FREEHAND SHARPENING FOR BEGINNERS (600 DMT Stone&Strop ONLY!)

Today we are sharpening a ‪@kyle_noseworthy‬ Bake Apple in O1 Tool Steel. We also finish up using a ‪@richterknives‬ strop. Thanks for watching!

[@mikedifazio9587]

Thanks for making these two videos. Very well done and easy to follow along. Excellent job. 👍

[@ericasedc]

@@mikedifazio9587 glad it was helpful!

[@mikedifazio9587]

@@ericasedc I am making time to learn this the correct way. Do you have any experiences with Benchmade and their LifeSharp service? I have a lot of Benchmades, but have never sent one in to them for sharpening. I'm releuctant to send out knives in fear of something happening to them. Shipping servies are all so hit/miss now.

[@CorpseGrin]

“Did I just embarrass myself for 30 minutes” is crazy 😂😂😂 great vid once again. I sound like a broken record now lol

[@Black_Cat_997]

This is one of my favorite people of all time.

[@ericasedc]

You’re MY favorite!

[@oneallynn3234]

You need to quit selling your self short. You are great . I have sharpen knives for 40 years you know what you are talking about. ❤

[@mikep.9371]

Good job of teaching free hand and what to look for Erica. Guess the pups disappeared because they didn't want split hairs. I cannot believe it's 31.1 on one of my outside thermometers close to 8 pm. Hope you having good weather also. My dream is to keep it "less warm" and only have one "muddy season" in the spring.

[@ericasedc]

Mike! Always good to hear from you!

[@Stans_Cutlery_Universe]

Great video. I love the fact that you pointed out that you have to be super vigilant when sharpening away from yourself. I struggle with keeping the angle correct unless I really concentrate. Great education for a new or even a seasoned sharpener. Thanks for sharing, Live Long Prosper and Collect Your Own Way!

[@ericasedc]

Thanks so much for the feed back! Really appreciate it❤

[@josephperez6400]

Amazing video, I've seen other videos with different techniques, and i practice those technics, I had thought that my knives where sharpening correctly. But after watch this video, i realized that your technic works better for me. Thank you.

[@ericasedc]

I love hearing that yay!

[@davegoodridge8352]

Thank you. I've learned that I was too heavy handed. I just need to allow the blade to handle how much weight to use. Just the weight of the knife!!

[@ericasedc]

Yes! The tools should be doing the work. We are just being a human guide!🤣🥰

[@davidkurle5418]

I'm the same way. "No sharpening after a gallon of coffee" is kind of my standard rule now.😆Have a great night, E!

[@ericasedc]

Haha right?! I need to follow that! You too my friend!

[@feralcruz2093]

Im not really ambidextrous, but i remember watching a big brown bear video where he says to learn to sharpen with both hands, so i started practicing and it really improved my sharpening skills. Also stroping starting at the tip keeps the scratch pattern in line if you sharpening edge leading from ricasso to tip. Great video! 👏

[@ericasedc]

Thanks for watching!

[@richterknives]

Great Teacher! love this

[@ericasedc]

Thanks R!!!! I really appreciate that

[@stoff4963]

Nice instruction many thanks 👍🏻🇬🇧

[@theroomofhiddenpredispositions]

Thanks for making a video showing how to do this, I've stuck with a ceramic rod a honing steel and diamond steel because I'm so uncoordinated anymore. I didn't think to mark the edge so I can see that I have one side done, I'm 37 going on 38 in a few months & it never occurred to me it's that simple, it just seems way harder than it is because I think too much.

[@ericasedc]

Glad you learned something!

[@terrillschneider3778]

I’m very appreciative that you and Paddy are both doing these tutorials Love you to pieces

[@ericasedc]

I love you mostest T🥰

[@MrEric0822]

Great job, Erica!

[@ericasedc]

Thanks I appreciate it💫

[@RorschachAtak]

Hi Erica. Thanks for your honesty and your knowledge. This was really helpful. 🙂

[@ericasedc]

Glad to help!

[@EastCoastEDC]

Awesome video Erica!! Thank you! Now I just have to find the 600 grit stone and holder here in Canada and then give it a try!!

[@ericasedc]

I bet they ship there! But I’m sure it’s pricey 🥺

[@mazeman01]

You're a good teacher.

[@ericasedc]

Thank you! I was a teacher for 6 years. Probably helped! 😂❤

[@timanderson5723]

As a novice, I got a good 20 degree edge on my 40 yr old Buck 121 with the Lansky system. I started with the course diamond. $55 for the Lansky seems like a reasonable price to get started in sharpening.

[@ericasedc]

Great job!

[@jonizzooted]

Great video! Loved the emphasis and reassurance that it is normal for the bevel to be slightly uneven near the Ricasso, when I first started sharpening it really made me feel like I was doing something wrong. Sharpening is actually really intuitive the more you do it, just like any skill, but originally the task seems so large and foreign that it’s impossible for your brain to make little connections like “oh the knife is probably just ground slightly unevenly and it’s not actually my fault” lol. Next you should do a stone storage, stone maintenance, etc. What it looks like for a deep clean vs normal clean, how gummed up you let the stone get before you deep clean, if you’re using bar keepers friend on your stone, different types of stones and their applications, all that! Love the videos and the fucking passion you bring to knives. It’s cool to randomly stumble on random channels of random nerds like myself that get excited about everything from traditional folders with tool steals to button lock folders in m390.

[@ericasedc]

I can absolutely do that! So glad you enjoy the content!

[@floydmorrison2025]

This was awesome! Super helpful! I definitely learned some new concepts to work on in the future. I really love the "robotic arm" idea! I think one of the reasons that I can't seem to consistently hold an angle is precisely because my arm/hand/edge is wonky and flopping around half the time. It probably doesn't help that I don't have one of those rubber feet holder things! My stone or worksharp is always moving around a lil bit on me! Like, I don't think that I only need to "practice more"...I also think that I need to "practice BETTER"...as in practice better habits, and not inconsistent, shitty ones. I will be rewatching this video multiple times in the future as I attempt to learn how to freehand! So far I'm 0 for 3 on my New Years Resolution Mantra of "Drink Less, More Moms, Learn how to Freehand Sharpen" 🤣 Awesome video, Erica!!!!! 🥰❤

[@ericasedc]

You got this J!!!!!

[@jeremynedrow7003]

Your videos are amazing and we appreciate everything you do.

[@ericasedc]

Hey thanks so much!!!

[@Kens_knives]

Another good one girl, thanks for a very entertaining and educational video your the greatest Erica!

[@ericasedc]

That’s YOU!❤

[@j.l.327]

Nice, real nice and shaving paper like that is a real deal, always meant more to me than the grabbing a thumbnail test

[@ericasedc]

Thanks so much for watching!

[@petermartinka9274]

Erika, you saved my knife. I was always in a hurry when sharpening a knife and was not satisfied with the result. I played your video as background therapy while sharpening my Spyderco Police 4 in K390. The result: a perfect edge. Diamond stone 25 microns/800 grit.

[@ericasedc]

Wow that’s awesome! Great job!!!!

[@petermartinka9274]

@@ericasedc Thanks for the video!

[@ericasedc]

@@petermartinka9274 thank YOU for watching!

[@petermartinka9274]

Erika/ca, I wanna make my own leather strap, but the question is, which side of the leader I should use for diamond paste? The fine one?

[@ericasedc]

@@petermartinka9274 that’s personal preference! You can use either and they will produce different things.

[@R.H.bladeNshade]

I just wanna tell ya, i really appreciate your content, time, and knowledge. I always leave your videos with a new idea or a new way of looking at these things. That is what quality content should do in my opinion. You da best keep it up!

[@ericasedc]

Ok that made my day!!!! Thank you!!!

[@timtitus2532]

Thanks for the content Erica. Well done.

[@ericasedc]

Thanks for watching❤

[@hanikaram3351]

you are so neat i always create a small flood even though i raise my stones on a cookie sheet so collect the water

[@ericasedc]

Oh good idea!

[@nicoledodge7240]

AWESOME video Erica, so many good tips and info! This’ll help me and a lot of others out!!

[@ericasedc]

Thanks sis!

[@Pete_Fish]

Thanks Erica, you definitely do a Mean Edge 😎

[@ericasedc]

Always room for improvement but we’ll keep growing!

[@Knife_guy]

Great video E. You are really good at these instructional videos.

[@ericasedc]

That means so much to me. Thanks brother🥰

[@marcelpfeiffer6587]

Hi Erica, you're so talented!

[@ericasedc]

Far from it- always learning!!! Thanks for the kind words M!

[@user-ys5nq9em7n]

Southside jimmy K here, thanks for the fantastic vid! Your know-how to explain ,show and 'Get the idea' of angles of the edge into newbie sharpeners heads was super helpful. You are a great teacher, Years ago you helped me go from scratching the whole side of a knife blade to forming an edge I'm proud of!🗡😁

[@ericasedc]

Yay!!!!! That’s so awesome. Glad I could help!

[@singingtoad]

No sharpening after drinking coffee or booze; mistakes will happen...lol 🤣Excellent video and I appreciate how you didn't rush through it and took the time to give a proper lesson. 👍Thanks for sharing, take care and Cheers!

[@ericasedc]

Thanks for watching ST. I appreciate you🥰

[@gregwilson3395]

I thought that I was in love with you. Now I know I am! Such a great video Erica. You teach us so much! You're my hero! ❤❤

[@ericasedc]

Awh! You’re a love. So glad you enjoyed!!!

[@paulyoder865]

I don’t use a stone but like other methods (probably my dexterity idk). I’ve dramatically worn down blades on my pocket knives when I was a kid trying to get a sharp edge using a sharpening stone. That was decades ago lol, But that’s ok. Having said that, I got my first strop this Christmas as a gift from my daughter. Holy smokes is it a game changer, takes the edge from usable to scary sharp easily and quickly. It’s definitely worth the money and does the job.

[@ericasedc]

Yes!

[@FirstmaninRome]

Erica the master makes it look easy, gonna have to watch a few times, screw up so courage to tackle my buck 110 Lite

[@ericasedc]

You got this!

[@haraldmoeller-cp6nj]

Wow ! Great vid great info bought a Mora robust just to get used to carrying it and to learn to sharpen. Amazon has some diamond plates not too $ but a good place to start. What's the difference between a rectal thermometer and an oral one? The taste!!! Hope that brings a 😂. Good channel.

[@ericasedc]

Haha!!!! Awesome comment! Thanks for watching!!!!

[@billnemec]

Erica, another excellent video!!! I had a stone many many years ago and couldn't hold the angle the same throughout the process. I would have a thin bevel at one spot and a thick bevel on the same side. Or it would look good unless you looked close and you could see it was not the same bevel - I would have a bevel in a bevel. I have never seen anyone say to lift the knife up until you don't see any space between the knife and the stone. I'm not sure if that's going to give you the 17 degrees or what your knife requires, but I would at least get consistency (maybe). I don't know as I would be able to switch hands and keep going in the same direction - which would mean I wouldn't be able to use that procedure to get the angle if the blade is away from me. And I like how you suggest starting with a blade that I'm ok to mess up. All in all, I am definitely going to be getting a stone or two and a strop as soon as I get a couple of knives!!!! Thank you for making this look attainable for the masses!!!

[@ericasedc]

BILLLLLL! I was hoping you’d watch!!! What kind of knives do you like? Folders? Fixed blades?

[@billnemec]

@@ericasedc I've always been fairly old school with the knives I've had. Mostly buck, shrade, and maybe old timer for a pocket knife. Never had much use for a pocket knife so they usually lived in my vehicle. I have gotten some off brand knives that I thought looked cool. They were ok unless you wanted to use them more than once. Didn't hold a blade for nothing. And then I couldn't sharpen them for nothing. I've got a couple of Shrade and Buck folders yet and don't really have a need for a fixed blade besides just wanting one. I would actually really like to be able to sharpen fillet knives. That seems to be my biggest issue the last few years. I may get a stone and try my hand at sharpening a few fillet knives. ( I have a bunch)

[@ericasedc]

@@billnemec hey Bill~ keep an eye on your PO Box in a few days. You have something REALLY cool on the way. One of my FAVORITE knives EVER!

[@billnemec]

@@ericasedc I'll be checking it everyday!!! Can't wait to see what it is!!! Thank you!!!

[@ericasedc]

@@billnemec it’s shipping from PA so give it a few days! I would figure maybe Monday it could be there!

[@haraldmoeller-cp6nj]

Coffee is life. French press good beans😎🤓🇨🇦

[@ericasedc]

Percolator Italian over here!🤣

[@snowtiger44]

Nice sharpening video i keep on trying to improve my skills how is your meat diet going do you still need it ? Or not anymore now you have a warmer indoor place

[@ericasedc]

I need to go back on it. I strayed once I was in a home setting. I felt much better eating a carnivore based diet though.

[@PizzaLuva4Ever]

Ok Erica ur awesomeness.

[@ericasedc]

No way. That’s you!!!!

[@dualsportedc]

That case of coffee jitters as you were marking the edge had me nervous for you

[@ericasedc]

I was nervous for me too!🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@franka9760]

Nice demo, great result, Erica! Something I do to even out the use of the strop is to turn it 180° and strop in the opposite direction. I do that for every other knife or so. I have a two-sided strop from Sharpening Supplies. I have green compound on the rough side, nothing on the smooth side. Do you think it makes sense to add diamond emulsion on the smooth side?

[@ericasedc]

I personally don’t add compound to smooth leather- I have found it doesn’t grasp as well as I’d like. However- you could try it! I typically run different strops with different type/microns of compound!

[@franka9760]

@@ericasedc Thanks!

[@richterknives]

ERRRRRICAAAAA!!!!

[@ericasedc]

RICHTAAAAAA🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ I am your biggest fan you dang Texas KING!

[@dombond6515]

Great job love watching sharpening vids. My favorite part of this hobby these days. U should really get ahold of jef jewell. He has a wealth of info greatest guy in the world and is my go to with questions or just to bs.

[@ericasedc]

Nice!!!

[@wayanbarre]

Great vid Erica, This is going to be in my 1o1 playlist forever. You never mention angle guides. You don't recommend it for beginners? Is there not a risk of slowly altering the angle after a few sharpening sessions if not as experienced as you are? Cheers, Wayan

[@ericasedc]

Oh there’s totally a risk for that!

[@wayanbarre]

@@ericasedc So an angle guide would be useful ;) Thanks

[@strannostrannovasrr]

Don't you change the angle if you pull up your elbow in order to sharpen the tip? Couse it looks a bit that way. But maybe I'm wrong. Great sharpening course. Thanks a lot.

[@ericasedc]

No. You keep everything the same. The knife curves at the end… so you have to move your arm up to work with that belly.

[@MrEric0822]

You have to raise your elbow in order to hit the tip and belly, especially a knife with a significant belly like the one she is sharpening here. That is why the wrist being locked is key because that sets and maintains your angle. Difficult to do. That’s why freehand sharpeners end up with a convex bevel, because it is almost impossible to keep the same exact angle through the stroke, every single stroke. The only two freehand sharpeners I have seen who are able to get a flat bevel versus a convex bevel are Jerad Neeves and Michael Christy. Nothing at all wrong with a convex edge, though.

[@matthewweaver1123]

Yes... save the s90v for last 😅

[@ericasedc]

I don’t have any S90V currently🤣

[@matthewweaver1123]

@ericasedc ahhh. No worries, as much as I love it, I only have one. And I'm pretty sure it was just to scratch that (gotta have the "best" (whatever that is)) itch..... but I just bought my second cru-wear because now i want to use the hell out of them. Edit: because someone told me to use my shit and learn to sharpen 👍

[@gillbates999]

Practice on OPK's. No, not what Chris Reeve collectors call his One Piece Knives from back then, but Other People's Knives. 😁

[@ericasedc]

Haha!

[@MrEric0822]

Most production knives are no better than customs when it comes to perfect bevels. Spydercos are notorious for having the same heel issues you have with that one made by Kyle.

[@ericasedc]

Production knives that I have, aside from my Seki City Japan Spydercos, have not had *as much* of an issue near the plunge/heel/choil etc. The Para 3 is notorious for this issue in my video- but that’s nit picking. A quick swipe on a grinding wheel/belt *tends* to produce a more even bevel, where at free hand sharpening will always have some slight human error- especially with ceramic/softer stones.

[@MrEric0822]

@@ericasedc when production knives are sharpened, they typically start by hitting the heel against the belt, then moving to the rest of the bevel. Consistently starting with the heel means that section is against the wheel a half second longer each time. That’s what causes the heel issues. It’s very common in production knives.

[@ericasedc]

@@MrEric0822 I’m sure it is. I’m telling you that my production knives in my collection don’t tend to have that issue. I’m sorry you want to debate that. Have a nice night!

[@MrEric0822]

@@ericasedcI’m not arguing/debating. Just telling you from my experience the heels (and usually the area right before the tip) are commonly trouble spots for any knife sharpened on a belt from a factory. Not every knife, of course. They also can vary greatly from side to side, as you know.

[@ericasedc]

@@MrEric0822absolutely!