Yup that is what I was talking about with the above post as what I call Oli's drop through. It almost looks like he just drops it through the towel. I have to slice it down moving the blade a bit more. Which is one reason I seem to have issues getting that last inch or so with the cleavers I think. I think part of that is he is doing it so fast the side of the towel you are not holding doesn't have time to fall away causing issues for that last section of cut. I am moving a bit slower, but am able to go a bit faster with the longer pointier blade so still able to get through it before it starts to drop. This test definitely seems harder to do with cleavers.Weird, the curly Qs are a bit easier for me. What I find hardest about the Oli Standard is that he uses MAYBE half of the edge. Long pull cuts are easy enough, but the nearly straight push is tricky (probably because I'm a bad sharpener).
Yup that is what I was talking about with the above post as what I call Oli's drop through. It almost looks like he just drops it through the towel. I have to slice it down moving the blade a bit more. Which is one reason I seem to have issues getting that last inch or so with the cleavers I think. I think part of that is he is doing it so fast the side of the towel you are not holding doesn't have time to fall away causing issues for that last section of cut. I am moving a bit slower, but am able to go a bit faster with the longer pointier blade so still able to get through it before it starts to drop. This test definitely seems harder to do with cleavers.
This isn't really meant to be anything specific. Maybe it will become something specific. @cotedupy said something very important somewhere about how a lot of our differences in sharpening come from nomenclature. When I say I deburr after every stone it means something different to a lot of people. Because I really mean that I only sharpen on one stone and then I deburr on one stone. Usually I use a crystolon coarse and then deburr on a washita, a coticule, a hard arkansas. Something very high finishing. I find that the combination of very coarse with very fine deburring works very well for me. So that is what I am submitting as the first entry in the paper towel challenge. Make a video or take some pictures. Only a competition with yourself, have fun. Please keep comments naughty.
but I find the real challenge to be slowly cutting continuous curves into free hanging paper towel.
Weird, the curly Qs are a bit easier for me. What I find hardest about the Oli Standard is that he uses MAYBE half of the edge.
Yup that is what I was talking about with the above post as what I call Oli's drop through. It almost looks like he just drops it through the towel.
Yeah, you're cheating by being better than us. BOOOOOOOOOTBH I expect I’m probably gaming the system in some way. I just haven’t figured out exactly what it is yet!
The King of In-Hand Sharpening strikes again! And this time using a <10mm Shapton Glass!!
Watch out for yer fingers, thumbs, radial artery, ulnar artery, &c. &c. there J. Yh?
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I shall have a go at this properly (with the sharpening) soon when I have a moment. Though whether it’ll be as impressive as that coti video from a coupla years back - I cannot guarantee.
In the meantime though here’s one I did after sharpening a few of my knives a month or two ago. I didn’t post it at the time cos I thought it might’ve been overkill, but seeing as we now have an entire thread about it…
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Can’t remember exactly what stone I was using for them. But given the appearance of the atoma in that pic - I’m gonna guess it was a slurried Grecian / Llyn Idwal used with water. Or possibly a Coti.
So in the video it almost looks as if you are pulling the towel up not moving the knife down. I am holding my blades just as you do Oli. But I start at the heel up right by the edge of the towel. And pull the knife back and down at the same time while keeping the towel in the same spot. So as I am coming down and through with the tip up I am starting to lower the tip as I am coming down through and moving the knife heel to tip.I’ve never actually tried this. But to my mind - yep, that does seem like it’d be more tricky than just a straight down cut. Or possibly requires a slightly different type of edge(?).
I’m not pulling/sawing it through along the whole edge, but it’s certainly not a completely perpendicular push drop. To do that kind of thing you need a much lower bevel angle. Razors and yanagi can get around there sometimes, so I think you’d be looking at a total angle of something like 15 degs or less.
And also - look at the angle I’m holding the knives relative to the paper towel: Tip up, heel down. If you’ve sharpened and deburred well, and still got teeth on yer edge, then that angle change is gonna mimic a sawing action.
TBH I expect I’m probably gaming the system in some way. I just haven’t figured out exactly what it is yet!
If you notice my straight through cut are more curved too.
Someone doesn't want their Master Sharpening certificateor a month.
Yup. I don't regularly sharpen much. I just don't need to. The Paper towel test is just really kind of fun to see how long it will cut it without needing sharpening. It will slice anything I need regardless.You’re absolutely right here T. More curved cuts when going straight down is the result of having more teeth on the edge and/or going slower.
A higher finish, or more perfect deburring, or more stropping - will give a straighter cut through paper towel at the same speed.
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I think worth noting here the spirit in which the thread was intended…
Cutting paper towel is a bit of silly fun, like @stringer said. It doesn’t mean that you’re better at sharpening kitchen knives, because kitchen knives aren’t intended or designed to cut paper towel well. It’s a lot more useful if your knife can food well.
It’s also a lot more useful if your knife can still cut food well after a week, or two weeks, or a month. That’s the acid test of good sharpening (imo).
Someone doesn't want their Master Sharpening certificate
Oli we need some cleaver paper towel videos.
I’m get waaaaay better results in hand than on table.
I’m not good, mind you. I need a lot of practice and mindfulness. But it’s def better that way.
Wait. Better in hand for anything under 270mm.
No, not saying anything about your skills. Just commenting on your suggestion that people not get their Master Sharpening hours in.Are you trying to imply my edges wouldn't still drop kitchen towel like that after a month...? Slander!!!
[Obviously they wouldn't. Doubt they'd do it after a coupla meals tbh. Just don't tell the exam board I said that, yh?].
I’ve done a fair bit of selling. The cupboards are kinda bare these days.
But I do use a lil palm size slate backed coti.
Ok then, here is a proper sharpening video wot I made just now. It's too big to upload here, and I don't know how to compress videos, so I uploaded it to youtube instead. Hopefully the link works.
This is my trusty '80s stainless Sabatier that I did quite an extensive restoration of last year. And I am extremely happy with the geometry and performance of this knife now I'd been playing with sandpaper to tinker with the aesthetic finish earlier, and sandpaper is rather good at dulling an edge - you can see at the start of the video it isn't even close to going through normal A4 paper.
The stone is a Yellow Lake Llyn Idwal. I'd not used this particular stone in quite some time, but it's the same 'Grecian' type of Idwal as the two vids I posted above, and I thought: Why change a winning formula? I'm using it with water and atoma slurry, because with a burnished surface Idwals can be very fine and quite slow stones, similar to hard arks. But for knife sharpening we need it quicker and coarser, for some teeth on the edge.
The kitchen roll is Bounty 'The Original' (which has now been rebranded as 'Plenty' in the UK.
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Ok then, here is a proper sharpening video wot I made just now. It's too big to upload here, and I don't know how to compress videos, so I uploaded it to youtube instead. Hopefully the link works.
This is my trusty '80s stainless Sabatier that I did quite an extensive restoration of last year. And I am extremely happy with the geometry and performance of this knife now I'd been playing with sandpaper to tinker with the aesthetic finish earlier, and sandpaper is rather good at dulling an edge - you can see at the start of the video it isn't even close to going through normal A4 paper.
The stone is a Yellow Lake Llyn Idwal. I'd not used this particular stone in quite some time, but it's the same 'Grecian' type of Idwal as the two vids I posted above, and I thought: Why change a winning formula? I'm using it with water and atoma slurry, because with a burnished surface Idwals can be very fine and quite slow stones, similar to hard arks. But for knife sharpening we need it quicker and coarser, for some teeth on the edge.
The kitchen roll is Bounty 'The Original' (which has now been rebranded as 'Plenty' in the UK).
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Thank you for the awesome video! Stupid question maybe but what are you testing on your thumb's nail?
I see thanks! Yeah I wasn't sure as you did it throughout the sharpening and thought I might be for testing the burr.Aha… the ‘Thumbnail Test’ is my (and I’m sure many other people’s) secret weapon!
Do a search for it here, I’m sure there’ll be quite a few posts. But basically; if you rest a knife edge on your thumbnail, and try to wiggle it just very slightly, then you can get a very accurate impression of the state of the edge.
It’s kinda like the ‘Three Finger Test’, which I also use at the end of that vid I think. I use my thumbnail more because I do it throughout the sharpening process, whereas I only use the pads of my fingers at the end.
Downside is, that if you sharpen a lot of things every day, then your thumbnail will constantly look like this:
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Ok then, here is a proper sharpening video wot I made just now. It's too big to upload here, and I don't know how to compress videos, so I put it on youtube instead. Hopefully the link works.
This is my trusty '80s stainless Sabatier that I did quite an extensive restoration of last year. And I am extremely happy with the geometry and performance now. Earlier today I'd been playing with sandpaper to tinker with the aesthetic finish of the blade, and sandpaper is rather good at dulling an edge - you can see at the start of the video it isn't even close to going through just normal A4 paper.
The stone is a Yellow Lake Llyn Idwal. I'd not used this particular stone in quite some time, but it's the same 'Grecian' type of Idwal as the two vids I posted above, and I thought: Why change a winning formula? I'm using it with water and atoma slurry, because with a burnished surface Idwals can be very fine and quite slow stones, similar to hard arks. But for knife sharpening we need it quicker and coarser for some teeth on the edge, and also cos this knife was very blunt and we don’t want to be here all day.
The kitchen roll is Bounty 'The Original' (which has now been rebranded as 'Plenty' in the UK).
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I see thanks! Yeah I wasn't sure as you did it throughout the sharpening and thought I might be for testing the burr.
You rest your edge vertically right? Could you describe what sensations you are looking for to get the accurate impression?
Far be it from me to discourage stone purchases as someone with a stupid number myself, but it’s more about the sharpener than the stone.What I'm taking away from all this is I need to get more stones. I don't think I'm going to have a good paper towel cut with SP220, SP1k, King 1k/6k
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