Insignificant/ Significant things that BYP or just wind you up a little

[Cousin Jack]

My Dad (and my Grandad) was a carpenter, and I was taught how to sharpen stuff properly, to get to a wire edge and then strop it off on your hand. I also worked in a butchers as a yoof, so Iearned to use a steel too.

Problem is twofold.

1 Mrs CJ makes me wince every time she uses a knife. She doesn't treat sharp edges with any care, and I dread to hear her cutting down on a stainless steel carving dish.

2 Proper multi- oilstone sharpening takes ages after that sort of treatment.

Global do a fairly abrasive diamond 'steel' that rapidly sharpens stuff. People complain it is too abrasive, but I reckon it would suit me. The problem is the price, north of £200.

[Noggin]

I sue a cheap and probably nasty sharpener from Amazon (not the exact one in the photo but that type!).

Despite my SDad's efforts and the tutor at college who REALLY tried to teach me how to use a steel, I can't!! My SDad used to sharpen my knives whenever he visited (cos I did have a steel, even though I didn't/couldn't use it!!).


Nowadays I just use the silly little sharpener and it seems to work just fine! I have made my knives last 12 years so far, but the chef's knife isn't going to last much longer Really sad as my RDad bought me the set before he died Can't imagine it'll be easy to find another well balanced pink chef's knife

[Mr. Dazzle]

My Dad (and my Grandad) was a carpenter, and I was taught how to sharpen stuff properly, to get to a wire edge and then strop it off on your hand. I also worked in a butchers as a yoof, so Iearned to use a steel too.

My grandad was a carpenter and taught me naff all about sharpening stuff. My grandmother worked in the CooP jointing meat and taught me naff all about butchery.

Grandparents of today! Not like they used to be.

They both died before I was 10 but I'm not letting them off that easy.

[Count Steer]

I thought a steel was what you use after sharpening a knife and occasionally in between sharpening just to 'tidy up' the edge. I do know a histologist and they're the sharp edge experts and there's a whole science of it. They sometimes use a glass knife ie a broken edge to do ultra thin specimens for electron microscopy.

Me? I use a range of knives, nothing exotic, quite a few Kitchen Devils Professional and a Japanese sharpener. Some of my favourite knives are totally cheap and cheerful but had 'em for years and years and would be if I lost/ruined. One is an old Habitat job that's so old the red plastic handle is denatured and nearly white.

[Noggin]

I thought a steel was what you use after sharpening a knife and occasionally in between sharpening just to 'tidy up' the edge.

No idea. I did a first level cheffy course and the tutor/chef taught us to sharpen with a steel. SDad used to butcher pig carcasses on the kitchen table, and he's the one that uses a steel to sharpen knives!

Could well be that both are wrong, but it definitely works for SDad!! LOL Not for me, hence the cheap sharpying thingie!!!

[Count Steer]

I thought a steel was what you use after sharpening a knife and occasionally in between sharpening just to 'tidy up' the edge.

No idea. I did a first level cheffy course and the tutor/chef taught us to sharpen with a steel. SDad used to butcher pig carcasses on the kitchen table, and he's the one that uses a steel to sharpen knives!

Could well be that both are wrong, but it definitely works for SDad!! LOL Not for me, hence the cheap sharpying thingie!!!

Dunno Chuck but t'Internet says

'Despite the name, it won't sharpen your knife — a "sharpening" steel is meant for honing. To use a honing (or sharpening) steel, start by holding it vertically with the tip placed on the counter. Slide the blade down the rod at a 15-degree angle, applying light pressure.'

Next question is...'what's honing?'.

[Noggin]

I thought a steel was what you use after sharpening a knife and occasionally in between sharpening just to 'tidy up' the edge.

No idea. I did a first level cheffy course and the tutor/chef taught us to sharpen with a steel. SDad used to butcher pig carcasses on the kitchen table, and he's the one that uses a steel to sharpen knives!

Could well be that both are wrong, but it definitely works for SDad!! LOL Not for me, hence the cheap sharpying thingie!!!

Dunno Chuck but t'Internet says

'Despite the name, it won't sharpen your knife — a "sharpening" steel is meant for honing. To use a honing (or sharpening) steel, start by holding it vertically with the tip placed on the counter. Slide the blade down the rod at a 15-degree angle, applying light pressure.'

Next question is...'what's honing?'.

Hey, I just use them

[ChrisW]

Next question is...'what's honing?'.

That's cleared things up

[Cousin Jack]

Depends. Old school steels just straighten the micro edge that has turned over in use. Some modern textured steels are hard enough to sharpen a bit. Expensive diamond or ceramic 'steels' will sharpen. Nothing really beats a set of progressive oil or water stones.

[Count Steer]

Next question is...'what's honing?'.

That's cleared things up

Next question....what does a leather strop do to a blade edge.....?

[MrLongbeard]

1 Mrs CJ makes me wince every time she uses a knife. She doesn't treat sharp edges with any care, and I dread to hear her cutting down on a stainless steel carving dish.

Same, I stopped sharpening the kitchen knives as it was a waste of my time.
She has also snapped one ceramic knife and knocked the tips of a further 2

[Mr. Dazzle]

Next question is...'what's honing?'.

That's cleared things up

Next question....what does a leather strop do to a blade edge.....?

Not as much as it does to your arse.

BTW Mrs. D won't use my sharp knives, which is a relief. Same with the leather strops.

[ChrisW]

Next question....what does a leather strop do to a blade edge.....?

Sends it off in a huff?

[Cousin Jack]

BTW Mrs. D won't use my sharp knives, which is a relief. Same with the leather strops.

Mrs CJ doesn't like me sharpening her knives "too sharp". In my book stuff is sharp, or not sharp. Not sharp tools (including knives) are dangerous because people use force, and then stuff slips.

[Screwdriver]

Next question....what does a leather strop do to a blade edge.....?

There are effectively three stages in sharpening an edge.

Creating the bevel
Polishing the edge
Stropping

The bevel is set by the factory to complement the steel type/hardness, thickness of the blade and its intended purpose. Typically you will have a bevel on both sides which meets at the cutting edge. More rarely you might have a single bevel, such as a Chinese Chef Knife which is flat (ish) on one side with a single angled bevel on the other. Yes, you could write a book on this topic so I have skipped about ten pages of disclaimers here...

You can only sharpen a blade so much before it will be so thin it will bend, like tinfoil. Depends on the material and the bevel angle but since you are allowing two angles to meet, inevitably the cutting edge wanders off to infinity. Reality gets in the way here (there's no such thing as infinity!) and long before then the very edge of the blade will form a burr. The super thin edge will simply fold over.

Once the bevels meet and start to form a burr, you want to start polishing the edge with ever finer stones. You have reached the limit of your blades geometry to hold an edge. Polishing is important because the lovely shiny bit means the surface is so precisely aligned, even light bounces off it in the same direction. It will still form a burr and it is vitally important to maintain that and not try and grind it off. The burr is telling you the edge is as good as it gets where the bevel meets thin air.

Stropping is where you remove the burr which should be a continuous thin wire representing the ultimate ability of the blade to hold an edge. Rubbing the blade along a strop causes the burr to fold over to the other side. Rubbing the other side causes it to fold back. Keep doing that and sooner rather than later, the wire edge will suffer from fatigue and detach leaving you with the ultimate thinness of edge possible.

Stropping does also help with the polish but is not how you achieve a polished edge. Likewise, using a "steel" will strop the edge by flexing the microscopic contour alternately one side then the other to keep the edge keen. I think it is more like "burnishing" which realigns any imperfections and also work hardens the cutting edge. I believe the most effective way to strop the edge with a steel in between "sharpening" is to apply as much pressure as you dare with as much speed as you can muster consistent with removing as few fingers as possible.

[Cousin Jack]

I was taught to sharpen a chisel or a plane blade on an oilstone until you could see the 'wire edge', and then strop that off on the palm of your hand. Best to practice with a blunt chisel first, and then try with a wide bevel-edge chisel, a narrow firmer chisel can bite hard!

[Noggin]

OMG!! People, mostly on FB!!

Doesn't matter what question you ask, SOOOOOOO many people just reply with the bleeding obvious which isn't actually the question asked, just something easy that means they can pat themselves on the back and feel they've 'helped'.

FFS, Just NO!!! Answer the question or scroll on by!!

[cheb]

Can I invent a new word? Wifesplaining. She's just dug up the potatoes from the garden and it's important I know the difference between the two varieties. I'll admit it might have been a bit tricky without her explaining that some are long, thin and creamy coloured and the others are purple.

[Rockburner]

Can I invent a new word? Wifesplaining. She's just dug up the potatoes from the garden and it's important I know the difference between the two varieties. I'll admit it might have been a bit tricky without her explaining that some are long, thin and creamy coloured and the others are purple.

Is that the same as when they suggest something, you say "yes, fine, good, happy with that", then they carry on trying to persuade you for another four hours?

[weeksy]

Can I invent a new word? Wifesplaining. She's just dug up the potatoes from the garden and it's important I know the difference between the two varieties. I'll admit it might have been a bit tricky without her explaining that some are long, thin and creamy coloured and the others are purple.

Is that the same as when they suggest something, you say "yes, fine, good, happy with that", then they carry on trying to persuade you for another four hours?

I like that one...
"but i've already said yes..." i tell her...
"yes but i want to explain why..."
"there's no need to explain, i've said yes... the rest doesn't matter"
"you're being unreasonable"
"for agreeing with you and doing what you ask?"