How to Sharpen a Knife with Bob Kramer

[@TEXASTWOSTROKE]

Best line ever! "It's pretty simple" It is simple, once the body has learned the subtle nuances of "the feel..." and the correct "posture", which, so far, have eluded me. However, I do get a great deal of joy, watching a master apply his skill.

[@1.thomasalmeida]

try not to confuse a concept of "simple" with being "easy". I'm sure everyone has seen a skillful master do something that is seemingly very simple, but took thousands of hours of practice to perfect. simple ≠ easy

[@federicol8366]

Sharpening is simple, such as..... Ever tried a bicycle? Or strolling around the block? We all stumbled many times doing that and thought it "complicated" until we realize stripped off the rationale, watched, experienced, went back again and internalized its simplicity .....

[@chaseleonardo7407]

I guess I'm kinda randomly asking but does anybody know of a good site to watch newly released series online?

[@rafioli6851]

Bob Kramer is a real master at sharpening. He overly simplifies his explanations though, so if you try to learn by watching him, you'll get frustrated that you're not getting nearly the results he gets. I learn a little bit every time I watch him sharpen, but always miss other things until I'm better and pick up on them later. Great video!

[@ChefsResources]

True story Rafael, it's amazing how someone who has mastered any skill, regardless of the skill, can make it look so easy. Repetition is the schoolmaster of perfection.

[@federicol8366]

Practice makes perfect, man! any job, any sports, any trade. Sure watching the masters is one of the best ways to learn; if it were possible and affordable, even better if they could give you personal feedback..... You cannot "KZbin" yourself out of experience. I watched 2 videos by Kramer and my knives went from totally dull, 20 years unsharpened in a home kitchen, to cutting through newspaper after 3 (cheap) stones, a few hours and a lot of common sense; getting to 100+ as he does will take years or for ever..... But I am not aiming to shave my hair with them!!. I suppose that anyone learning by KZbin is not aiming to become a samurai, but keep trying; I learned pretty fast, have steel, alloy and ceramic knives sharpened and I had not idea a "durable" edge still needed sharpening a month ago..... So dumb I was.

[@federicol8366]

In another video, Bob Kramer tells to use 4 - 6 lbs of pressure; and great tip, try on you kitchen scale for the feel! I also found a small wedge at home which happenes to be of about 15 degrees, so I test my angle. Bob uses a match box in that other video, as he mentioned here at the beginning. Those 2 additional tips were great for a beginner like me. I cannot yet feel that burr or wire edge; but I get from "0" to "70%" already; aiming to 100+ some time

[@dasabaja]

I've never tried to sharpen my knife with Bob Kramer. I've heard that sharpening stones are much better at the task.

[@kelvynchan1998]

brother u must be fun at parties

[@edwrd1990]

He's good if you want to strop your knife.

[@AlCapone10003]

Good one, dork.

[@pbanthonyv]

You know a guy is good when he makes it simple.

[@davidschmidt5533]

Thank you for this amazing free lesson. I ussually sharpen with a diamond stone, coarse and fine grit. I have a wetstone but never had good results. This video has shown me a lot of different ideas I have not seen before. Thank you.

[@ChefsResources]

Awesome! I learned how to use whet stones when I made this video and now I love them!

[@choppersplace]

so beautiful to watch a master take his 1000s of hours of sharpening to be able to so quickly speed up the process, knowing more efficiently what to look/feel for....zen like!

[@alvin3758]

meh,it doesnt take 1000 hours to master if u r quick learner

[@nixonking4231]

Best video about knife sharpening ✌🏼👍🏼

[@billyboy7]

Bob, thanks again for your numerous videos on kitchen knives and the sharpening process. IF........you happen to see this post, I noticed you did not steel or strop on the stone, nor did you cork for any burr or wire. Can you elaborate on these points?

[@asylum119]

Short and to the point, cheers

[@RuneTrips]

It's insane to me that people on youtube are questioning Bob Kramers credibility as someone who knows a thing or two about knives

[@ChefsResources]

I totally agree! It reveals either their arrogance...or their stupidity.

[@glittersgo742]

other people knows a thing or two about knives too, and his way is absolutely not the only one, and far from the easiest one!!! He is doing it in the most difficult way for anyone?....can anyone do that by watching this.....NO.....they will fuck up their blades even more by trying this

[@glittersgo742]

have a benchgrinder at home, and set it up for your preference......there are tons of vids on youtube showing that.

[@aslob9321]

Greg Letter + but not better!

[@federicol8366]

Glitters go it’s a silly comment. I suppose just hasty and you are genuinely concerned about showing others a faster way - if that is what they care about. But it comes across as, IMO, aggressive and arrogant , on top of self incriminating for lack of common sense and basic abilities. He just shows a way which I found interesting, effective and fun. I tried and in a few days by knives are a world better than before, not difficult at all, simple to operate, cheap and lifelong.

[@batvdog6129]

Love this video. Because everyone quickly skim over what to do with the wire edge. Also I haven't come across a video that mention the leather as a tip. Found some leather five minutes later I can smoothly do the paper cut now.

[@russellfrancis813]

You might also be able to hone that wire edge with a steel or ceramic if you don't have leather

[@seanjoyce9475]

1000 of hours worth of programmed muscle memory. Makes it look so effortless.Believe me,I’ve tried and tried to sharply free hand and it took me months of trial and error before I could get near to finishing with a strop. Pretty simple...if you’ve been doing it every day for 30 years!!!

[@larrynarvaez455]

What do use for stropping?

[@arlanascott3186]

is the pressure coming toward the body or away or both?

[@ChefsResources]

There's a respectful way to disagree and make one's point. I'm a chef...the first thing that comes to my mind when one of my crew f__ks up is to tear them apart and tell them how I expect them to perform. But I've learned that although it makes me feel good to do that, it doesn't get the results I want, which is improvement and understanding. I've thrown enough mud in the past to know that persuasive speech wins the day...mud throwing usually just makes a mess.

[@diamondflaw]

Liked the video for good content. Subscribed to your channel because of your eloquence and professionalism dealing with negative and aggressive comments. It's a joy following individuals who not only bring quality content, but also raise the overall level of discourse as well.

[@ChefsResources]

Thank-you diamondflaw! In a society with so many trolls (and people who encourage trolls) its nice to be appreciated for attempting to raise the bar.

[@afrog2666]

Even military officers know to throw a dog a bone from time to time, lol ;)

[@mercsan117]

Ask. Tell. Yell

[@northlord8765]

As a chef of fourteen years I agree, for most entry level cooks, sharpening of this level will never occur, they will never create a burr or even know that they needed too, so I attempt to educate as well as I can, by sending them links to videos like these, short and too the point, and also many will say terrible things just because they have the time to, as well as the compulsion. While he does not demonstrate the finer more refined techniques, he does brake down sharpening too a novices level, which makes it easier to learn, if he were telling him that he needed to work up from a 300 to a 10,000, the student wouldn’t have brought anything new home as far as knowledge, these videos are a great resource!

[@CrankyFrankie59]

Beautiful technique. Thanks for sharing.

[@longle956]

He makes it look so easy

[@the4thamigo]

Is this bob the knife guy. Either way wow. Master at work

[@mikelikesknives428]

"All there is to it! It's not that hard!!" The most famous last words.

[@ghidfg]

do you apply pressure on both the forward and back strokes?

[@ChefsResources]

Yes

[@ghidfg]

@@ChefsResources ah, thanks.

[@Laszlomtl]

Bob, don't you use any stropping compound on your leather?

[@ChefsResources]

No. The whet stones are used to fine tune the edge (finishing w/ a 5000 grit) and the strop is used just to buff or polish the edge.

[@GamingLife076]

question, on the beginning side where i start grinding on hard stone to get a burr, do i continue the other side with the same stone untill there's a burr coming to the other side, or do i continue with a finer stone to get rid of the burr, or do i continue with finer stone to get the burr on the beginning side?

[@ChefsResources]

The burr only needs to appear on one side during the first stone (coarsest stone). But watch his technique again. He forms the burr on one side, but he does sharpen the other side on the same stone to keep it balance. But once he feels the burr beginning to form he then focuses on sharpening that side a little more than the other until the burr is the full length. Then he evens it out on both sides. Once the burr is formed w/ the coarsest stone you don't need to form it again with the finer stones. They are just used to refine the edge.

[@GamingLife076]

That's my idea every time, establish the apex after coarse stone. Move on with finer grid stop counting just remove the coarse scratches on both sides. Seems i can't get it razorsharp. Must be doing something wrong. Most of the time i cant even see the burr, but just metal dust that's easily blown off

[@rb385354]

do I apply the same amount of pressure when I am pushing toward the edge side as I am pulling away from the edge on the stone?

[@ChefsResources]

Yes

[@robgman54]

No. Use no pressure when pulling back

[@federicol8366]

Robert Grossman thanks Robert. Though I’ve seen Bob say it was the same pressure. Is that a matter of preferences, techniques, etc or will using the same pressure ruin or void the sharp edge ?

[@rb385354]

@@federicol8366 I appreciate you guys for answering the question I had, since then I have collected a few good knives and sharpening them, but I came to realize everyone is kind of doing their own things....and there really isn't any consensus. kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZpfbfWusZ8mAntE This guy from Korin for example is telling people to apply pressure when pulling, and relaxes when pushing. It's kind of like you said, it's about preferences and technique

[@federicol8366]

I cannot get to feel the wire edge or burr, even on a 380 Stone! I do get a better edge, but I still I might not be doing it right.

[@agmemon10]

what exactly does the "wire edge" feel like?

[@ChefsResources]

Watch the way he runs his fingers over the edge. When you feel the edge this way then the "wire edge" will like a burr on the very edge of the blade, like a long extremely thin wire is running the entire length of the blade. Keep working it until that burr runs the length of the blade and not just in certain parts. After you have finished the process and the blade is sharp the "wire edge" should be gone and the edge should feel very smooth (again, feeling the edge as he demonstrates).

[@edwinpurnomo1612]

Where I can buy leather strap? Seems like that what I was missing? My knive seems sharp, but no push cut

[@ChefsResources]

Do a Google search for Kramer leather stropping block and you will find it

[@UmarRosyad]

I'm using my leather belt. It's also works

[@Siloguy]

Lee Valley sells some nice double sides ones www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/tools/sharpening/75254-leather-strop

[@max2beuz]

What grit did he use at first? Im a student in culinary and this is very new and confusing. I own a Vnox grand maitre 8in and i have a combo stone 400/1000 from Mercer but im still very novice to it so im practicing on a old chef knife.

[@ChefsResources]

He started w/ a 400 grit. But that is for a knife which needs a new edge put on it. If you have taken care of your knife and it has a decent edge then you should be able to start w/ the 1000 grit. Kramer finishes w/ a 5000 grit to further hone the edge and then uses a leather strop to buff the edge. The strop isn't necessary, but after using it myself I can say that it certainly finishes the edge off with a very finely honed, polished (and sharp!) blade.

[@max2beuz]

David Buchanan Ok thank you for your answer. Can i just stick to 1000? i dont have any other stones or any tools for sharpening (except a honing rode).

[@ChefsResources]

If the 1000 gives you a sharp enough edge for the work you're doing then yes it will work fine and will not hurt your knife. But eventually you will want to get something around a 5000 grit. It's just a matter of how sharp you want the edge to be.

[@CapoStatusYM]

Bob’s the man

[@quinnhunsinger1603]

"Pretty simple" haha I disagree it takes me much longer to get an edge that refined his strokes r so pure I tend to change angle too often and am ultimately spending more time regaining the edge !

[@westcoastwarriorsarchive7929]

it is simple. It just takes practice. Also the stones he is using are very high end waterstones and they cut very fast. But its all down to technique there is a video here on youtube of a guy getting a hair shaving edge with a red brick and a leather belt.

[@roughroosterknifesharpenin5531]

West Coast Warriors Archive man when you reach 5,000 grit and it don't do any better than that. it takes patients and time to create a perfect edge. that's how u destroy a edge and go to the er for stitches.

[@Bablobiggins]

how many patients does it take?

[@afrog2666]

Focus on keeping your angle, and do everything else step by step from there. If you don`t get your angles right, you`re in trouble :)

[@Crazyknives]

agrajag 👏👏👏

[@marksterling533]

So simple...

[@ruthfox5646]

What is the name of the last one he used to get rid of the burr? I couldn't understand

[@ChefsResources]

For the whet stones he is using the 400, 1000, and 5000 grit stones. For finishing he is using a leather strop which is sold by Sur la Table. I believe it is called the Bob Kramer Leather Stropping Block

[@alanbuka8576]

Tankhs 😀

[@federicosoria4018]

Muy buen filo !

[@J_LOVES_ME]

Bob Kramer knives are like $20k... but his knife sharpening water bucket has a Goodwill sticker on it. Love it!

[@smellypatel5272]

If you pay $20k for a knife.... Well, let's just say that a fool and his money are soon parted.

[@hemi1045]

Sharp as Bob.

[@eliluong]

What product did he use for stropping?

[@ChefsResources]

It is the Bob Kramer Leather Stropping Block by ZWILLING J.A Henckels available thru Sur la Table or Amazon

[@eliluong]

thanks. i can't believe he has it named after him haha

[@darkknight7923]

Very good

[@federicol8366]

I bought a 120 / 320 stone at a local hardware shop. That's more common around than "

[@ChefsResources]

A 120/320 is good for a knife that has an edge which is in very poor condition. It will not get the results which Bob shows in this video because he uses several stones which are over 1000, which gives a very fine edge.

[@federicol8366]

David Buchanan thanks! I do have a 1000 + 6000 grid. My question is more about not “feeling” the wire edge, no matter how I try with any finger, nail, magnifying glass....

[@ChefsResources]

@@federicol8366 Be sure to try to feel it the way Bob shows because we tried to feel it the wrong way first. Basically, you stay on one side of the blade at a lower grit until you can feel the wire.

[@meijikenbootes]

2 noises that will make me go nuts: knife on sharpening stones, and sharpened knife cut through paper like butter.

[@010falcon]

Those are not naniwa are they tho ?

[@ChaoticEnigma92]

From what I understand, the stones are made by Naniwa for Bob Kramer specifically. They are comparable to the chosera/professional stones. (But MUCH thinner)

[@Shnikies78]

They look like Shaptons to me.

[@ChaoticEnigma92]

Bubba they're very similar, but are actually thicker

[@wjfmarketing]

Those don't look like Naniwa Chosera stones. I believe they were Shapton Glass stones.

[@ChefsResources]

I'm going to have to disagree w/ you. These are the Bob Kramer series whet stones sold thru Sur La Table and are sold as being the Bob Kramer (or Sur la Table) Chosera stone series made by Naniwa.

[@wjfmarketing]

David Buchanan - I see and was not aware of this version. I've been sharpening knives on Chosera (Japanese versions) for years, and was confused that they were not 24mm in height and sitting on the plastic stands. The color's threw me off as well, as Naniwa has assigned colors for their Chosera line (including the new 20mm US/Europe version called the Niniwa Professional Stone). I'll have to go to Sur La Table and check these out. I enjoyed the video. (edited grammar)

[@ChefsResources]

When I was double checking your comment I saw all the colored versions of the Chosera stones and totally understand your comment. The Bob Krammer aka Sur la Table stones are very different in appearance.

[@RayCornett]

First, a question: Wire edge? Second, he says he doesn't like to do striaght back and forth because it leaves a ridge then does it straight back and forth right before changing stones....I am confused.....

[@ChefsResources]

Watch the way he runs his fingers over the edge after using the first stone. When you feel the edge this way then the "wire edge" will like a burr on the very edge of the blade, like a long extremely thin wire is running the entire length of the blade. Keep working it until that burr runs the length of the blade and not just in certain parts. He states that he prefers long strokes along the length of the blade to develop the wire edge, but later he does use straight back & forth on the heel because he didn't feel the wire edge along that section of the knife. So, long strokes to develop the wire and back & forth to fine tune any areas which are missing the wire edge when the rest of the blade has it. After you have finished the entire process using consecutively finer grit stones and the blade is sharp the "wire edge" should be gone and the edge should feel very smooth (again, feeling the edge as he demonstrates).

[@jfgreen1959]

Every video I watch, from masters like this to Japanese masters show a different technique. They all seem to get results, it’s just very confusing to someone like me that hasn’t even started yet.

[@ChefsResources]

Some techniques apply to specific types of knives. So long as the video relates to the type of knife you have then try several different techniques and pick the one which works best for you and your knife.

[@jfgreen1959]

David Buchanan thanks for the reply. Of course it seems like it will take practice, that is why I want to buy the sharpening stones first, and use them on my old knifes, this way there isn’t much loss in the learning process.

[@ChefsResources]

@@jfgreen1959 Wise choice!

[@mencken8]

The skill required to sharpen a blade on a stone is not trivial, and having Bob Kramer “show us how” is a bit like asking Michelangelo to demo cutting marble. My text on knife sharpening is written by Lansky.

[@MonteyCarlo92081]

he did this in 6 minutes and everyone on youtube is sharpening knives in 25-30 mins. come on people get your acts together.

[@brandonbrunet2711]

curtis_browning lol Bob Kramer is a master bladesmith though. those KZbin people are just regular guys.

[@InsanelyMclean]

I spent an hour trying to sharpen my cheap mora clone on my equally cheap bench stones...and it ended up barely sharper than when I started. The bevel looked beautiful though. So yeah, I suck at freehand sharpening. Maybe I'll get one of those KME sharpeners.

[@wongkonpow111]

Christopher Backus of your bevel looks great but isn't sharp, you needed to spend more time on your coarsest stone to make sure you formed an apex

[@InsanelyMclean]

That knife was a piece of crap. Once I began practicing on some of my slightly better knives, my technique improved by leaps and bounds. I wonder if I could sharpen that knife now...

[@afrog2666]

Hardness of the steel matters a lot. Maybe those people just have very hard steel, and it takes longer to sharpen the blades..

[@StagnantMizu]

i bought a 20 dollar sharpening stone and i literally could shave my legs with it

[@StagnantMizu]

but i cant push cut paper or slide cut it very clean but i can shave my leg hair with the knife what did i do wrong

[@ChefsResources]

You probably need a finer grit stone to "polish" the edge which will increase it's sharpness

[@StagnantMizu]

***** its the ling kw65 1000/6000 so should be fine

[@ChefsResources]

I would think that would do it. I'm not a sharpening pro, but when I put my knife on my 6000 grit (after working through the others as needed) it does the push cut. 2 suggestions: first review the video ( and one of Bob Kramer's other vids on sharpening which he did with Sur La Table) to see if it is your technique. Second, consider getting the leather strop. It does make a huge difference for the finishing polish of the edge. And a third consideration...if it's sharp enough to shave with do you want to spend money to get it sharper?!

[@StagnantMizu]

David Buchanan idk i though shaving sharp would be sharp enough to push cut

[@yeshua4U]

Should be " How to Sharpen a Knife with Stones" Very misleading title.

[@FearNoSteel]

Lol wat?

[@roughroosterknifesharpenin5531]

Terry Elliott wtf do u sharpen with marsh mellows?? stupid asd

[@ShawnsterVideos]

Commas, they are important.

[@afrog2666]

not really, stones are the most commonly used tools to sharpen a blade and have been since blades came to existence.. HONING a blade is different.. You just don`t know what you`re talking about is all ;)

[@afrog2666]

Mattias W. lol, sharpen your witt with Mattias W :p

[@sammidul4080]

I can sharpning my knife with cheap ass $1 wet stone, as sharp as razor blade, no need over expensive wet stone, this all about techique and patience

[@TheOneMastodon]

LMAO SURE BRUH

[@roughroosterknifesharpenin5531]

also, this is why water stones suck. so much cross contamination here. at 5,000 grit you should be able to carve news paper. I can tell the quality of the edge by the sound of the paper your cutting. very poor

[@ChefsResources]

The knife was very sharp. It should be noted however that this was just a rough-work blade which he uses demos. Do you even know who Bob Kramer is?

[@roughroosterknifesharpenin5531]

David Buchanan I do, not impressed. not impressed with Murray Carter not impressed with cliff stamp. John jerrech with razor edge knows what he's talking about. people are important anymore. can't achieve a good edge like that

[@juanluissandoval506]

David Buchanan when he says strop he didnt use a conventional leather strop he used a rectangle thing is that a strop. if so where can i get one.

[@ChefsResources]

Google "kramer leather strop" and you should find it.

[@elliottatwell1155]

Lolz, I'd like to see John shave with a freaking spoon. Murray Carter can lay an edge like nobody else, with pretty damn cheap abrasives without stone flattening. Of course on a double bevel knife a guided system with high quality abrasives like Shapton pros or Naniwa choseras is going to offer a superior V edge, but guided systems have their limitations particularly with single bevel knives or any woodworking tools.

[@roughroosterknifesharpenin5531]

it's impossible to sharpen a knife effectively with your wild and erratic motions. that is pure nonsense. wow...

[@ChefsResources]

Sure...that's why he is one of only about 120 master bladesmiths in the entire world, because he doesn't know what he's doing.

[@roughroosterknifesharpenin5531]

I don't care what his title is. Just because you have a individual entitled "doctor" so in so don't mean you are master of all. Not doubting his blade smith abilities. But his sharpening blows.

[@ChefsResources]

For perspective for other readers, can you post a link to a video demonstrating what you believe is the correct way to sharpen a knife. It will help stimulate conversation and provide a constructive alternative.

[@ChefsResources]

Here is Rough Rooster Knife Sharpening's video on sharpening a blade and you actually use the technique which I was taught...long, smooth strokes. I do count the strokes per side, but finish by touching the edge to see if I need to work it more before moving to the next stone. Thanks for your feedback. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oInKkJaih6eUZ6M

[@smokinjoe1256]

He knows what he is doing...thats why he puts a perfect edge on a knife even at this speed. You do your sharpening boringly slow...looks like you are on morphine. Just observe a while and learn from him.

[@rasheerussell1353]

Having declared my dissatisfaction with this sharpener last night kzbin.infoUgkxDcr-y2Pf6xdnrFHrSP7dl9kpKaCozcSQ I thought about the problem some more. It occurred to me that I might be undoing each attempt at achieving a sharp edge by the repeated attempts. So, I tried to clean up the unsatisfactory result by honing with only positions 3 and 4.Miracle!! A really nicely sharpened chef's knife, more than enough to handle my needs. Admittedly, it did not reach professionally sharpened razor-fineness, but it is now significantly sharper than it was. A bout of breaking down carrots convinced me. So, major apologies to the manufacturer, Amazon, and all happy and potential owners! Follow the directions: don't buy it if you have ceramic blades; and don't overwork your knife blade.