You're Sharpening Your Knives Wrong - How To Make Any Knife 1000x Better

[@OUTDOORS55]

See description for sharpening stuff I recommend, and what I use for the close up images. Thanks for watching!

[@diji5071]

Thanks again

[@Owieczkin]

Hate comment warning! Your black table is wobbly. Sharpening on it is maddening for sure

[@lukearts2954]

That visualisation of the effect of scratches with the wood was genius! It really demonstrates the concept. (although I'm sure you'll find some commenters bring up the fibers of the wood or whatever, which is b.s. because on that small scale the metal does indeed behave exactly like you demonstrated with the wood) I think the scratch direction is a kill-all argument against pull-through sharpeners... (though the damage caused by the scraping along ridges, rips and cracks, and the bad shape of the burr, too thick and wide, leaves some doubts for the nitty gritty nerds like me... Still would like to see you test those other 2 types of pull-through sharpeners that don't use ridges. I want to see you destroy them, and I'm not being sarcastic here. I want to have solid arguments against them.)

[@joshmajor8662]

Crappy??…… O you mean SHITTY!!! Lol gotcha 👍

[@Antimatter.]

Awesome vid , I ruined a few knives back in the day with pull through sharpeners , Do you mind sharing the scope your using to get those edge pics please , the look very crisp , Thanks

[@MrMarsBlades]

I had no idea it would make so much difference, seeing it under the microscope and seeing the evidence makes so much sense. I've watched almost all of your sharpening vids over these last few years and I think this is the vid that elevates you into the elite level of knife sharpening authority. Cheers

[@lemonsniffs]

Just if you were wondering, he has a camera lens for the close up :) It's really cool that you actually don't need a microscope for those kinds of closups, it would also be very unpractical (how do you make good pictures of that, how thick can a knife be, focal points, etc.). On the other hand some lenses are fairly expensive and you also need a camera body, so yeah. Check his description for the details, actually thinking about getting one of the lenses one day.

[@BloodSprite-tan]

​@@lemonsniffs you can get similar results with a different setup that is much cheaper. I use a sony a6000 with a nikkor 50mm lens or a 28mm nikkor, and a reverse mount adapter. simply putting the lens on backwards, adding an extension tube and you're easily able to do macro photography, it doesn't have to be expensive, used camera used lens, cheap adapter and extension tubes. I chose a mirrorless camera for the digital view finder, which make manually focusing super easy since you just zoom in with the eye piece and then manually focus by moving forward or backwards. please don't be discouraged by price. feel free to google around and find something that suits your budget. if you wanted a different option louis rossman has a couple microscopes that are decently priced link on his electronic repair videos which are way cheaper if you simply want to look at knife edges.

[@HamBone86]

Facts!

[@HamBone86]

@@lemonsniffsI’m scared to even look at the price of that lense😅

[@lemonsniffs]

@@HamBone86 I can actually get it for only 350$ which is kinda cheap for lens standards :) But it's also just for one purpose

[@keys511]

This is the best commercial for a $1 knife I've ever seen. I want one!

[@VT-mw2zb]

Well, it's a commercial for all the sharpening stones, the diamond stropping compounds, and for learning how to sharpen and strop properly.

[@mondavou9408]

Usually my favorite part of all your videos is the microscopic shots but I really like the wood scratch pattern prop in this one. Really brought the concept home.

[@Judgement_Kazzy]

This is a great illustration of what knife makers and metallurgists have been saying forever. When it comes to cutting performance, geometry is far more important than the steel itself. Even if it's cheapo mystery steel like this, a thin blade with a proper edge can cut like a champion. Likewise, high-performance super steels won't really shine if they're made with a mediocre grind.

[@OUTDOORS55]

Geometry is king, steel, and heat treat are secondary.👍

[@pal6636]

Also this makes total sense if you think about it logically . A knife cuts because the pressure on the object is so great it will separate it by breaking the bonds between the molecules. That pressure is just simple math ...its the weight/force over its surface area, which is PSI . The more you reduce the denominator, the bottom number which is the surface area of the knife , the more it goes up . Im guessing thats got a lot to do with sharpess . If you think about it even things like burrs increase surface area .

[@rockets4kids]

And when you learn how to use a micro-bevel, you can take this to a whole new level, not to mention making sharpening a whole lot faster and easier.

[@martyhog01]

I have heard this 100 times... geometry cuts.

[@greekveteran2715]

Bevel Geometries, Heat treatment, handle, even sheath, are all far more important factors, than steel itself. Steel is the last. What marketing and all the brainwashing people get, everyday from KZbin,internet etc, have made people believe, that steel is the most important thing and even worse, they don't care about geometries either, they go the thicker the better, which is also 100% wrong. Collectors but mostly KZbinrs, have done a lot of damage, on the most important tool, of our every day need for survival... the knife. PS I sharpen knives for living, since the 90s when I also got my degree in Chemistry/Metallurgy.

[@weevilinabox]

It's time for a collab with Project Farm, where you sharpen blades and Todd builds a contraption to life-test them.

[@aretoodetoo]

I love the demonstration, with the wood block, of how the angle of the scratch pattern affects the strength of the apex. Excellent video.

[@michaelcolloton6971]

I've had a few pull-through sharpeners over the years. I was never happy with the edge I got. Now I know shy. Thank you, sir.

[@zemad2]

Don't be shy ! ;)

[@alexna6129]

Ye, listen ppl. Do not be shy.

[@summerforever6736]

Dont be shy!!

[@MrMnmn911]

I know shy too. 😂

[@HitlerlandBoi]

Jack Nicholson - the Shyning

[@TomMalufe]

I tell you where that $1 knife is going to fail you. Right where the blade connects to the handle. I've hand one of those knives break in half while cutting potatoes.

[@paulyoshida1747]

Sir, this has to be one of my favorite knife related video I've seen in a very long time. You're actually demonstrating what knife nerds such as myself have been saying for decades. Stop using the pull through sharpeners! If I had to choose between a cheap knife+proper sharpening system or expensive knife+pull through system, I'm choosing the former every time. I tend to think that people used to value hand sharpening. Whether tools or knives, they had to be sharpened by a skilled hand. Today, we don't have the patience for learning such tedious skills, and no one knows where to go to find such a person. Anyway...thank you for this clear demonstration of something we all should have already known. Now, if we could get people to stop using stupid cutting boards which dull the knife much more quickly(glass, hard composite, bamboo, plastic...)...

[@cass2771]

Can I ask your recommendation for cutting boards? I’m imagining ‘stick with wood’?

[@Dave.O]

Is bamboo a harder surface than wood? If also enjoy a proper explanation of the pros and cons of different cutting board materials.

[@paulyoshida1747]

@@Dave.O From what little I've read, bamboo is a very hard material containing silica, which is, I believe, quartz. I can tell you from experience, it dulls knives more quickly than say, teak, and if you're using a Japanese style knife with a thin edge and high hardness(say vg-10, for example), it will develop micro chips more quickly. Of course, it all depends on your type of knife, steel, heat treatment, edge geometry, and use. If you have been using a bamboo cutting board, and it doesn't bother you, then I would say, don't worry about it. However, I was not happy with how fast my knives were getting dull, and the micro chipping. So, I did a little research, and what I found out backed up what I was experiencing.

[@The-Mr-Sz]

Hard wood (oak, hornbeam) "end grain" board is the best option. Can be flat grain, it will scratch easier. Eventually rubber board like Hasegawa. Don't use bamboo, it dulls knives.

[@GTrainRx7]

This is what we need. "Screw you" to the comments, followed by a demonstration, AND the REASON behind why it is so. Subbed.

[@iamgroot4080]

I have a pull-through sharpener and my wife left me. So be careful with them

[@albertosara416]

that montage at the end sharpening the knife and testing it was *chef's kiss*

[@thiago.assumpcao]

Great video Alex. While I was already expecting a huge difference I had no idea a 51 HRC knife could last for so long cutting wood. I always say a bad knife well sharpened cuts better than a good knife poorly conditioned. Many people are willing to spend hundreds on good knives and don't bother to learn how to sharpen. That makes no sense.

[@Hungrybird474]

I was over a friends the other day and he had one of the pull throughs screwed to his garage bench . Later that week I gave him my old fixed angle and a few diamond stones since a better one is coming . It was worth it to watch the guys sharpen their knives with a little coaching . They have been converted 👍

[@Greg_Chock]

Preach!

[@Sirfixalot1969]

All that efort! BUT you have shown me the right way to sharpen a knife. Thank you so much. This video literally changed my beliefs, and you proved it. Thank you so much.

[@BornIn1500]

The quality of this video is outstanding. You always have very informative vids. Thanks for another one.

[@OUTDOORS55]

Thank you I appreciate the kind words 🙏👍👊

[@sebastianp4023]

You Really took one for the team! This must have been Exhausting! Two thumbs up and great visualizations as well!

[@johncorso9701]

Quite possibly your best video to date. Informative and inspiring.

[@OUTDOORS55]

Thanks! And thank you for watching I really appreciate it🙏👊

[@fe1662]

Great video. I think the only point missing is the close up picture of the apex after it has been through 35 minutes of wood cutting. It would be really cool to see that as well.

[@dirkvader6096]

That was a great way to prove your point beyond any doubt! I've been saying for years that the sharpener matters more than the knife and this really drives the point home. I had not expected the $1 knife to perform *that* well and now I have even more respect for proper sharpening. It also shows how good all modern steels are. Even the cheap stuff is really really good compared to anything from 100 years ago. It would be interesting to see how low quality the steel can get before material defects actually start to make a difference.

[@th3b0yg]

"..drives the point home." I see what you did there.

[@jiahaotan696]

I had not expected the $1 knife to perform that well too. The only thing that remains is - how much longer can a $100 knife last before it gets dull?

[@royburris4126]

I usually dont say much on your vids but this is about the best on sharpening ive ever seen on youtube I been a follower of yours sense you had just a can full of oil for heat treat and a little oven for tempering damn nice vid

[@OUTDOORS55]

I still have both! Thanks for the support, I really do appreciate it 🙏

[@iSharpen]

Alex, this video remains by far the most influential video in my sharpening career. It has totally changed everything I understand about what knife sharpness is all about. I've posted it on my channel's community tab and constantly refer people to it and educate my customers with it. My most favourite moments are when a customer apologises to me for bring me their "poor quality" knives and wonder if they're even worth sharpening. I just watched it again for the umpteenth time and it still shocks me.

[@7784000]

Always happy to see new videos coming. And man, those macro shots are insane

[@OUTDOORS55]

Thanks I appreciated it! They could be better but for comparison purposes and time I can't spend all day taking hundreds of photos and stacking them for one photo that takes all day😂 I appreciate it though! Thanks 🙏

[@thefeatheredfrontiersman8135]

You and I have come a long way in our free handed sharpening skills. Since I've been sharpening two knives every working day, I've learned that it's not the price. It's the experience. As with many of these free handed skills ( flintnapping, tattooing, fletching, pioneering, and many others) It is practice and experience about all else.

[@tomaspuodziukynas5361]

Finally! Somebody explained straight forward why I always have dull knifes at home!

[@AluminumHaste]

I'm ashamed to say that I used to use a pull through sharpener on my Shun Ken Onion 8" chef's knife back in the day. The edge was always just Meh, no matter how careful I was or thorough I was. Now I know why. The 11$ lanskey sharpening system he featured a few years ago has been serving me well for the last few years.

[@pengovan]

You'd see people on KZbin with $500 worth of sharpening setup, but in reality, you can achieve excellent results with pretty cheap tools. There is a great selection of sharpening tools under $20

[@isodoublet]

@@pengovan " but in reality, you can achieve excellent results with pretty cheap tools. " As always, if you have the knowledge you can extract good results from subpar equipment. Someone off the street, however, won't.

[@ianbaker4295]

@@pengovanNot to mention how long it takes for them to sharpen a single knife with their expensive setup, especially if they have a fixed angle system with a ton of stones, lapping strips, strops, etc. Give me one of those coarse grey oilstones, dish soap or oil, a belt, and 2 minutes. Want an Instagram edge? Sure, let me get my work sharp 1x18 with extremely stiff aftermarket belts and give me 10 minutes, and no, it won't be convexed unless you want it to be. I have nothing against manual fixed-angle systems. I am extremely impressed by the cheap ones. But man, are people pushing extremely expensive ones as if it’s the only reasonable option.

[@pengovan]

@@ianbaker4295 indeed! I can sharpen almost any knife with Fallkniven DC4 in 5-10 minutes. There is no perfect bevel angle or mirror polish, but let's be realistic. You don't need it for daily use.

[@you2uber530]

but I'm little confused. so there is no point spending any money on a decent knife? i mean the dollar knife showed suffice performance for any home cook and probably most professional chefs...

[@vgamedude12]

There is an artistry to more expensive knives but it does seem like it's for the most part massive diminishing returns . Surely also differences maybe in corrosion resistance, handle material and ergonomics. But these seem pretty minor for the average home cook

[@aaronmeehan8161]

Personally I'm still happy pay quite a lot of money for a knife that handles the way I want it to. I want my knife to make me happy when i pick it up. But point taken that most home cooks would be just fine with soft steel.

[@TheHighpotinuse]

Thank you for the gem regarding the direction of scratch pattern and edge retention. Your demonstration breaking the bits of wood off the simulated edge really drove that point home.

[@gernhartreinholzen3992]

10:24 Everyone who bought expensive knives regretting their purchase now. What? A dollar store knife can do better than my $289,99 super sharp™ Hattori Hanzō chefs kitchen knife?

[@isodoublet]

Now count the price of the sharpening equipment and training

[@robschneider5495]

as a "knife guy" i always like to preach that its not the quality of the steel that makes a difference of how well your knife willl glide thru material. not at all. that only determines things like edge retention, corrosion resistance, ease of sharpening ect.. doesnt matter if its magnacut, M390, or 440c. theres only 3 factors at play when it comes to how well your knife will cut thru things. Blade geometry. The angle of your bevel. And just like you proved in this video, how much care and attention you put into sharpening. Thats it lol. Whoever said its a bad idea to use a cheap knife on expensive stones has no idea what the fuck theyre talking about lmao. Great video. youre doin the lords work.

[@paullmight42]

That knife has a curved surface.....for the idjits in the back...THAT MEANS THE KNIFE IS CURVED....hahaha

[@fuaad.c]

No matter what you do and how much you know there's always "experts" that will tell you you wrong

[@Ve-suvius]

Yes. Opinions vary immensely. Cliff Stamp("The" Cliff Stamp) wasn't a fan of edge trailing sharpening. Other experts swear by it. Do what works for you is my thought.

[@jdisdetermined]

Cliff was also a huge proponent of microbevels.. where other, very experienced sharpeners, can’t stand them..

[@Ve-suvius]

@@jdisdetermined Yeah Cliff headbutted with a lot of people on Bladeforums. The he had his own forum, where people were more 'free' to express their opinion. But as always on all kinds of forums, there was also the tendency to agree with Cliff, as he was a bit of worshipped there. I think personally many times these are preferences. Some things are facts ofcourse. Some like the zero scandi grind, others the microbevel, others the convex edge etc. The microscopic pics don't lie what works regarding sharpening. I have seen good edges with the diamond on a microscopic level, also waterstones, sandpaper. Stropping is excellent. Cliff was too hard headed in my opinion. He went often against what other experts do, and claimed his view was the only right one.

[@Ve-suvius]

@@jdisdetermined Also something I experienced with Cliff personally, with e-mail. I did have e-mail contact with him for a longer period of time. But he blocked me at a certain point. He was offended by the fact that I didn't agree with him on the universe/galaxy. He said outside of the cosmos/universe there exists nothing ( assuming it has an end, or not endless or infinite to all sides). I wasn't so sure about that given the fact it's so large , and we humans are not even knowing about the end of it. Or if there's even an end. He said it was his speciality, he studied it, and so felt offended by me not agreeing him. This is what science says was his statement. 🤷‍♂ I found it weird. Peculiar. Maybe there are multiversums I said after a quick Google.. What do we know. Science reassess its opinion constantly , after finding new 'evidence'. With food this can be seen also. Eggs are bad, eggs are good , etc.

[@hackleberrym]

What do you think about the pull-through sharpeners that have rollers instead of plates? Do you have any experience with them?

[@ItsDburch]

In my experience, they are functionally identical.

[@hotheadedjoelhaha]

Just don't.

[@ethermal1]

I've always had great success using cheap knives on expensive sharpeners. Thanks for spending the time to validate that for me

[@Paladin7845]

Another well done, LOGICAL explanation / demonstration!

[@lanep4322]

Good to know because I just bought a set of $3.19 kitchen knives, which are probably exactly what you tested, just pricier because they came with a block holder, lol.

[@paulreeves8251]

Yeah, but you know, sometimes you need to treat yourself.

[@richardf9137]

People just don’t Understand the SIMPLICITY of Anything Anymore!! Edge Geometry - NO BURR!!!!

[@rasyidizulkifli2285]

This video saved me 200 bucks cos I was considering getting a nice kitchen knife 😂

[@Zorro9713]

Man what a great vid... would it be possible to see a close up under a microscope of that last knife tho after you used all your might on it?

[@steve_j_grundon]

😲 I'm so glad you demonstrated why the angle of the scratch pattern matters -- seems so obvious now! Great video, as always! 😀

[@pb8582]

Very impressive saying that wood is softer than metal... Now as a chef I should tell you that tomatoes or even limes will absolutely kill this knife. The edge gets eaten by acid in the food! I have to cut around 10 kilos of tomatoes per day and 10 kilos of limes. After I cut those I need to get my 600 dollars aogami blue carbon steel into a stone because the edge gets damaged by the acid... Same with my VG10 or Aus 10 steel!

[@enobil]

Amazing tests, analysis, and explanation. I'm experienced with japanese whetstone sharpening for years but I thought there can be still interesting stuff for me, and yes your scratch pattern analysis and analogy on wood was awesome, as well as the whole retention tests. Keep up the great work. Oh forgot to mention, love the microscope shots as well! I also use it from time to time but I should use more

[@dzmitryzaitsau6471]

Lol, Alex pays with cash. What happened to your credit card bruh?

[@OUTDOORS55]

I don't have one😂

[@nenadd1]

Well the thing is if you use quality compound strop with the cheap sharpener you can get the same crappy edge again :) In all seriousness nice explanation with the wood cuts, make sense

[@DeezyP]

Do a video on "Sharpens Best" we've got a guy in the area who sells them at all the gun shows and I try to tell everyone the damage they do. But it would be nice to have a well put together video for evidence.

[@jeremiahholes1246]

Holy cow thank you for answering the question early in the video. I still watched and enjoyed the whole thing. For some reason I always have anxiety waiting for headline questions to be answered.

[@funforall9741]

This is exactly why i wouldn't let my wife buy one of those automatic "sharpening" knife sheaths, it is not good for the blade and ruins the work i did in the whetstone

[@strenkp]

My friend. Today I was cutting some older lemon from the fridge. Knife not sharp enough. Used my trusted honing steel, did not helped much. Then I sit behind PC to read some news etc and KZbin showed me recommendation to your channel. Today is the first time I see your videos. Some hours later, I have just ordered Shapton Kuromaku 1000, leather strop and ceramic paste. I have enough of dull, not working knifes in my life. So I took your advices about what tools to use. Now just need to watch more to learn proper technique to sharpen the knifes. Thank you for info and for doing this!!! PS - I love the ending music in this video. Was used already by some totally different youtuber I follow, great pick :D

[@arti6okk]

So how did it go? Any updates yet?

[@rileycover1316]

I won't lie. I was pretty die hard about pull throughs, but you make a convincing video. Now. I'm big on them because of price and durability. I can keep one in my kitchen drawer, one in the toolbox in the garage, one with my animal processing, one in my race trailer, and i have one in my overall pocket. They can get hit, banged, thrown, and at the price I don't worry about it. But for the kitchen I might have to go back to a set of wet stones.

[@CiderPang27]

Love the comments from all the experts on the previous video.

[@GarySchiltz]

I really enjoy your videos, and I promise, no mean comment here 🙂 I do have a suggestion for a video that would be really useful: start with a very brief and generic introduction to the basic steps for sharpening a knife, including classes of tools (stones, strops, etc) that will be needed. Then say what (as of 2024) it would cost to get the tools for each of low, medium, and high budget versions of these tools. And what would be a reasonable low, medium, and high budget be? For example (figures made up) $50 for an el cheapo, near waste of money set, $100 for a medium but serviceable for occasional use, and $200 and up for really nice tools.

[@Will_and_a_Way]

This is pretty amazing and it reinforces the fact that geometry is crucial when it comes to knives (any cutting tool, really). Those comments you showcased are legitimately baffling.. Some people 🤦‍♂️

[@wretchedmess]

Wow, another really excellent video! I would LOVE to see you review the Sharpens Best Sharp-N-Spark Knife Sharpener Fire Starter- His channel (Sharpens Best) has 4.2K videos of the guy sharpening thousands of knives. It looks like he is just whittling all over the edge with his sharpener. He seems to get great results, but I imagine he is the worlds only expert with it....

[@orangetruckman]

Some folks don’t like their beliefs to be challenged or even disproven 🤷🏼‍♂️ In my opinion if you become closed minded to new things, you’re shutting down living. Keep up the great videos sir 👍🏻

[@briandetrick2688]

liberials lol

[@clandestinetactical]

Honestly.. Bro you should work with Dr. Larrin Thomas , in terms of geometry and metallurgy- you understand it just like us educated knife enthusiasts do .. and therefore it’s why we .. well at least myself amongst others- sharpen on stones , ceramic , diamond, and strops .. none of this pull-through nonsense that people actually think is “good” lmfao 🤣 Like … would you put water in a gas tank? No .

[@mikeboehk2307]

Glad you are back making videos! Please don't stop again, your information and knowledge is priceless and many of us enjoy your practical and hands on trials and learning. Gotta love those armchair commando's that know all just from their keyboard without picking up a knife and stone and actually trying it!!

[@SkinnyVinnyLive]

Agreed

[@kit2770]

I'm starting my own business. Gonna sell toothpicks. Turns out, it's pretty hard work, actually. 10:33

[@albertosara416]

the amount of things i've learnt watching this channel is seriously amazing. thanks for the videos! i'll get a proper sharpening stone and attempt to achieve razor sharp

[@enlightenedpreparingep4006]

Dude I never seen you or your videos before. Not sure how you made it to my feed but glad you did. Awesome video! Cant wait ti share it with my momma she's always using those BS pull sharpeners in spite of my telling her not to. After seeing this video she will have to toss that crap away.

[@PhillipJohnsonphiljo]

Hey man if you ever get your hands on a worksharp style sharpener I would love your opinion on it. I can get sharp but not hair whittle sharp. It is probably a me issue, quite inexperienced, but yeah your opinion on worksharps would be interesting man. Cheers

[@ttonAb2]

What grit are you sharpening to?

[@sagebrushhillbilly4655]

I am also using the work sharp guide system and am also not able to get to hair whittling.

[@PhillipJohnsonphiljo]

@@ttonAb2 I have 1000 max. thx for reply

[@ttonAb2]

@PhillipJohnsonphiljo I sharpen to 1000 sometimes on my 1x30 belt grinder but it requires quite a bit of time on the strop to get shaving sharp. I have recently changed to 2000 grit belts and it requires less time with a strop.

[@vgamedude12]

These videos are top notch. I understand the principles of sharpening so much better after watching and i feel like its not this complex ethereal thing anymore.

[@Bigtexbbq]

He’s a man of sheer will and dedication! You really put yourself and that knife through its paces! Awesome job!

[@Snarlacc]

This might explain something that happens to me sometimes: I sharpen a knife, trying it after a bit of sharpening it can shave some hair but also tugs on some, and in paper I can feel it hanging up and sawing. So I sharpen some more and suddenly it can't shave any longer but the paper cuts better. Could be that the burr cuts the hair at first but breaks off and leaves the more rounded apex, which is more uniform but can't grab hair yet. Mostly happens to me when I sharpen a new knife from factory sharp.

[@supersymun]

Love the editing! Maximum effort!

[@BryonLee]

It's nice to have something proven in front of one's face. I like that. I'd like to have people like you everywhere so that perhaps more drivers would know how to drive, more bankers would know more about banking; lawyers, judges, district attorneys would know more about the law,etc.

[@unmoving2030]

The balance and quality of science, education and entertainment of this video so damn good! Only just cam into this sharpening world. Saw quite a few vids by you by now and you are taking it to another level here. The production quality is also really high. Much appreciated 🙏!

[@dethcookie]

I’m new to sharpening too. If you haven’t already, go watch everything this awesome dude has uploaded. Great videos!

[@NeevesKnives]

What a great video, very well detailed great information and visuals. You kicked ass on this video 👊

[@OUTDOORS55]

Thanks bro! I appreciate you taking the time to watch 🙏👊

[@bluej511]

I love you man. Amazing video as always. The 1$ edge looked incredible with the stones.

[@guitfiddle]

I've learned so much about knives and knife sharpening from you. Just wow!!! Going to throw out my pull through now

[@ThisIsYaxin]

Hey @OUTDOOR55, first of all, thanks for your videos. I can't say that I'm good at hand sharpening yet but your videos help me prevent many mistakes while learning, so thanks! I wanted to ask you a question though. I have seen many recommendations for sharpening in a circular motion, as well as heard many people swear by this method. For me personally, it was much easier to sharpen like that, but it somehow didn't feel right. However, I could not find a video by you on the topic. What's your opinion on the method? My assumption is that it produces an undesirable scratch pattern, but I could not find a source for that either. Thanks for your help!

[@ianbaker4295]

I’m not Alex, nor do I have a fancy microscope. I have been freehand sharpening for just over eight years, and while I cannot fully answer your question, I do think I can address some of it and also offer a few suggestions. I know people in the straight razor community will sharpen in little circles or a figure 8. I also know people who use a circular motion with a handheld stone on an axe or large knife where they are bringing the stone to the tool instead of the tool to the stone. I have done this, especially when I was learning, and I also use it even now when trying to remove a lot of material. It may feel easier to sharpen in a circle right now because it is easier to hold a consistent angle in smaller circular movements vs. longer back-and-forth passes. I don’t exactly know what it does to edge stability, but I do know that the direction of a scratch pattern can make slight differences in terms of how it feels to cut something. I feel like if you do lose out on something, it would possibly be edge bite or aggression. Anyways, if circles work the best for you right now and you’re still learning to sharpen. I think it may be a good idea to stick to them. You can slowly transition to doing small ovals. When that is both comfortable for you and creating good edges, you can do slightly larger ovals, rinse, and repeat until you are essentially doing an oval on the entire length of your stone. If you get to that point, your hands will be up to sharpening in a sweeping motion like you see Alex doing in this video. After all, it’s essentially half an oval. Another idea is to get an angle guide, the kind that looks like a wedge. They’re meant to sit at the end of a stone or on a table as a reference. If you can get the angle, lock it in, do one edge leading stroke, go back to reference the angle and repeat, you will both get excellent results and eventually not need the guide as often and eventually not at all. Good luck, and don’t be afraid to try different methods and styles. We all sharpen slightly differently, and none of us are experts. Even if we do it for a living, there is always something to learn and room for improvement.

[@ThisIsYaxin]

@@ianbaker4295 Hey, thanks alot for the detailed answer! I mostly sharpen wood whittling knifes, so they might actually be a little more comparable to a straightrazor, since they dont have a secondary bevel and pretty much the whole width of the knife has to be sharpened. I really like the idea of slowly progressing towards larger ovals and finally straight strokes, I think I will try that, thanks! :) I feel like with the angle on the whittling knifes, an angle guide wouldn't really help me much. I havent really looked into it yet, though, so I'll do that as well! Again, thanks for the information and the nice words! :) I will keep practicing

[@Alorand]

Yes, blade geometry is king, but good steel and heat treatment enables much narrower sharpening angles to become viable.

[@RebuildingSaad]

I love this video! As a newbie knife-sharpening enthusiast the macro shots, your explanation of horizontal vs vertical scratch patterns, and the sheer ridiculousness of your demonstration is all fantastic! Thank you. =)

[@CiderPang27]

We have a couple of cheap kitchen knives. One which is dull as the wife doesn't like sharp knives, 🙈, and one which i keep sharp so everyone's happy. 😂

[@westondupree4012]

5-6 years ago I wanted to get really good at sharpening knives and I literally went and bought 10 one dollar knives from the dollar store and I dolled all of them and practiced sharpening on them now I’m really freaking awesome I love this video I actually kinda get a kick out of all the trolls. They just don’t get it. Get out in the shed and start sharpening. Don’t buy housewife sharpeners and expect to be like one of the big boys.

[@OUTDOORS55]

😂😂😂

[@sterkriger2572]

Victorinox has one combo stone with ceramic puller. They’re great with SAK blades mostly because they’re grind perfectly so a puller for a touch up works great. If things are bad the stone side can remove most of the damage for polishing after with the ceramic puller. I have a collection of stones from 50 to 5000 but for a small SAK blade it’s too much work if they’re already sharp enough for EDC ( I always touch up because I like them shaving sharp). BTW I always strop after sharpening regardless of method You should take a look at adjustable angle pull through sharpener. They go from 14 to 25 degrees if I’m not mistaken

[@tylermelton1746]

Another reason not to use a pull through is because it often creates recurve in the edge and you may not necessarily want that recurve in the knife. I am curious about how the edge will hold up if you use a strop after the pull through to try and properly remove the bur.

[@MrNoipe]

yes this would be a great test!

[@rkaapuni2729]

The problem is the pattern that is formed on a pull through sharpener. That pattern is prone to folding over or breaking off and dulling the blade. Check the vid again where he demonstrates this on a piece of lumber with horizontal cuts vs vertical cuts (5:44).

[@DeanCalaway]

That was impressive, the $1 blade that wouldn't give up.

[@Devin1364]

Are you still selling leather strops?

[@juanignacioc994]

10:19 AND THIS IS WHAT IT MEANS... TO GO FURTHER BEYOND!!!!

[@pal6636]

Technical and entertaining . Thats a combo you just dont see a lot 👍

[@OUTDOORS55]

Thank you I appreciate it🙏 Thank you for watching!

[@CaliZephyr]

You dulled it too much... It was too dull Thanks for making this content though, youve convinced me to just learn how to use a proper sharpener.

[@OUTDOORS55]

Thank you for watching 🙏

[@Cyber_Kriss]

10:55 Man... why didn't you just sculpt an owl ? 😂

[@edwardfletcher7790]

Thank you so much for making this video and the detail you went into. Great arm workout video BTW ! LoL (The 80's Final Challenge music was a good choice ! 🤣) The amount of B.S. about knife sharpening is CRAZY !!

[@llamawerkz]

You earned yourself a sub for that effort!

[@A-V]

At @09:03 you say its 100 times better... but the video title says 1000 times better. Is it an error in the video?, or a typo in the title?? :)

[@alex_285]

I love your videos, they helped me and every time you post I am happy

[@pedroleon1025]

Hey Alex, how are you doing ? Hope everything is great A big fan from Chile here . I started my knife sharpening journey a few months ago, and your videos have been of huge help to me. Understanding why and what happens , when you do this o that… So i wanted to say thank you . For the valuable knowledge that you put out. And , also wanted to say , that it would be amazing if you made some kind of video talking in more depth about deburring science , techniques , etc . In your style. Since it’s one of the most important things in knife sharpening. I’m really struggling with edge retention these days , and haven’t found a good method to improve it. Thank you so much again for your work

[@anchorbait6662]

So use the pull through and then touch it up on the stone for the final Apex

[@ThatJamesGuy88]

This is awesome! I know it would be expensive, but a thorough review of the counter top sharpening machines like work sharp makes would be amazing.

[@Richard-nb4iv]

Two of my first knife sharpeners were the pull through types. When i saw the chipout on the blade edge I was not impressed. My kitchen knives were not cheap and the really expensive ones were a gift from my brother. Needless to say I got rid of the pull through sharpeners. I always get something from your videos. Thanks!

[@HellGatefr2]

Thank you good Sir, I will never get tired of videos which question the legitimacy of those pull through sharpeners, it's always good to send those links to people who use those evil machines !

[@BTeehanKnives]

I've been saying this about pull through sharpeners for years, thanks for the video demonstration proving me right.

[@bizzidy]

Bada$$ video. You’ve shown in a very detailed way how stone sharpening destroys pull through “sharpening”. I’ll never use a pull through again.

[@kyuu_09]

I need to show this video to my roommate who wanted to sharpen my kitchen knifes with the pull throughs

[@mmr159]

🎶Night Stalker by Wave Saver 🎶

[@deanparkes4644]

I watched a KZbin by you about 3 or more years ago that made me buy a Sharpal diamond stone. I got the bug for edges. I've since spent thousands on sharpening gear, but I've made thousands from said gear. But I love doing it and it's cathartic. Thank you from Australia.

[@Donorcyclist]

You had me convinced with your first video and I’ve thrown out my cheap pull through sharpeners, but I appreciate the more in depth follow up investigation. Thank you!

[@FranzDebussy]

What happened to your website

[@johnhanley9946]

It takes some time to learn how to use a sharpening stone, but it's worth the effort... 👍

[@calholli]

Not really.. Just watch a few youtube vidoes and you'll be an expert by morning.

[@johnhanley9946]

@@calholli lol, I would say get a cheap knife to practice on and prepare to completely mess it up first!

[@isodoublet]

@@calholli How can the youtube video tell if I'm doing it wrong?

[@calholli]

@@isodoublet Because it shows you how to do it right. lol.. It's not rocket science.. Have you never done the dishes? you rub a sponge on the plate. Have you never taken a shower? You rub the shampoo on your hair. Take the knife and rub it on the stone.. It's very easy to do