Sharpening mistakes. We've all made them. A slip that causes an unsightly scratch on the side of a new knife or worse...one of your friend's knives. I've had my share of them. More often than not if things are really bad I end up refinishing the entire blade. I would be interested in hearing from some of the expert sharpeners here on what techniques they use to repair small scratches on blades or if anyone has any particular method of protecting the blade before a sharpening session. I'm sure Dave must have been a little intimidated when he started sharpening professionally and began receiving knives worth a huge chunk of change. Anyone have any tips to share?
Fixing sharpening 'mistakes'.
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EdipisReks
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go cut 20 pounds of leeks followed by 20 pounds of radishes, and then worry about knife scratches.
stereo.pete
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This guy :doublethumbsup:
You're correct about me here, I was worried and had to come up with a way to deal with the problem. For a long time I used to tape the entire blade except for the edge and this does help but you have to be careful because the tape can leave marks and lead to rusting which is a whole other problem to deal with.
not that this is realistic for everyone, but i found the best way to learn how to fix knives was to make them... thats why every year when i come to Japan to train, i go through the whole process of making knives many times over... and i continue to practice (minus the forging part) in LA when i am back there... when you know how they are made, they are much easier to fix.
Yeah those are killer but I think the worst has to be rhubarb.
stereo.pete
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The above statement is very true as well. Granted I've only completed one knife, since then I have been much more adventurous with my other knives in terms of refinishing and sharpening in general. In fact, I just recently thinned, refinished and sharpened my Fujiwara FKH and now it's sharper than it ever has been. In fact, I have finally mastered hand sharpening a seamless bevel from choil to the tip, where before I would have issues around the curve of the tip.
stevenStefano
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Just keep practicing on cheaper knives until you don't scratch them any more then use the good ones. It's also good to practice thinning on the cheaper ones so that you perfect the badass big shiny bevel
They are indeed and I think the self evident proof that we are talking about working knives lies in the fact we are discussing sharpening blemishes. If I sent Dave a knife I wouldn't expect it to come back sporting a new sharpening scar. I hold myself to those same standards but accidents sometimes happen. Interesting to know how people go about dealing with them if at all.
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Flatten your stones, use carbon knives and force a patina.
Never crossed my mind. Thanks!
Yes, they aren't mistakes but simply opportunities to improve one's skill. I remember being very precious about such things when I first started out, but now, not so much. Granted, I don't often create excess scratches any longer, but my blades are tools that I use. They pick up scuffs, scratches, and marks just from being used, cleaned, and carried around every day. I've come to appreciate a certain "seasoned" appearance that comes from being well used and cared for.
i always scratch my blades, dont give two shits as long as it gets sharp.
when i bought my first 'real' vehicle, sexy black dodge ram sport package and all with huge tires and tinted windows badges removed, i washed it twice a week and got it all shiny. after about 6 months i didnt care anymore and just made sure the guts were always in good order, not even think about the outside.
when i bought my first 'real' vehicle, sexy black dodge ram sport package and all with huge tires and tinted windows badges removed, i washed it twice a week and got it all shiny. after about 6 months i didnt care anymore and just made sure the guts were always in good order, not even think about the outside.
Keith Sinclair
Senior Member
:rofl2:I can dig it.My working knives I never cared a hoot,just so long as they are sharp.Doing others knives though I am more careful esp. Damascus blades try to have nothing above my thinning bevel line.
