In another thread, several of us, including @ian and @Kawa were talking sharpening and the tried and true marker got brought up. Kawa had some interesting comments about the use of a Sharpie and I think a lot of people feel exactly the same way.
To paraphrase, his thought was that he struggled with using the Sharpie because he'd have to make a couple strokes then pick up the knife to inspect it and now, when putting it back down on the stone, there is the risk of no longer being at that same angle. So why bother?
Understand, I am 100% not being critical of Kawa. Like I said, I think lots of folks feel that way. Or think, okay I make a swipe and check. Make a another swipe and now I'm not sure which angle is the right one. That kind of thing.
So it got me thinking about the role of the Sharpie in my sharpening. Because yes, I often still do use one.
We all think of the Sharpie as showing what angle we're at and that's true. But, as said, it isn't a fixed jig. Our individual inputs are still a variable. The Sharpie is an informational and educational tool. That's its real role and ultimate benefit.
When you mark the bevel and set your knife down on the stone, you need to see how it is sitting. How does the angle look? The attitude of the knife on the stone if you will. As you drag the knife across the stone, how does it feel? As you move the knife across the stone, what does the edge look like against the stone (shadow, flush, etc.)? It isn't really about using the Sharpie to get sharp knives. It's about using the Sharpie as a learning tool to ween off of the Sharpie. You'll begin to be able to see and feel the angles. After a while you're marking the edge and on your first stroke seeing that you're getting most of it off. You'll be able to tell the higher angles of pocket knives from the lower angles of Japanese knives or what have you.
Use the marker to teach how to find those angles, not rely on it for the task.
The marker can also tell us a lot about the "factory" or current edge and our own technique. It can show unevenness in the edge (very common) so we can see places to focus on. This is how I still often use it. It can also show us if we're being inconsistent, not adjusting at the tip, etc. Again, it's an informational tool.
Even when I used a clamped system, I still used a Sharpie as the visual feedback is quite powerful.
To paraphrase, his thought was that he struggled with using the Sharpie because he'd have to make a couple strokes then pick up the knife to inspect it and now, when putting it back down on the stone, there is the risk of no longer being at that same angle. So why bother?
Understand, I am 100% not being critical of Kawa. Like I said, I think lots of folks feel that way. Or think, okay I make a swipe and check. Make a another swipe and now I'm not sure which angle is the right one. That kind of thing.
So it got me thinking about the role of the Sharpie in my sharpening. Because yes, I often still do use one.
We all think of the Sharpie as showing what angle we're at and that's true. But, as said, it isn't a fixed jig. Our individual inputs are still a variable. The Sharpie is an informational and educational tool. That's its real role and ultimate benefit.
When you mark the bevel and set your knife down on the stone, you need to see how it is sitting. How does the angle look? The attitude of the knife on the stone if you will. As you drag the knife across the stone, how does it feel? As you move the knife across the stone, what does the edge look like against the stone (shadow, flush, etc.)? It isn't really about using the Sharpie to get sharp knives. It's about using the Sharpie as a learning tool to ween off of the Sharpie. You'll begin to be able to see and feel the angles. After a while you're marking the edge and on your first stroke seeing that you're getting most of it off. You'll be able to tell the higher angles of pocket knives from the lower angles of Japanese knives or what have you.
Use the marker to teach how to find those angles, not rely on it for the task.
The marker can also tell us a lot about the "factory" or current edge and our own technique. It can show unevenness in the edge (very common) so we can see places to focus on. This is how I still often use it. It can also show us if we're being inconsistent, not adjusting at the tip, etc. Again, it's an informational tool.
Even when I used a clamped system, I still used a Sharpie as the visual feedback is quite powerful.
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