Knife Sharpening Using Traditional Methods: Tip # 2

Hi,

As I stated in my last post I will be writing about some important lessons that I have picked up over the years and this is one of them, a clean edge.

The last article talked about something I consider less important than this topic but nonetheless, a very common aspect of sharpening, the mirror finish.
Here is the link to that one : Tip One Mirror Finish

In this article I want to write about something that I consider is one of the most important things to remember when dealing with sharpness and with edge retention.

The Clean Edge

The white marks are reflections from the lights on the camera I was using.

When I say clean, I am referring to the finished edge being completely free of any metal debris. I don't know if it is possible to get it absolutely pristine and 100% free of metal fragments but you have to do your best to make it as clean as possible. When I say I don't know if it is possible, I mean if you examined the edge under an electron scanning microscope magnified 5,000 times, that edge may not look pristine, that's all I mean. We can get pretty close and it is important.

Why is it important: I don't know, I just heard that it is.

Just kidding......A clean edge will enable you to reach, at some point along your sharpening journey, the pinnacle of sharpness, it will definitely allow you to create the sharpest knives you possibly can. The absence of metal fragments enhances the slicing ability of the knife, it reduces the force required and allows the edge and blade to move effortlessly through the product being cut. This does indeed give the edge it's greatest capacity to retain it's sharpness, yes it will succumb to the pressures applied to it and fail but with a clean edge, you and the knife are off to the best possible start.

The act off sharpening should involve your thought process including leaving the edge clean with every stone. I am highlighting this because there are many sharpeners who believe it is only necessary to de-burr (clean) on the final stone, and while this is okay, I don't think it is the best way and we all want to find the best way to sharpen.

(That makes it sound like my way is the best way, I am saying that my way is MY best way)

Let's assume we are using three stones and again this is just as important for those who sharpen with the Edge Pro or the other very nifty device, the Wicked Edge Precision Sharpener.

This is easy, and as I always reinforce, good sharpening comes with your ability to repeat a motion that you have practiced over and over, i.e. once you have established your technique, concentrate on making that technique yours, a process you can repeat over and over without much though.

For example, 1. Get your stones, ready. 2. Get the water and rags ready. 3. Examine your knife and look at the edge for any imperfections, anything that may hinder your sharpening and come up with a course of action on how to work around it. 4. Make sure your Sharpening Hat is on, the one that allows you to focus and ignore distractions and finally, 5. Sharpen.

(This may all take 1 minute or less but the point is, it is something you do every single time -Patterns Promote sharpening success.)

Now remember to look for tiny imperfections, some are hardly visible :)

As I sharpen, as you know I use three to four different levels of pressure with every single stone I use and the cleaning process is simply the very concentrated effort on removing the burr and I do that by using EXTREMELY light pressure when I am finishing up on the stone, whether it be Stone # 1 or Stone # 8. I believe it is important to remove the burr on every stone and not leave it to the last one, the finishing stone.

Why would I stop before the burr is completely removed and thereby force the next stone to do the work of the previous one, I would starting off on that second stone on the wrong foot, I would be making it work harder and my "cleaning process" would not be as efficient and effective as it should be. So with every stone, you simply finish off with very very light strokes, picture those last strokes as the ones that are the cleaners, they are taking off the microscopic metal fragments that are clinging to the mother ship, they have to go.

So finally, as you finish the knife, and you repeat this process on that last stone, you're work is almost done, your knife is sharp and the edge is nice and clean.

Now you can strop it at this point of course and here is another trick that I learned from Mr. Kevin Kent, the learned one from Knifewear. You can strop the edge after every stone, i.e. in between stones give it a nice and light strop. Believe me, you will be pleased that you did this.