How do you rate your sharpening skills?

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Mastery.... its always a WIP and I am getting there

Sharpening
Aim is to assess a knife, determine a)how much steel needs to be removed and b)where and do it within 5 minutes with the wide array of stones available; no burrs as it is a testament of an overshoot and reach the ultimate apex given the thinness of the last 3mm on the edge. I do forgive myself it there is an overshoot at 1000 grit. And of course .. the longest edge retention possible given the regular use.

Polishing.... takes up too much time

For a quick touch ups.. under 2 minutes as lighter pressure is applied..
 
I mean I don't know how to rate myself. I probably take way too long, but then again when I finally get around to it I find it very relaxing. It's also pretty hard for me to visually inspect the edge because of focus issues. I guarantee when I'm done though the edge is good, it cuts things, and lasts a while. I am a bit curious how I "stack up" as it were. I never did ask TheCaptain how the edge held up through shipping on the passaround knife.
 
If you can micro-plane with your edge, eg citrus zests,
that is a good real-world sharpness level.

It is cost effective, repeatable, and has a good range
of sharpness/differentiation.

Furthermore, the zests off cut are relatively low volume,
and easy to recycle or find a useful use for :)
 
Taramonia said:
I mean I don't know how to rate myself.. I never did ask TheCaptain how the edge held up through shipping on the passaround knife.
Click to expand...

The edge was in good shape when I got it. Like you, I'd almost say I'm more into sharpening than my knives.

It held up well in my limited tests. Sweet will cut! [emoji13]
 
Bensbites said:
I posted this on the CKTG forum, and the discussion has been quite interesting.

I have always been able to sharpen a knife to the point where it cuts better than most of the people around me. I have recently gone deeper down the sharpening rabbit hole after a friend shipped me some knives to play with and his skills clearly exceed mine. I have made significant progress in the last few weeks, but I want to improve more.

How does one benchmark their own skills?
Click to expand...

Only people that i have met better than I are Jude, Jon, and Jeremy. And each has had a sacrificial knife where they have thinned too much, sharpened too acute, and generally ruined a knife to know what to look out for and to get the most out of their knives. I have not ruined a knife yet, soon, soon though.

Fun thought, Some sharpening markers or "check points" you need to experience.
*Double edged knife Edition*
0. Understanding that sharpening/ polishing is a removal process.
1. Make a truely sharp edge, Micro-bevel allowed, (insert cutting paper test)
2. Create a perfectly even bevel on both sides. (able to hold constant angle, understanding Burrs)
3. Make a exceptionally sharp edge with no mico-bevel. (insert bob kramer round magazine paper cut test // Cutting paper towel) ( able to hold very acute angle, able to "touch up a knife" on finishing stone easily)
4.Thin a knife, make it better then what it was by a significant margin while keeping its original proportions. Polish it to a mirror (compounds allowed) / Level 4.5 polish with Finger stones
5. Fix something Damaged on your knife, wonky steering issues, Tip, Grind problems, etc. (knife assessment and knowledge to enhance properly)
6. Create a fantastically even finish on both sides of a wide bevel (beta Togi)
7. Fix steel road on wide bevel so its straight no waves. (see Kiriba / Shinogi Line) & polish Hamaguri edge so its even through out the blade.
8. Make Finger stones/ polish Japanese style (3 ways) / Slice a pig in one swipe.
9. Able to do ALL the above.
10. Able to ALL the above blind-folded, on touch alone.

-I'm probably around 4.
 
somewhere in there needs to be convexing the edge properly
 
I'm about a 3.5 on Lucasfur's scale above. I do want to eventually get good at thinning, and may never climb higher on the scale than that.

One thing... I'm not sure I'd put #5 that high, or maybe repairs and tweaks just covers too many things. I've been able to fix an underground, prominent heel on a VG10 kiritsuke so the rear part of the profile was flat instead of slightly convex against the board. That's not a difficult job. I've straightened a tip that arrived slightly bent sideways on a carbon clad AS steel gyuto (scary, but it ended up being easy). Other repairs or adjustments like fixing steering, or going from a 50/50 to asymmetric bevel would rate higher than simple repairs.
 
I rate myself as simply the BEST of anyone I know.....
Primarily because i don't know anyone else who sharpens with stones....
 
LucasFur said:
Only people that i have met better than I are Jude, Jon, and Jeremy. And each has had a sacrificial knife where they have thinned too much, sharpened too acute, and generally ruined a knife to know what to look out for and to get the most out of their knives. I have not ruined a knife yet, soon, soon though.

Fun thought, Some sharpening markers or "check points" you need to experience.
*Double edged knife Edition*
0. Understanding that sharpening/ polishing is a removal process.
1. Make a truely sharp edge, Micro-bevel allowed, (insert cutting paper test)
2. Create a perfectly even bevel on both sides. (able to hold constant angle, understanding Burrs)
3. Make a exceptionally sharp edge with no mico-bevel. (insert bob kramer round magazine paper cut test // Cutting paper towel) ( able to hold very acute angle, able to "touch up a knife" on finishing stone easily)
4.Thin a knife, make it better then what it was by a significant margin while keeping its original proportions. Polish it to a mirror (compounds allowed) / Level 4.5 polish with Finger stones
5. Fix something Damaged on your knife, wonky steering issues, Tip, Grind problems, etc. (knife assessment and knowledge to enhance properly)
6. Create a fantastically even finish on both sides of a wide bevel (beta Togi)
7. Fix steel road on wide bevel so its straight no waves. (see Kiriba / Shinogi Line) & polish Hamaguri edge so its even through out the blade.
8. Make Finger stones/ polish Japanese style (3 ways) / Slice a pig in one swipe.
9. Able to do ALL the above.
10. Able to ALL the above blind-folded, on touch alone.

-I'm probably around 4.
Click to expand...

Thank you, one of the responses
 
Paraffin said:
I'm about a 3.5 on Lucasfur's scale above. I do want to eventually get good at thinning, and may never climb higher on the scale than that.

One thing... I'm not sure I'd put #5 that high, or maybe repairs and tweaks just covers too many things. I've been able to fix an underground, prominent heel on a VG10 kiritsuke so the rear part of the profile was flat instead of slightly convex against the board. That's not a difficult job. I've straightened a tip that arrived slightly bent sideways on a carbon clad AS steel gyuto (scary, but it ended up being easy). Other repairs or adjustments like fixing steering, or going from a 50/50 to asymmetric bevel would rate higher than simple repairs.
Click to expand...

Yea, I kind of wrote that as a preliminary draft. Maybe inspiring somebody to really put thoughts into a definitive scale. Then we can have a self assessment chart that goes with the knife recommendation page. I wanted to make it so that "sharpening" was relatively low on the graph, because i feel its actually the easiest part.

I suppose there could be some variation in the grades. you can also be able to do 1,2,6 not 3, 4, 5 . etc.

brooksie967 said:
7 is stupid hard; especially when the knife geometry isn't spot on. If it isn't then no matter what you do you're not fixing it properly.
Click to expand...

Im sure there are some masters that could do it. And if not they could fix the knife geometry.
 
KJDedge said:
I rate myself as simply the BEST of anyone I know.....
Primarily because i don't know anyone else who sharpens with stones....
Click to expand...

+1. Except for fellow forum members (which I'm probably at the bottom of the food chain, skill wise) I'm the only one who really takes sharpening my knives seriously.

A friend had me sharpen some of her German stainless. I'm actually starting to like doing those (I know some here hate them). Got them nice and sharp. She apparently liked them so much, but didn't want to ask me to do more, so she took a few other dull ones to the local Sur La Table to get sharpened. Compared those to what I did and asked me to finish the job anyway.

So I'm at least better than whatever they do at Sur La Table. Which I'm going to say is not a very high bar obviously. :doublethumbsup:
 
LucasFur said:
Only people that i have met better than I are Jude, Jon, and Jeremy. And each has had a sacrificial knife where they have thinned too much, sharpened too acute, and generally ruined a knife to know what to look out for and to get the most out of their knives. I have not ruined a knife yet, soon, soon though.

Fun thought, Some sharpening markers or "check points" you need to experience.
*Double edged knife Edition*
0. Understanding that sharpening/ polishing is a removal process.
1. Make a truely sharp edge, Micro-bevel allowed, (insert cutting paper test)
2. Create a perfectly even bevel on both sides. (able to hold constant angle, understanding Burrs)
3. Make a exceptionally sharp edge with no mico-bevel. (insert bob kramer round magazine paper cut test // Cutting paper towel) ( able to hold very acute angle, able to "touch up a knife" on finishing stone easily)
4.Thin a knife, make it better then what it was by a significant margin while keeping its original proportions. Polish it to a mirror (compounds allowed) / Level 4.5 polish with Finger stones
5. Fix something Damaged on your knife, wonky steering issues, Tip, Grind problems, etc. (knife assessment and knowledge to enhance properly)
6. Create a fantastically even finish on both sides of a wide bevel (beta Togi)
7. Fix steel road on wide bevel so its straight no waves. (see Kiriba / Shinogi Line) & polish Hamaguri edge so its even through out the blade.
8. Make Finger stones/ polish Japanese style (3 ways) / Slice a pig in one swipe.
9. Able to do ALL the above.
10. Able to ALL the above blind-folded, on touch alone.

-I'm probably around 4.
Click to expand...

That is an interesting scale. I am comfortably a 4.5 but partially into 5. I have had to fix a few knives that I have "tipped". The first one turned out meh and I had to go back to it later but the most recent one I think I like better than before it was even broken...lol. I have not really had the chance to play with steering issues etc though.
 
LucasFur said:
Only people that i have met better than I are Jude, Jon, and Jeremy. And each has had a sacrificial knife where they have thinned too much, sharpened too acute, and generally ruined a knife to know what to look out for and to get the most out of their knives. I have not ruined a knife yet, soon, soon though.

Fun thought, Some sharpening markers or "check points" you need to experience.
*Double edged knife Edition*
0. Understanding that sharpening/ polishing is a removal process.
1. Make a truely sharp edge, Micro-bevel allowed, (insert cutting paper test)
2. Create a perfectly even bevel on both sides. (able to hold constant angle, understanding Burrs)
3. Make a exceptionally sharp edge with no mico-bevel. (insert bob kramer round magazine paper cut test // Cutting paper towel) ( able to hold very acute angle, able to "touch up a knife" on finishing stone easily)
4.Thin a knife, make it better then what it was by a significant margin while keeping its original proportions. Polish it to a mirror (compounds allowed) / Level 4.5 polish with Finger stones
5. Fix something Damaged on your knife, wonky steering issues, Tip, Grind problems, etc. (knife assessment and knowledge to enhance properly)
6. Create a fantastically even finish on both sides of a wide bevel (beta Togi)
7. Fix steel road on wide bevel so its straight no waves. (see Kiriba / Shinogi Line) & polish Hamaguri edge so its even through out the blade.
8. Make Finger stones/ polish Japanese style (3 ways) / Slice a pig in one swipe.
9. Able to do ALL the above.
10. Able to ALL the above blind-folded, on touch alone.

-I'm probably around 4.
Click to expand...

I would add:
11. Able to all the above with eyes wide open 😉

Yes, 7 is hard: the only point that needs more skills than patience.
 
You need to get rid of 10 on that list or edit that.

1) it’s dangerous.
2) if you actually knew how to do most of those, especially 5 & 7, you’d know you NEED to look at what you are doing often.

I’d add an 11 to the list. Doesn’t even involve a knife. Now this you do blind folded or eyes closed. Get a Kleenex tissue pinch with two fingers and glide off to feel the width. Then have some on fold it in half and repeat. If you can tell the difference in width you have the ability to become a decent sharpener
 
I like this osaka joe ... take it to #11
... level of mastery.
 
That was the test given to me by the knife craftsmen who I am apprenticing under in Sakai. At the time I knew why and the meaning behind it but only now know fully and understand just how damn important is
 
osakajoe said:
That was the test given to me by the knife craftsmen who I am apprenticing under in Sakai. At the time I knew why and the meaning behind it but only now know fully understand just how damn important is
Click to expand...

its so true... training your eyes and hands to see and feel things is one of the most importand things you can do
 
osakajoe said:
You need to get rid of 10 on that list or edit that.

1) it’s dangerous.
2) if you actually knew how to do most of those, especially 5 & 7, you’d know you NEED to look at what you are doing often.

I’d add an 11 to the list. Doesn’t even involve a knife. Now this you do blind folded or eyes closed. Get a Kleenex tissue pinch with two fingers and glide off to feel the width. Then have some on fold it in half and repeat. If you can tell the difference in width you have the ability to become a decent sharpener
Click to expand...

JBroida said:
its so true... training your eyes and hands to see and feel things is one of the most importand things you can do
Click to expand...

So glad to see some of the pros offer their insight here...

..I'm obviously no pro but would also add that I find sound to be almost equally important to my sharpening.
 
JBroida said:
its so true... training your eyes and hands to see and feel things is one of the most importand things you can do
Click to expand...

Most people just use their eyes.. as their main input or feedback source. I noticed that those who excells in their field of endeavour ,instinctly.. use all their 5 senses whenever possible. The better ones hv 2 or 3 senses heightened... Some only use their eyes only.. and it is indeed tragic.... when they look but do not see..., touch but cannot or do not feel....

Generally...a heightened sense of touch/ feel.. or any of yr senses which can be developed over time... gives you an advantage in anything yu do.... so feel it

Just my observations...
 
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