Finally nailed my knife sharpening after 3 months of bad angles

I kept getting mad that my edge would dull after just a few rounds of prep work. Then I watched a video from a guy in Philly who showed me how to feel for the burr instead of just counting passes. Two weeks later I can slice through a tomato with barely any pressure, no tearing at all. Has anyone else had a lightbulb moment like that with a specific sharpening trick?

3 comments

3 Comments

wells.olivia1d ago

So you were counting passes on both sides equally or just winging it?

the_richard1d ago

Winging it was my old strategy. Counting passes just made me mess up more because I'd lose track halfway through.

michael_coleman101d ago

Counting passes never worked for me either @wells.olivia, I used to do 10 per side and wonder why my edges were all over the place. The burr method changed everything, but what really clicked was understanding that you have to feel for it with your thumb going away from the edge, not along it. Most people tell you to drag your finger across the blade but that just cuts you up if you're not careful, so going perpendicular to the edge is safer and lets you feel the tiny wire edge way better.