For chisels and plane irons I use waterstones and a honing guide (it rides on the stone itself.) I have always put the most pressure on the push stroke (that is with the beveling edge pushing away from me) but I read something the other day that tells me I may be wrong and should put more pressure on the pull stroke, that is as the bevel edge is “trailing”. How do others do it and does it make a difference?
FRank
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I'm thinking that this must have been a really stupid question since I've gotten no response. But for me it actually is a legitimate question. Any ideas?
Many moons ago, I learned to sharpen my Boy Scout knife with a circular motion on an oil stone. Some years later a guy showed me how to sharpen by slicing off a layer from the stone. My edges went from OK to dangerous. I always push, now. On a strop, I go the other way or the strop will be cut. If I was to strop on my hand, I'd need a box of bandaids. I don't believe in checking sharpness by shaving arm hair. I could do that with my old methods. My edges are much too dangerous to do that now. One way to check for a sharp edge is to place it perpendicular on your fingernail. Try to slide it down the nail. A sharp edge won't move, a dull one will scrape off some fingernail.Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
<<" I'm thinking that this must have been a really stupid question since I've gotten no response.">>Not at all. But there is a concurrent thread on sharpening, which has perhaps soaked up all the response time for those that have something to say on the issue.http://forums.taunton.com/tp-knots/messages?msg=23060.1"I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong."
-- Bertrand Russell
My purely anecdotal experience is that I get the sharpest edge when I use a circular motion or figure eight. Could this be because grain in the metal has a random orientation rather than straight back and forth? Maybe, but it's also possible that's it all a figment of my imagination.
Frank ,
Do you get good results by using more pressure on the push ? I have always done it the same way as you and never knew it was not right . When I use my leather stropping block I pull towards the front edge of the tool and do not go back the other way it just seems to tear up the leather prematurely.
good luck dusty
I would bet that someone is going to jump in here and overanalyze this to death. Put it under a microscope (literally) and say this would be different or that would be different. And they may be 100% correct, but only in absolute terms. But we don't need to deal in absolutes, only what is practical. I can see where applying more pressure on the pull stroke could possibly raise more of a wire edge, but a couple strokes on a strop eliminates that anyway. (If you don't have a strop, the palm of your hand will do precisely the same thing.)
Frank, I saw a thread a couple of weeks ago where someone mentioned they were tearing the sandpaper (using the Scary Sharp method) and someone else mentioned they coiuld stop the tearing by using only a pull stroke. Other than that, I can't see where it would make a difference providing the angle and pressure applied remains constant between the push & pull stroke.
Frank , David Charlesworth(sp.) mentions that he pulls only because the push stroke dishes out the stone more. Don't know, but I'm more likely to push as well, I flatten my stone constantly on wetdry paper that's right next to the stone. So many ways to accomplish the same thing. Michael
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