Hello Forum

[braincramp]

Hello Forum,

since this is the general questions area I figured I might use this to introduce myself and thank you all for the amazing amount of information and great community on this site. As a Tormek noob I have been reading here for the last week or so and already learned a lot. I never knew there was so much to know about sharpening 
Thankfully I can take my time and hopefully soon make the best out of my new T8. I had an eye on this thing for the last 3 years, since I saw it on Steve Hays youtube channel. However, since we had a lot going on I couldn't make myself buy one. Until now, that is I have already ruined pretty much every kitchen knife in the house and at least got a decent enough edge on my chisels in the workshop. Still a long way to go until I get the perfect edge on anything other than a chisel I guess.

Anyway, just wanted to say hello and thank you for all the work that has gone into this forum.

braincramp

[John_B]

How did you ruin your kitchen knives? I started out practicing on old kitchen knives in the camping box. They all came out sharp but with time and practice I have "honed" my skills and they are now an par with razors.

Let us know what problems you are facing and the group here always is glad to help.

[braincramp]

Thank you john,

Its probably bestif I upload a photo to show what I mean. The knives are sharp enough for most purposes. Its just that the edge isnt pretty. Just a lack of practice. Once I get the hang of the motion it should get better. Luckily for my favorite pocket knife it looked quite nice. I know my priorities. 

Let me post a photo once I am home and I'll be happy to get some advice.

[RickKrung]

Welcome to the forum, 

Please find yourself some junker knives from a thrift store to practice on.  It does take time to develop the sense of and muscle memory.  No good reason to wear down your decent kitchen knives to get that learning.  I nearly destroyed my Leatherman Wave when I first started.  I have considered sending it in to have a new blade put, it was so bad.  One commenter said "how did you even do that?".  I don't actually know, so I could not answer. 

Rick

[Twisted Trees]

Welcome to the forum, 

Please find yourself some junker knives from a thrift store to practice on.  It does take time to develop the sense of and muscle memory.  No good reason to wear down your decent kitchen knives to get that learning.  I nearly destroyed my Leatherman Wave when I first started.  I have considered sending it in to have a new blade put, it was so bad.  One commenter said "how did you even do that?".  I don't actually know, so I could not answer. 

Rick

If you knew, you wouldn't have done it! I bought some very nasty soft metal cheap tools and ground the hell out of them when I started sharpening it's a good cost effective tip. The  lessons learned pay off every time you go to the stone.

[braincramp]

Yes that absolutely makes sense. I certainly should have done that, too. I was just to eager to get something sharpened. Here is a few shots of the knives. Should be fixable with some Tormek quality time. And isn't that really what we want?

[RickKrung]

OMG  "How did you even do that?"   

Rick

[braincramp]

Haha, brilliant 

For the way they look they still are remarkably sharp. Here's a preliminary list of errors I probably made:

1. Impatience. I underestimated the time it takes to do a nice job
2. I seem to have pushed too hard, which makes sense considering 1
3. It seems the pressure applied was also uneven resulting in that nice wavey look 
4. I read about the technique regarding the lifting of the handle when you get to the tip of the blade. But I did so only after I had done this already.

What do you think? Any additions?

[RichColvin]

Well, you answered the question I have :  "so, now what are you going to do?".   You are well on your way to success by admitting your mistakes (and even show them off), and asking for help.  As they say, none of us is as smart as all of us. 

So move past this, learn from it, and then you will get better.

[Ken S]

braincramp,

I would submit the case for purchasing at least one kitchen knife of good quality and medium price range, such as a Victorinox eight inch chef's knife. You want it to be well made and of good steel to take and hold a good edge. You also want it to be your most used knife. If you are not already doing so, you will want to be doing most of the chopping in your kitchen. (You will also want a good wooden cutting board. I have used an 18x24" Boos Board for many years. It is a luxurious joy to use. Get the largest size which is practical for your kitchen.)

The eight inch chef's knife is your most used, everyday knife. You will become a better sharpener if you are also a user. This knife also has the benefit of not being precious. You can experiment with different methods and bevel angles. It can become like a much underlined well read textbook.

Ken

[John_B]

Your skill will quickly improve with a little practice. When sharpening I would rather make 2-3 gentle passes rather than 1 heavy handed one.
Also, care of the knife is important. Here are a few tips:

Use a wooden or plastic board
Never use the dishwasher and hand wash and dry individually after each use.
Store your knives in a block with the edge up or use a magnetic strip. Do not throw them in a drawer unprotected
If you must cut bone identify one cheap knife for that purpose. We have a lot of people that cut the knuckle off of chicken thighs to make lollipops for BBQ.
Do not use the knife's sharp edge to scrape food off the board. Most people always scrape in one direction which can't be good for maintaining the edge.
Last use a steel before each use

[Ken S]

I would add something to John's last suggestion:

Learn how to use a steel before using one.  This is more involved than one might think.

Used Judiciously, John's suggestions will become useful habits.

Ken

[RickKrung]

Is the recommendation to use a traditional "steel" steel, or ceramic? 

I am under the impression that the steels are too aggressive, that the finer ceramics are better for maintaining an edge.  Under microscopic examination, my sense of the steel steels is that they tear up an edge more than restore them.  I don't care for what ceramics do to and edge either, but it is far more acceptable, to me at least. 

Last summer, when I was doing farmers markets, there was a discussion of using a ceramic as part of the finishing process of sharpening.  I tried it but did not like the results.  May well be my unpracticed technique.

Rick

[Erivan]

Dear Braincramp,

Don't be sorry or worry. Please take my word for it.

And please read the following :
Once upon a time, I was 20 y.o. (that was over 30 years ago ) and I then pretended I could sharpen kitchen knives.
I bought a low-end sharpening machine and did "sharpen"...
The results were, to say the least, pretty poor.
And I went on, searching & learning.
A few years ago, I went back to the knife I had tried my sharpening "skills" on years from now.
And, believe me or not, I fully restored it, even better than it originally was.
This included a full blade polishing (sanding paper from 120 up to 2500 followed by polishing wheel with green compound and ended up with flannel wheel plus blue compound).
Mirror finish guaranteed.
Followed by hair popping sharpening.
To end the story : this is the knife (my knife) I will present to my son when he leaves home and settles in his on place.

So, don't be afraid. A knife is seldom totally ruined.

Rgds.

Thank you john,

Its probably bestif I upload a photo to show what I mean. The knives are sharp enough for most purposes. Its just that the edge isnt pretty. Just a lack of practice. Once I get the hang of the motion it should get better. Luckily for my favorite pocket knife it looked quite nice. I know my priorities. 

Let me post a photo once I am home and I'll be happy to get some advice.

[John_B]

Is the recommendation to use a traditional "steel" steel, or ceramic? 

I am under the impression that the steels are too aggressive, that the finer ceramics are better for maintaining an edge.  Under microscopic examination, my sense of the steel steels is that they tear up an edge more than restore them.  I don't care for what ceramics do to and edge either, but it is far more acceptable, to me at least. 

Last summer, when I was doing farmers markets, there was a discussion of using a ceramic as part of the finishing process of sharpening.  I tried it but did not like the results.  May well be my unpracticed technique.

Rick

Rick,
There are different steels available and ceramic ones. The primary difference is that the ceramic ones remove material while the steel ones do not. The steel rods come in 3 basic configurations coarse and fine grooves and smooth. If I remember correctly Wootz's research indicates that the smooth steel used before each use of the knife is the best. I will go look at his book as that is where I think I saw it. I am convinced proper technique is key to using the steel. Maintaining the sharpening angle the most important. I have always wondered how some chefs maintain the angle when they steel a knife at breakneck speeds. Here is the one I use. I got it many years ago and I am able to set the sharpening angle then draw the knife across it while maintaining the knife vertically. The fine and coarse grooved ones will help bring a more degraded knife back to a usable state but I have found little need if I use the smooth one each time.

I do not think my steel is available but here is a picture of it.

https://forum.tormek.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=3955.0;attach=3233;image