I’ve read on bushcraft channels that if you’re ever lost in the woods you should sit down to sharpen your knife. Someone will find you to tell you you’re doing it wrong. 😆 Nice tutorial.
@@stroys7061 I’m an old fart and relatively new to YT, only a couple of years. But wow, there’s a lot of experts out there! You could post a video of laying gold eggs and someone would complain!
Occasionally, you come across someone who has the inherent gift of articulating the English language. This fellow is one of those rare, gifted speakers.
I'm 72 and it's very rarely I've come across someone who can hold my interest for so long, being articulate as you say but also no bull, no fancy look and making it obvious that he's been there, done it and wants others to do the same, great video.
What strikes you is that this gentleman speaks with the reassurance and fluidity of a well-educated man, when he is, in fact, a "working-class" person. The cultural assumption (and prejudice) here is that a working man isn't educated enough to speak well. Unfortunately, this is usually correct. Working-class folks don't usually frequent literary circles, go the opera, or read elevated literature. There are exceptions, however. Toastmasters International, I understand, offers a speech-centered environment where class distinctions vanish and all that matters is your ability to speak well.
I wish this guy was my grandfather. I lost my dad when I was young and iv never known ether of my grandpas. The things iv had to figure out on my own! Thank God for TH-cam and men like this one here, willing to share information with us. God bless the USA 🇺🇸 🇺🇸
Bulls eye fish ! ! My Dad was always on the road and my grandfather (bless his heart) was a grumpy bastard. He was a bank president and didn't have these type of skills. I gotcha brutha.
Thanks for making these videos. I’m 29 and lost my dad a few years back and don’t really have any male peers. It’s hard for me to explain but there really is a need for guys like yourself.
I’m willing to bet that if you’re interested in filling that void, and you have the ability to 1)show up early 2)work hard 3)respect the guy 4)realize & appreciate that if he is a professional tradesman/construction worker, and you’re learning from him- count your lucky stars! That’s priceless knowledge that you can hone, and be able to hire on with a shop, or bid on jobs yourself and get rid of the boss if you don’t need them.Bottom line is - be able to do the work that scares people and/or baffles them, and you’ll always be in demand. 👍🏼
Same, I lost my Dad when I was 9 years old and I'm 67 now. Still can't sharpen a knife to save my life. Many, many other things I never learned how to do and many mistakes made.
Too many people I know are afraid of sharp knives. You need to *respect* a sharp knife. But a dull knife (or other tool) scares me more than a sharp knife, because a dull knife needs to be forced to do the work, and when you're forcing a tool, you're far more likely to lose control and hurt yourself or someone else. Great video, Scott! Thanks!
on top of that a cut from a sharp knife hurts much less because its not tearing your skin, and a cut from a sharp knife heals faster as well. Source: cook of almost 10 years now, i've cut myself more than anyone i know xD
I learned a very sober lesson one day, whilst opening a can of paint, with a totally shagged (not sharp) half-inch chisel... The implement, slipped from the lid and shaved about 4mm depth of my epidermis clean off, in the web between the thumb and forefinger of my left hand holding the can... Yeah... I could see muscle.... And my lump of body tissue hanging off the end of the chisel.... . Shock is weird thing, you kind of go into suspended animation for a few moments, as I curiously looked at the gaping hole in my hand and then realised that I'd also nicked a vein... Ah! So that's where all this blood is oozing from... SHIT! I'M LOSING BLOOD! . I rushed to the window (we lived in an attic of a four-story terrace house...) and shouted down to my girl-friend, who was washing her car.... // Ummm..... Helen! You need to get up here and help me out.... LIKE QUICKLY! // She rushed up the four flights of stairs.... Came into the apartment.... Took one look at my hand... Screamed and ran out! . So I had to bandage my left hand with my right, using my teeth as an aid, to stem the flow and dress the wound, all on my own. . By rights, I should have gone to the hospital, to get it stiched.... But I didn't bother... It scabbed-up and a couple of weeks later, we were moving home and I had to jump, out of the van, in so doing, I caught the scab on the sliding van door !!! FUCK! . Couldn't even play the guitar for a month.... Bummer. . Anyway, I've got a nice half-inch wide scar on my left hand, which I'm now actually quite proud of really. Talk about school of hard knocks.... . Two years later, whilst serving aboard a Greenpeace ship, we'd hove-to for hands to bathe.... (swim) In the Sargasso Sea.... Where the Atlantic was around 12,000 ft deep.. I jumped off the stern of the ship and swam about with my facemask on.... Loving the fishes, and the sea weed and gazing into the indigo depths, musing over how deep the water was here.... When I looked up and saw that the ship was about half-a-mile away! WTF !!!! I'd only been in the water for about five minutes! . Talk about adrenalin boost, it then dawned on me, that I was not in the lee of the ship and had drifted with the Gulf Stream.... Which was set at about five knots due North. The fastest and most frantic swim I've ever had. It seemed I'd never get back Eventually I arrived at the inflatable (being used as a swimming stage) totally exhausted, but relieved. We were then ordered out of the water, by the skipper, who'd spotted the sail of a Portuguese Man-o-War, whos stinging tentacles can reach 100 ft or so.... Right close to where I'd been 'drifting'. Another sober lesson.... Don't jump off the stern of a ship that is hove-to in a major oceanic gyre.... Arsehole!
I once had a knife blade bury itself in my knuckle because i was using it like an idiot and forgot to lock it open. I take great pride in keeping my knives sharp and was not disappointed when, though it bled a river, my knuckle only hurt when i was cleaning the wound. Though it still twinges from time to time i believe i owe the quick healing if the wound to the edge that i keep on my knives.
Nice. Also, I recommend anyone who's even doing hobby-levels of metalwork, to get machinist blue. Sharpie won't show up on anything that's black. Cutting oil turns black under even moderate heat.
Great vid! I love your request to teach kids how to sharpen their own pocketknife!! My Gramps gave me his Navy pocketknife when I was 7 years old (I'm a girl!) and I promptly sat down on th edge of the carport, grabbed a fragment of redwood that had somehow escaped lighting the BBQ, and carved a little 6 inch ship like a Spanish galleon profile, out of that piece of wood. I shaved down some straight twigs and added 3 masts to it. It was crude, but it had the right shape and proportions!! Never looked back. Still carry some kind of knife every day! People scoff at me and say you don't need that in this day and age. I laugh. Give a person a pocketknife for a week and then just try and take it back!!
My grandfather told me that when he was a youth in the 40s, dime stores had a whetstone on the counter near the register that was free to use for the public. You would have a conversation with the counter clerk and slowly sharpen your knife. Just a good excuse to socialize. A much slower pace of life for most people back then! He still has his old buck knife and the blade is about 1/3 of its original width from frequent sharpening. Guess there was some good gossip in his town...
free to use for the people =-- PUBLIC means GOVERNMENT -- That is why it is "We the people " and not We the public People today use words without actually knowing what the words actually mean - the origin or thee etymology of the words. And modern dictionaries are of little use as they are descriptive instead of prescriptive. Do you know the difference between ON OFF and on off APPLE and Apple NAVY and Navy ARMY and Army TESLA and Tesla Passing and Overtaking To Too and two Les and Fewer What is the meaning of Jurisdiction dictionary - dictator - dictate What is the connection between gossip and sipping a beverage Something fro you to think about. Al the students I taught know the difference Now you have something to work on Good luck and goodbye
"Therapeutic"! That's the word I was looking for when my wife asked me why I spent so much time sharpening knives as I watched TV. I really did not know why, in the end, except to make them sharp, but I do not need these sharp knives in my life. I never cut nothing... It was just some kind of whittling that pleased my mind for reasons that I could not catch. But your use of the words "therapeutic' and 'zen' made me think that I was in fact meditating quietly while doing it, absentmindedly looking for the satisfaction of achieving a good sharpness, but at the same time enjoying the repetition of a comfortable and habitual movement. TV is often mindless and uninteresting, especially in commercials. I can fill those gaps with this 'comfort gesture' that makes my mind at peace. I love your videos for all of the knowledge that I gain watching them, including on myself. This present video is a beauty of stage managing, script, acting, and mood creation. The solo actor in it has obvious and profound star quality. What a rich production. Perfect for retired men with little to do in a Covid isolation. It feels like a conversation with real life. Long May You Go On.
I got my first pocket knife when I was maybe 8 or 10 years old, I was shown how to sharpen it and I was expected to keep it sharp. At any time one of my older cousins, an uncle, my dad, or grandfathers could ask to borrow my knife and if it was not sharp, I'd lose it for a week. Us boys learned to keep our knives sharp, because if you didn't have a knife in your pocket everyone would ask to borrow it LOL Cheers from Tokyo! Stu
I'm new to Dremels, but this thing has been great. th-cam.com/users/postUgkxfPgcZ5_Cl0HDUKkMJAKde11YKQZVgMoR The variable speed is awesome and the cordless aspect makes it so easy to work with. I am constantly finding uses for it that make tasks easier. Recently I put in a new deadbolt on one of our doors. I knew I had to enlarge the hold where the deadbolt goes into the door frame. At first I thought I would have to get a big router and figure out how to use it for that, but then I rermembered we have the dremel. I was able to enlarge the hole almost as easy as if I was drawing with a pen. It's also great for grinding our dog's nails done and so many other household tasks.
You remind me of my grandfather who passed away 2 years ago. He had a very extensive collection of blades that he sharpened and even made a few of. Sadly my grandmother sold a lot of his collection of blades and historical memorabilia against what he put in his will, I may only have a fraction of what he wanted me to have but I’ll always have the knowledge he taught be regarding blades, not every 4 year old knew how to sharpen blades and liked to whittle in his spare time lmao. Thank you for teaching others your knowledge
My grandpa taught me to sharpen a knife when I was knee high to a grasshopper. Early 70s. It is a lesson I have never forgot and used over and over in my life. Great video.
I in fact remember my father teaching me to sharpen a pocket knife in exactly that fashion. I still have the whetstone, though I no longer use it. I did use it for years, until I had emptied it of its last stroke and it looked sort of like a well used bar of soap only backwards. It’s a fond memory. Thank you for reminding me.
I have learned hundreds of things over 60 years of making mistakes and (usually) correcting them. This knowledge was passed on to my 3 sons (and my daughter). It's one of the few things one can "pay forward". I believe we all are given the opportunity to pay forward our life lessons. Even the totally destitute can do this.
Essential craftsman, I took your advice and purchased the largest square footage shop I could. You motivated me to purchase a 45 x 24’ shop. I’ve enjoyed building the benches, mounting my 68 pound vise, and Slowly furnishing it with tools. You truly make working with your hands and learning the tricks of the trade interesting. So thank you and keep up the incredible work. God bless.
I can’t stress how much I enjoy both watching and learning from your videos. Spending a week in your shop would likely provide a decade of experience. Thanks for everything you do!
Grew up working in my dads old time butcher shop in 1970's Chicago. Watched him sharpen and steel his knives for many years. I remember cutting up meat for hamburger and cutting up chickens on the well worn maple butcher blocks starting when I was 10 or so. His knives were SHARP, and you learned fast to keep an eye on your fingers! He hated the plastic cutting boards as they dulled the knives too fast. He never used a meat saw because he prized his fingers and because they shredded the meat. Nothing better looking than a knife cut steak. He only used a hand meat saw for the bones, carefully trimming around them before sawing as to not shred any of the meat. He would break down an entire half cattle using this method and did it fairly quickly. Still have a few boning knives that are worn down to nothing but are super sharp and stiletto shaped. I have his Arkansas stones and steels to remember him by, as he has passed on, and this video has inspired me to get them out and hone some of my dull blades. Thank you Scott for the inspirational video, and keep up the good work!
As soon as this gentleman started taking I was hooked. It was like I was back in shop class again. Thank you sir for this video. You are a teacher’s teacher and I commend you sir.
Knowing how to sharpen by hand is one skill that should be learned. Learning to use basic tools correctly is a great asset. You will not always have electricity or special tools to work with basic skills are a necessity for life skills in my opinion.
You know I’ve been sharpened knives since I was 7 year’s old and I didn’t really learn much from this but I have to say I watched the whole video. I love the way you tell the story that in itself is a art. But more than that I really appreciate a good craftsmanship and we all can learn from people that have been doing it all their lives.
Gramps always said, "The most important thing about knives you need to learn, is that all knives do not need to be surgical sharp. Unless you like buying knives." So far thats the smartest thing I've heard about knives.
Well my Grandpa had a thing about perfection and I learned alot from him especially as I watched him periodically sit down at the kitchen table and sharpen every knife. Just yesterday it was about the 10th time I said to my daughter “ Now my grandpa always had a thing about how the knives my grandmother used in the kitchen had to be sharp” in response to her having trouble cutting a tomato. I also said “Grandpa always said that a dull knife could end up hurting you more than sharp one because of the force you end up putting to whatever to use it”. so I spent one minute sharpening it. Cut through the tomato like butter and we both were in awe of the logic and wisdom of the simple act of sharpening a knife. Grandpa always said dont leave your knives in the sink water or put them in the dishwasher because it makes them dull faster and it ruins the handles. Since I dont listen perfectly and find myself lazy about it I have proven my Grandpa right 100% especially when it comes to ruining handles that become brittle over time with the high heat and one drop chips off a good piece of the previously good quality handle. It gets expensive not to listen to Grandpas. God bless the wise who teach us all lifelong lessons of priceless value.
@@Copyright-di4we Well there are times where I intentionally make a burr and leave it on at a specific angle, that can kinda function like micro serations. But never dull. If you need a longer lasting edge you can sharpen at a more obtuse angle or use a strop (effectively the same thing) A dull knife is a dangerous knife Butter knives, maybe those are the exception
I use a honing steel on my kitchen knives almost every other time I pull one out. It is AMAZING! Most times your knife is not dull, it simply has lost the edge. As long as you hold the steel below the hilt you're almost guaranteed to not cut yourself.
I have to say I am SO glad to have found you. We think alike I am 73 years old and live in a outdoor environment and learned from you. Thank you so much. God bless Martin
I use the Tormek in my knife sharpening business. FIRST thing you're using the Tormek backwards, turn it around so the stone rotates towards you. SECOND the storage under the Tormek a no no, if you plan on changing jigs you will have to remove the water reservoir and lift the unit to a clear spot, not to mention you will have water over flowing and dripping everywhere, I have a separate cabinet beside with the jigs right at hand. THIRD remove the stone after use and stand it up on a well drained spot (lay it down and it will mold), otherwise it will rust and destroy the spindle ( the stone holds a LOT of water for a long time), i use a 1/2" piece of copper pipe cut to the width of the stone to take its place, if you don't the spindle will slide out the other side. FOURTH get the harder stone if you plan on sharpening wood shop tools (chisels, planer blades etc) the standard stone will disappear fast.
I have an older Tormek and have never had to remove the stone. Empty the water trough when not in use. I do agree that the stone holds a lot of water. Don't leave the unit someplace where it will freeze. You can sharpen with the stone turning in either direction but it will sharpen a lot faster with the stone turning towards you. But for the leather strop you have to use it with the wheel turning AWAY from you. Ask me how I know.
Great video, old timer! I do Carpentry with hand tools as a hobby and have my own method for keeping chisels razor-sharp, but regardless you still taught this 22 year old something. People value your kind of experience, so keep up the good work!
As a cook I use a lot of knives. So I feel like I have the ability to tell you, Never use one of those pull through sharpeners. Like you said they remove a TON of steel and on top of that they leave a terrible edge. It always ends up jagged.
Mostly agree. I say mostly because for quick and dirty utility work, they are hard to beat. But, i can well see why a cook wouldnt one anywhere his good knives.
The carbide pull through sharpeners need a light touch. Every one wants to use them for a reprofile. Use light pressure and strop on leather and you will have a usable, durable edge.
I have been sharpening stuff since my Grandad taught me how to sharpen knives over 70 years ago. I was violently attacked when I was four years old. My Grandad began teaching me how to knife fight. He grew up along the Brazos river in the 1880s and 1890s. In the old days the West was NOT Little House on the Prairie. He always stressed the point that I carry a sharp knife. I once disarmed a man who was stupid enough to bring a gun to a knife fight. Sheesh the ignorance of some people. You, sir, are the very first person I have seen that actually knows what he is talking about concerning sharpening tools and understanding tempering. I have honing oil to use on my India stone, but I'm guilty of using WD--40 most of the time. It's always at hand and the honing oil is usually at the back of a tool drawer somewhere. Here in Texas hunters take their knives to knife sharpeners. Which usually is some bozo with a belt sander. Resulting in wavy blades with ruined tempers. I have used stainless steel knives for awhile now, (Buck folding hunter) and my kitchen knives are now stainless. The set came with a diamond dust coated steel. I put a more acute angle on the stainless blade than a carbon steel blade. My old knives are Old Hickory brand, which is what I believe your curved blade knives are. Whenever I buy a pocket knife, the first thing I do is sharpen it. I completely remove the factory edge. I worked for many years as a heat treater. The blades called Damascus blades now have no connection to the ancient Damascus steel, made in Damascus, Syria.. The current blades are folded and welded, incorporating the surface slag into the blade by folding and hammer welding. It makes for a very sharp blade with a nice pattern with no lateral strength. The reason we don't use Damascus steel now is because we have better steels. A gas chromatograph can analyze a a piece of metal,, such as steel and give the exact composition of the steel. Sometime in the 1970s two metallurgists analyzed a Damascus blade and published the results in a metallurgical magazine. The best I remember was that it was a spring steel, close to 52100, think older car leaf springs. I have never used a jig or automatic sharpener. I have sharpened chainsaw chains, knives of all kinds, scissors and the blades of my Norelco rotary sharpener. There used to be a type of table knife and trade knives, (cheap knives made to trade with native populations). They consisted of a blade of soft steel or iron that had been carburized. That is a layer of carbon has been infused into the soft steel, making a hard edge, except when the knife was sharjpened, the layer of soft steel would be in the center of the blade edge The sharpening trick is to sharpen one side only. John Deere invented the steel plow in 1837. It soon replaced the wooden and cast iron plows. Keeping it sharp was a problem and the point of the share soon wore down so much that the plow was scrap. A man named Macadam invented a heat treated plow share that bolted to the moldboard. This share could be removed and a blacksmith could sharpen it with a hammer and anvil, drawing the metal back to it's original shape and re-heat treating the share. And when it finally wore out, it was cheaper to replace than the entire plow. I sharpen the blades of my Norelco rotary shaver using an Indian oilstone. Extremely fine grit. I have several different sizes of even round whet rocks. I have a stone flint knife that I picked up on a ranch in Jack County Texas. It's what I would call a finger knife as the back of the knife is gripped with the thumb and forefinger and part of the back is angled so that the other fingers press against the knife to apply pressure to the cutting edge. I never saw anything like it. It needs sharpening but I'm not about to start chipping flint. This knife was a couple of miles from where Comanches had a winter camp on the South side of a cliff. This knife would be a perfect skinning knife. I could easily butcher a deer or other game with it. Well my meds are about to take hold and I'm going to get some sleep. This is long, but a funny story before I go. I had a friend who was a Russian interpreter. In the 1970s Moscow allowed some Jews to leave the USSR. They could only take the clothes they were wearing with them. May landed in Dallas, Texas where there is a considerable Jewish population. My friend worked for the organization that was helping them with finding places to live, jobs, food, clothing, etc. These people literally had nothing. So my friend called me one day puzzled beyond belief. He said he was called to take a man in his 60s to a machine shop to apply for a job. He told me the guy said he was a tool sharpener. I saw what was coming and could barely contain my glee. A tool to my friend was a shovel or hoe, certainly nothing to do with machine shops. I asked him what happened. He said he didn't know. I said tell me the story. I'm already seconds from a giggle-fit. So my friend said he took this old man (who didn't speak English) into the machine shop. He said the owner handed the old man a gigantic drill bit looking thing and told me to tell him to sharpen it. He said the old man looked around and walked over to a funny looking machine and laid the big drill bit in the machine and began to turn knobs and slide stuff around. The machine shop owner said to tell the old man he was hired. My friend said, "But he hasn't done anything yet." The owner told him it was okay, that the old man was hired. My friend said, in the most puzzled, plaintive voice I ever heard, " What happened?" When I could stop laughing I told him that the ole man was called a tool grinder and the gigantic drill bit was a cutter used on some sort of machine for machining metals. My friends said, "He didn't do anything." I explained that the machine the old man started making settings was used to sharpen those kinds of tools (giant drill bits). And that sharpening the tool, which had to have complex angles sharpened and curves accounted for was easy..The hard part was setting up the machine. The old man was a tool grinder and those machines were the same all over the world. I'm out. Thanks for the forum. My Dammitol has "tuck holt"and I may can get some sleep. It's 3:14 A.M. Central Standard Time. Peace. Barry M. 81 years and 5 days. I am a Time Traveler. Don't sweat the small stuff, and it's all small stuff.
I could a read another hour and a half of you tellin' stories like that Jean,"time traveler". If you was near about leflore county ok. I'd bring the shine and listen to your stories.
The way you explain things you are an essential story teller also, I feel when you explain different topics you have a way of drawing a person in and making them want to listen.. Thanks for the videos.
I got halfway through this video 6 months ago and only just now got back around to it. So glad I did. Well worth the watch. Thanks again for your wisdom.
I honestly sit and attentively listen to every single word. I have leaned more about Craftsmanship listen to your videos Than I ever could in the Field or School. You explanations or perfectly to the point without a ton of unpractical information. I have watched all your videos and can honestly say that I’m better for it Thankyou
I'm sitting here at my computer with my water stones, diamond stones, oil stones and Lansky sharpening system ready to go. I also have some pocket knives, chisels and hand planes here ready to go as well. It's funny that you put this video out at the same time. One thing I guess I would have added is to be able to detect that burr on the back of the blade, and what stropping would accomplish by knocking that burr off to reveal a sharper edge. Thanks for the video, my 2 daughters will be well versed in the art of sharpening. Especially around the time of deer season.
two bearded butchers, i think? I bought one of the victorinox knives, off amazon, that they suggested. Holy God Sharp out of the package. Already told dad to get another dear this year... Now I need to figure out how to maintain that edge... I use a Worksharp for ALL of my daily straight knife sharpening these days, once the steel no longer works. Once the Worksharp doesn't cut it, or for any other tool, back to my Tormek Supergrind 2000 that my lovely wife spent $500? $600? on years ago. That Tormek is phenomenal....
I've been sharpening my kitchen and pocket knives since I was a kid (I'm 50) with the bottom of a ceramic coffee cup just like my dad tought me. It's never failed me👍🏽
@@jonm2416 not at all just make sure the thin area that goes around the edge of the bottom of your ceramic coffee cup is what you use on the edge of the knife. Just a few swipes in the same directions you would sharpen with a sharpening wet stone and you're good to go.. Good Luck and happy sharpening.
Thanks. I learned a lot today. I had been using way too little pressure with those v shaped carbide sharpeners. Glad to see that seeing little flakes of steel is a sign it's working correctly, not a sign of having screwed it up.
I'm really pleased with this! It works like a charm th-cam.com/users/postUgkxDcr-y2Pf6xdnrFHrSP7dl9kpKaCozcSQ Takes less time than my old electric sharpener because it can take more off the knife faster, and then it smooths out nicely with the finer grit polisher. I don't know how long it will last before the grit wears away, but I wouldn't mind having to replace it every once in a while.
I could tell I was getting "smiler's cramps" through this. Being a country boy of 73 years, when I don't have my NRA knife with me, I go into a molt. There isn't much that I haven't at least tried to sharpen and it's a good feeling to know you've improved any cutting device from what it was. It's very hard not to get into a bind and find yourself "abusing" your knife friend; but they don't do you any good hibernating in your pocket either. Thanks "Mr. Essential" much!
"Definitely give someone a scratch" LOL He reminded me of my grandsons. I'm glad that you pulled out the T-8 at the end. A few years ago I decided that it was time to learn to use a whetstone so that's what I did. I made that decision after taking a Tormech system "out of the shopping cart" and replacing it with some good whetstones. Today. the very day I watched this video, I had put one of those little benchtop belt sanders that you talked about in a shopping cart. A Tormech T-8 showed up on the site, that triggered a memory, and long story short I deleted the belt sander (from a well known site that starts with A), went over to a "Sharpening supplier" and bought a Tormech. I won't stop using a whetstone but I'm looking forward to learning to use the Tormech.
The little one giving an summary on his honing techniques was an awesome touch on a already great video. Thanks for sharing your knowledge of craftsmanship over the years. May God continue to bless you sir.
Fantastic, my children are sharpening their pocket knives on a wet stone and making toy knives with a band saw. They're 11 and 8, and I think they're kindred spirits to Nate's son.
After going over endless hours of sharpening videos. This is the best video of the fundamentals I’ve seen. I could never tell why I wasn’t getting an edge. But you cleared that up for me. Now my knives are super sharp!!!!
I was 7-ish (1974) when I got my first pocket knife because my dad decided I was catching too many fish for him to clean alone. Ha! It was probably 3", pink, and the whetstone it came with was round. I was fascinated with using the stone. By the time I was 10, and after several pocket knife upgrades, I my dad decided I was better at it, and put me in charge of sharpening sharp things (I still use this style of delegation). My mom wasn't too keen until I sharpened her scissors, then she got on board real quick! Listening to how you tell things is very nostalgic and brought a huge smile. I didn't learn anything new (except for that fancy grinder at the end), but there was no way I was going to click away from this nice treat of listening to you!
When oiling an Arkansas stone, it's actually helping to lift the fine metal shavings out of the pores. Always oil your Arkansas stone. When you do, you can literally watch the oil mix with the metal, effectively cleaning the stone.
Oil to start to keep the stone clean and cutting faster. Towards the end, work the stone until its dry so that it clogs with swarf. This will make the stone polish more than cut.
I just recently made my first knife from an O1 tool steel blank that I ordered from the waterjet guys. (I've made a couple from stainless steel previously, but this was the first that required me to heat treat and temper) The heat treating and tempering part was made possible in part by knowledge gained from various youtube channels including this one and reading various other sources. Knife sharpening I'm pretty good at, grinding the shape and bevel of the blade from raw stock is something I need more practice with though
I made a machette out of a power hacksaw blade(01). Ground a chopping type profile on it, then finished the edge by hand on an india stone. Took forever! Had no idea what i was getting into. In the end, it was still worth it, but that was the last time i did it by hand.
Not sure about the entire country but in IN, we have Dollar Tree, and they sell a $1 sharpening stone. 2 sides, rough and fine grit. Perfect for beginners or to do an initial sharpen on something that you dont want to wear out your good stones. I keep a few on hand at all times in case someone wants to learn how to sharpen, i show them how, and let them keep the stone. Great video! Thanks for the content!!!
They (cheap stones) will wear out faster than good stones, which makes them excellent for unique applications because they will take the shape of the piece quickly. Secondly the difference between an oil stone and a water stone is what you use on it. Once you use oil you cannot go back. Cheap stones generally are too porous and soak up to much oil and then make too much of a mess. I recommend keeping with water for the cheap stones.
I appreciate what you bring to the table to teach others. We are slowly losing an entire generation just like you that has so much amazing knowledge. The younger generations have no desire to learn this kind of stuff anymore. I really enjoy your videos and learning from you, so Thanks for what you do.
Funny story (to me)… "Sharp" means different things to different people. A long time ago, I watched my father-in-law use his Swiss army knife to scrape out the inside of a piece of pipe. Knowing that it was as dull as toast, I offered to sharpen it for him and he gave it to me to do that. I sharpened it for him, and when I handed it back to him I said "Be careful! This is now sharp!! Don't use it for scraping pipe, only use it for cutting things that need to be cut." He took the knife, opened it up, and immediately cut his thumb. I looked at him and said "Did you not hear me tell you that it was sharp!??" His answer was "You said it was sharp. You didn't say it was that sharp!!"
@@andrewalexander9492 😁 If you said “sorry about that hun”, I hope you were just trying to being nice, bcz eating a cup of yogurt with a knife, demonstrates very poor problem solving skills. 😁 (*note - Now if she was opening a container of ricotta, I could sympathize. I don’t know what they glue those covers on with! 🤨)
LUV THIS! I will take away every word. Your a natural teacher. Succinct, thorough, and I appreciate learning the "why" along with the "how". On a side note, I'm a 60yr old woman who dreams of a shop like yours! Everything in one place and room to move 😁 Thanks for the lesson.
My son, now 25, has a scar from the "can't hurt themselves" whet stone and pocket knife. No real harm and I would agree with giving every boy a knife when he is young. Little pain, big lesson.
Angle is one of the most important factors based on the type of usage that's a given. Another just as important factor in maintaining the same angle of stroke after stroke on the stone. It takes years of practice freehand and is almost impossible to maintain without a jig to keep the instrument firmly at that angle. Being a professionally trained chef with years of sharping skills I have found this is truly an art, This is one of the best videos explaining theory.
I've learnt the basics of sharpening knives from my grand dad some 30 years ago. This fired me up in a way, and there is no dull knife in the house that is not intentionally dull. My five year old girl has her own pocket knife. It has a round tip, but it is really sharp. She frequently uses it under a little supervision. She also helps cutting fruit and groceries in the kitchen since she was three. And she can drive nails into wood like a little champ. I'm doing my best to hand essential crafts to the next generation.
This was a really wonderful video. I've always struggled to put a razor edge on a blade because I probably don't fully understand how to get the right angle and keep that angle. I definitely have a better idea of how to do that and which tools will do that best (plus their pros and cons). Thanks!
when going for a razor edge, use a lether strop with some of that green compound for the final step. Super easy to use and works a lot better than those fancy 200 $ polishing mumbo jumbo diamond ceramic stones. And its cheap as heck.
Man hasn't got time to die.. there's the old breed of man where I live in ireland he will become. These fellas are older and tougher then most mountains. We don't build people like that anymore Old school hard working machines
Thanks sooo much for sharing this with us all. Right down to the caution of overheating and taking the temper out of the steel. My dear Daddy used to put an empty coffee can with cold water next to the bench grinder for just that reason! He also taught me how to listen for when you get the right angle to the stone!!
A steel is very hard and uses the fine edges along its length to scrape an edge onto a knife. Good thing for carbon steel knives, not so much for stainless knives.
Love listening to smart and wise kids who love to teach what they have learned. Super cute grandkid ending the video. God bless you greatly. Thank you for all the wisdom and the feeling like I have more family out there always willing to help.
My Dad was a machinist and my wife's uncle was a professional tool sharpener.....I got some good teaching.... The trick I usually use is to sharpen after every other use or so .....if your knife never really gets dull it's easier to touch up.
I have been using a wetstone for many years when I saw your video I was brought back to my childhood days when my dad taught me how to sharpen our seafood cleaning knives. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw you using the skinner that i sell. I have spent the last few days watching a lot of people talk about knife sharpening but not anyone has been as knowledgeable about the inns and outs of sharpening tools.
Good gravy, I bought one of those "Tormeks" back in the early 90's at a trade show. I sharpened all my chisels and wifes' scissors. It worked fantastic!! Had several guys brought me their chisels and one guy was so taken by how sharp his set of chisels were that he just displayed them in his garage. LOL
The pull-through preset devices are great for keeping handy to intermittently touch up an edge, but keep in mind they only sharpen the very tip of the bevel and will create an increasingly deep secondary bevel, which will eventually require some aggressive regrinding with a stone to re-establish the proper profile.
A man after my own heart. I love my oil stone, ultra fine diamond files, steels and barber strop. For me, sharpening my knives is very therapeutic . Thank you for an excellent presentation !!!
Ah, tool sharpening. I consider myself the absolute, undisputed KING of sharpening...incompetence 😔. I am so bad at it, that I generally just buy a new ‘one’. I hate that, but it’s the honest truth. I did have some decent luck using a jig before but it was a jig that I made out of wood to sharpen a chisel, bcz I became so frustrated as to why I just couldn’t get it right. To me, it seems to be all about maintaining a consistent angle and for whatever reason, I just never developed the muscle memory or hand-eye coordination thing. (or whatever it is 🤷♂️) That ‘water-wheel’ thing you showed at the end is what I’ve seen Torbjörn Åhman use on his blacksmithing channel and I’ve seen him produce some ‘scary’ sharp edges on some of his forged-from-scratch pieces. Ok, ‘nough foolin’ around this morning, time to go vote 🇺🇸
Not good at it either, but I noticed my biggest mistake was to switch sides over too quickly. When you don't take your time to go all the way on the first side, you won't get it sharp on the second side either. Get frustrated, switch sides again, and again and again and you'll end up with multiple different angles on both sides. That might be the reason you couldn't develop a consistent angle, at least it was for me.
Find someone who's good at it, and get a lesson. It's a hard skill to learn from theory and videos, because there are many ways to do it wrong, and until you get it right you won't get any useful feedback.
Bro get a Spyderco Sharpmaker or another guided system. It's very easy to learn that way, then eventually you can move onto pure freehand. I spent a long time getting my sharpening technique down. Now whenever I sharpen a knife, no matter the steel, it's hair shaving sharp, even when I make a toothy edge. It's all about practice. It's the most frustrating thing to learn.
My Grandfather was an old German butcher. He taught me from a very early age what sharp was and, why it was so important. I am trying desperately to impart that knowledge to my grand children. I hope I can be the effective teacher that you are. I love your videos
I’ve read on bushcraft channels that if you’re ever lost in the woods you should sit down to sharpen your knife. Someone will find you to tell you you’re doing it wrong. 😆 Nice tutorial.
That's a new one... Great
Had not heard that in a long time. Still funny, might be true.
@@stroys7061 I’m an old fart and relatively new to YT, only a couple of years. But wow, there’s a lot of experts out there! You could post a video of laying gold eggs and someone would complain!
@@asmith7876
True!
I have used a hacksaw to obtain the same result.
You've got an engineer's mind and a layman's tongue. I truly appreciate this. Thank you.
You said a mouthful
Well said
Maybe, an author's syntax with a layman's conveyance.
Occasionally, you come across someone who has the inherent gift of articulating the English language. This fellow is one of those rare, gifted speakers.
I'm 72 and it's very rarely I've come across someone who can hold my interest for so long, being articulate as you say but also no bull, no fancy look and making it obvious that he's been there, done it and wants others to do the same, great video.
Unfortunately, his speech is considered Old English nowadays.
The majority can not speak this way, much less think this way.
A lost time ...
@@fjb4932 Lots of common sense used in his videos.
What strikes you is that this gentleman speaks with the reassurance and fluidity of a well-educated man, when he is, in fact, a "working-class" person. The cultural assumption (and prejudice) here is that a working man isn't educated enough to speak well. Unfortunately, this is usually correct. Working-class folks don't usually frequent literary circles, go the opera, or read elevated literature. There are exceptions, however. Toastmasters International, I understand, offers a speech-centered environment where class distinctions vanish and all that matters is your ability to speak well.
He looks and talks like carl miller except for the speed and content but miller was a veteran so I get he didn't lack the skills
I wish this guy was my grandfather. I lost my dad when I was young and iv never known ether of my grandpas. The things iv had to figure out on my own! Thank God for TH-cam and men like this one here, willing to share information with us. God bless the USA 🇺🇸 🇺🇸
So you self medicate ? Thats basically what i took from it
Bulls eye fish ! ! My Dad was always on the road and my grandfather (bless his heart) was a grumpy bastard. He was a bank president and didn't have these type of skills. I gotcha brutha.
Thanks for making these videos. I’m 29 and lost my dad a few years back and don’t really have any male peers. It’s hard for me to explain but there really is a need for guys like yourself.
Many of us in that boat rely on TH-cam and these guys
It’s good that you can be vulnerable and show this pain. 🐐😆🌈🕺
I’m willing to bet that if you’re interested in filling that void, and you have the ability to 1)show up early 2)work hard 3)respect the guy 4)realize & appreciate that if he is a professional tradesman/construction worker, and you’re learning from him- count your lucky stars! That’s priceless knowledge that you can hone, and be able to hire on with a shop, or bid on jobs yourself and get rid of the boss if you don’t need them.Bottom line is - be able to do the work that scares people and/or baffles them, and you’ll always be in demand. 👍🏼
This feller is one of the last of a dying breed!
The future will be sorely in need of craftsman like the guy!
Same, I lost my Dad when I was 9 years old and I'm 67 now. Still can't sharpen a knife to save my life. Many, many other things I never learned how to do and many mistakes made.
I hope one day this channel is put on the national registry for historic significance. You are a national treasure sir, and thank you.
Too many people I know are afraid of sharp knives. You need to *respect* a sharp knife. But a dull knife (or other tool) scares me more than a sharp knife, because a dull knife needs to be forced to do the work, and when you're forcing a tool, you're far more likely to lose control and hurt yourself or someone else.
Great video, Scott! Thanks!
That's how I was taught as a Boy Scout. Dull knives are dangerous. Sharp knives are much safer, but still need to be treated with respect.
on top of that a cut from a sharp knife hurts much less because its not tearing your skin, and a cut from a sharp knife heals faster as well.
Source: cook of almost 10 years now, i've cut myself more than anyone i know xD
A sharp knife cuts where you want too. A dull knife won’t.
I learned a very sober lesson one day, whilst opening a can of paint, with a totally shagged (not sharp) half-inch chisel... The implement, slipped from the lid and shaved about 4mm depth of my epidermis clean off, in the web between the thumb and forefinger of my left hand holding the can... Yeah...
I could see muscle.... And my lump of body tissue hanging off the end of the chisel....
.
Shock is weird thing, you kind of go into suspended animation for a few moments, as I curiously looked at the gaping hole in my hand and then realised that I'd also nicked a vein... Ah! So that's where all this blood is oozing from... SHIT! I'M LOSING BLOOD!
.
I rushed to the window (we lived in an attic of a four-story terrace house...) and shouted down to my girl-friend, who was washing her car....
// Ummm..... Helen! You need to get up here and help me out.... LIKE QUICKLY! //
She rushed up the four flights of stairs.... Came into the apartment.... Took one look at my hand... Screamed and ran out!
.
So I had to bandage my left hand with my right, using my teeth as an aid, to stem the flow and dress the wound, all on my own.
.
By rights, I should have gone to the hospital, to get it stiched.... But I didn't bother... It scabbed-up and a couple of weeks later, we were moving home and I had to jump, out of the van, in so doing, I caught the scab on the sliding van door !!! FUCK!
.
Couldn't even play the guitar for a month.... Bummer.
.
Anyway, I've got a nice half-inch wide scar on my left hand, which I'm now actually quite proud of really. Talk about school of hard knocks....
.
Two years later, whilst serving aboard a Greenpeace ship, we'd hove-to for hands to bathe.... (swim) In the Sargasso Sea.... Where the Atlantic was around 12,000 ft deep.. I jumped off the stern of the ship and swam about with my facemask on.... Loving the fishes, and the sea weed and gazing into the indigo depths, musing over how deep the water was here.... When I looked up and saw that the ship was about half-a-mile away! WTF !!!! I'd only been in the water for about five minutes!
.
Talk about adrenalin boost, it then dawned on me, that I was not in the lee of the ship and had drifted with the Gulf Stream.... Which was set at about five knots due North. The fastest and most frantic swim I've ever had. It seemed I'd never get back Eventually I arrived at the inflatable (being used as a swimming stage) totally exhausted, but relieved. We were then ordered out of the water, by the skipper, who'd spotted the sail of a Portuguese Man-o-War, whos stinging tentacles can reach 100 ft or so.... Right close to where I'd been 'drifting'. Another sober lesson.... Don't jump off the stern of a ship that is hove-to in a major oceanic gyre.... Arsehole!
I once had a knife blade bury itself in my knuckle because i was using it like an idiot and forgot to lock it open. I take great pride in keeping my knives sharp and was not disappointed when, though it bled a river, my knuckle only hurt when i was cleaning the wound. Though it still twinges from time to time i believe i owe the quick healing if the wound to the edge that i keep on my knives.
Pro tip for beginners: paint with a sharpie marker the edge of the knife. Then you can see what is being removed.
I actually just did that today 😃👍
Yes, a good one👍
TY
Nice. Also, I recommend anyone who's even doing hobby-levels of metalwork, to get machinist blue. Sharpie won't show up on anything that's black. Cutting oil turns black under even moderate heat.
Genius
Great vid! I love your request to teach kids how to sharpen their own pocketknife!! My Gramps gave me his Navy pocketknife when I was 7 years old (I'm a girl!) and I promptly sat down on th edge of the carport, grabbed a fragment of redwood that had somehow escaped lighting the BBQ, and carved a little 6 inch ship like a Spanish galleon profile, out of that piece of wood. I shaved down some straight twigs and added 3 masts to it. It was crude, but it had the right shape and proportions!! Never looked back. Still carry some kind of knife every day! People scoff at me and say you don't need that in this day and age. I laugh. Give a person a pocketknife for a week and then just try and take it back!!
Thank you for this terrific comment!
My grandfather told me that when he was a youth in the 40s, dime stores had a whetstone on the counter near the register that was free to use for the public. You would have a conversation with the counter clerk and slowly sharpen your knife. Just a good excuse to socialize. A much slower pace of life for most people back then! He still has his old buck knife and the blade is about 1/3 of its original width from frequent sharpening. Guess there was some good gossip in his town...
I have seen a few places that still do this.....
free to use for the people =--
PUBLIC means GOVERNMENT --
That is why it is "We the people " and not We the public
People today use words without actually knowing what the words
actually mean - the origin or thee etymology of the words.
And modern dictionaries are of little use as they are descriptive
instead of prescriptive.
Do you know the difference between ON OFF and on off
APPLE and Apple
NAVY and Navy
ARMY and Army
TESLA and Tesla
Passing and Overtaking
To Too and two
Les and Fewer
What is the meaning of Jurisdiction
dictionary - dictator - dictate
What is the connection between gossip and sipping a beverage
Something fro you to think about.
Al the students I taught know the difference
Now you have something to work on
Good luck and goodbye
@@andrew_koala2974 I think you are getting way out in the semantic weeds over a free knife sharpening station........
@@bmphil3400 and was definitely not an English teacher, lol
@@andrew_koala2974 Something *for you to think about.
This man is the image of "American made". Good to see all that machinery and good ole fashioned know how.
GREAT KNOWLEDGE EXPLAINED
Do you mean whiter than white?
@@chalocolina3554 Yes, it's beautiful.
@@chalocolina3554 you’re not welcome here😄
He's flogging a Tormek. "Made in Sweden."
"Therapeutic"! That's the word I was looking for when my wife asked me why I spent so much time sharpening knives as I watched TV. I really did not know why, in the end, except to make them sharp, but I do not need these sharp knives in my life. I never cut nothing... It was just some kind of whittling that pleased my mind for reasons that I could not catch. But your use of the words "therapeutic' and 'zen' made me think that I was in fact meditating quietly while doing it, absentmindedly looking for the satisfaction of achieving a good sharpness, but at the same time enjoying the repetition of a comfortable and habitual movement. TV is often mindless and uninteresting, especially in commercials. I can fill those gaps with this 'comfort gesture' that makes my mind at peace. I love your videos for all of the knowledge that I gain watching them, including on myself. This present video is a beauty of stage managing, script, acting, and mood creation. The solo actor in it has obvious and profound star quality. What a rich production. Perfect for retired men with little to do in a Covid isolation. It feels like a conversation with real life. Long May You Go On.
perfectly said
Your experience has inspired me to get one for myself, i hope i feel the same as you
Honestly I love this channel, I never really had a father to teach me things with this much willingness and respect
I got my first pocket knife when I was maybe 8 or 10 years old, I was shown how to sharpen it and I was expected to keep it sharp. At any time one of my older cousins, an uncle, my dad, or grandfathers could ask to borrow my knife and if it was not sharp, I'd lose it for a week. Us boys learned to keep our knives sharp, because if you didn't have a knife in your pocket everyone would ask to borrow it LOL
Cheers from Tokyo!
Stu
That's awesome
Love it. I'll definitely carry down that tradition of taking it away for a week if its not sharp!
Completely understandable.
I got no use for a dull knife...
At least, not as a knife😁
@@adampindell Que?
@@JEJAK5396 damn auto correct 😫, it was supposed to say 'dull'
God Bless you for encouraging Daughters to learn sharpening skills n not just Sons. Thank you for this excellent vid.
I'm new to Dremels, but this thing has been great. th-cam.com/users/postUgkxfPgcZ5_Cl0HDUKkMJAKde11YKQZVgMoR The variable speed is awesome and the cordless aspect makes it so easy to work with. I am constantly finding uses for it that make tasks easier. Recently I put in a new deadbolt on one of our doors. I knew I had to enlarge the hold where the deadbolt goes into the door frame. At first I thought I would have to get a big router and figure out how to use it for that, but then I rermembered we have the dremel. I was able to enlarge the hole almost as easy as if I was drawing with a pen. It's also great for grinding our dog's nails done and so many other household tasks.
I love that little smirk he gets when talking about a powered/electric sharping systems. You can tell just how much he loves it.
In 20 years of watching TH-cam I think this is the first video I have never paused if fact I watched it twice. Thank you Yours's Truly Chef Rob
What a complete master, not only of his craft but of communication with his fellow man.
You remind me of my grandfather who passed away 2 years ago. He had a very extensive collection of blades that he sharpened and even made a few of. Sadly my grandmother sold a lot of his collection of blades and historical memorabilia against what he put in his will, I may only have a fraction of what he wanted me to have but I’ll always have the knowledge he taught be regarding blades, not every 4 year old knew how to sharpen blades and liked to whittle in his spare time lmao. Thank you for teaching others your knowledge
I have never seen someone explain things like you did and honestly I enjoyed every minute of it.
thank you so much
I absolutely admire how he isn't condescending. Instead his delivery of information is gentle and easily understandable
My grandpa taught me to sharpen a knife when I was knee high to a grasshopper. Early 70s. It is a lesson I have never forgot and used over and over in my life. Great video.
I in fact remember my father teaching me to sharpen a pocket knife in exactly that fashion. I still have the whetstone, though I no longer use it. I did use it for years, until I had emptied it of its last stroke and it looked sort of like a well used bar of soap only backwards. It’s a fond memory. Thank you for reminding me.
I have learned hundreds of things over 60 years of making mistakes and (usually) correcting them. This knowledge was passed on to my 3 sons (and my daughter). It's one of the few things one can "pay forward". I believe we all are given the opportunity to pay forward our life lessons. Even the totally destitute can do this.
Thank you for teaching what my grandpa tried to show me as a kid so in depth and easy to understand. This is the beauty of TH-cam
Essential craftsman, I took your advice and purchased the largest square footage shop I could. You motivated me to purchase a 45 x 24’ shop. I’ve enjoyed building the benches, mounting my 68 pound vise, and Slowly furnishing it with tools. You truly make working with your hands and learning the tricks of the trade interesting. So thank you and keep up the incredible work. God bless.
Nice insight , we have many grinders automatic , it’s refreshing to see the manual art explained so clearly. Sharpening is an art.
And most those automatic sharpeners will destroy a knife fast.
I grew up without a dad present and just turned 16 2 days ago so this video helps with the basics of sharpening so thank you
I can’t stress how much I enjoy both watching and learning from your videos. Spending a week in your shop would likely provide a decade of experience. Thanks for everything you do!
Grew up working in my dads old time butcher shop in 1970's Chicago. Watched him sharpen and steel his knives for many years. I remember cutting up meat for hamburger and cutting up chickens on the well worn maple butcher blocks starting when I was 10 or so. His knives were SHARP, and you learned fast to keep an eye on your fingers! He hated the plastic cutting boards as they dulled the knives too fast. He never used a meat saw because he prized his fingers and because they shredded the meat. Nothing better looking than a knife cut steak. He only used a hand meat saw for the bones, carefully trimming around them before sawing as to not shred any of the meat. He would break down an entire half cattle using this method and did it fairly quickly. Still have a few boning knives that are worn down to nothing but are super sharp and stiletto shaped. I have his Arkansas stones and steels to remember him by, as he has passed on, and this video has inspired me to get them out and hone some of my dull blades. Thank you Scott for the inspirational video, and keep up the good work!
Your influence has lead me to deeper thinking, in both my job and about the tools I use.
"Definitely give someone a scratch!" That perfectly sums up the goal of many who are just learning to sharpen, lol. Very good tutorial Scott and Nate!
As soon as this gentleman started taking I was hooked. It was like I was back in shop class again. Thank you sir for this video. You are a teacher’s teacher and I commend you sir.
Knowing how to sharpen by hand is one skill that should be learned. Learning to use basic tools correctly is a great asset. You will not always have electricity or special tools to work with basic skills are a necessity for life skills in my opinion.
You know I’ve been sharpened knives since I was 7 year’s old and I didn’t really learn much from this but I have to say I watched the whole video. I love the way you tell the story that in itself is a art. But more than that I really appreciate a good craftsmanship and we all can learn from people that have been doing it all their lives.
Gramps always said, "The most important thing about knives you need to learn, is that all knives do not need to be surgical sharp. Unless you like buying knives." So far thats the smartest thing I've heard about knives.
Well my Grandpa had a thing about perfection and I learned alot from him especially as I watched him periodically sit down at the kitchen table and sharpen every knife. Just yesterday it was about the 10th time I said to my daughter “ Now my grandpa always had a thing about how the knives my grandmother used in the kitchen had to be sharp” in response to her having trouble cutting a tomato. I also said “Grandpa always said that a dull knife could end up hurting you more than sharp one because of the force you end up putting to whatever to use it”. so I spent one minute sharpening it. Cut through the tomato like butter and we both were in awe of the logic and wisdom of the simple act of sharpening a knife. Grandpa always said dont leave your knives in the sink water or put them in the dishwasher because it makes them dull faster and it ruins the handles. Since I dont listen perfectly and find myself lazy about it I have proven my Grandpa right 100% especially when it comes to ruining handles that become brittle over time with the high heat and one drop chips off a good piece of the previously good quality handle. It gets expensive not to listen to Grandpas. God bless the wise who teach us all lifelong lessons of priceless value.
Having a bit of a rougher edge sometimes helps cutting woody stuff. The edge also seems to last a bit longer imo.
@@Copyright-di4we then you have a dull knife plain and simple
@@Copyright-di4we Well there are times where I intentionally make a burr and leave it on at a specific angle, that can kinda function like micro serations. But never dull.
If you need a longer lasting edge you can sharpen at a more obtuse angle or use a strop (effectively the same thing)
A dull knife is a dangerous knife
Butter knives, maybe those are the exception
This was before the era of super steels…. M390 and even s35vn will stay surgical sharp for a very very long time
I use a honing steel on my kitchen knives almost every other time I pull one out. It is AMAZING! Most times your knife is not dull, it simply has lost the edge. As long as you hold the steel below the hilt you're almost guaranteed to not cut yourself.
I've watched many videos on how to sharpen knives etc., but this guy is by far the best. He has that unmistakable gift most others lack.
Love to listen to professionals that know what they’re doing.
I have to say I am SO glad to have found you.
We think alike I am 73 years old and live in a outdoor environment and learned from you. Thank you so much. God bless Martin
I use the Tormek in my knife sharpening business. FIRST thing you're using the Tormek backwards, turn it around so the stone rotates towards you. SECOND the storage under the Tormek a no no, if you plan on changing jigs you will have to remove the water reservoir and lift the unit to a clear spot, not to mention you will have water over flowing and dripping everywhere, I have a separate cabinet beside with the jigs right at hand. THIRD remove the stone after use and stand it up on a well drained spot (lay it down and it will mold), otherwise it will rust and destroy the spindle ( the stone holds a LOT of water for a long time), i use a 1/2" piece of copper pipe cut to the width of the stone to take its place, if you don't the spindle will slide out the other side. FOURTH get the harder stone if you plan on sharpening wood shop tools (chisels, planer blades etc) the standard stone will disappear fast.
Great advice! I hope he sees it!
Me too, sounds like great advice!
You should start a youtube channel I would definitely watch those knife sharpening techniques.
I have an older Tormek and have never had to remove the stone. Empty the water trough when not in use. I do agree that the stone holds a lot of water. Don't leave the unit someplace where it will freeze. You can sharpen with the stone turning in either direction but it will sharpen a lot faster with the stone turning towards you. But for the leather strop you have to use it with the wheel turning AWAY from you. Ask me how I know.
@@paultennis9414, A little grabby that way ?
Great video, old timer!
I do Carpentry with hand tools as a hobby and have my own method for keeping chisels razor-sharp, but regardless you still taught this 22 year old something.
People value your kind of experience, so keep up the good work!
As a cook I use a lot of knives. So I feel like I have the ability to tell you, Never use one of those pull through sharpeners. Like you said they remove a TON of steel and on top of that they leave a terrible edge. It always ends up jagged.
Mostly agree.
I say mostly because for quick and dirty utility work, they are hard to beat. But, i can well see why a cook wouldnt one anywhere his good knives.
I agree.... the inexpensive pull-through sharpeners are not effective in giving a good/sharp and lasting knife edge....
An India stone and a good honing steel is all you need.
The carbide pull through sharpeners need a light touch. Every one wants to use them for a reprofile. Use light pressure and strop on leather and you will have a usable, durable edge.
Thanks for everything you’ve taught me. Your kids are very lucky to have an old man like you.
I have been sharpening stuff since my Grandad taught me how to sharpen knives over 70 years ago. I was violently attacked when I was four years old. My Grandad began teaching me how to knife fight. He grew up along the Brazos river in the 1880s and 1890s. In the old days the West was NOT Little House on the Prairie. He always stressed the point that I carry a sharp knife. I once disarmed a man who was stupid enough to bring a gun to a knife fight. Sheesh the ignorance of some people.
You, sir, are the very first person I have seen that actually knows what he is talking about concerning sharpening tools and understanding tempering. I have honing oil to use on my India stone, but I'm guilty of using WD--40 most of the time. It's always at hand and the honing oil is usually at the back of a tool drawer somewhere.
Here in Texas hunters take their knives to knife sharpeners. Which usually is some bozo with a belt sander. Resulting in wavy blades with ruined tempers.
I have used stainless steel knives for awhile now, (Buck folding hunter) and my kitchen knives are now stainless. The set came with a diamond dust coated steel. I put a more acute angle on the stainless blade than a carbon steel blade. My old knives are Old Hickory brand, which is what I believe your curved blade knives are.
Whenever I buy a pocket knife, the first thing I do is sharpen it. I completely remove the factory edge.
I worked for many years as a heat treater.
The blades called Damascus blades now have no connection to the ancient Damascus steel, made in Damascus, Syria.. The current blades are folded and welded, incorporating the surface slag into the blade by folding and hammer welding. It makes for a very sharp blade with a nice pattern with no lateral strength.
The reason we don't use Damascus steel now is because we have better steels. A gas chromatograph can analyze a a piece of metal,, such as steel and give the exact composition of the steel. Sometime in the 1970s two metallurgists analyzed a Damascus blade and published the results in a metallurgical magazine. The best I remember was that it was a spring steel, close to 52100, think older car leaf springs.
I have never used a jig or automatic sharpener. I have sharpened chainsaw chains, knives of all kinds, scissors and the blades of my Norelco rotary sharpener.
There used to be a type of table knife and trade knives, (cheap knives made to trade with native populations). They consisted of a blade of soft steel or iron that had been carburized. That is a layer of carbon has been infused into the soft steel, making a hard edge, except when the knife was sharjpened, the layer of soft steel would be in the center of the blade edge The sharpening trick is to sharpen one side only.
John Deere invented the steel plow in 1837. It soon replaced the wooden and cast iron plows. Keeping it sharp was a problem and the point of the share soon wore down so much that the plow was scrap. A man named Macadam invented a heat treated plow share that bolted to the moldboard. This share could be removed and a blacksmith could sharpen it with a hammer and anvil, drawing the metal back to it's original shape and re-heat treating the share. And when it finally wore out, it was cheaper to replace than the entire plow.
I sharpen the blades of my Norelco rotary shaver using an Indian oilstone. Extremely fine grit.
I have several different sizes of even round whet rocks.
I have a stone flint knife that I picked up on a ranch in Jack County Texas. It's what I would call a finger knife as the back of the knife is gripped with the thumb and forefinger and part of the back is angled so that the other fingers press against the knife to apply pressure to the cutting edge. I never saw anything like it. It needs sharpening but I'm not about to start chipping flint. This knife was a couple of miles from where Comanches had a winter camp on the South side of a cliff.
This knife would be a perfect skinning knife. I could easily butcher a deer or other game with it.
Well my meds are about to take hold and I'm going to get some sleep.
This is long, but a funny story before I go.
I had a friend who was a Russian interpreter. In the 1970s Moscow allowed some Jews to leave the USSR. They could only take the clothes they were wearing with them. May landed in Dallas, Texas where there is a considerable Jewish population.
My friend worked for the organization that was helping them with finding places to live, jobs, food, clothing, etc. These people literally had nothing.
So my friend called me one day puzzled beyond belief. He said he was called to take a man in his 60s to a machine shop to apply for a job. He told me the guy said he was a tool sharpener. I saw what was coming and could barely contain my glee. A tool to my friend was a shovel or hoe, certainly nothing to do with machine shops.
I asked him what happened. He said he didn't know. I said tell me the story. I'm already seconds from a giggle-fit. So my friend said he took this old man (who didn't speak English) into the machine shop. He said the owner handed the old man a gigantic drill bit looking thing and told me to tell him to sharpen it. He said the old man looked around and walked over to a funny looking machine and laid the big drill bit in the machine and began to turn knobs and slide stuff around. The machine shop owner said to tell the old man he was hired. My friend said, "But he hasn't done anything yet." The owner told him it was okay, that the old man was hired.
My friend said, in the most puzzled, plaintive voice I ever heard, " What happened?" When I could stop laughing I told him that the ole man was called a tool grinder and the gigantic drill bit was a cutter used on some sort of machine for machining metals. My friends said, "He didn't do anything." I explained that the machine the old man started making settings was used to sharpen those kinds of tools (giant drill bits). And that sharpening the tool, which had to have complex angles sharpened and curves accounted for was easy..The hard part was setting up the machine. The old man was a tool grinder and those machines were the same all over the world.
I'm out. Thanks for the forum. My Dammitol has "tuck holt"and I may can get some sleep. It's 3:14 A.M. Central Standard Time.
Peace.
Barry M. 81 years and 5 days. I am a Time Traveler. Don't sweat the small stuff, and it's all small stuff.
Happy birthday for last week Baz
I could a read another hour and a half of you tellin' stories like that Jean,"time traveler". If you was near about leflore county ok. I'd bring the shine and listen to your stories.
Pretty cool
Where in Texas do you live? This 35 year old would love to buy you a beer and swap stories
If you're a time traveler why aren't you ever at the meetings?
Your way of teaching it’s amazing.. I thought I was going to loose interest but man I was wrong. Thank you, great video!
The way you explain things you are an essential story teller also, I feel when you explain different topics you have a way of drawing a person in and making them want to listen.. Thanks for the videos.
I got halfway through this video 6 months ago and only just now got back around to it. So glad I did. Well worth the watch. Thanks again for your wisdom.
Good morning! It’s 3’o clock here in central Europe, which is a perfect time to watch a video after work!
5.30pm in Kenya, East Africa. Time to put my feet up and and do some comfortable learning
Same here, after school!
Always a good time to watch essential craftsmen
I honestly sit and attentively listen to every single word.
I have leaned more about Craftsmanship listen to your videos Than I ever could in the Field or School.
You explanations or perfectly to the point without a ton of unpractical information.
I have watched all your videos and can honestly say that I’m better for it
Thankyou
Where can I buy Merchandise
I'm sitting here at my computer with my water stones, diamond stones, oil stones and Lansky sharpening system ready to go. I also have some pocket knives, chisels and hand planes here ready to go as well. It's funny that you put this video out at the same time. One thing I guess I would have added is to be able to detect that burr on the back of the blade, and what stropping would accomplish by knocking that burr off to reveal a sharper edge. Thanks for the video, my 2 daughters will be well versed in the art of sharpening. Especially around the time of deer season.
two bearded butchers, i think? I bought one of the victorinox knives, off amazon, that they suggested. Holy God Sharp out of the package. Already told dad to get another dear this year... Now I need to figure out how to maintain that edge... I use a Worksharp for ALL of my daily straight knife sharpening these days, once the steel no longer works. Once the Worksharp doesn't cut it, or for any other tool, back to my Tormek Supergrind 2000 that my lovely wife spent $500? $600? on years ago. That Tormek is phenomenal....
I've been sharpening my kitchen and pocket knives since I was a kid (I'm 50) with the bottom of a ceramic coffee cup just like my dad tought me. It's never failed me👍🏽
gonna try that. thanks.
Gotta try this too.hope ur not messin with us lol
@@jonm2416 not at all just make sure the thin area that goes around the edge of the bottom of your ceramic coffee cup is what you use on the edge of the knife.
Just a few swipes in the same directions you would sharpen with a sharpening wet stone and you're good to go..
Good Luck and happy sharpening.
I finish the sharpening on a glass jar or old coffee cup. It polishes it on a microscopic level.
Irg863 ; I did this so many times, now my cup is leaking....
Thanks. I learned a lot today. I had been using way too little pressure with those v shaped carbide sharpeners. Glad to see that seeing little flakes of steel is a sign it's working correctly, not a sign of having screwed it up.
I love the skillcraft in this video. Great wholesome knowledge.
I'm really pleased with this! It works like a charm th-cam.com/users/postUgkxDcr-y2Pf6xdnrFHrSP7dl9kpKaCozcSQ Takes less time than my old electric sharpener because it can take more off the knife faster, and then it smooths out nicely with the finer grit polisher. I don't know how long it will last before the grit wears away, but I wouldn't mind having to replace it every once in a while.
I could tell I was getting "smiler's cramps" through this. Being a country boy of 73 years, when I don't have my NRA knife with me, I go into a molt. There isn't much that I haven't at least tried to sharpen and it's a good feeling to know you've improved any cutting device from what it was. It's very hard not to get into a bind and find yourself "abusing" your knife friend; but they don't do you any good hibernating in your pocket either. Thanks "Mr. Essential" much!
"Definitely give someone a scratch" LOL He reminded me of my grandsons. I'm glad that you pulled out the T-8 at the end. A few years ago I decided that it was time to learn to use a whetstone so that's what I did. I made that decision after taking a Tormech system "out of the shopping cart" and replacing it with some good whetstones. Today. the very day I watched this video, I had put one of those little benchtop belt sanders that you talked about in a shopping cart. A Tormech T-8 showed up on the site, that triggered a memory, and long story short I deleted the belt sander (from a well known site that starts with A), went over to a "Sharpening supplier" and bought a Tormech. I won't stop using a whetstone but I'm looking forward to learning to use the Tormech.
The little one giving an summary on his honing techniques was an awesome touch on a already great video.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge of craftsmanship over the years.
May God continue to bless you sir.
Fantastic, my children are sharpening their pocket knives on a wet stone and making toy knives with a band saw. They're 11 and 8, and I think they're kindred spirits to Nate's son.
After going over endless hours of sharpening videos. This is the best video of the fundamentals I’ve seen. I could never tell why I wasn’t getting an edge. But you cleared that up for me. Now my knives are super sharp!!!!
finally you find on you tube a person who knows what he is talking about.
I was 7-ish (1974) when I got my first pocket knife because my dad decided I was catching too many fish for him to clean alone. Ha! It was probably 3", pink, and the whetstone it came with was round. I was fascinated with using the stone. By the time I was 10, and after several pocket knife upgrades, I my dad decided I was better at it, and put me in charge of sharpening sharp things (I still use this style of delegation). My mom wasn't too keen until I sharpened her scissors, then she got on board real quick! Listening to how you tell things is very nostalgic and brought a huge smile. I didn't learn anything new (except for that fancy grinder at the end), but there was no way I was going to click away from this nice treat of listening to you!
Wow! First time visitor. You sir, are a great teacher.
When oiling an Arkansas stone, it's actually helping to lift the fine metal shavings out of the pores. Always oil your Arkansas stone. When you do, you can literally watch the oil mix with the metal, effectively cleaning the stone.
Oil to start to keep the stone clean and cutting faster. Towards the end, work the stone until its dry so that it clogs with swarf. This will make the stone polish more than cut.
The little fella at the end is adorable, he'll be a star for sure!!
I just recently made my first knife from an O1 tool steel blank that I ordered from the waterjet guys. (I've made a couple from stainless steel previously, but this was the first that required me to heat treat and temper)
The heat treating and tempering part was made possible in part by knowledge gained from various youtube channels including this one and reading various other sources.
Knife sharpening I'm pretty good at, grinding the shape and bevel of the blade from raw stock is something I need more practice with though
I made a machette out of a power hacksaw blade(01). Ground a chopping type profile on it, then finished the edge by hand on an india stone. Took forever! Had no idea what i was getting into.
In the end, it was still worth it, but that was the last time i did it by hand.
I have been sharpening knives and tools for at least 50 years you have done a excellent job of explaining it to ppl 👏
This bloke is a teacher and could teach a teacher a few tricks on how to deliver a lesson. (I think the fancy word is pedagogy)
Naw mate, a pedagogue is a teacher of children. Professional instructor would be more like it.
@@Mangsaab1954 androgogy is adult curriculum
@@mywifesboyfriendisfire Naw Mate, Andragogy is the education Prince Andrew gives to teenagers.
Bloke? What?
@@solomonstello just an English term for a man
Sir, you are a treasure. I am so encouraged when I see older people on TH-cam passing along valuable insight and wisdom. This is an excellent video.
Good on you Sir, for sharing your essential knowledge in knife/tool sharpening with the world! These skills are paramount to living.
Thank you for taking the time to teach people the wisdom you have
Not sure about the entire country but in IN, we have Dollar Tree, and they sell a $1 sharpening stone. 2 sides, rough and fine grit. Perfect for beginners or to do an initial sharpen on something that you dont want to wear out your good stones. I keep a few on hand at all times in case someone wants to learn how to sharpen, i show them how, and let them keep the stone. Great video! Thanks for the content!!!
They (cheap stones) will wear out faster than good stones, which makes them excellent for unique applications because they will take the shape of the piece quickly.
Secondly the difference between an oil stone and a water stone is what you use on it. Once you use oil you cannot go back. Cheap stones generally are too porous and soak up to much oil and then make too much of a mess. I recommend keeping with water for the cheap stones.
I appreciate what you bring to the table to teach others. We are slowly losing an entire generation just like you that has so much amazing knowledge. The younger generations have no desire to learn this kind of stuff anymore. I really enjoy your videos and learning from you, so Thanks for what you do.
Funny story (to me)… "Sharp" means different things to different people. A long time ago, I watched my father-in-law use his Swiss army knife to scrape out the inside of a piece of pipe. Knowing that it was as dull as toast, I offered to sharpen it for him and he gave it to me to do that. I sharpened it for him, and when I handed it back to him I said "Be careful! This is now sharp!! Don't use it for scraping pipe, only use it for cutting things that need to be cut." He took the knife, opened it up, and immediately cut his thumb. I looked at him and said "Did you not hear me tell you that it was sharp!??" His answer was "You said it was sharp. You didn't say it was that sharp!!"
I thought the punchline was going to be - “...His answer was, “You didn’t say I was that sharp.”
I sharpened my girlfriend's Swiss army knife and she got mad at me because she cut her tongue licking yogurt off of it.
@@andrewalexander9492 😁 If you said “sorry about that hun”, I hope you were just trying to being nice, bcz eating a cup of yogurt with a knife, demonstrates very poor problem solving skills. 😁
(*note - Now if she was opening a container of ricotta, I could sympathize. I don’t know what they glue those covers on with! 🤨)
@@psidvicious Let's just say that her problem solving skill set differs from mine and leave it at that.
@@andrewalexander9492 😁 Understood.
LUV THIS! I will take away every word. Your a natural teacher. Succinct, thorough, and I appreciate learning the "why" along with the "how". On a side note, I'm a 60yr old woman who dreams of a shop like yours! Everything in one place and room to move 😁 Thanks for the lesson.
My son, now 25, has a scar from the "can't hurt themselves" whet stone and pocket knife. No real harm and I would agree with giving every boy a knife when he is young. Little pain, big lesson.
Angle is one of the most important factors based on the type of usage that's a given. Another just as important factor in maintaining the same angle of stroke after stroke on the stone. It takes years of practice freehand and is almost impossible to maintain without a jig to keep the instrument firmly at that angle. Being a professionally trained chef with years of sharping skills I have found this is truly an art, This is one of the best videos explaining theory.
That kid rules. More like him, please!
I've learnt the basics of sharpening knives from my grand dad some 30 years ago. This fired me up in a way, and there is no dull knife in the house that is not intentionally dull.
My five year old girl has her own pocket knife. It has a round tip, but it is really sharp. She frequently uses it under a little supervision. She also helps cutting fruit and groceries in the kitchen since she was three. And she can drive nails into wood like a little champ. I'm doing my best to hand essential crafts to the next generation.
This was a really wonderful video. I've always struggled to put a razor edge on a blade because I probably don't fully understand how to get the right angle and keep that angle. I definitely have a better idea of how to do that and which tools will do that best (plus their pros and cons). Thanks!
when going for a razor edge, use a lether strop with some of that green compound for the final step. Super easy to use and works a lot better than those fancy 200 $ polishing mumbo jumbo diamond ceramic stones. And its cheap as heck.
As a manager of a butcher shop and new subscriber I particularly like his video. Im constantly taking material off my knife. Great video!
i feel like you're the kind of guy who wil be workin till noon on the day of your funeral cause you'd be bored doin nothin
Man hasn't got time to die..
there's the old breed of man where I live in ireland he will become.
These fellas are older and tougher then most mountains. We don't build people like that anymore
Old school hard working machines
Thanks sooo much for sharing this with us all. Right down to the caution of overheating and taking the temper out of the steel. My dear Daddy used to put an empty coffee can with cold water next to the bench grinder for just that reason! He also taught me how to listen for when you get the right angle to the stone!!
I've learned that a steel actually doesn't hone the edge, but actually puts a finely serrated edge, makes a fine saw edge
A steel is very hard and uses the fine edges along its length to scrape an edge onto a knife. Good thing for carbon steel knives, not so much for stainless knives.
Love listening to smart and wise kids who love to teach what they have learned. Super cute grandkid ending the video. God bless you greatly. Thank you for all the wisdom and the feeling like I have more family out there always willing to help.
Love the new instructor at the end--potential there for sure!
My Dad was a machinist and my wife's uncle was a professional tool sharpener.....I got some good teaching....
The trick I usually use is to sharpen after every other use or so .....if your knife never really gets dull it's easier to touch up.
“The zen of a repetitive motion” as you grind your knife away. Magic
This is the first time I’ve seen this guy and I absolutely fell in love with everything about him. Dude is awesome.
I can tell by the sound of that Arkansas stone that I need to get one.
I have been using a wetstone for many years when I saw your video I was brought back to my childhood days when my dad taught me how to sharpen our seafood cleaning knives. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw you using the skinner that i sell. I have spent the last few days watching a lot of people talk about knife sharpening but not anyone has been as knowledgeable about the inns and outs of sharpening tools.
Good gravy, I bought one of those "Tormeks" back in the early 90's at a trade show. I sharpened all my chisels and wifes' scissors. It worked fantastic!!
Had several guys brought me their chisels and one guy was so taken by how sharp his set of chisels were that he just displayed them in his garage. LOL
I was left my wonderful Stepdad’s Tormek and it’s AMAZING!! I hope you live it as much as I love mine.
The pull-through preset devices are great for keeping handy to intermittently touch up an edge, but keep in mind they only sharpen the very tip of the bevel and will create an increasingly deep secondary bevel, which will eventually require some aggressive regrinding with a stone to re-establish the proper profile.
Them things are junk.
A man after my own heart. I love my oil stone, ultra fine diamond files, steels and barber strop. For me, sharpening my knives is very therapeutic . Thank you for an excellent presentation !!!
Omg so adorable!
Also, such a thorough video. I always learn something interesting from your channel.
I've used a T-7 for years sharpen about everything on it and it's just the best. Thanks for nice tutorial!
Ah, tool sharpening. I consider myself the absolute, undisputed KING of sharpening...incompetence 😔.
I am so bad at it, that I generally just buy a new ‘one’. I hate that, but it’s the honest truth. I did have some decent luck using a jig before but it was a jig that I made out of wood to sharpen a chisel, bcz I became so frustrated as to why I just couldn’t get it right. To me, it seems to be all about maintaining a consistent angle and for whatever reason, I just never developed the muscle memory or hand-eye coordination thing. (or whatever it is 🤷♂️)
That ‘water-wheel’ thing you showed at the end is what I’ve seen Torbjörn Åhman use on his blacksmithing channel and I’ve seen him produce some ‘scary’ sharp edges on some of his forged-from-scratch pieces.
Ok, ‘nough foolin’ around this morning, time to go vote 🇺🇸
Not good at it either, but I noticed my biggest mistake was to switch sides over too quickly.
When you don't take your time to go all the way on the first side, you won't get it sharp on the second side either.
Get frustrated, switch sides again, and again and again and you'll end up with multiple different angles on both sides.
That might be the reason you couldn't develop a consistent angle, at least it was for me.
@@kilianortmann9979 Good to know. I’ll keep that in mind when I give it another shot.
Find someone who's good at it, and get a lesson.
It's a hard skill to learn from theory and videos, because there are many ways to do it wrong, and until you get it right you won't get any useful feedback.
@@kilianortmann9979 Thank you for the comment. I think that's my problem and will attack it with your suggestion in mind.
Bro get a Spyderco Sharpmaker or another guided system. It's very easy to learn that way, then eventually you can move onto pure freehand. I spent a long time getting my sharpening technique down. Now whenever I sharpen a knife, no matter the steel, it's hair shaving sharp, even when I make a toothy edge. It's all about practice. It's the most frustrating thing to learn.
My Grandfather was an old German butcher. He taught me from a very early age what sharp was and, why it was so important. I am trying desperately to impart that knowledge to my grand children. I hope I can be the effective teacher that you are. I love your videos
Very fine ending to another great video. You're a blessed man. . .