The One Knife Sharpening Secret YOU Need to Know - It's Simple!

[@sublimetoast1441]

as a fellow machinist i quickly realized you had to be one of us. normal people don't go that overkill on a knife sharpening set up without some background in engineering or manufacturing lol. i now think i need that angle holder.

[@brucemitchell4581]

Great video brother ! Been sharpening steel for almost 50 years now! Can’t believe I just said that! lol. Good job 👍

[@dennishein2812]

Used to put razor edges on all my knives when I was younger but I have problems with my hands and arms now so I have trouble with consistency. I can't afford all that fancy sharpening stuff so I still use stones and a couple of touch up ceramics. I can get them sharp enough to use but not my favorite razor edge. Old age sucks. Nice knife too. Great size.

[@jayztools4038]

I loved the intro on sharpening. Use a rock off the jungle floor! The principle is the same. Also thanks for all the options. There are many ways to make and maintain a knife.

[@mikehotshots7607]

You can avoid rolling the blade over while stropping if you flip the blade over the other direction (spine towards the leather as you flip to the other side). That was how I was taught to strop straight razors.

[@FASKY2788]

I'm very into various sharpening methods on many devices. I really appreciate your insights and info as well as, most of all, taking the time to make a great vid and sharing! ThanX!

[@Swoop180]

I bought the Cadillac of Wicked Edge's offering, and it works great, but it's a bit much to keep on the truck with me. I mainly use it to rerpofile when my ultra fine ceramic bench stone stops being effective. That being said, that Hapstone system has definitely piqued my curiosity. Thanks for the outstanding video!👍🏻👍🏻

[@torreyintahoe]

Plus one for wicked edge.

[@richardainsworth4357]

My dad made me one and it is awesome!!! Thank you sir!!

[@OneCanisLupus]

Another awesome video! Man, i haven't seen you in my feeds in like forever! 😕 Missed your knife and sword making.

[@samuelpope7798]

I really mastered free hand sharpening on rectangular oiled Arkansas Stones ages ago and what really helped me was cutting out a set of triangles from that thin clear plastic that everything is packaged with. I just used it to periodically set and visualize my angle. Use a little math and take into account the profile of the blade. Go slow and take your time. After a while I could just see and feel the right angle. These days I mostly use an axe puck held in my left hand without water. That's right. bone dry and sharpen while standing up in the woods. It's all in the muscle memory. And it never seems to clog. I have done it for years with no problem what so ever. And a leather strop with either chromium oxide of for an extra finish polish white jeweler's rouge which is usually on the un-tooled genuine leather belt I am wearing although I do have several nicer ones mounted to pieces of 2x4 at home. I guess in theory the water might make the stone last longer but I haven't had to replace one yet and if I did they are really cheap. Which for me means the water is unnecessary and messy. once in a blue moon maybe every other year or three I will level the puck by rubbing it on an exceptionally smooth patch of concrete. My knives will shave the finest hairs on my arms!

[@SicsemperevelloMortemtyr-by9hj]

If I had money, or ever get money, I'm so getting this. For now... I'll just admire it.

[@GD3Media]

I use a leather stropping belt with some polish on my 2x72 and it is awesome.

[@darkrednecks]

I sharpen semi professionally and this is honestly the best way to do it imo.

[@SnoPro440]

@@darkrednecks I’m with you on that!!!one of my best investments

[@murphymmc]

Quite a few Shekels is understated. It's a good thing they sent it for free, price point pain brings a keener critique in real life. Getting it for free is the only way I'd get to use the thing. In the meantime, I'm content with my water stones, 16,000 grit ceramic stone and a DIY strop that has some real estate to it. It's not a difficult skill to learn, if one is willing.

[@aussiehardwood6196]

Do U just use the strop & 16K grit stone?

[@iamshredder3587]

Theyre not that much. Indeed you can get a basic one with a few grits similiar to the original model for like $25 usd or a little more. The stones themselves are a major part of the cost too. (Which u can use for freehand also.) Especially when they get up to the high grit polishing stones like 16k grit. So buying the usually much bigger so more expensive whetstones worth their salt aint going to be cheap either, some of my japanese waterstones for example cost near or more for one piece one grit than the whole of my fancy guided setup in whole with all the available whetstones and all the trimmings. (But theyre pretty awesome. Lucky im rich af lol) Anyway im just saying freehanding with whetstones isnt necesaarily the budget option either. )) Ps: you don't actually ONLY use a 16k water stone and strop do you? ))

[@LucasPucas-v6r]

Well since you’re so rich maybe you can buy me a new pickup truck.

[@3DWHIZZ]

Knowing nothing about sharpening, I bought those cheap ass ebay whetstones...came with four diff grits, a really crappy strop, a cheap stand for the stones and a few other useless bits. paid $32 canadian......at the end of the day, your last four words have the most value. I definitely struggled for a bit but slowly got the hang of it...a year and a half later and there isn't a blade in the place that won't shave arm hair. Now it's easy. Still using the cheap stuff too, but really just one grit,1000, seems there's no real diff between them! So glad I stuck it out. 😁

[@MrGratefulEd]

First time viewer here. Thanks for your content. I'd like to know if oiling the stone increases the life of the stone. I'd really like to get more use out of the stones before having to true them or replace them.

[@vvampcat]

Mineral oil is what most use.

[@mattwoods8381]

All stones should be trued or flattened before sharpening. It is also recommended to oil your oil stones lightly before storing them away. In the higher grit stones, you dont have to true them or flatten them as often because they are harder hence requiring less attention sooner. For knives, id recommend diamond stones. I only use water stones and oil stones on my straight razors. A guided sharpener would be best if you are just wanting to get your feet wet. Hope this helps. I wouldn’t worry too much about about flattening though honestly. It just a necessary part of it all so don’t stress it.

[@MrGratefulEd]

@@mattwoods8381 Thanks Matt.

[@mattwoods8381]

@@MrGratefulEd no problem. Happy to help. Good luck with your honing endeavors.

[@bksduskmirror1250]

I use paper from brown paper bag, it finishes the edge and it makes it cut like a razor blade. It also works great on wood chisels and carving knives

[@MrLanternland]

U use it like a strop, with nothing on it?

[@wizardofahhhs759]

Cardboard works very well too.

[@bksduskmirror1250]

@@MrLanternland yes, just the brown paper, i learned that in school, the teacher was an old furniture maker, he use the inside of is hand, paper bag, denim, leather, cardboard, piece of hard wood or anything he had on hand to finish the edges of chisels, knives, or carving tools.

[@hauntedmoodylady]

...Which is also why paper/cardboard will dull knives very quickly if used to slice the brown paper, or cardbord, there is a lot of grit in that paper..

[@TSPhotoAtlanta]

@@bksduskmirror1250 I’ve used my palm before, esp for chisels. It takes more strokes than I like after I’ve stepped thru to a 2000 hard waterstone. By that point it’s already very sharp and even dragging it can potentially leave a shallow cut.

[@liquidsmokemustang1537]

I just sharpened an old kitchen paring knife to use in the garage. I used a diamond stone with 2 grits. When I was done with the stone, it didn’t give me a nice clean cut in receipt paper (very thin). So, I thought maybe I could hone the edge with leather. All I had was an old belt, I did the barber shuffle on that and damn. It sure did the trick. Now I’ll do that on all my knives.

[@MosesKaldor]

The Hapstone CBN stones are great. For your standard kitchen knife I only go as far as 800 to 1000 grit. Must try their stropping compound. Thank you for the video.

[@tomdowser]

Metallic bonded are insanely fast and long lasting

[@Itsallindica]

All my cheap paring knives are as dull as dishwater, and I’ve never been able put a keen edge on them using cheap kitchen sharpeners. Does the quality of the steel make a big difference?

[@ShadowNobody-y5l]

Since the thickness of the blade increases the more times you sharpen it, don't you eventually need to adjust the angle as well? If so, how do you know when to do that, and how to accurately DECREASE the angle do that your maintaining that original angle/cutting ability?

[@paulc.cowanjr.9499]

Never seen that model of sharpener. Good video. Subscribed

[@IraqiVet]

I really hate to ask a silly question, I thoroughly believe you get what you pay for. If you were to pick your top three strops by manufacturer and model number. I've read so many different articles on the stropping leathers and it can get very confusing. I've spent a ton of money on different sharpening systems but need help with the stropping leather. Thank you for sharing these fantastic videos.

[@JeffBrazeel-fe4wc]

That Contraption is Wild. I've hand sharpened for a Long, Long time being 60 and having grown up on a farm, hunting, fishing, etc. Always keep my Blades Razor Sharp, able to Shave Anytime, using Arkansas Stones.

[@peen2804]

grats want a sticker or something?

[@onlyychevys]

Me to, this is just a commercial.

[@TheYashicaFan]

Hey Walt. Great video. I think the one small thing I'd like your take on is the heat generated through speed and pressure when manually stropping. I've always found the longer I run the edge to a strop, either for and back manually or at a linisher, the more heat is generated and I've always thought this serves a purpose. What do you think about this?

[@peen2804]

Heat serves no purpose in sharpening and honing

[@birdistheword1327]

For the beginners out there, fyi, you can get 'shaving sharp" with just 600 grit or so.

[@samuelpope7798]

Truth! If you use a strop any finer than that is kind of a waste of time and money.

[@phila1714]

Nice shirt you been to the new spring facility in south Venice? I live in Sarasota but anyways I love your channel! You got me into making handles and wanting to make a blade!

[@robwallis1277]

One of the other mistakes I've seen people do, is strop with too much pressure. That will also dull your edge.

[@jayveeadvincula2884]

What is right pressure?

[@robwallis1277]

@jayveeadvincula2884 a gentle pressure, like just dragging the edge rather than scraping

[@mattwoods8381]

@@robwallis1277 you can also ruin a perfectly good edge on a hanging strop if you dont hold the strop taunt enough. This causes the leather to wrap around the edge. Theres a happy medium between strop tauntness and the pressure which you apply to the steel. Too much of either one will have the same effect on your edge. Not enough pressure and you wont hit the apex. I learned this through stropping my straight razors when I first got into that. Now i can pass the HHT (hanging hair test) every time. It didn’t all come together overnight though thats for sure.

[@samuelpope7798]

Truth! Leather is compressible. Pressure affects the angle at the edge. Use a light pressure and keep the angle same as stone or maybe even a touch shallower depending on what you consider light pressure.

[@OhNoMINE]

Hi Walter, I believe that the trick to a sharp knife is to always sharpen the edge into the stone, and you must use a decent oil. I use to buy Case, Schrade and Buck knifes thinking that, that brand is going to be the one. In the end I was always disappointed. I think I was at aflee mkt. when I found a guy selling Smith's Tri-Hone, I think that came with the oil, anyway he said the same thing my dad said,always sharpen into the stone not away. one smooth stroke into the stone, and lift the knife up off the stone. That's the way and the oil is the help I needed to get all of thoes knifes shaving sharp.

[@2adamast]

If it is a soft stone (japanese style) the oil will be loaded with loose grit and cutting into the stone may slightly dull the edge more than a trailing move.

[@2214freak]

Worksharp Field Sharpener thanks.

[@mikem1436]

That sharpening stand will increase the angle the further away the knife is from the attachment point. On a larger knife that could be a couple of degrees.

[@lenbones7940]

false

[@LonestarTaoboy]

However, the angle at which the stone meets the edge stays the same, as long as the other end of the attached rod does not move up or down. Basic geometry.

[@2adamast]

It's an old discussion. On a pyramid roof the angle of the roof doesn't change when closer to the corners.

[@3DWHIZZ]

@@2adamast Anytime you lengthen one side of a triangle, you'll also be changing the angle unless one other side also changes to accommodate.

[@beeamerica5024]

I have an old lansky kit and had a sheath made will the strop on the back of it works well

[@ArticAkita2830]

Surgery sharp to where you can expertly skin a gnat, cats arn't exactly easy to catch that are not easily forgotten about. Great video, lots of good tips!!

[@walter-m9s9e]

is that wedding ring on the left hand and transposed by the camera?

[@floundergearjam]

This has been an eye opener. I was always under the impression that a strop was the final step of sharpening because small particles of metal came loose during the process and that it was a way to get the new "impurities" off of the blade. I was also under the impression that this was very important in the food service industry. Is there any truth to this?

[@mikafoxx2717]

Nah, the strop helps put a teeny tiny convex on the edge to help cut the burr off so it can't fold over and cause dulling that way. Coarse grits actually make for good working edges because they leave a sawtooth of upright tough burrs that act like a saw but aren't delicate like fine grit burrs that will bend of break in use. The strop still helps sharpen those said teeth even more. Usually food service uses a steel - which even totally smooth removes metal by basically mashing the dull edge into a new sharp apex microbevel, but it only works so much before it gets overly fatigued or obtuse and needs a resharpen. Barely any pressure since the local pressure is crazy high, and go slow if you try one, barely any steeper than the main angle - it makes a different sound.

[@retardno002]

​@@weregecko ummm that leather is usually coated in abrasive sometimes even diamond, and sometimes hanging under tension, that will 100% convex your edge at a microscopic level.

[@richardworks481]

Thank you sir

[@Superbus753]

you actually dont want to back it off with the leather. as the leather itself has some give to it it will start rounding off the bevel just a tiny bit on its own if you go steeper you really start rounding over the nice crisp bevel you just had created. (some even go a tiny bet lower with the leather to avoid the rounding of the apex ore use wood instead of leather that doeset compress as easily as leather

[@obirato]

I had this believe too, and it shocked me the advice given in that regard.

[@user-do1fq8oy9c]

Me tpp

[@paulrooster2108]

My ole man was a commercial fisherman by trade I was taught to sharpen on a stone at age 6, everyday after school I had to mend any nets set out and sharpen 6 of the knives . Now at age 70 I still use a Smith Tri Stone except on these newer modern steels you gotta go with a diamond sharpener. And a Strop makes a huge difference in your edge .

[@Fulblade]

Great video.

[@rodneymiddleton1044]

Cheers Walter yet another informative video and yes I too have a good old piece of scrap leather I use for my strop after using the 60 inch belts to get my edge, stay safe mate.

[@RonRay]

People who think that the old barbers flipped the razor's edge "UNDER", are mistaken... that will turn or roll the edge. If you have a 'true' old school barber show you how they strop _slowly_ , you'll see that flip the blade "up and over", every time. The edge makes a 180 degree flip UP and OVER, not down and under. I have an old cut throat razor leather & canvass strop that I use, but still haven't mastered the barber's flip on it.

[@jvmiller1995]

I use the inside of a old 36 or 42. It is a nice thick cardboard like backing that is also an amazing tool to strop a blade. But likely cost anything to owners of a 2x72 or 42" grinder. I want to say I picked the tip up here a good 7 to 8 years ago when first getting into. It could of been someone ese but I think it was you.

[@Cooks-carvings]

Great ideas thanks for sharing.

[@edinelsonramirez5656]

Only requires a very fancy & expensive sharpening system! Who knew ... So easy!

[@51bravoknives71]

Thanks Walter! 👍

[@gardnep]

And I use a final polish on a cotton buff with white polish fitted to a grinder.

[@JRxxx]

I was always able to get a great edge on sharpening stones, I honestly thought leather stropping was unnecessary bs until I bought some compound and used an old leather belt. Boy was I wrong.

[@john41413]

Did u mean to say u grind towards the edge w abrasive belts? After u have already established an edge?

[@keithmacris2182]

Something most people don't know is that you can strop by using your pants leg of denim jeans. It cuts the roughness of a blade and you can do it all the time when you get bored. Just pull out the ole blade and tighten the extra material of your jeans and rub it.

[@fomalhaut86]

You can achieve same results by using 600 grit diamond stone and free hand sharpening with a little practice.

[@Airdown]

Just a note to new people: there's nothing wrong with using assisted sharpening over whetstones. I love my Arkansas stones more than any other method, but stone sharpening is an art (and convenient.) It won't necessarily get your knife sharper than other methods, despite what some will tell you. If anything, it's better to start off assisted to get your eye in, THEN get some nice stones.

[@retardno002]

Freehand will ultimately get you the best edge possible for whatever goal you have, if not necessarily the sharpest. You can control and feel so many things compared to other methods that the skill ceiling really is much higher, but so is the entry threshold.

[@MakerBoyOldBoy]

All KZbin sharpening systems are for use on special alloy occasional hobby use tasks and vanity knives and not daily use of utility knives, box cutter types of working apex edged. These daily use lower quality steel tools are purposely ignored. No money in it. From decades of sharp edged tool use I suggest keeping an edge by stropping on a piece of 220 fine sandpaper near your work area. Never spend money or time on hobby/vanity sharpening doodads. An old multi grit oil stone with a small leather strop is perfect to keep daily kitchen knives safe to use smartly.

[@Patriotx-gx4ce]

Rotating stone wheel was assisted sharpening 1000 plus years old. So yes, I agree. I messed up my edge and had to use a machine to bring the apex even. Now I am playing with stones and learning. Want to incorporate leather as it seems it alone can bring back the razor edge easy without stones.

[@DavyDesykes-vh6pj]

Ive already got very precious stones 2 of them ,they dont do anything but hang there .

[@SnoPro440]

@@retardno002I have hand sharpened for 30+ years and there is great control when doing by hand but nothing will ever compare to a Tormek it’s more precise and can get hair whittling sharpness every time quickly a well forged knife using the proper steel should never have to be sharpened in the field

[@pb68slab18]

Keep the edge angle consistent!

[@charliejackson922]

My old man used to always use just an oil stone. But he always told me to never face the blade edge north or south just after working the metal because the molecules are excited and some will pull off the edge from magnetic pull. I don't know how true it is but his knives were like razors and held edge for a long time

[@3DWHIZZ]

Now we're getting into the voodoo art!! 👊💥😆

[@nowhereman4041]

Our dad's were cut from the same cloth.....my dad also used to use an old oil stone.....probably had no idea what grit it was, nor did I ever see him dress it with an expensive diamond plate.....and his chisels, or knife blades were so sharp you could shave a flea.....and if the blade had a knick in it, yup.....to the homemade bench grinder first....lol

[@Freesteader]

Thanks Walter S

[@TheSilmarillian]

New sub hello from Australia interesting indeed.

[@SweetTooth8989]

Stropping is a bit more forgiving than sharpening freehand on a stone since you can achieve a great edge without being overly precise about what angle you do it at ALTHOUGH you should keep the angle consistent while you're stopping and you should do it at either the same angle as your edge or slightly higher. I find slightly higher is actually better as it will remove any remaining burr easier and polish the apex and once you can't feel any burr at all you move to stopping at the edge angle. And of course you always pull the edge on a strop, not push like on a stone.

[@marklemker4088]

I sharpen with the Arkansas oilstone and do just fine I find the real secret is to not apply too much pressure and to be patient most people press too hard

[@Tims_Projects]

This not what I was thought to use a strop for and the reason a proper strop has no supporting backing, one end is fixed to the wall and you hold it at the other end, it should flex as you slide the knife edge along it to remove the fine burs created when stone sharpening.

[@kherrick1]

i just use a 600 grit wheel and then a 6 micron on a buffing wheel. same practice as preparing metallurgically polished surfaces in the lab for metallography.

[@ericswain4177]

Most anyone can make a razor's edge on almost any knife, But will it last, and does the person using the knife know how to use and properly maintain the knife.? The other important factor is the type and quality of the metal of the blade of the knif.

[@ShankWrx]

You are the best brother awesome!!!!!!!

[@madeinengland4910]

Way cool ,I will be back !

[@bradbrown5659]

That company that send you the sharpener copied the Lansky System but made a nicer set up. I own a Lansky sharpener.

[@dariushtakin]

Thank you

[@lymanw.-nf8bw]

Thanks

[@Slick.443]

Can you sharpen a 12 inch blade ? ... I see it's a sweetheart for small blades 🙂👍

[@saublesurfer8197]

Seen an article in an outdoor mag years ago, a fella can use a piece of cardboard to strap on.

[@L3TTUC3prey]

I've seen guys on our harvest crews strop their blades on cardboard cartons during breaks in order to keep their blades tuned up throughout the entire workday... simple yet very effective 👌

[@EyesWideOpen77]

Should I glue an old piece of leather to a scrap of wood.... or spend $420. on a Hapstone?

[@clinttorres2508]

😄😄 u know the answer to that

[@EyesWideOpen77]

@@clinttorres2508 Sounds like we both do.

[@bobrees4363]

Sharpening by hand on a stone is definitely possible, and a useful skill to have. It is also a perishable skill, meaning you have to keep in practice. The very good point of the Hapstone/ Lansky type systems is that they hold a set angle which makes sharpening a knife simple, although not very quick given most of them have small stones.

[@SuperZimzoom]

JC, I just want to sharpen a knife not shoot a launch and recovery azimuth for SpaceX!

[@douglaseuritt3919]

Best strop material is horsehide. Dense, smooth and pore free.

[@jerryjohnson9044]

When sharpening anything onside work from heal to toe other side work from toe to heal that's all I'm giving

[@daveh777]

That Hapstone set up looks really nice!

[@Thedoug369]

I've been shaving with straight razors forever and I use mostly Jnats and a high quality leather strop for both my razors and knives, which I could shave with too in a pinch so I already know all this shit and alot more that's too much to go into here. Good informative video tho.👍

[@HUD308]

Is there any hair left on your arm?

[@billm7166]

I get my knife that sharp using a diamond stone doing it by hand and a piece of cardboard to finish it

[@VDMby]

Wow, TS-prof 🎉?

[@charlescasey9799]

Diamond stone is quick and better than Arkansas stone smooth sharp is not good for meat cutting it can wander a finish sharpening with a little saw edge keeps your blade from wandering around if your dressing an animal out

[@myriaddsystems]

Is a burr that you're talking about?

[@rubo1964]

Bought cheap Chinese knock off but decent all aluminum jig 40 dollars and another 30dollars diamond plates. For 70 dollars works real well. Thought to share

[@muss.mal.nachdenkenmensch3460]

Basically an advertisement.

[@32thedoctor]

Actually if you watch a real barber, they bring the razor across the strop and at the end of the stroke rotate the razor 180 degrees across the spine of the razor, thus avoiding any contact of the edge. It's the spine that rolls across the strop, not the edge.

[@MichaelLeeOne]

I can't even get my straight razor shaving sharp, lol

[@richardwalkden6349]

Entry music too Loud!

[@robertcampbell3900]

I was taught to pull the blade away from the edge

[@PhillipStewart-k7f]

My grandfather had a blue n black rock he used made knifes sharp somebody through it away I was as hell😢

[@libertiner1380]

nobody gets a space shuttel to sharpen a knife

[@rickyshultz2051]

My strop holds my pants up !

[@SariClark-z9j]

Thats how my Dad shaved. The strop hung next to the mirror

[@martinabbate3599]

The first time in my life was in boot camp "GRITS"

[@robertmercer9117]

Unless you are a barber or butcher, most of this equipment seems like overkill for the average knife owner. While I like a keen edge, my equipment is more simplistic and dramatically less expensive.

[@mehmd1913]

Triangle Sharp Maker.

[@IAmNoeyes]

That's not how I strop. I use a old leather tool bag belt, I stand on one end and pull it tight then run the knife on the raw side. no compound just use a bit of Ballistol oil and water. I want to get the little sharping tool this guy has

[@gregmurray4169]

That marking fluid on your finger tips had me thinking "yeah, he got her sharp", lol.

[@MrStanwillis]

Why?😊😊😊

[@bantcliff]

meh got 4mins in, looks like an sponsored advert for Halstrom?, not aimed at me. Thanks, youtube but try again with your recommendations. Good luck with your channel though.

[@glenturner1668]

Cool ta

[@richardbritton7766]

Oh man that's what's wrong with this area you don't need no damn thing like that man just sharpen it on a stone you don't need no balancer and all that crap come on man

[@GenasysMech]

I've always just stropped with the inside of my belt...

[@nonliberal9642]

Go braves...

[@billjenkins5693]

THIN blades cut best

[@dehypnotizerz]

It's a total overkill for the normal user 😐