Does Knife Sharpening Direction Really Matter? YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG!
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 พ.ค. 2024
- Does knife sharpening direction really matter? Today we find out!
0:00 I was wrong on my initial impression on sharpening direction
01:13 How I am usually told knife sharpening direction matters
02:12 Does burr size matter? And is there really a difference?
02:22 Explaining the first test
03:33 Test results up close
05:05 Explaining second test
06:00 Second test results up close
07:27 Does a larger burr take longer to remove?
09:00 Up close results of the burr removal test
10:10 My thoughts...
About⬇️
Hi, Im Alex, im a knife maker and TH-camr, based out of southern Pennsylvania and my youtube channel is Outdoors55. This channel started as an outdoor backpacking channel, but quickly grew into a knife/ knife making channel. Everything I do on my channel is family friendly. I primarily focus on knife / knife making videos but occasionally throw in something different. Thank you for watching!😀
website www.outdoors55.com
knifesharpening #knifemaking #knife #knifemaker #outdoors55
Best all around sharpening stone as of now⬇️
amzn.to/3nkNJq1
Second one you should purchase⬇️
amzn.to/2PoxBYi
Folding knives I recommend
Best value for the money⬇️
amzn.to/2lTFEcX love this knife!
Best cheap fixed blade⬇️
amzn.to/2CND28e
Camera gear⬇️
Main camera amzn.to/3eunQ3d
Other camera amzn.to/3es834R
Micamzn.to/3xlCv9A
These are amazon affiliate links.
FULL DISCLOSURE
I earn from qualifying purchases
For entertainment only. I am not, and will not be held responsible for anyone re-enacting/ duplicating anything seen in these videos. Do so at your own risk. Do not duplicate anything seen in this video. Unless you are an adult responsible for your own decisions. Thanks
All my videos are copyright protected and not for sale. - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
Is there a Difference? Let me know below what your thoughts are!
Knives in video⬇
amzn.to/3PSY1f8
amzn.to/3m1WJRe
Full disclosure
These are affiliated links
I earn from qualifying purchases
In a _SURVIVAL_ situation, the *backwards* people will always have the advantage, not being burrdened with an overabundance of progression... X"D
As for cheap or expensive: I'm still happy with the MORAKNIV set that I bought last year (your affiliate link went to a knife that was only available per 3 pieces for my country), and to that I say: "Spasseebah!" ;)
it looks obvious to me, in every comparison, that the backwards sharpened bevel looks rounded. The forward sharpened bevel looks like it was done by a machine - very uniform. They do look almost the same after burr removal though.
There is the idea that on muddy stones moving forward through the slurry will not only eat the burr but also the apex. That's a difference when finishing a knife.
Anyone other than a world championship , Olympic knife sharpener whining about the difference is just wanking off. And the irony of comparing burrs is pretty funny considering it's removed once created!!! People really need to improve their lives if arguing over burr size is their measure of affirmation......
Of note is the use of the blade... as a backwards strope "trailing edge" will promote the formation of the "Feather Bur"...soft steel and such for a barbers razor... exploited to shave hair but so fragile it must be stroped after each use...
Some years ago an oldtimer woodsman and survivalist gave me the best survival tip ever:
"If you ever happen to get completely lost, and your live is in danger, just sit down and start sharpening your knife.
In no time at least 5 guys will appear out of nowhere and tell you how to do it right.
At least one of them should know a way out."
Man, that's funny! 😆
😝🤣
Love It!!!
My new life goal is to wander the woods lost giving sharpening advice.
There’s a corollary I read the other day:
The best way to get a question answered on the Internet is not, surprisingly, to post the question. It’s to post the wrong answer. At least a dozen people will immediately post responses correcting you.
Thanks Alex.
Within the last 6 months, the folks at WorkSharp made a video testing edge leading vs edge trailing vs back&forth sharpening. The end result was... (SPOILER ALERT)
Edge leading produced the sharpest and cleanest edge followed by trailing and finally back&forth. However, the differences amongst the three were so tiny that one needed a microscope or an edge tester to tell the difference. The real answer was that practice and consistency are more important than direction.
I was interested in finding the video you mentioned. If it's the right one, it was actually 11 months ago. Just a tip for anyone else looking for it on their channel.
At least from my experience, that is the case. Burr is overrated in the first place, it just helps you know you can stop, but it is not making anything sharper, the final geometry does. Doesn't matter direction, motion, whatever, if you sharp each side a litle at a time until you're satisfied. If you removed metal right and you got the right shape, that is it.
It does make sense that different directions would make a microscopic difference in the finish of the very apex, but that is it. It wouldn't matter on a flat sheet, you're griding the metal out anyway by the same relative motion amd process in any direction. And an edge is just a flat strip of metal in each side ultimately, so I expect similar response to similar input.
I just use whatever orientation seems to feel right for any knife and stone combination (based on geometry so i can actually get the blade in, based on how smooth or rough the movement feels), and I ain't yet got a knife (or axe) I can't make at least cut paper and shave even if rough on the skin after enough work, right out of a coarse stone. And sometimes even straight from a medium without a coarse first when that is all I had even though the blade was a mess, it just took longer and I left the really nasty chips.
I belive they actually tested the sharpness with that sharpness gauge
@@louisvictor3473 Cliff Stamp (RIP) was well known for his insistence on sharpening without forming a burr and it seemed to work for him. Man could sharpen a knife on a brick.
Of course, WorkSharp, as producers of sharpening kits, have a vested interest in people sharpening their blades in the way that wears the sharpening kits faster; i.e. forward sharpening, so I don't trust that they didn't fudge the test if by no other reason than having someone who prefers forward-sharpening and thus has better skill with it doing the testing
As posted all over the comments... Direction doesn't seem to matter much. I just feel that with edge leading you have a higher risk of biting into the stone and taking a chip out of it. Hence edge trailing would be a bit saver for the stones.
I sharpen leading edge on diamond and trailing on Arkansas Stone. It just feels right. Not scientific, but it does prevent biting.
I sharpen on the belt grinder, most of the time, leading edge on fine grit belts (usually 3M Trizact). If the knife ain't gonna dig into a soft belt running at high speed, it definitely ain't gonna dig into a hard, flat stone.
Perhaps your fear stems from the fact you're pushing too hard on the knife when sharpening? You're supposed to let the stone do the work; otherwise you'll just be flexing that apex to and fro, and you'll never end up with a sharp edge.
I haven't watched the video but I find it easier to hold form and angle when sharpening with edge leading.
It's easier to end up with an inconsistent bevel, and an unintentional convex edge if you have the edge trailing. Mostly it's harder to feel and maintain the whole surface of the bevel on the stone while trailing.
I do always trail on my final passes to help thin out and start working the burr back and forth.
If you couldn't tell, I'm not that deep into the world of sharpening and my skills are fairly limited
@rolls_8798 Yeah but you're spot on though. You can feel it better with edge leading. A simple way to find your strop angle is to VERY, VERY LIGHTLY edge lead at a shallow angle, raising the angle as you slide the blade. As soon as it catches (the same way you FEEL your angle when sharpening), stop raising the angle and strop edge trailing (never stropping edge leading... you'll destroy your strop).
As someone who's only just got into knives and started watching your vids while you were on hiatus, I'm really glad to see you back making more content.
Thanks appreciate it!
Glad to see you posting videos ! Been sharpening for over 40 years, mostly freehand. Still find things that cause me to modify my technique every so often. My conclusion; as long as you are consistent with the angle & light pressure, it doesn't matter how you do it. Remove metal till it's sharp and some people will say you're doing it wrong.
as long as your willing to learn different ways, be it old ways and new ways, you will always be sharp.
Knife sharpening done wrong, as is tradition.
Tone metal, coming to a knife near you!
if whatever different ways you are using still gets the knife sharp, then who's to say which way is the right way. if it gets the knife sharp to how you want it and need it to be then you are doing it on how its suppose to be done.........to get it sharp as fuck!
I sharpen both forwards, backwards and circular. I finish on strop backwards and/or steel forwards. I have stropped on leather, old aluminum rod dirty pieces of plastic, green compound loaded leather, anything that I thought would work. With the caveat that I can only achieve the same sharpness on a perfectly smooth or very close to perfectly smooth honing rod they all work. I can not get quite as sharp finishing on a honing steel with a lot of texture, ceramic rod or diamond impregnated honing rod. I like relatively simple knife steel like 14c28n, cruwear. Poor results trying to finish s90v on anything but a diamond loaded strop. As far as sharpening I have tryed water stones, 1x30 sander, wicked edge sharpener, my favorite is just freehand with 3x8 diamond plates holding the knife with1 hand andthe plate with the other kicked back in my garage chair. Bevels probably a little more convex, takes a little longer but more enjoyable and still whittles hair when finished.
My grandfather (wordworker/carver, longtime mechanic & carpenter, outdoorsman, knife maker) taught me that the type of stroke is somewhat tailored to the application and edge type of the knife as well as how badly the edge is banged up. For touch ups of a v-grind, trailing edge is enough on a stone, deburr, then trailing edge on a strop to finish. For repairing a damaged/chipped v-edge, combination of leading and trailing edge is more efficient at removing material, then deburr, then strop/polish. Convex grinds I'm pretty sure he said always needs to be trailing edge strokes.
I wish he was still around today (besides just me missing him) because his experience/wisdom could definitely help a lot of people. The man could get ANYTHING sharp enough that it could shave paper just free handing on a couple stones. He didn't like guided systems or rod based systems.
He was also a huge proponent of regular usage of a strop (particularly for his woodcarving knives) as maintenance instead of waiting until a knife was thrashed before resharpening. While he never really focused on achieving a polished edge, invariably most of his regularly used knives ended up having a mirror finish. His biggest bit of advice was to not rush/force it. Let the abrasive do the work and just focus on consistency.
One weird thing he did that I'm not sure is generally applicable was when repairing ingot stainless steel blades was doing some of the deburring on the end of a 2x4. I get that it breaks the burr off, but not sure what the logic behind that was.
Absolutely love your Comment
@@marshalllee2509 thanks dude. Just trying to pass on (to the best of my ability) the important lessons he taught me.
@@marshalllee2509 -- Yup, just here to echo Marshall's observation about how great a comment this was. Also, quite a lot of old school sharpeners pull the blade through a piece of soft wood to deburr after sharpening. It wasn't just granddad.
What I would be really interested in is a comparison of sharpening handle-to-tip vs tip-to-handle. This will cause the direction of the scratch pattern to be reversed, and I have been wondering if that would result in different performance on pull vs. push cuts.
I like this idea. Been seeing a number of viewpoints from various experts and it can be overwhelming.
Yes! The direction of sharpening that will determine the diagonal direction of the edge will effect the cut in push and pull. You can test it with your finger to see which direction the edge bite more. But at higher grit like above 3k grit, it doesn't really matter since you will have a little to none microscopic saw tooth on the edge because at that point the edge is smooth and fine. This biting direction also won't matter when cutting harder materials, it helps with soft and slick material like plastic and tomato skin which means the direction of sharpening from heel to tip or tip to heel are useful for kitchen and utility knives. Push and pull action on sharpening will bite equally on the push and pull cut.
Hell Yeah. Always a good day when OUTDOORS55 drops some content
you educating us on anything and everything, big or small with knives is always doing some useful my man!
I've been sharpening my knives forever and I always learn a lot from your videos. Glad to see you creating and posting again! Thanks!!
So happy you’re back posting videos!! Would love to see more DIY on the house
I’ve learned nothing from this but have been highly entertained so mission accomplished.
Interesting study/comparison. Thanks for testing that so thoroughly. Good stuff!
Extremely well done, Sir. Very educational, interesting, and well worth following your channel. All the Best to You and Yours!
Very interesting! I honestly feel like burr removal is so important and very difficult to get the hang of compared to other sharpening steps.
Thank you for doing the work and documenting the results.
I appreciate educational aspect of your videos as well as entertainment value of them :) Great job! Many thanks and cheers from Poland!
Great to see, that u r back! Greetings from Germany and keep up the good work, Alex.
Thanks for sharing this. Also glad to see you putting out more content.
Very small difference, but from the video the backwards looked better.
This video you have made is very useful since I'm sure many people like me wonder about that!
Thank you!!!
Agree. Backwards looks a lot cleaner and crisper, even the scratch pattern looks more uniform. Looks like the tiniest of burr remaining on the leading edge blade.
I think that is also the result of “pushing” steel away from the edge instead of into the edge, but either way they still sharpen, but backwards is my preferred way simply because it’s better looking and in my case, sharper too
@@riggsvsoliver You got a good point. For people who are not experts, pulling the blade is more likely to produce good results.
Agreed! Science of sharp blog reinforces our though
Thanks for the interesting video.
My father used a circular motion... and so do I sometimes. It worked for him and it seems good enough to me. If I'm using a really fine, hard stone in good condition I will generally apply my finishing strokes by pushing the edge forward as this has seemed to give me a shaving edge more often. If the stone is not flat... or if it is particularly coarse or if it has protruding grit.... I pull the edge backwards so that the imperfections are less likely to catch or damage the edge. If I am using abrasive paper for sharpening, I drag the edge backwards also.
Life was less stressful when I didn't think about perfect cutting edges and the theoretical best sharpening technique. I just grabbed my knife and went hunting. If the knife was blunt I'd maybe use a stone and then do a few licks down a sharpening steel. Over the last few years (the TH-cam era) I've been disappointed when my super-sharp knives became blunt in a short time when field dressing game (particularly after cutting around the hocks). So one thing I often do now is to use a softer blade like might be used in a meat processing plant and I restore the edge as on a butcher's steel when it feels blunt. (I must state here that no matter what anybody says, at least some common sharpening steels DO remove metal from the edge. You can see the shavings and if you look at the edge of the newly sharpened blade through a magnifier you can see the cutting pattern).
More recently I've tried to set aside my fixation for "shaving sharp" and concentrate on "durable" .... sharpening to get an edge on a field dressing knife that will allow me to field dress for as long as possible without having to change knives or sharpen them. I'm currently going for a toothier edge made by a coarse diamond steel. It seems that some guys are having a good experience using serrated knives for field dressing, and while I have no wish to carry a serrated knife, I think most hunting knives have some degree of serration.... it is just a matter of selecting how much serration by selecting the most suitable grade of grit. Cutting happens when enough force is applied to a small area. A finely sharpened blade presents less area to the material being cut. A serrated blade may apply all the force to just one or a few serrations which really can make things tear apart.
Maybe I'm on the wrong track, but I will see how the next few hunts work out. My ancestors butchered game with bits of rock. I have steel.... I just have to decide on the best type of edge for what I do. Best wishes from New Zealand.
For toothy edges, I like 400 grit diamond and then a 3-5 micron strip. Seems to make the “teeth” sharp and remove burrs
Not beyond 600 is my favorite. Good luck mate
From your magnified shots it looked to me that going backwards formed a more consistent and uniform burr.
I use both methods depending on the blade shape and my ability to remain consistent with my technique. So for example if it's easier for me to remain consistent, specifically with the sharpening angle, pushing away from me than I do that. So one side of the blade is done forward and the other backwards. I do this alot with tantos, longer blades and knives that have a portion of serrations I have to work around.
Basically I go whatever direction I can maintain my sharpening angle most consistently. Doesn't seem to be a wrong answer as long as your knife is sharp when your done.
Backwards surely looked better......my preference way too
YES! How can't people and he see that, especially on the last shot??
Great. Sharpened backwards for years, probably because of watching you but will try forwards.
Good information mate.
Keep on keeping on.
From the UK
I didn't think you guys were allowed to have knives.
@@MAGAMAN screwdriver shiv
lol
@@MAGAMAN it's complicated. 2 inch blade is the legal carry length.
Flick knives, switchblades and assisted openers are not allowed. Locking blades are not allowed either. You can't open carry a sheath knife but if you are doing outdoors stuff then the police turn a blind eye. I do building work and don't use Stanley knives (box cutting knives) but use various knives of various lengths and, once again, the law looks the other way.
I brought a few knives and had them imported. A butterfly knife didn't make it and I knew I was in trouble. Sure enough after a few months the police knocked on my door and I had to go to the station, had my rights read, got a freebie lawyer and was questioned. Waited another few weeks and was told they were going to take no further action but I had to do a knife awareness course.
For a butterfly knife.
But if I'd found a retailer in the UK who sold butterfly knives I would not have had any trouble...not allowed to take it outside my property but could all it a part of a collection or some such shit.
As I say, complicated. Leatherman multitools are illegal carry because the blade locks. I said to the pi..policeman that the locking law is fucking bullshit because collapsing sharp blades are fucking lethal. He agreed. He didn't even want my stupid case because there is a lot more dangerous shit going on than a 50 something year old bloke who mistakenly imported an illegal weapon for his collection.
Great vid bro always love the content
I really like your videos man. You put in lots of effort to make concise, entertaining videos that tackle the important questions. Keep up the great work.
This is so cool that you did this! I love these types of videos. Dang man, I'm so glad you're back!
Thanks appreciate it👍👊
Just found your channel. Been sharpening edge leading all my life. Tried edge following and I prefer it! Thanks for making these fantastic videos.😀
Great test have wondered about this forever 👍👍👍
these results lead me to believe one thing: you are incredibly consistent with your technique and sharpening either forwards or backwards will yield minimal differences in sharpness. just my 2 cents
Thank you for this video. I liked it a lot, as always. ✌🏼
Ten minutes ago I finished watching another of your videos and added a comment. I felt I couldnt leave this one without adding the same comment i.e. Thank you very much for your extremely informative videos !!
I LOVE this creator..doesnt seem to me so far that he replies to many comments though...he is so smart!
That was really informative, thank you!
It's as i suspected.. Thanks for doing the hard work.
This is nerdiness at its most beautiful - sincerely.
I think this is a great test. Thank you for sharing your work and findings!
Nice to see u back 👍
Really like these in depth videos, thanks.
2:03 I appreciate the audio editing there, where you add the box falling to the alternate shot. Nice continuity
Thank you, another great video, very interesting and informative.
Take care
Sam
I always sharpen forwards as this is how I learned to do it 30 or more years ago. I also learned never to put too much pressure on the blade as this turns whatever burr might form. My distinct experience through the years though is that sharpening forwards is much more important when sharpening cheaper softer steels which are more prone to burr formation than good high quality steels.
Based on your comment and several others I think I'll try lightening up on my pressure. At least when I'm not removing a big nick or something. Also I hate blades with an inward curving belly shape, because they're a royal pain for me to sharpen. I once took a folder and reefed on it untill I flatend the curve completely.
17 years experience total, but only 2 or so since I actually learned how to sharpen-(I was a 12 year old with a hand file and most of my knives were train wrecks after I got done with them.)
@@scojo6377
For recurved blades (inward curving belly) I highly recommend using a round ceramic rod in a somewhat similar grit progression as the Lansky Turnbox ("medium grit" and "fine grit"). For doing a new bevel better use a diamond rod, this rods remove more material.
Or use a round dowel like a broomstick, wrapped in sandpaper.
This makes the sharpening of recurved blades a piece of cake.
For stropping I recommend a narrow strop (1" - 2") or stropping on the edge of your strop.
Some recommend sharpening recurved blades on the edge of the very same whetstone you use for straight blades. It is doable, but using rods or sandpaper on a dowel makes sharpening recurved blades a piece of cake.
From a minor standpoint forward looks a little better. Thanks so much for answering these seemingly small points with your in-depth research and photos. Cheers
In my experience, the difference between the two is so little that I can't separate them consistently enough to determine if it is stroke direction or some other technical failure. If you have a consistent stroke, it won't matter which direction it unless circumstances, such as bevel grind type, demands a specific stroke.
Lol good show mate! Subscribed!
Great explanation alex.. keep it up..
Strange, I never got a notice for this video.
Great video and subject, thank you!
I agree with you. Keep up the good work. Don't let the haters get under your skin.
I love the video but now I would love to see back and forward vs circular motions and both along Side the footage from today
just getting into the knife world, thank you sir!
Great video, I’ve learned a lot from your channel 👍
I know I'm coming late to this, but come on man, nobody would hate you. We love you for this stuff.
1:50 you got me there xD The position and absence of reaction are perfect
Thanks for the great information you put out in your videos.
Wonderful information! I always wondere, but go back and forth anyways not believing there is any difference. You took the time to confirm it for us. We are in debted.
Thank you for making a meaningful video! You did a basic experiment and showed us that the results are comparable. I hope this settles the "debate"!
I more often push than pull, but have not paid much attention to the difference. Just how I have learned and done it over the years I guess. I also use circular moves which I find easier with smaller hand held stones when outdoors to get the edge back after some use. When using sharpening device such as the KME I sometimes also do back and forth.
Great video , I often wondered this !!
Didn't even read the title....saw it was an outdoors55 vid and clicked away. Always enjoy the content man.
Man I’m glad you’re making videos again. I missed watching
Love your channel!! FYI, I got ZERO notification when you put this video up. YT may be playing games with your channel.
Your expression at 1:42 was perfection lol your sharpening videos I've learned a lot from. Cheers
Good work as usual (:
Thanks for that 👍 Very good !
Thank you so much for your video, I really love it 😊
I've been watching this channel for a little while now, and ended up subbing. Since this vid I'm pretty sure I've seen you do both on occasion. I really don't hink it makes a difference, especially considering you are so thorough with the process (including stropping).
Best sharpening channel i know so far love u bro
Thanks appreciate it👍
I have also found that there is very little difference between edge leading and edge trailing, especially on whetstones. Now where does it make a difference, if you use a belt, edge trailing is great because, under the right lighting conditions, you can see the burr form. Seeing the burr form is very helpful when working with damaged knives, it lets you know when you have apexed the damaged areas. This is one of those myths in sharpening, along with "you must sharpen to at least 7k grit, or it just won't cut" or "my pull though sharpener does a great job". Thanks for the video!! all your videos are great!!!
Uh, you can't really lead with a belt, whether it's a strop or an electric belt.
Thanks Alex !!!
Really appreciate your videos!
Good video , thanks for sharing , God bless !
I'm trying it the other way now.....just for fun. I sharpen forward usually. I like your comments in one of your other videos about this. So cheers 🍻 to trying something new. Thank-you keep up the good work can't wait to see more!
2:09 Using notebook paper instead of printer paper like a chad, it's the small details like this is why I trust your advice.
I think as long as you aren't over doing it on a single side, it shouldn't really matter which direction you go. I don't really stick to a single direction, just depends on the blade and what I'm trying to do with it.
Spydercos do it for me. It's the goldilocks knife.
Your close up shows what I felt. A weird round dullness when going backwards.
You are the man! I must admit it that very few people could have tackled this question with any legitimacy, but you seem to confirm that sharpening direction, if it matters at all, is adequately handled by de-burring steps normally performed as a finishing step. Therefore, the direction really becomes a matter of preference for the person manually doing the motions. Good work!
Hey Alex. The scratch patterns are different on both and also (and I might be wrong) but the sharpened backwards looks crispier, while I can still see burr on the other one. Great video as always 😁👌
The scratch patterns are not important as both knives were only sharpened on one side. Only looking at the apex🙂
I join - You're right.
good info, good test
Great video!! I usually sharpen backwards...guess all that matters in the end is the knife is sharp 👌 Also loved the part when you were scolding yourself! 😂
thank you for commenting this.
I hate that it's being called forward and backwards. I'd say away or into the edge. Sharp is sharp though.
Cool video nice to have you back up and running
"Watch yourself!" 🤣
Thanks for doing all the careful work it took to get this information. Interesting the whole way through. Too bad it won't put the debate to rest, but maybe some folks will duplicate your work for themselves and maybe opt out of the next argument?
Your sense of humor reminds me of my youngest brother. Even the way you word things.
I usually sharpen backwards and forwards for sake of efficiency. I'm sure it's not going to create the "perfect edge" but I can get it shaving sharp in a short period of time, which is all that I'm really after. A lot of people argue about the best way to sharpen things, but I think it's down to whatever feels comfortable to the individual and allows them to maintain a fairly consistent angle.
Plus back and forth its dead easy to hold angle. That's another benefit I find.
neat. I had always wondered which direction was better for burrs. (turns out neither)
thank you for the information.
The muscles in the arm have more precision control in the backstroke this is know in many crafting cutting tasks. More control leads to greater control of the precision burr…if you want it small that is easy if you want it big that is also easy… what do you want…it is up to you - I vote that more control - backstroke is the greater winner! Love your videos; I have learned a lot!
Glad to see you back here. Awesome content as always 👍🏻 The hater made me smile 🤣
So what you’re saying is… it doesn’t matter how you sharpen the knife as long as it gets sharp. Got it! And your videos are always a treat!
Very interesting, and I appreciate the chapters format the video. Do you feel that one sharpening method gives you better feedback than the other? I am interested to know if edge training has its place in polishing and honing than edge leading.
In my first hand experiences ...,
Yes, the size of the bur makes a difference when it breaks off. Larger bur will leave a wider apex for additional refining.
In my experiences, ET (Edge Trailing) produces a bur more quickly and more easily than EL (Edge Leading). This may be positive or negative situ depending.
The size of the bur is directly relevant to abrasive grit size, the amount of pressure applied and how long you keep grinding (pushing material past the apex).
To attempt to say one method is right or wrong is misunderstanding the fact that the results are simply sometimes different and also dependant on the steel and geometry.
I typically use both EL and ET in a sharpening progression.
I'm a butcher in uk your video's help me a lot thanks bro. New subscriber 💯
Thanks for stopping by👍👊
This was very enlightening..I'm going to try and sharpen one of my straight razors and see if it makes any difference. Most videos on TH-cam only show Razor sharpening in the forward direction. I think backwards sharpening might be easier…I'll report back as to the results. Great video! Cheers from Nova Scotia, Mike.
The razor's edge is quite delicate, so sharpening backwards is recommended, especially on coarser abrassives.
Even if I use my Lansky guided system, where I use to shatpen in both directions, I raise a burr.
Feels like the burr has nothing to do with the direction of the sharpening motion. The burr will rise on the oposite side of the apex, or, said in different terms, on the side that is looking away from the force that removes steel.
Sounds logical.
Nice video of yours. I was missing your work and appreciate it a lot. I have learned a lot about sharpening knives from your videos, even came into stropping - and started freehand benchstone sharpening.
I used the Lansky guided sharpening system and later the Turnbox, everything because I have seen your videos about this systems.
Now I use the Work Sharp "Benchstone" with two diamond plates in 320 and 600 grit and a ceramic plate with about 1000 - 1200 grit.
Started out with the angle guides, but after a short time I was able to use this benchstone free hand.
I want to thank you for starting my interest into learning something new, I really appreciate it.
Stay safe everybody, and stay blessed.
Greetings from Germany!
I died inside when the strop was cut into😂 great video as usual
Thanks for the info, I have wondered if it really makes any difference which direction to sharpen.
1st You are back! 👏
2nd You killed me with h8ters bit
3rd Great video
Nice video. The diference i see is on rather you prefer to push or pull your hand while sharpening. I rather pull than push
i feel i have more control pulling. I have learned a lot with your videos. Thanks for that
Thank you!
In the last set of comparison photos I have to call the top photo as having a slight curl at the top rolling over to the viewer. The bottom shot looks perfect. If I'm sharpening a kitchen blade, I go forward and backward to raise the burr. Get 'er done. Nice work for the precious lawyer types who thrive on minutia. Results are what matters. Like the song says - You can go your own way. (Fleetwood Mac )
Thanks for rekindling what will no doubt be a raging fire again. ✌
Theres no curl, its just the angle and the light reflecting. Its very difficult to get two identical images due to a very small focus plane (less than a human hair at this magnification level).
As a novice I found more success sharpening backwards from personal experience, I think it's more newbie friendly?
Also tips for tips? I've been depending on luck when sharpening the tip, there's always seem to be a small part that's not quite as sharp as the rest...
I am very OCD about keeping my knives insanely sharp. Sharpening is therapeutic to me so I enjoy it. I have gotten similar results going forwards or backwards. I do prefer to sharpen backwards and I often will use different strops with various grit compounds to hone so I kinda just get used to going backwards.
What about sharpening in both directions? Might the burr and sharpness be the same as in just one direction, but the sharpening takes less time because of the higher efficiency of the motion?
this
Yep. That’s exactly what I do. Have done it that way ever since I watched a few videos by people who make their living sharpening knives and they all said, “The question I get all the time is, what direction do I pull it across the stone?” Their answer? “Doesn’t matter.” They do it both ways because it’s twice as fast. Plenty of hobbyists who’ve figured this out as well. Go watch some of Michael Christy’s old videos. Insane attention to detail and encyclopedic knowledge of sharpening. Going to tell me he’s doing it wrong? How many people do you think use their guided sharpeners in only one direction? Or rewire their Worksharps to run the motor in the reverse direction?
thanks, this helps
I tired this out some time ago on a knife i made and quenched but didn't temper it. Always had a burr on it that i couldn't remove even by cutting across wood and other materials. I had to order a very fine stone and i noticed with sharpening backward the knives always cut a bit rough and the burr was a bit more catchable with fingernails. Going forwards left a little bit smaller burr. Stone grit and steel hardness also matter tho. On the super fine stone i can't get rid of the burr sharpening backwards, i just have to do it froward and go from hard pressure to very very light.