LIDL Parkside Sharpening Stone - Is it any Good?

[@Scott-lt9dr]

Hi, as a joiner for 35 years, who sharpens all sorts of edges, can i say that listening to the grit of that stone, it only needs to be used on a really blunt or damaged blade, if you're already up to or very close to apex use a much finer stone. You don't necessarily need to make a burr, look at the edge as you go and try to remove the line of light all along the edge, concentrate on the areas that need work, then go to the strop, i find green polish plenty good enough, and strop gently and carefully. I was taught to sharpen pushing the blade on the stone and obviously the other way around for stropping, and have never seen a single tradesman do it any other way. At the end of the day it depends on what you need your tool to achieve, you can still make a blade sharp off of that grit for everyday use, but a well honed cutting edge is a joy to use, stays in shape longer, and often just a quick strop brings it back. Best advice, observe the edge before, and as you work it. Thanks.

[@MB_EDC]

@@Scott-lt9dr Thanks for all of those tips. I'm still learning and keen to improve.

[@b1on1001]

Thanks for your Review.

[@MB_EDC]

My pleasure. Thanks for your feedback😁

[@stevengordon3407]

Might have to grab myself one of those! Thanks

[@MB_EDC]

Go soon, being LIDL they sell out quick

[@ericstarr9399]

I really like your idea of a sharping test knife! Don't want to mess up your good ones! Seems like a nice stone!

[@MB_EDC]

Thanks Eric. It's not bad for a cheap one. I have used that knife to practice my technique as well. Out of interest do you favour pulling out pushing the knife when sharpening?

[@ericstarr9399]

@@MB_EDC I would say pushing

[@MB_EDC]

That has been my preference. I'll check out s free of the"expert" sharpeners on YT...

[@kvppvk]

Yes, I have one. The stones are labelled in reverse. The green side is 1000, and the white 6000. You will see the surface difference with the naked on close inspection.

[@MB_EDC]

Really! That makes sense. I have only used it twice and thought the white side seemed smoother...

[@zsoltdr.zsombori8541]

@@kvppvk unfortunately, no bro. No 6000 grit whetstone in this stone. Really no. The white side is max 1000. A 6000 grit is like q marble. Very smooth surface. I have one, so I know.

[@MB_EDC]

So possibly the green is 600?

[@zsoltdr.zsombori8541]

@@MB_EDC Maybe. But I found it almost useless. Still the 1000 white side is ok. It sharpened 4 knives easily and quite well. So I think this set worth the price. If you want an even more sharpened knife you need to buy a real 5-6000 grit stone.

[@MB_EDC]

@zsoltdr.zsombori8541 I Strop afterwards. That makes it more sharp. In fact I Strop more than I sharpen

[@SeanT_1967]

Fantastic video….!!!! Managed to pick one of these stones up at the weekend, although I’m yet to use it….! Definitely well worth getting at the price and from what I’ve seen here… looks like it’ll do the job…!!! I’m also someone who finds sharpening therapeutic..😀 Once you get a decent edge on the stones… a regular strop should be enough to maintain a working edge.. My advice with freehand sharpening…. Go slowly and keep checking the edge… Looks like you nailed it..! Enjoyed this one….thanks mate..🔥🔥🔥🔥😎👊🏻

[@MB_EDC]

@@SeanT_1967 Thanks Sean great advice. I need to do another video on stropping and Smurf poo - which seems to work very well

[@van-gabondramblinrose6398]

I have two of these. One I bought some time ago and one the other day. I don't buy expensive knives, £50 max. as they get abused in the field anyway and they're cheap to replace. I find these stones perfectly good for that kind of knife, I wouldn't know about hand made £500 bushcraft blades, because I will never buy them.

[@MB_EDC]

That is my thinking too. They definitely can sharpen the cheaper steels.

[@2logj]

Super useful.i bought it for sharpening chisels

[@MB_EDC]

It should be perfect for that!

[@markbeddis943]

Ive been playing with sharpening for 2 years and looking at outdoor 55 i finally managed hair popping sharp - but not with these types of stone !!

[@MB_EDC]

I agree. He is the master sharpener! TBH I am not looking for hair popping sharpness - that will not be durable and require more maintenance on there cheaper steels that I have. I think this stone will be sufficient for the level off sharpness I generally need...

[@janvanoverdijk8116]

Hey hey, leuke video ... dank voor het delen ... ik ga a.s.a.p. naar de Lidl om een steen te kopen !! grtz. Janneman uit Nederland

[@MB_EDC]

@@janvanoverdijk8116 Dank je wel. Ik hoop dat je het mooi vindt.

[@Allan8080]

Din video er FULDSTÆNDIG FANTASTISK ❤

[@MB_EDC]

Thank you so much! - mange tak!

[@zoltanvitzli6788]

Yes! The green side is coarse, and white side is fine...

[@MB_EDC]

@@zoltanvitzli6788 I'll go back and check. Apologies I assumed it was as labelled...

[@AlexeyFrost]

I just got one of those, based on my previous experience with sharpening stones, I'd say it's not even close to 6000 non of the sides. It feels more like 600/1000 grit.

[@MB_EDC]

@@AlexeyFrost Great point. That may be the typo... 6000 instead of the 600 it should be. I have just recorded another video discussing the green being a lower grit testing than the white. It still works OK.... Watch out for the bamboo beware going mouldy too!!

[@davidjensen4796]

I think that is excellent for the money and I'm pretty sure with Lidl's That Will Be on the money with the Grit they usually pretty good especially with it being Parkside all the stuff I've had a Lidl's has always been decent for the money Maldon decent

[@MB_EDC]

I think that these are maybe less durable than more expensive stones, but they seem to work very well and are ideal for a beginner like myself

[@erics745]

@@davidjensen4796 they're cheap chinese stones anyway....

[@MB_EDC]

Maybe. They work OK for the knives I have....

[@catfishBG]

I have the previous Parkside sharpening stone - blue and white are the colors and it is also written with the wrong grits. Interesting why this keeps happening ? This this aside, the stone is very good , with true grits, and it is not soft like other ones and has good feedback! Maybe MB-EDC should make a new video with using first the green side and after that the white side :)

[@MB_EDC]

I think I will have to now🤣

[@catfishBG]

It seems to me that they have misnamed the grits- the green one seem rougher and the white one is 6000 !

[@mikynetwork]

Allora non è solo una mia impressione?

[@MB_EDC]

I'm working away at the moment. I'll check it when I get home..

[@MyMika2004]

Thats exactly why i ended up on this video!

[@MB_EDC]

@@MyMika2004 You have one yourself?

[@hellios44]

@@MB_EDC No need, you can hear the green side is rougher. Its a misprint.

[@JohnColgan.]

I prefer to sharpen blade by drawing the blade backwards than you're not scraping away stone surface. Pushing forward you're probably breaking off any burr.

[@MB_EDC]

@@JohnColgan. It's interesting I have had a few comments on that. I tend to push to sharpen and pull to strop. I think the risk of damaging the stone is minimised if you maintain the angle of the blade and keep the pressure light. I'm still a beginner so I'll try pulling the blade to sharpen see if I get a more detectable bead.

[@tomasmolnar2890]

that 6000 sounds more like 600 grit to me. I own a 5000 ceramic whetstone and it leaves nearly a mirror finish on the edge and in use its almost silent.

[@MB_EDC]

@@tomasmolnar2890 It's not ceramic. But I am not able to measure the grit rating. It did sharpen OK though.

[@Pjotr1982]

I have this stone and it is probably 400/1000 (green/white).

[@MB_EDC]

@Pjotr1982 Interesting. I need to have another look at this at the weekend.

[@KS-zj2rq]

lidl also do the 400/800 grit, curious which one is the better choice

[@MB_EDC]

I missed that - but would buy it if I see one. I do have the diamond sanding block from Lidl ( also Parkside ) which is 200, 300, 400 and 600 grit and looks a bit like a cheese grater

[@SolarCookingGermany]

Don't throw away the angle guide, it has 4 ceramic rods on it, you could use them as pocket sharpener 😃

[@MB_EDC]

Thanks I'll try that...I am the world's worst for actually throwing stuff away - it was for dramatic effect on the video 🤣

[@spamhead]

An interesting video. One thing I would say is, make sure the stone is secure. Maybe a couple of screws in your nice bench!🤣 Then always sharpen away from yourself, not only for safety, but also to get more pressure on the edge if necessary. When buying a sharpening stone it’s normally obvious if it’s for oil or water. Oil stones are often pre-soaked. If you put a drop of water on, and it soaks in, then water is probably ok. If it beads off, it’s for oil. I was taught by a time served Master wood carver, always sharpen in to the blade, i.e. push. Even then you need to strop to get a good long lasting edge. He also said, “if the blade is on a tool is naturally shiny, it’ll never hold an edge”. Seems to apply to a lot of hand tools these days, which seem to be predominantly stainless.

[@stevenmardon4796]

Hi guys... I've always used plenty of oil on my whetstone. The idea being to obviously lubricate (yes lubricate) but also to lift those teeny tiny particles from the whetstone and blade. Which you can see in the clean oil.I have a fairly quick drip feed of oil for my sharpening set up. It's mucky but very good results. Reuse the oil after filtering through a good paper filter... Takes ages! Latex gloves and a constant angle... Experiment with that for best results too. I was quite surprised when I saw the Lidl stones said to use water! Presumably the water will wash away those particles? But the water that gets into a folder shouldn't be left there. I'm sticking with oil. I've not used the parkside stones yet but I soak them in oil before first use anyway. Definitely have your stone well fixed down without protrusions that will get your fingers or rip the gloves. Happy sharpening everyone.

[@stevenmardon4796]

Forgot to say I try and have only carbon steel because they seem to get a bit sharper and I reckon it lasts longer.

[@MB_EDC]

Cheers for the tips

[@MB_EDC]

True about the carbon steel... But they take more looking after than inox

[@bigoldgrizzly]

@@MB_EDC Some might call me a heathen, but I am happy letting my carbon steel kitchen knives 'self colour' Having a shine does not add to sharpness. I very much prefer plain old carbon steel - a better edge than stainless in my opinion. Vintage Sabatier are ideal for kitchen use and can often be had very cheaply at car boot sales as they don't appear as 'pretty' as stainless

[@meyyappanlakshmanan5169]

1000/6000 - how long should I keep doing in one session. Should I 50 times or 200 times for 8 inch German kitchen knife

[@MB_EDC]

@@meyyappanlakshmanan5169 I’m not an expert - but I can tell you what I do. Start on the green stone and give it 20-30 strokes on one side of the knife and feel for a small burr on the edge of the blade. Then do the same in the other side. Then repeat on the white stone. It will depend on how dull your knife is. Check out @OUTDOOR55 he is an expert sharpener.

[@zsoltdr.zsombori8541]

According to my experience, the white side of the stone is good for sharpening and it is probably 1000 grit or around. The green side is a garbage. Besides definitely not 6000. Maybe 600. And the green side is too soft. To quickly sharpen not-expensive kitchen knives the white side is definitely ok. I do not recommend the using of the angle guide. It is only good to check if the sharpening angle is ok.

[@MB_EDC]

Agreed. The angle guide is not great..I do use the green side. It's oK if you soak it in water first..

[@elanrhys3178]

Running off to Lidl 🏃

[@stevec5586]

Me too! 😄

[@MB_EDC]

Good luck. They may not be around for long. If not they may be on eBay.

[@MB_EDC]

👍

[@JohnColgan.]

What are the dimensions ofbthe stone? Length and width?

[@MB_EDC]

@@JohnColgan. It's 210 X 90mm (8.3 X 3.5 inches)

[@JohnColgan.]

@@MB_EDC good size, its on my shopping list

[@MB_EDC]

@JohnColgan. Good luck finding it. Some people have said it's out of stock already in some Lidl stores. It may be available elsewhere.

[@JohnColgan.]

@@MB_EDC you've caused a national sales rush 😆

[@MB_EDC]

@@JohnColgan. Haha. Like Nigella Lawson caused a shortage of capers one Christmas...I wish🤣

[@SolarCookingGermany]

Careful with that sharpening stone, someone on KZbin found mold in the bamboo holder and when I looked today I noticed the same. Don't put it away when still wet with the stone inserted.

[@MB_EDC]

Haha! It might have been me saying about the mould. I did a follow up video after this one....

[@SolarCookingGermany]

@@MB_EDC Thanks, I couldn't remember where I saw it 😃 I bet this is a common problem.

[@MB_EDC]

@SolarCookingGermany I think so... Some concentrated disinfectant fixed it.

[@peetsnort]

I always take one on holiday for self-catering accommodation. If I lose it no worries. But it gives hours of pleasure fixing the crap knives usually supplied.

[@MB_EDC]

Haha! I did the same using my Victorinox Dual Knife Sharpener as it's very portable. You can see a couple of reviews of it in my Sharpening playlist

[@SlipjointSawyer]

Great job mark! Try drawing the blade the other way, that's how I do it 🙏🏻

[@MB_EDC]

@@SlipjointSawyer Thanks Slippy! This has been one of the most common comments. I have always been pushing to sharpen and pulling to strop. Still learning so I'll try pulling for both.

[@SlipjointSawyer]

@@MB_EDC both work fine, but I find drawing the other way gives a better edge and that bead you're after. You beat me to a video on this as well 😂

[@MB_EDC]

@@SlipjointSawyer HaHa! It's normally you or TK that review a SAK ahead of me. I'm sure you'll have a different take on it. I look forward to seeing your review.

[@SlipjointSawyer]

@@MB_EDC thanks Mark! 🙏🏻

[@kvppvk]

The sides of the stone have been reverse labelled by the manufacturers. This is a well known issue with this product.

[@MB_EDC]

@@kvppvk thanks for the confirmation.

[@emirbjelak4482]

Is that true man? I have this stone and i have felt it myself. I was like no way they labelled it wrong... White side feels so much finer. But the green one creates some kind of flurry when using the stone, which made me think thats what makes it 6000 grit..... Not sure

[@MB_EDC]

I get what you mean about the slurry that you get when using the green side. The white side sounds quieter than the green, which is an indication to me that it is a finer grit. But I am not an expert. Just an average guy trying these products out...

[@emirbjelak4482]

@@MB_EDC So am I, my friend. Sharpening a knife is a skill i don't possess . Anyways, you have a interesting videos. Keep up

[@MB_EDC]

Thank you!

[@MITRotorcraft]

Good video. You would get a sharper edge if you stropped the burr. 👍

[@MB_EDC]

Thanks. I agree about the stropping. I have a video on stropping. Coming out soon.

[@gadgetgus]

Hey Mark 👊🏼 That mould may help with the new 'MPox' outbreak!? 😉 I first went to Lidl 25 years ago in Edgware, and you only ever saw Eastern Europeans shopping there. I was with a good Polish woman who introduced me to Lidl. The tool section is always of interest to me. Some are very good value and worth purchasing... Thanks for sharing, ATB Gus 👍🏻

[@1lupus]

Your technique is close on the shorter straight blade, you need to work on the curved knife to cover the full edge. But, you need to start on a much coarser grit than 1000 to initially establish your bevel, you will know when you get a full length "Burr", while you are learning a sharpie marker is your best friend, and you can throw those angle guides in the big round filing cabinet. After you have got the basics down that 600 grit looks like a nice support for a Nagura stone slurry. Just remember that in a few years you will get to the point where smoothly slicing phone book paper is the starting point, not the end. If you decide to pursue sharpening there are a few people that can help with technique, one jumping off point is the youtube channel Bufffection. Realise going in, that sharpening can take decades to learn, and can prove very expensive. If you use paper slicing as a test take a few seconds to watch the first part of this video, warning addictive content ahead. kzbin.info/www/bejne/r3alXqaQdphje7s

[@MB_EDC]

Thanks for taking the time to comment. That makes a lot of sense. I have progressed over the last year and nagging videos as I learn more. I'll look out for a coarser stone to start on. A lot of my knife use is light and I can often bring the edge back just by stropping .

[@colindipper4742]

Yes try finishing it on the white side - or how about buying a quality steel knife instead and save a lot of time sharpening. Also buy a proper wet stone and save £6

[@MB_EDC]

I am still a beginner sharpener - so welcome all constructive comments. I mainly have Victroinox and a few D2 or 12C27 knives.

[@erics745]

Kit not available in continental Europe....as far as I know...

[@MB_EDC]

@@erics745 Thanks for confirming this.

[@jorgliedtke38]

Derzeit in Deutschland im Angebot.

[@sandyegun3780]

I bought one in Romania!

[@MB_EDC]

@sandyegun3780 Wow! Thanks for commenting. Do you live there or visiting?

[@jorgliedtke38]

@@MB_EDC I was born here; thanks for the tip with the exchanged print.

[@The-ZeeS]

You need to flip the knife

[@The-ZeeS]

Or buy a proper sharpener e.g. Worksharp

[@MB_EDC]

Do you mean to PULL the blade across the stone rather than PUSH?

[@The-ZeeS]

@@MB_EDC yes, there is a lots of tutorials on the KZbin 👍

[@MB_EDC]

@@The-ZeeS Thanks. I have watched a lot of those and the advice sends to vary between pull and push sharpening....

[@nopixelbestbits9034]

Been using mine dry as only just realised it’s a wet stone oops

[@MB_EDC]

No worries - you will find it less dusty if its been soaked...

[@nopixelbestbits9034]

@@MB_EDC thank u

[@MB_EDC]

@nopixelbestbits9034 👍

[@Gianni-49]

Vi state rivolgendo ad un pubblico Italiano!!! Almeno mettete i sottotitoli!!! Una idea di quanto costano??? Grazie 🙏🤜

[@MB_EDC]

Mi dispiace ma non so come mettere i sottotitoli... Mi pare che costi 9,99 euro e un altro commentatore ha detto che era disponibile in Italia...I'm sorry but I don't know how to put subtitle on... It costs 9.99 euros I believe and another commenter said it was available in Italy...

[@Gianni-49]

Grazie per la Tua risposta! Dovrei rinfrescare un po’ il mio scarso Inglese. I will try 🙏🖐

[@MB_EDC]

Grazie mille! I am sure that your english is better than my Italian!!! 😂😂

[@psyfreaky5857]

Actually not worth the money these days. It is common cheap chinese stone, it works but you still need 400 grid stone. These days you can get a diamond stone for a great price which will do much better job than this.

[@MB_EDC]

These seem to work OK for basic steels which I prefer. I don't have any of the super steels liker Magnacut that need diamond sharpening stones.

[@psyfreaky5857]

I also have this kind of stone for a long time but I don't use it much. My knifes are cheap, nothing special. The diamond stone is much easier to use and I am much faster with sharpening.

[@MB_EDC]

@@psyfreaky5857 I am trying to strop more often and sharpen less. Especially if my Knife has had light use.

[@Ludo_A]

WRONG side ... Jeez

[@MB_EDC]

Do you mean the writing or the way I sharpen?

[@Ludo_A]

@@MB_EDC The way you sharpen; you are pulling/pushing the knife the wrong way.

[@MB_EDC]

@Ludo_A OK. Thanks. I will try the other way. So far I have been pushing the blade to sharpen and pulling to strop

[@PhilbyFavourites]

Over 15 minutes to say it’s good or it’s bad…… Thank god for KZbin double speed and captions… You’re being rather naughty dragging it out that long…..

[@VolkerHett]

You missed the free sharpening technique course ;D

[@MB_EDC]

@@PhilbyFavourites I get your point. I wanted to be honest about my sharpening process. No cheating - you could see what I was doing and how long I took for each step. I have been accused of cheating before - so I left in the whole process (I didn't make you watch the stone soaking 🤣). Apart from the time it was OK?

[@MB_EDC]

@@VolkerHett Did you find it useful? I am still learning myself...

[@VolkerHett]

@@MB_EDC Yes! I'm at your level in hand sharpening and still watch every video I find.

[@MB_EDC]

@@VolkerHett Great I learn a lot from the comments on my videos too. But it's mainly practice and getting the biomechanical programming and muscle memory into my hands...

[@jameshenderson5385]

You are sharpening the knife the wrong way lol.

[@MB_EDC]

Haha! A few people have said this. I will try pulling instead of pushing (edge first). I tried a poll on my community page and it came out 50/50 pull Vs push. I tend to push to sharpen and pull to strop

[@Mark--Todd]

@@MB_EDC Imo edge leading creates less burr so it stresses the edge less when it's removed.

[@MB_EDC]

@Mark--Todd OK thanks. I will try it...

[@GiGaSzS]

We had these stones in Lidl last week. They are typical chinese stones, I would not use them on anything valuable, but for cheap knifes and outside tools like an axe, they are ok. If I compare them to proper japanese stones e.g. King, these are much harder and do not make a "paste", when sharpening. These cheap stones work more like a file and 6000 grit does not polish the metal to a gloss. Also, your technique is wrong, you should sharpen against the knife edge, because the way you do it, you are chipping away a knife (especially on these cheap stones). If you would do this technique on quality stone, you would be cutting away the stone and make many bumps in it.

[@MB_EDC]

OK. Thanks for your comment.

[@psyfreaky5857]

What's wrong about the technique direction? He is sharpening against the edge (pushing). Yes, some people do it opposite way (pulling), but that is probably less preferred.

[@MB_EDC]

@psyfreaky5857 I push when sharpening and pull when stropping

[@psyfreaky5857]

@@MB_EDC That's correct. I'd rather just sharpen whole edge in one pass but who cares if it's sharp. Also, you can sharpen in both directions and not to lift the knife for another pass. Just push harder when you go forth and less when you go back. Much more effective.

[@GiGaSzS]

@@psyfreaky5857 As I mentioned, you are chipping away the stone and knife if pushing. Also, when I was in Japan, sharpening masters all pulled the knife, never pushed. They also sharpened at extremely low angles, the knife was almost flush with the stone, I would say 10°.

[@TBEDC]

I mostly use Norton stones..and Arkansas stones but I’ve become a stone snob 😂 hey whatever works, works! Great video!

[@MB_EDC]

I see this more as a beginner's stone.

[@davidjensen4796]

I think that is excellent for the money and I'm pretty sure with Lidl's That Will Be on the money with the Grit they usually pretty good especially with it being Parkside all the stuff I've had a Lidl's has always been decent for the money Maldon decent

[@MB_EDC]

I found it worked really well..