How to Tune and Sharpen a New English Style Paring Knife // Adventures in Bookbinding

you are one of my patron saints, i hope you know that

[@DASBookbinding]

Thanks! That means a lot coming from you. Your work is amazing too.

[@erykfreethinker7147]

I learned a lot from this, about more than jusr sharoening my paring knife. With huge arthritis probs standing the way you do helped me sustain the action. I need to practice though. Thank you.

[@DASBookbinding]

Sorry about the arthritis. A machine may help you a lot. I don’t have much experience with these. But there are flat grinders which I think could be used for flattening backs. www.woodcraft.com/products/work-sharp-3000? And there are cheaper versions of Tormeks for hollow grinding. I also hold small blades with vice grips. This might help with holding blades. Hope you find a solution that works for you. Darryn

[@DavidHallam55]

Dont mind the music. Great video. Thnx for the link to Arthur Greens french knife sharpening video - very useful.

[@squeezy99]

Great video - thanks for posting

[@DavidHallam55]

The left handed knife is often modified to a flatter angle to use (by right handers) as a lifting knife on spines.

[@DASBookbinding]

Yes a right handed lifting knife is the geometry of a left handed paring knife. But I wouldn't recommend one of these paring knives as a lifting knife. Much too long a cutting surface even with the flatter angle. It can be used, just I think more likely to damage the spine. Lifting knives come in other geometries as well. All the best, DAS

[@lisajarvis3820]

Thank You ~ I really appreciate this!

[@ernestobarrera2927]

Thank you for this valuable info. I guess that from time to time the whole sandpaper cycle show be repeated to regain the sharpeness. If so, should the procedure include the 240 grit (used to flatten the back) or would it be enough using the 800/1200 grits?

[@DASBookbinding]

Once the back is flat it won't need much attention. And the bevel should only need the finest grit. Every so often I will use the very finest stone I have (extra-extra fine DMT diamond stone) on the back and extra-fine stone on the bevel. If you're using the emery/sandpaper method, just use the finest grit you have. That should work! DAS

[@ernestobarrera2927]

@@DASBookbinding Thank you!

[@tammy9288]

Is the stone you are pairing on covered with anything?

[@DASBookbinding]

No. These are hard to find and maybe best left for printers. A marble pastry board or thick sheet of glass works just as well.

[@ismailuser4588]

Thank you for these great videos. I have been following DAS Bookbinding for years as an amateur and greatly benefitted from them. I have just started to work in leather and obtained various scarp leather pieces. The problem is that these leather parts are quite soft and I have been failing over and over again trying to pare them. They tend to wrinkle, bend, stretch.. much to my frustration. Do I need to obtain hard (or stiff) leathers? All the videos I watched the leather to be pared seems quite stiff and stays put on the paring surface. A companion question is, is there a technique to pare soft leather? I would appreciate if shed some light on this issue. Thank you.

[@DASBookbinding]

No so much soft, but doesn't;t stretch. Leather that stretches, like sheep, is difficult to pare. It is worth getting some bookbinding leather for learning paring. Hewit's sell sample packs and Siegel leather has some very affordable leather. DAS

[@bbrachman]

Sharpening any of my blades/planes/knives is still iffy. I use a Sharpie to mark the section I am grinding to show me if my angle is correct. If I have one item that I will keep using, I try to make a specific jig for holding it at the proper angle. I have never been able to hold a knife at a consistent angle. Don't know why. I end up rounding the edge. Just me, I guess.

[@grimtt]

Not just you! Same here. 🙂 It’s worse when I try holding the blade with two hands but I’ve worked it out to wrap 4 fingers around the hilt and point thumb downward to use as a sort of jig to keep that same angle each stroke. Eventually I do get it sharp but feel like I prob waste more steel and sandpaper than normal! You might try altering your posture, sometimes the closer my face gets the more precise my work gets!

[@SilenEneliS]

Very helpful! Thank you very much for this. Could I ask, is there any possibility to resharpen right-handed paring knife into left-handed one? I got right-handed knife as a gift, and I'm unfortunately left-handed. I can work with right-handed if there's no choice, but I always wonder if one could, somehow, change it.

[@DASBookbinding]

Is it a super expensive one like a Jeff Peachey? If so you should contact Jeff and see if he'd do a deal on an exchange or something. Or you could resell it and buy the left-handed version. The high end knives will hold their value - might get 70% back on it. If it is George Bransley or like ($20 unsharpened) then keep it and it will be hand as a spine lifting knife (often a modified English paring knife for the other hand) or odd jobs you'll never think of now. Couple of issues with resharpening for the other hand. Theoretically it can be done but it involves removing a fair amount of steel, probably at least 0.5 inches. Some of the knives only the end is heat treated for hardness and thus there is a danger you will get back into the softer steel. It will involved a LOT of grinding and there is a danger the steel will get over heated in the process. There was another one, but I'm blanking on it. But I think keep it and you'll be surprised how often it comes in handy when you least expect it, and get a new left-handed knife. Good luck! Darryn

[@SilenEneliS]

@@DASBookbinding I don't think it's very high end - it certainly seems very nice to my untrained eye, though. I can use it with my right hand, albeit not as easily as with my left, so I'll most probably follow your advice and find other uses for it. Thank you very much for your patient and kind answer! Your channel is super useful as a resource by itself, and your willingness to answer questions and share your experience adds to it in a meaningful way.

[@grimtt]

Funny enough, I had the same thing happen, only I’m righthanded and got a lefty knife. It is CS Osborne so not super high end but good enough. Thanks to both of you, for asking and for answering!

[@nicoleellis8561]

What did you spray on your diamond stone - it looked a lot like window cleaner?

[@DASBookbinding]

Yep it is, it's a good lubricant for sharpening and has an addictive smell. All the best, DAS

[@nicoleellis8561]

@@DASBookbinding Thanks for the tip!

[@dexterdragons]

Dear DAS Bookbinding! I want to buy the sharpening whitewash. Which do you think is better? Or an opinion? Can I tell you what type of whitstone: King 1000/6000 japanese water-stone or Rite Edge sharpening stone CN212875 1000/6000? I hope I look forward to your reply!

[@DASBookbinding]

King stones are fine. I've got one I've had for years. Not that specific one.

[@dexterdragons]

@@DASBookbinding Not a good stone, right? Or tell me which type is best? I saw the video, diamond stones right? I do not know. And what kind of diamond stones? I’m a bookbinder too, but it’s just a hobby. :-) I'm sorry, I know I'm asking too many.

[@zimgeo]

I like the videos by Gilbert Saint-Jean if you care to watch.

[@DASBookbinding]

Very interesting! DAS

[@ianvarty8064]

Ian from the United Kingdom.

[@ianvarty8064]

Another great video thank you.

[@seemoore]

Thanks for not including the music. I find it very distracting.

[@DASBookbinding]

I love the music but I guess not everyone does, so I try and keep it to a minimum. Ciao, DAS

[@ianknight2053]

It looks more like wet and dry paper than Emery Cloth.

[@DASBookbinding]

Same thing I believe. DAS

[@ianknight2053]

@@DASBookbinding Not really. Emery Cloth has Emery glued to a cloth backing. Wet and Dry Paper is a waterproof paper with an abrasive coating.

[@gbsthlm6174]

You forgot/hide the "bastard" at the right corner ? That knife is the real english shoe/leather knife

[@DASBookbinding]

Did my cobblers knife get in shot? When I first started I used this all the time for board cutting. DAS

[@gbsthlm6174]

@@DASBookbinding The first half minute in the upper right corner. Well hidden from the fancy family photo , ony used for hard work and later showed to the corner of shame or into darkness in the drawer , no love no care. This knife deserves an own episode of the "Hall of knives" series