Honing

[Double Bogey]

Hello Thanks for letting me join I am a new member.

  Just recently purchased a Tormek T4 I have probably sharpened 40 knives. The problem I am having is after honing on the leather wheel and doing the finger test on both sides of the blade one side seems sharper than the other.
 
A pass or two with a steel corrects the problem. Is the steel something I should have to use. If not what might be the problem?

 

[cbwx34]

Hello Thanks for letting me join I am a new member.

  Just recently purchased a Tormek T4 I have probably sharpened 40 knives. The problem I am having is after honing on the leather wheel and doing the finger test on both sides of the blade one side seems sharper than the other.
 
A pass or two with a steel corrects the problem. Is the steel something I should have to use. If not what might be the problem?

 

I take it you mean you still have a burr?  One thing that helps me is, when I sharpen a knife, I make the last one or two passes, alternating and the pressure as light as possible.  This should reduce the burr and make it easier to remove.

Tormek also put a tip in one of their videos to start the honing on the side opposite the burr...

https://www.youtube.com/live/PrRwBTil1l8?feature=share&t=4370

... of course, the above video, and their whole video on honing is worth a watch...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40AoJ8UBprI

You should not have to rely on a steel to finish the knife.

[Double Bogey]

Thank you I will take a look at the video's

[3D Anvil]

One thing to check is whether the burr is staying on the same side throughout the honing process.  If it is, that indicates that you're angle is probably too low and you're not hitting the apex.  On the other hand, if the burr is flipping from one side to the other, your honing angle may be too steep. 

Honing is very dependent on the type of steel you're working with.  Softer steels -- especially stainless -- can be challenging.  That's where you're likely to see the burr flipping from one side to the other.  If that's what you're dealing with, it can help to draw the edge through the corner of a piece of soft wood, like Bass wood or Balsa.  Another trick is to do a few light passes on a hanging leather or denim strop at a higher angle (like 30-35 degrees per side).  Either way, go back to the leather wheel afterwards and hone as close to the sharpening angle as you can get.

[tgbto]

If that's what you're dealing with, it can help to draw the edge through the corner of a piece of soft wood, like Bass wood or Balsa. 

I recommend this webpage on burr removal for some very intersting facts. The very last lines of the post address this claim with SEM pictures, so one can choose razor-sharpness or an aggressive edge.