heat rises, esp. in metal. learned this pretty quickly when smithing. I sharpen edge down, and take quick passes and quench between them. stays cool to the touch.
this is where judgment and technique come into play. When I treat my knioves right, they hold an edge for about 4 months between sharpening, with regular use of a steel. <1 sec passes against the belt with light pressure, no excessive heat.
I have the Harbor Freight blocks. They are very aggressive, even the finest one.
âSushi making partyâ, and âdull knivesâ gives me a bit of a tremor.
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I just got mine in the mail today and I had a hell of a time working my chefâs knife. I canât figure out how to pull the whole blade across it before I run out of stone. I ended up doing it in sections, which felt weird but I think worked okay.
They also slipped around a lot, so I had to artfully place my index finger behind the blade to hold everything in place. Not nearly as effective as the video showed.
I suppose Iâll just need to practice, but if you have any tips, Iâd appreciate them.
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I do the same thing- I find that some of the ultra fine grits 2000+ will give it a razor edge.
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Itâs probably the most expensive way to sharpen, though. I save the paper and glass for my big chisels; a mirror bright edge on a 18" hand tool with a 1" or 2" cutting surface really makes a noticeable difference in several different ways - how tiring the job is, how good the joint is, and how long it takes to cut it.
But Iâm just too cheap* to use sandpaper and glass for anything other than the chisels. Any old flat stone will get a kitchen knife sharp enough to cut tomatoes without snagging the skin, which is sharp enough for me.
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* when I was growing up, we didnât call it being cheap, we called it being frugal or Scotch - and it was a virtue.
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What, are these no good? (My knife set came with one)
Steels are good for maintaining the edge on an already fairly sharp blade. Stones and such are needed when the blade gets more worn.
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What tropo said. If you use the steel regularly you wonât have to sharpen the knives as often, but eventually youâll still need to.
(Steels are also good for straightening out little dings in the very edge, if you dent the edge very slightly as by hitting a bone; the steel will tend to put it back in line, where stones or diamond hones will simply grind away one side of it.)
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Thatâs exactly how I learned- itâs what I do with my Pheil carving chisels. I agree that itâs overkill for a kitchen knife, but for my carry/emergency/camping knife, nothing is too good- There is a very real possibility it will save my life one day.
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