You're Sharpening At The Wrong Angle, And Its Why You Can't Get A Razor Edge

You're Sharpening At The Wrong Angle, And Its Why You Can't Get A Razor Edge
Why knife sharpening angle guides can miss-lead you and keep you from getting a sharp knife.
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Personal statement⬇️
As an affiliate, I earn commissions from qualifying purchases, at no additional cost to you.
I bought everything in this video with my own money, and am free to link to anything I want.
Recommendations, comments, and criticisms, are based on personal experience with products.
At this time, (time of video upload, subject to change) I am NOT sponsored by any company.
Thanks
Chapters:
00:00The problem with edge angle guides
01:33 looking at different knives on an guide.
03:20 Why are angle guides keeping you knives dull?
04:29 Can I sharpen a knife at 25 degrees? NO
05:40 The biggest mistake beginners make with angles!
05:59 A beginners biggest fear is probably not what you think.
08:12 What if you really DO go too steep?
10:52 Its complicated sorta..
12:50 What angle I use for my bevels.
13:47 The rule of thumb for angles.

[@OUTDOORS55]

I should have made this more clear in the video but the angle finder is placed on the FLAT portion of the knife near the ricasso. The flat portion is parallel to the knives centerline. So this shows the exact angle we are sharpening at without being affected by the bevels. Here is a video explaining this better➡ kzbin.info/www/bejne/rqa2d42cbdulfcU Best VALUE stone as of now➡amzn.to/3yrojAY Angle guides➡amzn.to/3wHKr9z Angle finder➡amzn.to/3ymKRmr These are Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

[@MichaelRainabbaRichardson]

Links to tools?

[@SOLDIER_OF_GOD777]

I have to admit you was right on the money! I placed the top bevel on my 20 degree guide and ran it through and it made a total difference both in paper cutting and hair and actually had no resistance cutting through a cheap paper towel. Really appreciate this video and your knowledge my friend 👍🙏

[@sterlingmullins1011]

I see that on a lot of the knives you sharpen, in regards to the blade shade, the edges are relatively "straight" from heel to tip. Do you have any recommended material on sharpening edges on say a clip point, bowie type tip, or similar? Feels like I am having difficulty maintaining consistent contact with the stone towards the tip as I have to adjust the angle I hold the knife.

[@socjocke]

Hehe, I jumped to the comments to say this, nice to see you corrected it :)

[@giladyassur]

You can measure the spine thickness and the blade height, and then calculate a rough (but fairly accurate) approximation for the angle of your blade using the triangle formed by these measurements. Half of the smaller angle of that triangle represents the additional angle created by the knife thickness when sharpening. To determine the true angle you are sharpening at, simply add this angle to the one on your angle finder.

[@bostwix]

He is THE Edge Lord. ❤

[@danieldvora3637]

Lol. you just had say that...

[@amitbentsur6947]

Big time!

[@MrBearbait75]

I disagree with you. He is the edge GOD!!! 😂😂

[@mundusmamon5834]

Why not both? ​@@MrBearbait75

[@PW-72648]

Bruh

[@michaelstankiewicz8780]

Alex, I’m a 68 year young knife maker out of PA, making folders since 1983. I enjoy your honest and detailed videos. I always find a little nugget of knowledge I can add to my toolbox - sort of like re reading a favorite book again for the third time. For those that are just starting out on their knife sharpening journey, here’s a tip that should correct the problem that’s been correctly described in this video. If the knife you’re planning to sharpen has an, exposed full thickness and parallel flat, in front of the handle - Double face tape the plastic wedge to the CLEAN diamond stone so it sticks out approximately 1/4” beyond the edge of the stone. Place the flat of the blade in front of the handle, not the blade bevel itself, against the wedge and you should be now be holding the knife at the sharpening at the angle marked on the wedge. Depending on your sharpening technique you may need to either purchase another set of wedges or simply cut the one you have in half to allow two reference positions when switching to the other side of the blade. Sharp Knives, an enjoyable slice of life. Enjoy Mike

[@jacekkieblesz655]

It can be the best Chanel I have seen so far about how to sharpen knives. Thank you for a great job.

[@m4rvinmartian]

Anytime anyone dares argue with me about sharpening a knife, I just tell them, watch all of his videos and get back to me.

[@OUTDOORS55]

Lol thanks! Btw who's arguing with you about sharpening?😉

[@m4rvinmartian]

@@OUTDOORS55 As a private chef you 'invade the space' of kitchen warriors backed by an Amazon Army. *So you break out a humble 50 year old glass smooth Arkansas stone, to 'feel' if your edge is clean on a gloriously long and perfect slicing knife of unknown but definite antique age, and they want to snatch it from your primitive hands with a, **_"oh no, I got a machine for that silly"_** and wreck it through their newest whizz/brrrt sharpener that they bought on one of their wine adventures through the Amazon forest.* Your choices at this point: - surrender your weapon to the enemy and lose a knife you cannot replace, - embarrass the person who probably argued with her hubbs to have you here, by explaining how geometry and physics works, and lose future business, - or... smart method, don't bring 100% important knives with you in your case, throw in 2-3 sacrificial ones, and agree with her, and suggest she start with those, because they are the most important and will need to be used next.

[@FanaticTentacle]

Thank you! That is a really good explanation and guidelines. May I suggest a video idea? You have all these cool sharpening videos, I really like them. But most of the time you sharpen a small knife on a big stone. I have trouble sharpening my kitchen knifes (size like the dollar store one you showed here) on the small Sharpal you recommended. You dont seem to have problems with this, but I cant quite figure out how you do it. (Especially when the knife is not straight all the way to the tip, but starts to do a curve. How do I hold the angle there?) Maybe you could do a short video on this topic?

[@KeithCooper-Albuquerque]

Yes! I have wanted a little more on kitchen knives. I have a Henckles 8" chef's knife (30 years old) with ice-hardened steel. I am getting is sharp but not as sharp as I'd like.

[@scotto541]

Yes, please!

[@jpstocks63]

This would be fantastic. I do love your videos. More videos on bigger / kitchen knives would awesome.

[@joshcarter-com]

I do my larger knives in sections, just doing whatever length of edge is comfortable for the stone, then moving down a bit and overlapping the sections.

[@Alexander_Sannikov]

smaller stones are just worse in my experience. I also ordered a small sharpal and i was really struggling with it. then the big one came back in stock, I ordered that one and it was much better.

[@kxrsuperstar]

Alex, just wanted to tell you that since your last video, you’ve picked up a lot of positive opinion on Reddit, especially in r/sharpening. Those fine guys and gals over there love your content and speak highly of you.

[@Judgement_Kazzy]

Damn, you know it's good advice when even the redditors are happy

[@OUTDOORS55]

Awesome! Some good people over there sometimes 👍

[@m4rvinmartian]

@@Judgement_Kazzy Joke? Reddit is leftist trash.

[@samhunter6813]

Sometimes 😂

[@ashtonsprunger4647]

Did anyone think that was an axe in the thumbnail?

[@Mrplacedcookie]

Those macro shots are stellar!

[@MrBowser2012]

I recently bought the Sharpal Stone with the angle guide and last weekend i had to sharpen the same garden knife twice. I realized the problem with the angle guide right away. I was using the 17 degree side of the guide but the knife looked like it was at 25 degrees. I was able to use the guide but only after repositioning the blade on guide so that most of the knife wasn't contacting the guide. Thanks for addressing that!

[@CerusVI]

Right? Isn't this kind of incredibly obvious? What do some people think a sharpening stone is doing mechanically?

[@skepticynic5150]

FINALLY!!! Thank you, Alex! You’ve finally addressed the issue I’ve been trying to get an answer to for ages. Same goes for fixed angle sharpeners. If the center line of the blade isn’t parallel to the clamp, the angle won’t be accurate. Even the Ken Onion sharpener. You still have to account for the bevel. Hope you’re feeling better!

[@carloschaparro07]

Same! I asked the same in the last video.

[@kadmow]

- yes the clamp also may or may not centre the knife properly. (figuring out the design taper of the blade is important - everybody can make use of an angle finder.) Fixed angle systems at least allow you to get a consistent (machine like) primary bevel.

[@ryanwolf7252]

Im glad you addressed this, i just got that sharpening stone, and was wondering about just this.

[@Votum123]

Same here, the best timing for this video to come out for me as I've just started sharpening and already have decent results but I know I'm not quite there yet.

[@scottmoore5359]

76 year-old guy here, who's spent his whole life with dull knives, wondering why they never, no matter what I do, get sharp. I've watched your channel for 4 months now, and I know more about sharpening than is comfortable in a non-sharpening conversation. However, this video is closer to the holy grail area than most of your other tutorials. I bought some diamond stones, got a strop and some compound, grabbed a couple of knives, and did exactly what you're talking about here. I got them kinda paper-cutting sharp, but not shaving sharp, and wound up growlingly frustrated at why it's so easy for you, and so impossible for me. I was, after my move, going to buy some angle guides (glad I haven't yet), because I intuitively felt that the angle issue was where I was falling down. In addition, I think I was substituting pressure for angle effects, and I found that the more pressure I used, the longer it took me to built the burr. Frustrated again. Most of my knives are kitchen / chef knives, most the dollar-store-knife situation - same non-taper from the top to bottom of the knife. In a month or so, when I can dig out my stones (after my move), I have some really new techniques to try. Thank you. My goal is to become the sharpening guru for our extended family, and I'm gradually getting there. Hope your health improves. I've dealt with long Covid issues, and the problems of doctors not being able to pin down cause/effect is a big part of my life. Get better.

[@logic.and.reasoning]

My dad gave me his fathers tomahawk. He never knew his father as he died when my dad was 2yrs old. It was all he had left. We moved states and he found it in the garage, and after our move, gave it to me cleaned up with a std handle when i was 12. I threw the handle and handmade a new one using Australian hardwood. I then ground the entire thing on a belt sander, hand sanded it, polished it down to 1500 grit wet n dry. I heat treated and oil dipped several times. Re sanded, blued it, fitted the waxed wood handle with a hand made brass wedge., and sharpened it over two weeks of spare time. I showed dad, and he couldn't believe it. Great moment to see him realise how i had treated it with respect. It hung in our family business behind his desk on a framed family photo collage that was added to with each passing down. I ended up passing it on to my son after my marriage split, explaining the family story, and that it was probably over 100 yrs old the times it had been restored, and that it was gifted to him as a present for his own kids etc. A few years later he posted a video of him and his friends throwing this tomahawk at the trees and his rear fence while drunk. It was clamped into the picture frame with the family photos, behind glass. So it probably wasnt removed with care, and the family pictures, ... no respect. He abused me when i was angry with him next time we met. Said it was "just an axe". ... We dont talk any more. My son become "woke". And an arse.

[@BladeLabMiami]

If you have an angle cube, it's easy to measure the angle of the primary bevel (not the edge bevel) on most knives. Place the cube at the edge of a table, with the long side facing you. Zero it out. Then lay the blade of the knife on the table with the butt of the handle facing you (with the handle hanging in the air). Place the cube on the blade and measure the angle. Divide that in two, and you have the angle of the primary grind. Add that number to whatever guide you're using to determine the actual sharpening angle.

[@user-lw7pe9nr3x]

The thing is that the surfaces of many knives hasn't flat and it means that We can't use angle meter to get angle correctly with. My best regards.

[@BladeLabMiami]

@@user-lw7pe9nr3x True enough, but you can't really use an angle wedge on those sorts of knives anyway.

[@OUTDOORS55]

Yeah, you can zero it and then that's your angle on any bevel. I think very few people will actually have an angle finder though. Haha 😂

[@Blueski888]

@@OUTDOORS55Hey Alex: You can install a free angle finder on any cellphone.

[@ryanyoung3890]

@@OUTDOORS55 if they have a smartphone they can download an angle finder app (at least I know I have one on my iphone) and it isn’t perfect but it works well enough for me to do what was described.

[@Jesus4444me]

Another solid gold video, thank you so much for this clarity! We love everything you create and share. The best! God bless you brother!

[@johndonato3638]

Fantastic - thanks! I noticed this same thing when I got my Sharpal, with the orange angle guide. I was working on a 0.25" thickness blade in 440C stainless (Entrek) for camp/hunting use. I thought I would use the 20 deg guide. I realized that there was a big difference between the center line, and the actual angle against the stone. So I figured that using the 14 degree angle was closer to getting 20 degrees with that knife, and went with it. Then I eyeballed rotating the edge up a little from the guide to get closer to 14 deg. I'm getting shaving sharp, but not hair whittling - yet. Maybe when I get the strop...

[@weevilinabox]

13:53 "I hope I explained it well." A 15 minute video with absolutely no filler - not even a break for your wonderfully daft humour! - and packed with solid, detailed, reliable info backed up by who knows how many hours of experience and testing. Yes, Alex, you explained it well. I mean, who else is telling us about the edge retention benefits of adding half a degree to the bevel?

[@Gamescare]

You answered a question I've had for such a long time free handing. Thank you so much!!!!

[@C42WatChe42C]

I can't thank you enough for the priceless information you continually share with us. I have learned SO MUCH since stumbling upon your channel! THANK YOU!

[@SethCrowderMusic]

Thanks! I think not being afraid to sharpen at a steeper angle was just what i needed

[@rtlove_tubeless7454]

Thanks for all your helpful info. I had the same issue--cuts paper but won't shave. This baffled me because I could always get a shaving edge when I used my Arkansas stones. Your video inspired me to examine my technique using my cheap ($16 for a set of 4) diamond stones from amazon. I discovered that I had to strop with more strokes compared to sharpening with an Arkansas fine. Once I did this little tweak my knives all shaved after a proper stropping. It seems like diamond stones leave more of a burr, but again that may be my newbie technique--I still have much to learn, but that is part of the fun! Kind Regards

[@TdSharp]

Thank you for speaking on this subject! There's a lot of sharpeners on yt that are measuring their angles from the bevel.

[@krazmokramer]

Although I use a KME to sharpen (with an angle cube), I seem to be doing it backwards. I sharpen to approx 17.5 and no lower for fear of damage. I should be sharpening around 15 degrees and increase only if I detect damage according to this video. I'm certainly willing to give it a try. I do have a new custom made knife in D2 60hrc that I am reluctant to sharpen yet. It does shave from the maker, and I strop it daily. The edge seems to be holding up well. Cool that you featured Pete in this video. You and Pete are my 'go to guys' for ACCURATE knife/sharpening info! THANKS for this video!!

[@simonknox5580]

This has confirmed my issues I’ve been having. Thanks Alex your channel is the best out there, I simply don’t watch any others for sharpening advice

[@FerociousSniper]

I noticed this was the case, but it doesn't bother me because I am almost exclusively sharpening chef knives. I actually really like the angle guide. I thought I was sharpening at a 15° angle, but it turns out I was doing about 12°. This explains why my knives were getting dull super fast. Now they stay sharper longer.

[@mrrooter601]

if your chef knives are getting dull fast you are probably still doing something wrong. I was in the same boat for SUCH a long time despite practicing a lot and watching tons of videos. of course the thing this channel has shown to many people is that getting a proper burr and actually buffing it off with a strop is many times easier and more effective than any other popular methods. once it clicks, you will never struggle with dull knives again, it went from taking an hour to maintenance all my most used knives, to 10 minutes at most. even with a super small angle like that you should still be able to bring your chef knives back to razor sharp with a few passes on a strop (unless you are cutting bone or absolutely bashing them into wood). I used to redo the entire sharpening process every time they got dull (and they got DULL), maybe every few weeks. now that I have them sharpened properly (deburred on a stop with compound), even with a very small angle, my main chef knife wont even drop below paper cutting sharp in that same timeframe. which again is brought back to full shaving sharp with 20 passes on a strop with 5 micron compound. Its a pretty old set from Camillus, so minimum 20 years old at this point, so its not some fancy new steel or anything. of course maybe its just what steel your knives are made of, but whatever. the thing is, once you get your knife to an angle that works, you should not need a guide any more. to just touch an edge up even if you bring it back to a stone, if you go slow you can FEEL when the edge is at the right angle. Its lead me to only pull sharpen because its easier to feel that way. and once you get to the strop the angle is even more all feel. Like I said, I was in the same boat, then the tips from this channel clicked and suddenly I had perfect edges that lasted exponentially longer stayed sharper, and were MILES easier to bring back to as sharp or sharper than they had been before.

[@markparkerjr.9001]

Its so wild to finally see you using some different knives! Yet another awesome informative video. Thanks for all you do and sharing your experience and wisdom with all of us. Keep up the great work!

[@Ki7FNE]

This is the kind of content we need more of. Great job, extremely helpful. Thanks!!

[@filipefaria898]

One of the best videos about this subject! Monster! Thanks Alex

[@timmarshall4881]

Very interesting and helpful. Love and peace. Tim

[@brandonm3375]

Awesome video (again), and yes, very well explained! Thank you!

[@EmptyP]

Thanks for bringing this topic up. The only brand of angle guides that I've seen that address this very issue in their instructions are the Wedgek brand.

[@tonyrutten2293]

Thanks Alex! I'm a beginner & all your video's have helped immensely! Hope your feeling 100%!

[@wolfhja8734]

You are the best analytic sharpenig authority, who is able to bring the complexity of multi angle geometry, steel diferences, grit variation into an understandable explanation/demonstration. Simply a stellar perfomance!!!

[@carloschaparro07]

Thanks for answering!

[@danpost4755]

Another great video, Alex! Excellent explanation. Something I would like to see is how you would sharpen a long, thin blade such as a 9" filled knife. Thanks!

[@stephanel2324]

Crystal clear! Thanks

[@user-ff6pu1vj6x]

More good info. Thx! I was sharpening too steep, 20++ degrees. I'll be shooting for 17-20 degrees mostly now, sometimes less. Now I know how to check it better.

[@prjndigo]

Old knife sharpening guy I grew up near would make a prow-curve (like a boat) to the apex on knives he wasn't sure about and then rotate em up and down while taping the back with a metal rod to figure out what apex a knife needed. Didn't know if he was doing by sound or feel, but he got stuff shave sharp all the time. I presume there's a huge subtlety in that skill. Remember to leather strop your knives after washing them, it superheats the edge and vaporizes any moisture - but also remember the stropping angle is more acute because you're heating the blade not milling it. Leather stropping also gives a mild temper to the edge of iron blades like razors.

[@lumntoob999]

The wedgek agm angle guides come with 10 different guides with single degree increments from 10-20 degrees so I think those plus making adjustments as needed is a decent option. They also have a wider flat spot to rest the blade against instead of the pyramid shaped ones which I found can be tricky with staying flat against if you aren’t focused on it. Another cool thing I found is a video from a channel called Felix Immler, he shows a few great options to diy a laser goniometer dirt cheap so anyone can check the angles of there edges very accurately. I know you can get a few now for under $100 but these diy plans can be done from nearly free to under $20.

[@johnmarken3945]

Thank you this is quite helpful, what info I was looking for.

[@Ron-FX]

Nice to see an old technice again, as carpenter I learnded to sharpend my tools first at 25 degree for having a thinner blade to going into the wood, but after that going to a 30 degree angle for a bit so that you see like 2mm of that 30 degree angle over the 25 degree for lasting much longer sharpness. Chisels are flat on the backside so the angle seems to be more than for a knive but in reality its not (2x17=34 degree) And also if you look your knife: if its tapered it has also a double angled edge. Hope this makes sense. greatings and keep up with this !

[@Circa1664]

This was very helpful. Thanks.

[@javiersaturno9689]

Thanks very much for the vid, it is greatly instructive

[@flyingsodwai1382]

Good Job. The music reminds me of the 80's and my trusty ole C64!

[@JM-wy1st]

Another well thought of analysis on sharpening rationale and techniques. Thanks!

[@MrMarsBlades]

Awesome, as soon as i realized what impact the geometry with all of it's intricacies has on a the cutting performance and the ability to hold an edge the quality of my sharpening leapt 10 fold. Cheers

[@arubanjames]

Always good info!

[@radrad5119]

Your videos are really helpful. Pretty much everything I know about sharpening has come from your channel. I sharpened one of my dad's kitchen knives last time I went home and he texted me the other day saying he was using it to cut up a chicken and that it worked amazingly. I was relieved to hear that because I was 90% sure he was about to say he cut his finger off or something. Thanks for the videos. If you take requests, I'd like a video(s) about more niche blades. Maybe serrated blades, recurved blades, and blades that have heavy curves where it's hard not to bend the wrist.

[@paulhiltibidal8626]

I think this is the 4th video I have watched, and I just wanted to say thank you. You do a terrific job of explaining and showing exactly what is going on and what needs to go on. Just subscribed today, keep up the great work!

[@OUTDOORS55]

Thanks for the sub! Really appreciate it👍👍🙏

[@symons666]

Always great information thanks mate !!

[@charliep1098]

I want to say thankyou so much for making this video. I am a new user. I 3d printed myself my own angle guides. On certain knives it as been too obtuse and i have also been struggling with burr removal despite using a strop aswell(1micron dmt, im waiting for 6micron to become available to me). I will take your words into account and try to put more acute angles on said knives.

[@Old52Guy]

This is the best explanation of sharpeningI've ever heard. It answers and solves my problems with getting a good edge. I don't really care about a razor sharp edge since they seem to dull quickly. But I would like a good strong edge that lets me dress out an elk without having to stop and sharpen. Thanks and good luck!

[@TheLlamea]

Woahhhhh, now I know why my knife gets dull within a couple minutes of putting it to wood... I just figured my technique had general suck. I guess I'll have to make myself a strop now, lol. Thank you for the video! I am pretty new to sharpening and I am certain that your content is saving me hours and hours of confused frustration. In particular I appreciate that you are unrelentingly specific about the physical mechanics and properties of these things--that way I am learning not just what to do, but why. It makes a huge difference. :)

[@fredp1983]

Great thorough info!

[@danocancu1678]

Killin me with the Neeves knives interview being under a price wall. Understandable, but it makes my poor self very sad. Y’all 2 guys are some of my favorite sharpeners on the tubes! Certainly the 2 of you have taught me more than anyone else. I’m actually pretty darn good at freehand now and it’s like a zen process for me ! Thanks.

[@OUTDOORS55]

Sorry! We didn't actually film it to be published in full. It was to gather some content in smaller portions for future videos. I wasn't even going to publish it till we talked about it in the end. We will be doing more stuff together in the future for sure!

[@Zenkai76]

I used the angle finder to help find out the best place to put my thumb as a guide so I could focus on free hand sharpening with your method. It actually came in handy because at first my angle I was sharming at was too low and I wasn't getting good results.

[@Psyytrance00]

It takes practice and good guidance,which you provide. 😁 And that's it. From the very begining i didn't want to use those guides. I wanted to train my hand,so i can execute the right angle if you would woke me at 3 am. And i've learned. So for all of you that are disencouraged,it's not that hard. Practice is all you need.

[@ColdHawk]

Nice video! Good to see you posting. Hope you’ve been feeling better!

[@quintonrichards4805]

As a new sharpener, this video helped turn the lights on for the knife angle to use. Like the principle of lining up that angle makes sense and I could do it with different blade thicknesses rather than that $1 flat kitchen knife. Thank you!

[@jeffcanfixit]

Good to see you banging out the content Alex.. I always learn something or change my perspective. Like being devoted to my pest control. 🤪 I still can't get past that email. 👍👍🔪

[@tothepoint7258]

Just had this issue and I could not figure out my issue. Thank you so much!

[@johnhensley6077]

I literally just finished using that exact system he's using and actually dulling my knife making the exact mistakes he demonstrated when he posted this video lol! It posted perfectly on time for me! I was so frustrated and confused. Thank you so much for making this video. Your like the Master Yoda of knife sharpening!

[@horstelvis83]

Thx! This really gave an answer to a longer time question! Appreciated! And I am a bit relieved that tapered blades just deviate by 2-3 degrees.

[@jasonbruno3483]

Spot-on, Alex!!!

[@howardbrinkdoepke2014]

Man. I have learned so much from this simple video. Thank you

[@AlbiesProductsOnline]

Yes you explained it well, you are extremely helpful and understanding what your trying to accomplish is easy to follow thank you ☺️

[@michel_g]

That was great. Thank you.

[@Julian-yx4we]

Geez man, your videos never fail to impress! Thanks for all the consistent and valuable information in such a tight and concise presentation. Love your videos.

[@erikziak1249]

I never had an angle guide and basically free-handed. If I saw this videos way back when I started, I would not have to learn on my own mistakes. I got the apex much pointier than was needed. The knives were quite sharp, but they lost sharpness rather fast. And that might have been the reason why even a honing steel removed material by my observation, as it removed any remaining burr (or even rolling over apex?). And it still does remove material, because I did too pointy apexes for a long time and have it in my muscle memory. But I am trying to become better each time. I had nobody to learn from, watched no videos, read no books. Trial and error. This channel is very good, even though it is not about kitchen knives. Luckily I ruined no knives over all those years, just made my life harder. I am talking about kitchen knives that cut only food, not wood, cardboard or bones. The most used knife is a 16 cm long Zwilling Twin Pollux Ice Hardened which is rated at 55 to 58 HRC. Thanks to its rather "low" hardness (it is by far not the top of the line), I did not experience any chipping even with a rather pointy apex. It is lightweight and cuts very good in my opinion when sharpened. Even though it is the "cheap" stamped type, not forged. I do have a "better" (and longer) knife, and it cuts maybe a bit better, but working with it is exhausting. I use it only to cut/chop big pieces of food, e.g. cabbage. But I have yet to resharpen it and use the 5000 Shapton Kuromaku, which I acquired only a couple of weeks ago. I hope to get it sharper than ever, hair wiggling sharp (I never achieved that before).

[@Beldraakthesludir]

Locally my knives are the sharpest anyone has seen which makes me think I should make a sharpening video, then I remember your content and scrap the whole idea. Keep up the great work! For anyone that want to take a deep dive into the surprisingly complicated science of sharpening, you have done the knife world the greatest service imaginable. Hat tip, bow, and kudos to you sir!

[@Ginger_Beard_Man]

I realised this the first time i used that little block. Started using the little bubble level guide from sharpal on the flat of the blade straight away.

[@scotto541]

Thank you for what you do here! And also, I (and I'm quite sure We) appreciate the integrity with which you approach these videos. I bet that can't always be easy, but please know it is effective in building trust.

[@trubkir]

Thanks for the great explanation. I know from experience in cutting tapers in a machine shop that a small error in setting the taper angle is doubled on the part you are machining. If I may can I ask you to do a video on sharpening tanto style knives? I have received a couple now but I am unsure of how to keep the transition of the blade a sharp point without rounding it off.

[@Shiftdougler]

Very informative! As always

[@mitchelltj1]

So glad I saw this as I was about to use the same edge angle on a slightly tapered knife blade.

[@IntelWond]

It was very interesting to watch, especially the info on a $1 knife. Still a lot to learn.) Will try to get that perfect edge on cheap kitchen knives.

[@bigmikeg84]

This definitely lines up with my experiences a few years ago when I bought my first stones. I bought a bevel angle guide to determine the angle, and using a stone guide to hold that angle during sharpening, but the bevel would turn out awful. Took me a while to figure it out and ditch the guides.

[@lamarwilliams185]

Thanks for your time. Explains stuff I will not understand. I do have idea. I have a problem feeling a burr. I will feel a burr ( what I think is a burr) in certain parts of a knife. Not along the whole edge. Thanks for your advice!!!

[@saincoat]

I love your videos. Thanks for all your work and effort you put into this project

[@johncorso9701]

So when do you start offering 2-4 hour sharpening clinics? I'd pay for that. Recently got the two-sided diamond sharpal stone. I find I like the diamond feedback and cutting much better on the diamond stones. Keep up the good work!

[@martinhafner2201]

The first time I saw those edge guides, my first thought was that the angle is being added to the grind angle. A lot of my pocket knives have a total grind angle of about 8 degrees or 4 degrees per side. I tend towards high sabre grinds and some FFG. So I've never used them. They measure the angle from the wrong reference. But you bring up a good point. They can be used with a little compensation. I would need to find or make some 12-15 degree angle guides to cover my high sabre and FFG knives. My trick for finding the existing angle on a knife is to clamp it into my Lansky sharpener and slide a quarter inch dowel along the edge towards the angle slots, as if it were a sharpening stone, adjusting from a shallow angle going more obtuse until it bites on the dowel. The Lansky angle reading is only approximately accurate, so I measure the half width at the back of the clamp to the discovered angle slot and measure the distance from the apex to the front of the back of the clamp (as close to the centerline as possible). If you divide the half width by the apex distance and then apply the arc tangent, you'll get the half angle of the actual edge with only very small confounding factors. I found my BM North Fork came from the factory with 25 degrees on one side and 35 on the other, so it was time for some heavy diamond grinding. It was much easier to do because I knew exactly what I was getting into instead of trying to sharpen it armed with half truths or complete fiction.

[@stevenlip9936]

Greatings from Germany. Thanks a lot for your videos. You are the reason why I bought a sharpening stone, made my own strop and still trying to focus and getting better in sharpening knives. So all of our knives at home are "test objects". Thanks again for all of your videos. Most of them are very well explained. So beginners can get your advices, can understand them und use them while sharpening. Great. I usually don´t comment at KZbin. I think you are my 3rd comment after years of using this plattform. But you and your videos with all the helpful information earn it. Stay/become healthy and keep going what you do!

[@samistarii]

Invaluable information , very few yters go into such great detail

[@patrickray7434]

Dude, GREAT video. Thank you for making this one. It was a huge help!

[@ghyslainsabourin780]

excellent. now for part II , sharpening a karambit.

[@No-ub5ju]

dang, i actually used exactly that angle guide thing with my knife that has a relatively thicker spine and at first it actually could cut hair if i put enough pressure, but soon after i realised that it had some micro chipping and it didnt cut well after cutting a rope-like object. Thanks for clearing this up.

[@mick1turner]

I love how you and Pete ( from Cedric and Ada ) are referencing each other as you are both my go to knife video guys and have been for a few years. Thanks for another great video. I'm always learning something new.

[@OUTDOORS55]

Pete is hilarious and has a great channel. Hes been around a LONG time. Even Dr. Larrin Thomas from knife steel nerds referenced Pete in his book. Thats how you know you've officially made it🙂

[@holgermuller3760]

Thank you again, and my best whishes, incl. health and everything.

[@6Shooter357]

If the sharpening angle of the blade is measured from the blade centerline, then the digital angle finder wouldn’t be accurate because it’s adding the angle of half the thickness of the blade. Pretty much, the same thing that is skewing the plastic angle gauge is going to skew the digital angle finder. The true blade angle would be half way between the plastic gauge and the digital gauge.

[@christopherlaborde1670]

Hope your health is getting better 🤞, Thank you for the great content!

[@olivvapor4873]

Great review as always ! Where can I purchase that cool magnetized block indicating angles ? 😀

[@axion8788]

This video illustrates the importance of wine when sharpening. After my final strop I ALWAYS pull the edge through a synthetic wine cork to completely remove any invisible burr. After that, testing for sharpness yields a reliable result.

[@000gjb]

I own a Tormek wet stone sharpening machine. The plastic guide labelled as the Anglemaster WM-200 which you use to set the post height and cutting angle of the blade, has angled notches from 16 to 70 degrees on the edge of the Anglemeter to measure the angle of the beveled edges of the blade. Can be purchased separately.

[@Keith_the_knife_freak]

Thanks for sharing 👍👍🙏😊

[@KeithCooper-Albuquerque]

Great video, once again!

[@barneyruckus]

Thank you for this

[@HyakuJuu01300]

Great work as always

[@foxbritten]

This is some top tier work, kudos

[@paullmight42]

ty for this...i been asking these exact same questions for weeks haha

[@arizflash]

I have some of the sharpening stone you recommended; the Shapton Kuromaku 320 and 1000 and the Sharpal diamond. I'm starting the get the feel of free hand sharpening. However, i prefer my Hapstone RS sharpener. I tend to sharpen at 17 deg per side and if it is a hard use knife I add a 20 deg micro bevel and then strop to debur on 1 micron diamond leather strop. This seen to help on 420C, 440C and the Chinese alphabet steels.

[@iainmccallum3860]

Great content and super useful information. It's a tough subject to cover in a way that everyone can benefit. I'm a noob and I got this so i hope you get a ton of engagement and appreciation.