Sharpening Technique is King | Medium Grit | Single Stone.

Sometimes it's important to revisit the basics if you can't get a sharp edge off of a single medium grit stone progression your technique needs some refreshing or complete overhaul.
I would further enhance with stopping from here, one stone, one strop, the "Simple Rick" combo.
While edges are highly customizable, and they're not one size fits all, "Simple Rick" should be considered a baseline skill without having to rely on higher polishing progressions as a crutch in your game.

[@MrEdgy81]

Excellent work! Eventually sharpening just becomes a choice of edge finishes. Sharpness no longer means the same as others define it, "sharpness" is not something you chase but something you control, at all levels. This video shows that clearly.

[@FearNoSteel]

Thanks Jason, I appreciate it man. Respect

[@gabriell4031]

@@FearNoSteel Is it better to be doing light passes edge trailing as shown here or edge leading? I’ve heard mixed instructions? Does this matter at all? Or would it matter for certain steels? Thanks for any help you might be giving me!

[@RubricoA.]

@@gabriell4031 too much variable. The best answer try to experiment and see which method works for you

[@saiiiiiii1]

@@gabriell4031 Everyone will tell you differently. I think the key takeaway from this video (for me at least) is, that hundreds of techniques can lead you to a razor-sharp edge.

[@jamesyates8412]

So true. When I started out sharpening I used to try with multiple stones and wonder why I didn't get anywhere. Once I just concentrated on using 1 stone properly things fell into place. You don't need a second stone until you can get a knife this sharp from the first one.

[@FearNoSteel]

Yeah definitely, you can get lost listening to all the "sharpening commandos" out there. Sometimes it's important for us to go back to the basics to remember what we're doing with progression.

[@lo_que3827]

I used to use my stone progression to make my knife 'sharper'. Trying to make sharp 200 grit edges really improved my technique. Now I use a stone progression to refine the size of the 'teeth' of the apex. To choose my level/balance of aggression vs smoothness.

[@JimiJamesIII]

Thank you! Reminds me to keep learning. People seem happy with my sharpening, but I know that I can do better.

[@BootboyRudy]

Same her, friends say my knives are insanely sharp, but to me ther is so much more to achieve and improve!

[@timonsa]

Woke up and saw the video, made my day 🌞 I forget how fun it is to see some common sense in sharpening videos. Cheers Shawn 🍻

[@PaulK390S90V]

Great video. Quick and to the point and hit all the points. Basically exactly how I do it, but I still need to start to practice with my left hand! That's my goal.

[@robertdouglas4293]

Thankyou, we are always learning, never stops, Glad for that, your vids always help,.

[@DonsWoodies]

Only recently have I wandered into the realm of being able to get a knife sharp with a 1000 grit stone. After so many videos showing that you don't need to go to an 8K stone to get a sharp edge I finally said, they must be right, and tried it. Damn, you guys are right. Who knew. :-) My next trick will be to be to get my knives as sharp as I can get them with a guided sharpener but without one. That's gonna be another learning curve, but you give me hope.

[@FearNoSteel]

Its definitely a good baseline skill, the rabbit hole goes deeper from there but its nice to refresh the basics.

[@DonsWoodies]

@@FearNoSteel Oh, I'm pretty far down the rabbit hole with stones and such. Now I'm working on bettering my skills. At the moment, I know enough to be dangerous, but long long way to go.

[@lionknives3]

Perfekt before going to bed! Greetings from Austria Shawn!

[@FearNoSteel]

Greetings thanks for the love man

[@LegBuilder]

THANKS, I HAVE BEEN SHARPENING FOR AWHILE BUT THAT SEEMS PRETTY SIMPLE. I THINK MANY TRY TO MAKE IT MORE COMPLEX THAN IT NEEDS TO BE. I ALSO PICKED UP A POLICE K390. GREAT KNIFE

[@thiago.assumpcao]

Simple yet effective.

[@FearNoSteel]

Sometimes the best things in life are this way

[@AaronJohnson1979]

Very cool video! Simple to the point and effective them paper towels We’re looking like paper that knife was so sharp

[@bgunckel]

Great advice. Thank you!

[@KnifeNinjaEDC]

Make bevels go to pointy tip! GO Excellent video. Over complicating things just got me confused. Went by feel and understood what I was trying to achieve. Got me a lot further. I’m still learning but aren’t we all?

[@-trmxzer0-235]

Perfectly done brother

[@Monster18873]

Let me say...this is sharpness ! Cutting Paper Towel or Toilet Paper... If your knife cut this easy...well than u reach the Masterclass of Sharpening. Well done Mr. Big Brown Bear. Look at your beginning and look now. Feeling proud? Well, u earn this by yourself. Best wishes from Germany

[@adanma17]

Patina on kitchen knives just give them so much character 👌👌

[@marksanders8028]

Beautiful technique.

[@glockgaston2922]

Beautiful work brother and thanks for the knowledge 👊🍻

[@Nate196501]

Nice work!!!

[@stroppystuff641]

Great video man, very interesting to see you finish up with edge trailing passes, I might have to go back and try that again as I've always been on the edge leading team for the deburr.

[@FearNoSteel]

Well it's more nuanced then to say universal you'll do one of the other.

[@Aerzon1v1]

I'm guessing the edge trailing produces a keener apex than edge leading, but likely with some small burr over the apex that a strop takes right away. What would you say determines whether you decide to go trailing vs leading? What about a bit of both? Light, alternating forward and back passes each side perhaps?

[@Jmon808]

This helps us beginners huge thanx man!

[@manifestgtr]

I can’t stop staring at the patina on that blade 🤤

[@SuperSteelSteve]

Man, This brings back so many memories. "Only need start at 1000 grit unless you have heavy damage" "You need at least a 6000 grit stone to fully remove the burr" "Your wasting steel if you pull a big burr" Absolutely NONE OF THAT made sense to me as a young sharpener lol. This is a great great demo on how a sharp apex has nearly nothing to do with the grit rating. My work knives (kitchen knives) progression literally got to Chosera 400 Bare leather strop Done. Mince hearbs ✅️ Slice ripe tomatoes ✅️ Slice cooked proteins with a sexy crust ✅️ It's ALL technique. Excellent work and demo sir

[@FearNoSteel]

Thanks Steve, gotta get some common sense out there every once in a while.

[@zulukiloedgewerx]

thanks for the vid shawn…there only a few vid feat this king neo..i know matt (steel toe83) got one..and watching the vids really bring back memory on my journey freehand sharpening..keep on posting

[@muhmuh946]

Wow! I'm impressed. I just started sharpening, but I didn't know it was possible to cut paper towel off a 800 grit stone. I gotta improve my technique! Great video

[@barkingspider2007]

Great Video... Much Appreciated... BTW, Finally was able to get the Spyderco Manix 2 in 15v. The steel is excellent. Sharpens easily and de-burrs quickly. Excellent work. : )

[@knifesharpeningnorway]

Nice video as always mate it got sharp for sure 😁

[@the_sharp_carpenter]

This is the way.

[@DEATHMETALRUST]

Truly inspiring.

[@steeltoez8345]

That stone is soo underrated.

[@l26wang]

What do you think of the "jointing" technique of running the knife perpendicular to a hard surface to cut off the burr all at once. Cliff Stamp is the first person I've seen do this, I recently saw Hap Stanley do this as well.

[@CSGraves]

My technique DEFINITELY needs refreshing.

[@tkostang]

Your setup reminds me of how Carter Cutlery sharpens his knives. I assume you know who he is. I’m an expert at sharpening but not when it comes to free handing a whetstone

[@johnscarborough4746]

Baby bear approval in the background!

[@yosemitebandit]

Keeping it simple!

[@paulp.879]

Not sure about everyone else, but this was a therapeutic 3 minutes just watching the technique. The running water probably added to the therapy.

[@sharpfactory3705]

Very nice

[@zinc6333]

Yeah but why do I feel some stones give a better burr removal. Like a can almost shave off an atoma 600 but when I go to my shapton 1k or 5k it doesn’t do as good a job

[@saiiiiiii1]

Not that uncommon that diamond stones work better on stubborn burrs.

[@My_Bow_L.Y.F]

If you are able to can you give me your opinion on CPM 154 steel?? I love the steel and the knife that comes with it. I would still like to hear what you got to say whether is good or bad feedback. It be great to see a video but really your opinion it great for me. Thanks for all your great videos.

[@reguluscaius4636]

Is that the Steelport knife? I like how they looks.

[@alfredvenegas972]

What kind of waterstone are you using Brand

[@michaelp9238]

Does your angle remain constant even when you reach the bottom and top of each pass on the stone? Like not even a little change in angle?

[@Resolute900]

What stone and where can I purchase one, please

[@capolot]

What knife is that? I like the profile.

[@Alistair_Spence]

Curious as to what stone you are using here? Thanks.

[@FearNoSteel]

King Neo Stone but don't get too focused on the stone. We're trying to point out technique here

[@Alistair_Spence]

@@FearNoSteel Thanks, I hear you and I agree. I'm always trying to get better with my technique and even a short video like this one is helpful. I feel like I can always take away some learning points, even from watching a pro sharpen for just a few minutes.

[@FearNoSteel]

@@Alistair_Spence Glad to hear, thanks for the compliments.

[@joshstarkey8883]

Is it just my technique or are diamond plates not the best for refining an edge? Lately on simple steels I've been experimenting with finishing on the ceramic side of my DC4 and it seems to work better. I know the point of this video is technique but I feel like I've tried everything. My edges will cut several inches into a paper towel but not S cut. I'm wondering if a venev stone with its smoother texture could get me the results I've had with ceramic but on supersteels.

[@FearNoSteel]

Well if you notice I'm not using a super steel here we're not in the weeds here with details, that's for another video my man

[@MatthewHartsuch]

Ive really been trying to wrap my head around theory and this video really helped because I almost exclusively use a 1k diamond stone. I think one thing thats worth mentioning for new guys is that they start with cheap knives that cannot really be refined (because of geometry or cheap metal) and so they might not be able to replicate these results.

[@ricardovazpereira]

Hey man, are you applying pressure in the knife when going back and forth or only when using the back motion?

[@HariZica]

Great result. How would you compare it to Naniwa Chosera 800? Which one do you prefer for simple steels (VG10 ...)? Thanks

[@FearNoSteel]

That stone works, VG-10 works too, the focus here is how important sharpening technique is; we can get the same result because of sharpening technique., It's really important for new guys to hear that. The reason why we use different stones or different steels is not for a crutch for bad sharpening technique there are certainly nuances to stones and steels but you have to rule out sharpening technique first.

[@louis2p]

Hey, What stone is this ? It really looks like the king G-1 and S-1 with the base but I can't find any lower than 6000 grit. Does sound really good and seem to have great feel too. Great video. Best,

[@DFA2503]

BBB…did you make that knife??

[@lo_que3827]

Was that one of your stones? I really like my guided system for those perfect edge angles, but it's very limited by abrasive selection, and no where near as fast as free hand.

[@FearNoSteel]

King Neo 800, Freehand is the champion of speed.

[@W5rr2nG]

Im just sad I don’t have one of your stones 😞

[@verdigrissirgidrev4152]

why finishing passes edge trailing?

[@FearNoSteel]

That question is a can of worms rather than debate idiosyncrasies why don't you give it a try for yourself you can see my results. If Edge leading worked better I would be using it in this case but I am not.

[@gaberoo9099]

Nice. You really have to develop that "muscle memory" to be able to maintain a constant angle. What grit is that stone, by the way? 400 grit? Not a diamond stone or yes? Thanks.

[@FearNoSteel]

Yeah 800 grit King Neo, the stone and steel aren't important in this video; just trying to make a point about sharpening technique.

[@gaberoo9099]

@@FearNoSteel You made it. Thanks. I still have tons to practice to get anywhere as proficient as you are, but these tips help. Thanks again Sean.

[@FearNoSteel]

Yeah just keep practicing I'll try to keep the sharpening content coming in between ranting videos, memes, knives and geeking out on stuff.

[@Cleymant]

Very Nice ! What's your thought about using edge leading rather than edge trailing at the end ? Some say edge trailing will always leave some burr (principally on softer knives).

[@FearNoSteel]

You could see what's being done in the video and you can see the results and that should answer your question.

[@FearNoSteel]

It's a loaded question in the sharpening world people want to be right about how they feel things work.

[@Cleymant]

Yes indeed the result is more than self-explanotary, but would it be the same with some soft steel like a victorinox for instance ?

[@FearNoSteel]

@@Cleymant just because one uses edge leading it isn't going to mitigate issues of burr forming, if it did I would be using it. If the steel is too soft and s***** then you're just going to have to use a micro bevel and clean up on a bare strop

[@FearNoSteel]

@@Cleymant you can test both ways and see for yourself but what works best might just be due to your idiosyncrasies

[@adanma17]

Also casually flexing with the paper cut🤣

[@fallenstudent1103]

You think I can get this on my soft ark?

[@FearNoSteel]

Good technique with weak stones beats bad technique with the best stones any day. But at a certain point why make your life so hard, get a decent stone.

[@fallenstudent1103]

@@FearNoSteel I definitely will. RN all my bench stones are naturals. A few arks and coticules. I have the Ken onion worksharp with the blade grinder attachment what do you think about those for practicing honing?

[@FearNoSteel]

No, get a decent stone, even a Norton Crystalon for 20 bucks, you'll have to keep it flat, you'll have to do some research.

[@mattevans1155]

“Don’t over complicate it”

[@Numnutz]

I've been getting into pocket knives recently and since I don't want to have to get them sharpened every time they get dull, I wanted to learn sharpening as well since it's also going to be useful for my kitchen knives. After watching a lot of videos, everybody seemed to use at least 2 stones, often more and a strop or whatever else - so I thought I had to get several stones as well. Then I saw this video. You've convinced me that I only need a single stone and that even the strop is optional. I've just ordered a 1000 grit Shapton ceramic whetstone, since I'm saving money by only buying one stone, I may as well get a good one, right? Looking forward to getting good at this, it's definitely a very useful skill to have.

[@gaberoo9099]

Duh...800 grit. Sorry for asking before end of video.

[@FearNoSteel]

No worries man

[@mohdzaudikhasni8829]

How to sharpen knife with japanese style? 80grits, 150grits, 220grits, 320grits, 440grits, bla, bla, bla.. and finish 100'000'000grits.. With 10 gallons water.. then test with bess c test sharpness, check with microscope 100× magnifying found chipping.. repeated again 80grits till 100'000'000grits ya!

[@smithgeorge6858]

I know person who told this stone does not sharpen high hardness low alloy carbon steel knives well, and he had success sharpening takayuki ginsan but not suisin ginsan. I guess thats not true since that knife is 51200 which is low alloy carbon steel knife. Is he just a bad sharpener? and how does neo perform against aeb-l at 61~63 hrc? and r2 and magnacut 63hrc? hesitating between King neo 800 vs sigma select ii 1000

[@TCMx3]

ok but if I don't overcompliate it how will all the instagram advertisers make money?

[@FearNoSteel]

It's totally fun to get into nuances and different things will do different things. So it's not a matter of misleading people, it's always fun to show off some bling bling edges. I'm just saying something that most people know to people that probably don't know that are just getting started

[@TCMx3]

@@FearNoSteel yeah lol I mean I have a while cabinet full of jnats I really do love them but most people need a stone, a flattener and their eyes. Nothing else

[@FearNoSteel]

Hell yeah man, and then once they do they can fully appreciate all the different rabbit holes they can get into, those Jnats are pretty sweet with the right steels

[@mr.b111]

Don't waste water.

[@AYellowPepper]

agreed! Just use a Spray/squeeze bottle. Doesn't splash water around your kitchen the entire time!

[@justinnemeth8931]

Yep too much overselling of bullshit on the net.

[@Germancito141]

This is the way.