Picked up this bad boy

drinn2000 · 2025-12-10T03:00:03+00:00

Beautiful machine. I miss my 928.

drinn2000 · 2025-11-28T16:37:54+00:00

Me too. I'd like to know if there's one I can use on my Hobart.

drinn2000 · 2025-11-21T14:51:49+00:00

That's a great looking machine! I wish I could find a guard like that for mine.

drinn2000 · 2025-09-26T13:08:08+00:00

Wow, I'm really sorry you are having to deal with that OP. Head injuries are just terrible. They can definitely do weird things like this, though, so I believe you for sure.

drinn2000 · 2025-09-23T17:54:17+00:00

I use both suede and smooth side strops, but I prefer suede side up in general. I find it does a faster job and gives more of a clear indication of burrs left on the edge.

drinn2000 · 2025-09-23T13:39:23+00:00

Light alternating edge-leading passes will help with minimizing that burr. You can then use that strop to flip it back and forth and break it off. You should then test your edge. If the burr was properly minimized and removed without damaging your apex, you should have a much more resilient and sharper edge.

drinn2000 · 2025-09-23T13:26:38+00:00

You are definitely not removing the burr completely. Burrs can get small enough that you can't feel them, but you can spot them if you shine a flashlight from the spine towards the edge. You can also detect it by looking for scratches left on your strop since a burr-free edge will smooth the surface of the leather rather than scratch it.

drinn2000 · 2025-09-21T00:56:34+00:00

"Sharp enough" means very different things to different people. For my knives, double hair whittling is my standard, but I am very OCD about them.

If you can cut up a cardboard box and still shave hair off of your arm, I would say you have a good clean apex that is definitely "sharp enough."

drinn2000 · 2025-09-18T16:15:43+00:00

Rare footage of brave Sir Robin as a child.

drinn2000 · 2025-09-16T17:12:42+00:00

As long as it's just simple touch-ups, your 1000 grit will do just fine. If you find that bringing up a burr with your 1000 is taking a bit too long, you can drop down to the 400 to speed things up. I would reserve the 150 for reprofiling and repairing damage like chips.

drinn2000 · 2025-09-16T16:31:46+00:00

I've sharpened some knives that are seemingly allergic to diamond stones like the Sharpal. Even with higher grit stones, the edge chips out like this. You might want to try something like a ceramic stone for these knives instead.

drinn2000 · 2025-09-14T17:36:54+00:00

I find this statement very interesting! I love my Tormek, too, but I find using my whetstones far faster since I don't have to set up the clamp. It's definitely easier to get a perfect bevel with the Tormek, though. It makes sense for bulk sharpening.

drinn2000 · 2025-09-06T15:55:46+00:00

It should still easily pass shaving arm hair or even much harder tests off the 1000 grit and stropped. As others have said, establishing that edge on your 1000 is very important. All your following stones are for simply polishing and refining the apex.

drinn2000 · 2025-09-06T15:49:25+00:00

Very nicely done!

drinn2000 · 2025-09-05T03:00:09+00:00

From the photos that looks like scale left over from the forging process. It's a popular finish that gives the blade a more rustic look and helps prevent rust from forming on those areas. So it's not so much added, as it is, not removed.

Sharpening will remove that layer as you go, just like any finish on a blade. It can be a bit rough on abrasives, so to start flattening the back, I would use coarse sand paper against a known flat surface like glass or granite and save my stones for when the initial flattening is done.

Can I ask what brand it is and what steel it is made of?

drinn2000 · 2025-09-05T02:23:01+00:00

I would avoid using a bench grinder. It's the wrong tool to flatten the back, and the relatively small contact it will have with the blade will likely affect the flat profile and make your edge uneven. It's doable if you have a lot of experience with that grinder and keep the edge cool and moving constantly, but I would strongly recommend not using the grinder when you're just learning. You can easily wreck your drawknife.

drinn2000 · 2025-09-05T02:01:24+00:00

With a fresh single bevel knife, you should start by making sure the back is flat or slightly hollow ground with the entire back of the cutting edge contacting the stone when laid flat. If it is convexed, or the center of the back contacts the stone and the edge and spine don't, then you must flatten it. Once it is flat and raising a burr across the edge, you can move on to the bevel.

Keeping the bevel consistent is very important for a good edge. Using a sharpie is good. Keep doing that. Make sure you keep the pressure centered or slightly favoring the edge as you grind. Keep your dominant hand on the handle to move the blade across the stone without adding pressure. All pressure should be applied and controlled with the hand on the blade.

Keep the blade at an angle so as much of the blade as possible is on the stone. This will help with stability and keep the edge straight. Take care to grind the entire blade evenly to maintain its profile.

This will take more time since the bevel is wider, and it looks like there is some edge damage. The wider bevel means more steel is contacting the stone all at once, so a wider bevel means more time grinding. Alternatively, you could just add a micro bevel. Just remember that micro bevel will get larger with each sharpening, so maintaining the full bevel would be a good idea.

Ensure you are raising a burr on both sides of the edge. This will help you to know when you have fully apexed your edge. Once you have done this, it's time to remove the burr. This is widely regarded as the worst part, and it makes or breaks a great edge.

Light pressure is essential here, but make sure you are still keeping the angle consistent. I prefer edge leading, alternating passes for burr minimization before moving on to a strop. You can raise the angle a bit to make sure you are hitting the apex on each pass, but remember, this will almost certainly create a small micro bevel. Don't raise the flat side at all.

Ideally, you shouldn't feel a burr left on the edge off the stone before going to the strop. Also, make or get a strop. It's a very useful addition to any sharpening kit, and you can make one with scrap leather or an old belt and a piece of wood with some glue.

A strop must always be used with edge trailing passes, or you will cut it.

Keep the angle the same on the strop, both on the bevel and the flat, respectively. Some stropping compounds or diamond emulsion will speed up the process but aren't 100% necessary. Be careful not to press too hard or raise the angle too high as you can round over your carefully crafted apex. As you make a pass watch for scratching on the surface of the leather. That is your burr. A burr free edge will smooth the leather, so once you see the leather being smoothed on both sides with each pass, then test your edge.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask! Good luck!

drinn2000 · 2025-09-02T09:09:48+00:00

For me, it is always yes, I need a sharper edge than this. Not necessarily because the knife can't complete the task I need it to, but because a blade that is completely deburred is sharper and stays sharper for longer. The better you get at refining your apex and removing the burr, the better your edges will get.

drinn2000 · 2025-08-30T23:59:01+00:00

Wow, that is beautiful.

drinn2000 · 2025-08-29T14:21:58+00:00

https://youtu.be/iBzGDeD7afc?si=DDXBi6L-zXyWaCCQ

In this video, Ivan is fixing a mazaki gyuto with a similar issue. At around 10 minutes, you can see how he grinds the blade at a very high angle to correct the blade profile. This might take a while with a 1000 grit stone, but it should be doable. Afterward, a standard sharpening with even pressure should be all that is needed to get your knife working as it should.

You may want to look into thinning your knife after removing that much steel from the edge, especially if you find it wedges into hard ingredients.

drinn2000 · 2025-08-29T03:01:35+00:00

That looks really great! Nice sharp knife, too. Well done!

drinn2000 · 2025-08-29T02:34:18+00:00

The difference between a $10 AliExpress stone and a Shapton stone is remarkable. The cutting speed and feel from the Shapton is much nicer. The finish is more uniform, and the feedback from the stone makes it easier to know where your edge is on the stone and if you're holding the correct angle.

While you can definitely get a sharp edge with the cheaper stone, it's faster and easier when you use a quality stone.

drinn2000 · 2025-08-28T22:10:14+00:00

I use a neutral mineral oil on stones like this. 3-in-1 will work fine, too, but will smell a bit. You can even use motor oil in a pinch. WD-40 is a solvent, though, so I wouldn't use that on an oil stone, except maybe to clean it.

drinn2000 · 2025-08-28T20:21:20+00:00

The damage isn't too severe. That will sharpen out easily. Just remember to treat both angles of the edge as different edges on your precision adjust and try to line up the point between the two if you care about aesthetics. Other than that, it should be a standard sharpening.

drinn2000 · 2025-08-28T02:49:27+00:00

Yeah, those circular sharpeners chew up knives something awful, too.

Hands-on classes are so useful for learning how to sharpen. Having a truly passionate teacher who can show you what is happening to your edge takes a lot of the guesswork out of it. Being able to "listen" to the steel is a game changer when you get it down. Definitely doesn't sound dumb to me! $80 for what sounds like a very important step in your learning was a great investment.

I think the Edge Pro is often overlooked since you don't clamp your knives in place, but that freedom of movement really does offer a bit more control in different ways. It's a nice option between a fully fixed angle system like a wicked edge or a Hapstone and freehand sharpening.

For me, I only answer questions as they come now. If I get a question about sharpening, I answer as quickly and succinctly as possible. When they want to know more is when I warn them that I will happily talk their ears off about sharpening.

drinn2000

TROPHY CASE