@hughbo52]

Finally, someone who is saying, "It must be done exactly this way...' I was getting to the point that i no longer trusted my own process and come close to giving up on trying. Looking forward to future posts!.

[@papilloneffect4015]

I've been a cook several years and just got bumped up to sushi about 9 months ago. In the 9 months I've been watching every channel I can to figure out better cutting techniques. Burrfection is one of the better ones. He's not arrogant about it and he doesn't assume you are a sushi chef or that you only need to know sharpening for kitchen work. It's funny some of the best channels for sharpening tips are people who do bushcraft and are sharpening knives for camping and hunting purposes. Great video, always look forward to new updates!

[@kissarmyrules]

Preach, friend. I've been cooking professionally for about a decade now, at the end of the day nobody worth their salt is going to care how the knife is sharpened and honed. Stone, hand sharpener, electric sharpener, grinder, sandpaper, steel, leather strop, they all fulfill the same need in different ways and if you know what you're doing you'll always achieve the same result. I always tell the new hires at work who want to make food their life, buy a set of cheap knives to practice on. Inexperienced people will always end up dulling their knives at some point, practicing on a $15 knife and going through the learning curves hurts less than a $150 one. I tell them once they're comfortable handling, and maintaining their knives, to start investing in good quality ones because they will last a lifetime once you've gained the knowledge and skill to use and maintain them. Oh and congratulations on your promotion to sushi - how do you like it so far? :)

[@nikitaonassis6090]

If you need help on sushi, drop me a line.

[@GordLamb]

I bought a ton of stones of various grits, and a strop, and spent weeks trying to master the technique. As a home chef, know what worked? A simple diamond grit steel. As long as the blade isn't damaged, 6-10 gentle passes each side at the correct angle is enough to keep it hair-popping, razor sharp. Not sushi grade, but far better than 99.9% of the knives I've found in friends' kitchens.

[@stephenevered1475]

i am a chef of 37 years, just found Ryky and i love him. no nonsense just straight up and down advice with an open mind, inspiring, well done

[@bryangilbert8553]

I am a knife enthusiast & amateur chef. I love knives & have questioned, in the back of my mind, my sharpening techniques. Thank you for taking that bit of self-conscious doubt out of my mind. Great video! I just subscribed!

[@Jordan_C_Wilde]

My oppinion is, that if you get your knife sharp and it stays sharp, the way you got it like that is irrelevant.

[@MrMZaccone]

Which all depends on how you define "sharp". Sharp depends on application. An Ax is sharp, so is a straight razor. But if you try to shave your face with an ax or chop wood with a straight razor, chances are, you're going to be disappointed.

[@Jordan_C_Wilde]

@@MrMZaccone funny, because if you ask a professional woodworker or someone who does Timber Sport they all prefer their axes to be shaving sharp. The difference is in the blade geometry, the actual edge should be razor sharp on any cutting Tool. I can't think of one where you don't want Maximum sharpness.

[@MrMZaccone]

Yeah, there's a difference between "shaving sharp" and something sharp enough to actually shave your face with. I'm not saying you couldn't do it, just that to make it as comfortable as a straight razor you'd have to thin it out too much to still be a functional ax. Straight razors are something less than 10 degrees per side. An ax sharpened to that would fold. There's a point at which unit pressure becomes too high for the given application and the tool in question can't maintain structural integrity.

[@Jordan_C_Wilde]

@@MrMZaccone Nope, you can even shave your Face with a 35-40° angle. It only depends on the quality and consistency of the edge. Obviously you wont use a big chunk of metal like an axe to shave, but the edge angle would be sufficient. I shaved with a hunting knife once, that had a far bigger angle than any straight razor just for shits and giggles, and It worked just fine. Edge geometry has nothing to do with sharpness, it only depends on the job the Tool is made for, the actual edge should be razor sharp as i said. But besides all of that, what does any of your comments even have to do with my Original point? If you sharpen your razor on an old piece of wood, with glass dust and spit on it and you somehow manage to get it Face shaving sharp, that's all that matters in the end, so whats your point?

[@MrMZaccone]

You can but it's far from comfortable by comparison. And in the final analysis, edge geometry has a great deal to do with sharpness.

[@raffieb762]

I don't buy expensive knives anymore, I get the 3.00 ones from an Asian kitchen supply store, invest in good stones and practice good technique, and watch ryky's videos, it will change your life! Thanks ryky! You the best!

[@RadicalEdwardStudios]

Biggest myth I've seen, even from Gordon Ramsay: honing steel = sharpening. Also, "thinning" a knife is basically just converting from flat/V/scandi grind to high flat or sabre. In other words, in order for it to be necessary to thin knives, it is equally necessary to establish that certain grinds are inherently superior to a significant enough degree as to make one worth grinding away for another.

[@theentrepreneur8751]

What really is 'honing' a knife?

[@mattymattffs]

@@theentrepreneur8751 you're straightening the edge, that's it

[@JohnSmith-oe5kx]

Thinning does not necessarily change the geometry. You can thin any blade shape and keep the same shape. In fact, many times thinning is done solely to preserve the geometry near the edge. Assuming that (1) you maintain the same angle at the cutting edge (which is generally the goal), and (2) the blade has any taper at all above the secondary bevel (almost always the case), every time you sharpen the knife you are thickening the blade at the secondary bevel. This thickening will be slowest with a full flat grind, and fastest with a scandi grind. It also helps to sharpen as efficiently as possible, but thickening *always* occurs, it is pure geometry. Whether this thickening matters depends on the circumstances. If you do not care or cannot tell, thinning would be pointless. If you sharpen you knife but want your blade to be as thin as it was originally, at some point you will need to thin it.

[@RadicalEdwardStudios]

@Preethi Sinha You might be able to establish a bit of removal with a steel that has diamond in it, or something, but realistically, you'll be better off with normal sharpening than trying to make that do it. Someone would have to do a test with repeated strokes and microscopes to see what the removal looks like, but I'd guess that it's an exceptionally fine amount of removal, which just does a tiny bit more to keep you going.

[@timmackinnon5547]

Love your sensible instructions and your method of teaching.

[@Sp1der44]

I've been sharpening knives for 36 years and never thinned them. I use an EZ-lap diamond hone and it seems like the two most important things to watch are the amount of pressure used and the angle the blade is drawn across the sharpener. I liked what you said on the subject. Good video! 👍

[@Danielson1818]

I've actually never heard the term "thin a knife" before this. That's basically all the proof I need that it doesn't have to be done.

[@Ripper7620]

Thank you for addressing, and dispelling some of these "myths". Whatever is effective at getting an extremely sharp edge is a viable method. I believe everyone has do both what works, and what makes sense to them, and their particular skills. We're not all the same, so the idea that there is only one way to get a knife sharp is unrealistic, and has been proven to be false time, and time again.

[@snake5838]

Thanks Ryky, Great advice as always, and love that you take a look at the broad spectrum in your videos. All the way from low budget to high end. A piece of brick or sidewalk, to a $200 whetstone. Something for everybody. I have been a professional cook for over 30 years, and find your knife channel excellent and very informative. For both novices and experts alike.

[@sethwarner2540]

hey. im a woodworker since 50 years. good job on myths!! basic; hold blade like taking thin slice, then move it; keep going till sharp;done!

[@matstanky7071]

Thanks for this. I am just amateur home cook and my chef knife is most expensive part of my kitchen (even more than my pans!). I was gifted a whetstone kit for sharpening, but have always told it is so hard and I was scared I would just ruin the knife. I'm not scared of cutting myself but of destroying the knife. After watching this video, I have decided it is time to watch a couple more of your videos and give it an actual attempt.

[@jeffhurst4744]

Good overview. I found many of what you say over many years of using and sharpening blades and other tools. It’s not hard to learn. Thanks.

[@Burrfection]

Well said!

[@dogwoodcustomknives4172]

thank you for your honest take on sharing, and encouraging people to try it. It is refreshing to see a video that dose not make it a mystic and complicated art.

[@Eveonthehill]

Great video! You validated everything I've learned about knife lore, and teaching younger folks about stuff that you don't throw away is finally becoming important again. It's great to have nice tools. It's even greater knowing how to care for them. Thank you for this - subscribed. 🙏

[@What_If_We_Tried]

Excellent video, and I especially liked the simple DIY knife sharpening station setup!

[@randelldarky3920]

You are doing a fine job Sir. I have been sharpening knifes for over 40 years. I can always learn something new.

[@richkeagy8907]

For years I've wanted to learn how to sharpen knives with whetstones. Ryky, your videos provided all the information and encouragement I needed to get started. I've learned the basics now. I just need more practice. Thank you Burrfection.

[@barashkaz]

Nicely done! You missed the one about "only Japanese pure Nippon steel made by katana masters can get sharp, the rest are plebian utensils!"

[@madthumbs1564]

The old whustof he mentioned are though. Chefs aren't knife experts, and the thinness of the blade has a huge effect on many produce.

[@desertfoxxx98]

@@madthumbs1564 chef's aren't knife experts huh who makes a living using knives .... chefs do I'll take their advice over a "EDC person" every day of the week.

[@Evanmander]

Thank you. "Go try!" is the main message I got from this. Love the visuals which brings confidence!

[@bzakie2]

I feel liberated and will stop thinning the damn knives! Thanks for my liberation.

[@TurboLoveTrain]

Awesome video. I use an end cut from a 2x5 as a base for my sharpening block. I also love my Trend diamond block (2,000 grit / 800 grit) and ceramic rod. I don't trust anyone who tells me what I'm doing is "right" or "wrong" ...the masters tell me why they do what they do and what other ways they've tried that did-or-didn't work for them.

[@lovetocook9270]

I own a kitchen store and you are my go to dude/channel when I have a question about knives. Thanks so much!

[@Burrfection]

right on! always like hearing industry people. what store and where?

[@lovetocook9270]

@@Burrfection I'm in Logan, Utah at a store called Love To Cook

[@seanmehonoshen9440]

I thinned my chef’s knives a little while ago. Easier to resharpen and cut better now so definitely worth doing. Mind you they are literally 20 years old and in constant use and this was the first time it’s been done, so I think I can probably go another 10 years before doing it again.

[@kotomakosako]

Thank you for this video. A lot of people have made a rocket science out of knife sharpening driving us crazy with certain angles and what not. Thanks for clearing it up that anyone can do it. I have no fear that I'll cut myself (the only time I cut myself bad is when I became too confident), but it does take time to sharpen it properly. So I guess patience is a virtue here :)

[@archer242424]

Thanks for this video! I've just recently started getting into sharpening and also there is a learning curve, I definitely feel capable of learning this skill! One thing I thought of while watching your video that I may disagree with though, is the stone flattening. Because, as a beginner, I am not skilled at using every part of the stone, I quickly developed waves in my stone and needed to flatten it. I imagine that once I am more experienced I will have less of a need to flatten it, but for the time being, it seems necessary. If you have tips about this, I would love to get some feedback!

[@stevenmassey7586]

When you use any metal against any stone one of two things happen 1) the metal is removed 2) the stone wears. For sharpening you want to remove metal not stone. If your stone is deforming you have the wrong grade of stone or possibly are using to much pressure. Yes the stone will eventually wear but it should take years. Buy the best stone you can afford and keep it lubricated when using and clean it after each use.

[@claresinclair8030]

i bought a very expensive (for me anyway) ZXituo knife which dulled after a few uses. I have tried to get my knife as sharp as it was but I seem to have made it more blunt. I have re watched your sharpening techniques and shall try again as I want my knife as shape as it was when I bought it. Thank you for showing me again how.

[@siba2893]

Hey Burr thanks for the amazing explanation. Do you recommend those circular sharpening wheels that you showed in the video?

[@nickgerman]

Years of sharpening blades, cooking, tools, carving knives, hunting knives, etc. First time I've heard an expert tell the truth about these 5 myths!

[@afctanks2010]

Good job of demystifying knife sharpening. I've always used 3" x 8" oil stones but have recently tried wet stones with good success. Where do you find your really wide stones?

[@theidiotictroublemaker2281]

He jas mentioned his trusty store

[@LoganTheBladesEdge]

I sell and sharpen knives for a living, i wish i could just play your video to half the people who walk in and want to over complicate it

[@davidhurley3593]

As a cabinet maker that has to work with very sharp tools I think your video is very informative and correct for the average person in the household I show all my friends how to Sharp my knives very easily and quickly well done

[@stellamozzarella1]

Number 5 rocks! Just a mom cook and have been worrying about sharpening wrong. My daughter, a chef, and I both bought a very recommended electric knife sharpener. We were both disappointed. My granddad kept the sharpest knives in my mom's kitchen with just a whetstone. Going to give it a try. Thanks so much for your great video.

[@ZENMASTERME1]

Best Video Yet Ricky! Your Videos Just Keep Getting Better & Better!!

[@gregorycarter6391]

Well said, I haven't been doing it systematically as you for the length of time but my experiences have been confirmed by your experience and analysis. It's good to have ones preverbal sense and experience put into words, thank you.

[@BLACKOPS6391]

you should've mentioned ceramic rods, they're perfect for touching up recurve blades (karambit, kriss, kukri style blades)

[@chrismarshall4486]

I have a chef knife ive had for 20 years and it’s never been sharpened. I only use a steel when I use it and it’s still razor sharp. Love it. Love your videos brother.

[@mikebe9919]

Hello. Great video. My question is what's the best way to sharpen knives used for fish cutting? The knives in question are Dexter and F.Dick. I use one to fillet and the other to skin. I've recently purchased a decent whetstone that has a 1000/3000 grading. A coworker demonstrated how to use it, but, I feel like I can get the edge sharper. I also hone my edge with a standard steel. In the future, I plan on getting a diamond finish steel. Is going forwards and backwards a better technique or is it unnecessary? Any tips or suggestions would be helpful. Thanks

[@Opiumhigh1]

I wonder if the 'stone must be flat' myth bled over from tool sharpeners. For a variety of wood working tool blades, hand planes for example, you want a flat sharpening surface. But most knives are not straight edged so it doesn't matter. Carbon fibre strops is an interesting concept. I'm too lazy to walk 8 feet for my leather strop and often use a glossy magazine cover these days. It does take more effort, so is more inefficient, but that part of the garage where I keep my strop is colder, damn it.

[@tightcamper]

HAH! I use beer mats for the final strop but have used magazines in the past. I'm glad I've found a kindred spirit.

[@mdh.3421]

Your videos are great 👍🏼 I have you to thank for my lawn mower being the spinning death machine it is today!

[@thelastneanderthal3171]

I don’t want to add to the polemic here but you certainly won’t need a $500 setup to produce functional workable knife edges. First what it means to be sharp? For a sushi chef it means something different then to a bush crafter or a butcher. Edge geometry for the task and edge durability are other things to consider. I come from a knife culture on the Pampas of South America where you would get a knife on your belt as soon as you were able to ride a horse. For the Gaucho his knife has to perform many tasks, from cleaning ground for camp at night, to butchering a young steer and yes, defense. His edge has to last and to be easily resharpened. The Gaucho carries around a small (probably 1000 grit) stone and a steel. That’s all. Ricardo. Villar, one of the foremost knife maker from Brazil and one of the few South American knife makers to have a Master Knife Maker certificate from the American Blade Society, uses a paraffin impregnated 1000 grit stone to sharpen his knives for daily use. He produces knives for several Special Forces branches of the Brazilian Armed Forces, including The Jungle Warfare Battalion. Those knifes have to work on the most inhospitable conditions and the soldier is not going to carry on his pack 4 grits of water stones! Anybody can sharpen a knife to a workable edge from most tasks if he puts his mind to it.

[@Goblin_Tits]

Durability, geometry, and purpose are key.

[@xenphibian42]

I tend to agree. The particular edge is very dependent upon the particular use for which it is intended. A super, razor sharp blade is probably not terribly useful when clearing brush. It's the mass and heft that probably matters more, there. ("Probably" because we have to be specific about which kind of brush... lush, leafy "brush" is different from woody brush.)

[@fabricioviscardi2275]

Dale tche! :D

[@joseherrera708]

Nice video, what would be a basic start wet stone for sharpening kitchen knives? I was told a dual stone with 1000 and 6000 would do.

[@NJacana]

Total novice, I am planning a knife sharpening/movie night. Any suggestions for what I should collect for friends to use--a strop or 2, stone, commercial sharpener...? I will be watching this again, thanks.

[@unclejoeoakland]

So talking about flattening stones- perhaps the one trade that is more enthused about sharpening and honing more than cooks, and I believe by a long ways, are woodworkers. Almost every woodworker I know has sharpening stones in their tool kit but hardly anyone I know who cooks has anything more than a burnishing steel. So the preoccupation with flattening the sharpening tool- the whetstone- may be a product of woodworkers, who have any number of chisels and knives and plane irons to maintain straight and square. So it isn't a myth, but more of an issue of applicability.

[@FrancisR420]

Yeah once he said that I immediately thought blasphemy and then I realized I was thinking of my plane iron and it doesn't really apply to food knives

[@HenryPiffpaff]

Yes, that's very true. Good point!

[@kadmow]

unclejoeoakland : Good point.. Also, Narrow blades such as Chisels and plane are also more prone to "gouging" the stone than a long blade such as a chef's knife, thereby needing flattening "more often", so that the next "blade" is sharpened with a straight and true edge.. Now to micro-bevel or not.... (jk)

[@stefanforrer2573]

while i agree with what you are saying, he is also not wrong because the title of the video says knife sharpening, not woodwork tool sharpening

[@xenphibian42]

I have to agree. I'm both a chef and a woodworker -- and a metal worker. I have maybe 10 blades that I use regularly as a chef. I have at least 35 or 40 that I use as a woodworker. As a metal worker, I have to sharpen my drill bits manually. No one I've found can get them to where I need them (less than 4 microns of error with a 3/4 inch bit). So, this is a whole different level of sharpening, but, it's in the same category. Try. Experiment. Don't be afraid to make mistakes -- mistakes are how we learn. Now... get your process down before you buy a Damascus steel blade, of course... but, to be honest, that's really more for pretty in the average kitchen. (Don't get me wrong, I have great respect for Damascus steel blades and it's relatives, Katana and so forth.) Woodworking blades are by far the most complicated. 80 or 100 tooth saws are... problematic. Enough so that it's generally more time/cost effective to sell them when they get dull and buy new ones. A planer has (usually) 3 blades that have to be perfectly sharp and balanced and spin at thousands of RPM. Mess that up and... the ER can't help you. Can't turn hamburger back into face or fingers.

[@aimansyahmidzulkhairy909]

I just discovered that fear of sharp things like spikes and knives are called aichmophobia.(the more you know)

[@robertoglesby9479]

and knowing is half the battle

[@vincedunn9983]

The one stone I have I've been using for many years , and there's a good valley in it on the course side. Guess what? It still sharpens my blades.

[@invin7215]

Thank you! It's been so hard to find any straight answers about knife sharpening, and all these myths make learning about it so confusing, but your video finally answered my questions.

[@thrillathakilla]

Hey Ricky, what's your opinion on water-cooled sharpening systems such as the Tormek or Seppach Tiger or Wen? I'm currently using a fixed-angle sharpening system for my chef knives with stones upto 10,000 grit but I'm thinking of going for a water cooled system instead to save time

[@TikkaQrow]

A red brick, bottom of a coffee cup, and the leather belt holds my pants up, made a folding knife sharp enough to shave with. As for the fear, aint no worse than a paper cut 99.99999% of the time.

[@logtec1977]

Thank you. Now my sansuru just touches a fruit or veggie, and just “SINKS” thru the matter...

[@Boris_Chang]

You have done well, grasshopper.

[@stephanc7192]

Only starting out with knife sharpening. Getting there slowly.

[@christarget7041]

Very *Honest* Very *Straightforward* Very *Well Explained* Very *Helpful*

[@Burrfection]

Just keeping it real

[@dickelof]

I own a set of Cutco knives that I have owned for over 50 years. I was about to send all to the factory for sharpening, as the "Double D edge", while very durable and sharp, requires a factory refresh. Thanks to your video, I will NOT send the Cutco standard knife edges to the factory, but only those with the "Double D "edges", which cannot be sharpened in the fashion which you demonstrated in your video. What are your feelings on these Cutco edges?

[@SoggySandwich80]

What about the myth that the honing rods are “ knife sharpeners”

[@kristopherpamlescano3318]

I like sharpening knives, the feel when I cut vegtables or meat like a hot spoon on butter, I think I can call it my hobby ..

[@stevenshewfelt888]

you can turn that hobby into a small income for you and your household

[@jons2447]

Hello, Ryky; GREAT video, pal. You're exactly right, its pretty simple to sharpen cutting tools. Too many want to be dogmatic, to complicate things beyond reason. I've sharpened knives on the bottom of cups, saucers, on sandpaper, & bricks. I just bought some wet/dry silicon carbide sandpaper (on closeout at Harbor Freight). Wet it, lay it on a piece of glass, & sharpen, easy-peasy. I've used a "Smith's CCKS 2-Step Knife Sharpener" to sharpen a hatchet. So if someone wants to sharpen a knife there is a simple easy way. Have a GREAT day, Neighbor!

[@theasiamtmgroup]

Thanks for this. I'm very fussy about keeping my knives sharp, but I'm just an at home cook. Do you have a recommendation for the best electric knife sharpener?

[@georgedomse]

Why is it that I trust asian guys the most when it comes to blades?

[@KarePassion]

racism?

[@georgedomse]

Media Stereotypes is positive discrimination also racism nowadays?

[@KarePassion]

@@georgedomse Well... I was mostly being playful... but otherwise, yes www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2018/02/17/586181350/strong-black-woman-smart-asian-man-the-downside-to-positive-stereotypes en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positive_stereotype (To give one example from personal experience: my sister is not the brightest bulb (maybe that's a stereotype also, who knows?) When I began dating my now husband, my sister for some reason thought he was Vietnamese. He is not even Asian - according to his DNA, not even a speck from Asia. For some reason, this was her thought. So one day she says to me, "wow, he is really smart, huh?" I replied in the affirmative. She said, "that's really unusual because usually Vietnamese are only smart at math." You tell me?

[@Rickster208]

I believe in the KISS principle, Keep It Simple S--d. Pros make things sound hard so the untrained don’t try it. Job security.

[@redangrybird7564]

🍅 🍉 🍑 🌶 🍊 *1) Don't need fancy equipment.* *2) Anyone can learn to use whetstones. Right technique is essential.* *3) No need of thinning down a knife at every sharpening.* *4) No need to flatten the stone at every sharpening.* *5) No need to sharpen the knife certain way only.*

[@slimyshady]

as someone who is learning ( i sharpen my own knives with whetstones) and am just moving to japanese knives and kinda clueless, I am really glad you made this video. thank you

[@cerp3842]

Refreshing! Your explanations work for me! Tks for sharing.

[@Burrfection]

Thank you!

[@istarianjinsama]

Odd that anyone would insist there's a 'wrong' way to sharpen... Sharpening is simply shaping, and if the shape is right at the end, the method is valid. Good content. I think I've learned more from 'myths of-' and 'how not to-' content than from how to's. Cheers!

[@Burrfection]

Haha. Great common sense you have there. Tell that to the trolls on my channel comments!

[@philcamp9663]

Great information from New Zealand. We r a country of hunters and fishing people and there r many who like a sharp knife, we r quite passionate about it ,thankyou

[@bughots9066]

Thanks for advice. What i must use sandpaper again after sharping on wetstone

[@myrio1]

Very good and informative video! Thank you!

[@mjremy2605]

Grateful for the good advice! Please make some on scissors. I groom dogs and my shears are dull and very hard to find a good scissor sharpener. I need to be able to do this myself. As well as clipper blades sharpening!

[@christophetguerrero6600]

Love your videos, i use a tormek t8 sharpening system to sharpen my knives. The primary reason i use this system is because i fillet fish for fishing guides. Last year i cleaned 145,000 lbs. So every day except deep winter I'm cleaning fish. Then i switch to cleaning deer oryx, and the list goes on. I primarily use victorianox knives i have about 20 knives that get used every day. So this system saves me time. Just wanted to know how you felt about the tormek system. Also what angle do you suggest for cleaning fish such as red fish, black drum and sheepshead. These fish are hard to clean but I've perfected my technique so far but any suggestions would help. Also hello from corpus christi, tx. Thank you and have a great day.

[@stanrydelek7721]

You did a great job! Remove the fear and must go for it.🙏🏻

[@mr.z1992]

Great video, I bought blocks and the ken onion auto bands and even the auto sharpener, but I messed up two cheap old chefs knives, but now that fear you alluded to (which no one talks about, so thank you) has gone through the roof. I am losing my willingness but I own many many many knives and I need to learn to master this. Any advice where to begin? So many conflicting dogmatic theories... I don’t know what to believe... thanks, Rocky

[@danapeck5382]

New subscriber, really learning a lot, much appreciated. All the best

[@alanchappell414]

Love your videos 👍👍i use a $20 diamond stone 400/1000 grit and a homemade leather strop with white compound. The knife when sharpened will shave hairs cut telephone books and most importantly do the job its BBC supposed to. I learnt how to do this in my first year of retirement 👌 i now make kniives and each s sharpened this way👍