OK, every third YouTube video that I’ve watched this month has been about knife sharpening and, while a few have been very helpful, in sum they’ve left my head spinning. I’ve always used a Norton 3 Stone oil system for my monthly sharpenings, but I am transitioning to a Naniwa diamond stone progression: 600, 1000, 3000. In the past I’ve sent the knives to professional sharpeners for chips and tips, but I’d like to tackle those repairs myself, as well as begin to learn how to polish. I’ve always used a slow and steady sweeping technique, hilt to tip, gentle pressure. Set the angle, 10x each side on medium then fine, strop and on to the next knife. My three questions of the moment are:
1) should I abandon/supplement the sweeping pass for the frenetic herky-jerky style that I see many YouTube sharpeners use (see, eg, the Burrfection videos)?
2) when repairing small but visible chips, what angle should I aim for to grind the blade to the point where the chip disappears and it is ready for a new bevel?
3) is it worth investing in a 6000 grit stone from the outset to start polishing correctly, and, if so, which one?
Thanks very much in advance for the help. I should note that I’m sharpening a wide variety of steels. Cheers!
1) should I abandon/supplement the sweeping pass for the frenetic herky-jerky style that I see many YouTube sharpeners use (see, eg, the Burrfection videos)?
2) when repairing small but visible chips, what angle should I aim for to grind the blade to the point where the chip disappears and it is ready for a new bevel?
3) is it worth investing in a 6000 grit stone from the outset to start polishing correctly, and, if so, which one?
Thanks very much in advance for the help. I should note that I’m sharpening a wide variety of steels. Cheers!