Wow. Sharp.

[SparkyLB]

Hello all.  I sharpened my first knife a week or two ago, and had some questions which you nice people answered promptly and intelligently. 

I scour this board habitually, and clicked a link to watch a You Tube video with the gentlemen from Sweden and Germany (I think Germany).  It was a knife-sharpening video that contained two verbal comments by the presenter that are not in the literature as far as I recall. 

It was the dark-haired gentleman who is responsible for Europe (I'm confident you know of whom I speak); who made a comment about holding the knife on the stone.  He said, "as long as the water is even climbing up the blade, that means you're holding it squarely on the stone," was one comment (and I paraphrase).  Another was regarding removing the USB so the handle of longer-blade knives don't touch the grinding wheel while honing (an issue I experienced my first time) and honing free-handed which he stated was, "easy to do once a feel is developed."  As they say--there's no substitute for experience, and I did my best to hold the knife tangentially to the leather wheel at the correct fixed angle.  I also held the blade askew to the leather wheel to avoid the grindstone and maintain clearance.  Voila.  As if like magic, for the first time I experienced what he said: "when held and honed correctly, you'll feel the friction disappear.  Just constantly check to see that the two sides have a congruent bevel, and you'll have a sharp knife. The knife on the leather felt like a wheel on a smooth road.  No vibration, no friction.  It meant the burr was gone.  I alternated sides until I felt the complete absence of a burr.   

I never tried it on paper, but it sticks like glue at a 45° angle to my thumbnail, and when I run a fingernail perpendicular to the blade, it's as if it's glass riding on polished steel with a bead of oil between the two. 

Oh my.  This is far and away, the sharpest knife I have ever had the pleasure to hold. 

As I told my wife after the first experience, "This was the first, it's only going to get better."  This second attempt yielded a blade FAR sharper than the first try. 

I can't wait for the next knife.  I know I'm preaching to the choir, but this machine is a Godsend. 

[Ken S]

Well done!
Ken

[John_B]

Save receipts from stores. They are good for easily testing before/after results. While not the ultimate test receipt paper requires a sharper blade to smoothly cut them then copy paper.

[Naf]

Clearly I will not encourage my wife to shop more... but this excellent tip is exactly the type of thing I need much more of.  This community so helpful!  Thank you, john.jcb!  (Though I do have BESS testers, these days, trying to find yet another piece of paper annoys me more than carrying another jug of water.)

[3D Anvil]

Paper towel is another good test for a very sharp knife.  If it can slice paper towel, you did very well.