Does Knife Sharpening Direction Really Matter? YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG! 

Is there a Difference? Let me know below what your thoughts are! Knives in video⬇ amzn.to/3PSY1f8 amzn.to/3m1WJRe Full disclosure These are affiliated links I earn from qualifying purchases

Some years ago an oldtimer woodsman and survivalist gave me the best survival tip ever: "If you ever happen to get completely lost, and your live is in danger, just sit down and start sharpening your knife. In no time at least 5 guys will appear out of nowhere and tell you how to do it right. At least one of them should know a way out."

Thanks Alex. Within the last 6 months, the folks at WorkSharp made a video testing edge leading vs edge trailing vs back&forth sharpening. The end result was... (SPOILER ALERT) Edge leading produced the sharpest and cleanest edge followed by trailing and finally back&forth. However, the differences amongst the three were so tiny that one needed a microscope or an edge tester to tell the difference. The real answer was that practice and consistency are more important than direction.

As posted all over the comments... Direction doesn't seem to matter much. I just feel that with edge leading you have a higher risk of biting into the stone and taking a chip out of it. Hence edge trailing would be a bit saver for the stones.

As someone who's only just got into knives and started watching your vids while you were on hiatus, I'm really glad to see you back making more content.

What I would be really interested in is a comparison of sharpening handle-to-tip vs tip-to-handle. This will cause the direction of the scratch pattern to be reversed, and I have been wondering if that would result in different performance on pull vs. push cuts.

Hell Yeah. Always a good day when OUTDOORS55 drops some content

My grandfather (wordworker/carver, longtime mechanic & carpenter, outdoorsman, knife maker) taught me that the type of stroke is somewhat tailored to the application and edge type of the knife as well as how badly the edge is banged up. For touch ups of a v-grind, trailing edge is enough on a stone, deburr, then trailing edge on a strop to finish. For repairing a damaged/chipped v-edge, combination of leading and trailing edge is more efficient at removing material, then deburr, then strop/polish. Convex grinds I'm pretty sure he said always needs to be trailing edge strokes. I wish he was still around today (besides just me missing him) because his experience/wisdom could definitely help a lot of people. The man could get ANYTHING sharp enough that it could shave paper just free handing on a couple stones. He didn't like guided systems or rod based systems.

these results lead me to believe one thing: you are incredibly consistent with your technique and sharpening either forwards or backwards will yield minimal differences in sharpness. just my 2 cents

I’ve learned nothing from this but have been highly entertained so mission accomplished.

you educating us on anything and everything, big or small with knives is always doing some useful my man!

Glad to see you posting videos ! Been sharpening for over 40 years, mostly freehand. Still find things that cause me to modify my technique every so often. My conclusion; as long as you are consistent with the angle & light pressure, it doesn't matter how you do it. Remove metal till it's sharp and some people will say you're doing it wrong.

I've been sharpening my knives forever and I always learn a lot from your videos. Glad to see you creating and posting again! Thanks!!

From your magnified shots it looked to me that going backwards formed a more consistent and uniform burr. I use both methods depending on the blade shape and my ability to remain consistent with my technique. So for example if it's easier for me to remain consistent, specifically with the sharpening angle, pushing away from me than I do that. So one side of the blade is done forward and the other backwards. I do this alot with tantos, longer blades and knives that have a portion of serrations I have to work around. Basically I go whatever direction I can maintain my sharpening angle most consistently. Doesn't seem to be a wrong answer as long as your knife is sharp when your done.

Thanks for the interesting video. My father used a circular motion... and so do I sometimes. It worked for him and it seems good enough to me. If I'm using a really fine, hard stone in good condition I will generally apply my finishing strokes by pushing the edge forward as this has seemed to give me a shaving edge more often. If the stone is not flat... or if it is particularly coarse or if it has protruding grit.... I pull the edge backwards so that the imperfections are less likely to catch or damage the edge. If I am using abrasive paper for sharpening, I drag the edge backwards also. Life was less stressful when I didn't think about perfect cutting edges and the theoretical best sharpening technique. I just grabbed my knife and went hunting. If the knife was blunt I'd maybe use a stone and then do a few licks down a sharpening steel. Over the last few years (the RU-vid era) I've been disappointed when my super-sharp knives became blunt in a short time when field dressing game (particularly after cutting around the hocks). So one thing I often do now is to use a softer blade like might be used in a meat processing plant and I restore the edge as on a butcher's steel when it feels blunt. (I must state here that no matter what anybody says, at least some common sharpening steels DO remove metal from the edge. You can see the shavings and if you look at the edge of the newly sharpened blade through a magnifier you can see the cutting pattern). More recently I've tried to set aside my fixation for "shaving sharp" and concentrate on "durable" .... sharpening to get an edge on a field dressing knife that will allow me to field dress for as long as possible without having to change knives or sharpen them. I'm currently going for a toothier edge made by a coarse diamond steel. It seems that some guys are having a good experience using serrated knives for field dressing, and while I have no wish to carry a serrated knife, I think most hunting knives have some degree of serration.... it is just a matter of selecting how much serration by selecting the most suitable grade of grit. Cutting happens when enough force is applied to a small area. A finely sharpened blade presents less area to the material being cut. A serrated blade may apply all the force to just one or a few serrations which really can make things tear apart. Maybe I'm on the wrong track, but I will see how the next few hunts work out. My ancestors butchered game with bits of rock. I have steel.... I just have to decide on the best type of edge for what I do. Best wishes from New Zealand.

So happy you’re back posting videos!! Would love to see more DIY on the house

Interesting study/comparison. Thanks for testing that so thoroughly. Good stuff!

Thank you for doing the work and documenting the results.

Very small difference, but from the video the backwards looked better. This video you have made is very useful since I'm sure many people like me wonder about that! Thank you!!!

Extremely well done, Sir. Very educational, interesting, and well worth following your channel. All the Best to You and Yours!

I appreciate educational aspect of your videos as well as entertainment value of them :) Great job! Many thanks and cheers from Poland!

Very interesting! I honestly feel like burr removal is so important and very difficult to get the hang of compared to other sharpening steps.

This is such a pleasantly scientific approach to knife sharpening. It’s so refreshing and enjoyable when I find channels like yours that take a proper scientific approach. Thank you so much for all the work you put into these videos and for addressing every question and concern the comment section has, no matter how dumb sometimes lol.

In my experience, the difference between the two is so little that I can't separate them consistently enough to determine if it is stroke direction or some other technical failure. If you have a consistent stroke, it won't matter which direction it unless circumstances, such as bevel grind type, demands a specific stroke.

Thanks for sharing this. Also glad to see you putting out more content.

Great to see, that u r back! Greetings from Germany and keep up the good work, Alex.

Ten minutes ago I finished watching another of your videos and added a comment. I felt I couldnt leave this one without adding the same comment i.e. Thank you very much for your extremely informative videos !!

Great. Sharpened backwards for years, probably because of watching you but will try forwards. Good information mate. Keep on keeping on. From the UK

From a minor standpoint forward looks a little better. Thanks so much for answering these seemingly small points with your in-depth research and photos. Cheers

I always sharpen forwards as this is how I learned to do it 30 or more years ago. I also learned never to put too much pressure on the blade as this turns whatever burr might form. My distinct experience through the years though is that sharpening forwards is much more important when sharpening cheaper softer steels which are more prone to burr formation than good high quality steels.

Great test have wondered about this forever 👍👍👍

I LOVE this creator..doesnt seem to me so far that he replies to many comments though...he is so smart!

Just found your channel. Been sharpening edge leading all my life. Tried edge following and I prefer it! Thanks for making these fantastic videos.😀

I really like your videos man. You put in lots of effort to make concise, entertaining videos that tackle the important questions. Keep up the great work.

This is nerdiness at its most beautiful - sincerely. I think this is a great test. Thank you for sharing your work and findings!

I know I'm coming late to this, but come on man, nobody would hate you. We love you for this stuff.

In my first hand experiences ..., Yes, the size of the bur makes a difference when it breaks off. Larger bur will leave a wider apex for additional refining. In my experiences, ET (Edge Trailing) produces a bur more quickly and more easily than EL (Edge Leading). This may be positive or negative situ depending. The size of the bur is directly relevant to abrasive grit size, the amount of pressure applied and how long you keep grinding (pushing material past the apex). To attempt to say one method is right or wrong is misunderstanding the fact that the results are simply sometimes different and also dependant on the steel and geometry. I typically use both EL and ET in a sharpening progression.

It's as i suspected.. Thanks for doing the hard work.

2:09 Using notebook paper instead of printer paper like a chad, it's the small details like this is why I trust your advice. I think as long as you aren't over doing it on a single side, it shouldn't really matter which direction you go. I don't really stick to a single direction, just depends on the blade and what I'm trying to do with it.

Really like these in depth videos, thanks.

That was really informative, thank you!

Thank you for this video. I liked it a lot, as always. ✌🏼

Thank you, another great video, very interesting and informative. Take care Sam

You are the man! I must admit it that very few people could have tackled this question with any legitimacy, but you seem to confirm that sharpening direction, if it matters at all, is adequately handled by de-burring steps normally performed as a finishing step. Therefore, the direction really becomes a matter of preference for the person manually doing the motions. Good work!

I agree with you. Keep up the good work. Don't let the haters get under your skin.

This is so cool that you did this! I love these types of videos. Dang man, I'm so glad you're back!

I have also found that there is very little difference between edge leading and edge trailing, especially on whetstones. Now where does it make a difference, if you use a belt, edge trailing is great because, under the right lighting conditions, you can see the burr form. Seeing the burr form is very helpful when working with damaged knives, it lets you know when you have apexed the damaged areas. This is one of those myths in sharpening, along with "you must sharpen to at least 7k grit, or it just won't cut" or "my pull though sharpener does a great job". Thanks for the video!! all your videos are great!!!

Thank you for making a meaningful video! You did a basic experiment and showed us that the results are comparable. I hope this settles the "debate"!

I've been watching this channel for a little while now, and ended up subbing. Since this vid I'm pretty sure I've seen you do both on occasion. I really don't hink it makes a difference, especially considering you are so thorough with the process (including stropping).

So what you’re saying is… it doesn’t matter how you sharpen the knife as long as it gets sharp. Got it! And your videos are always a treat!

Thanks for the great information you put out in your videos.

Wonderful information! I always wondere, but go back and forth anyways not believing there is any difference. You took the time to confirm it for us. We are in debted.

Great vid bro always love the content

I'm trying it the other way now.....just for fun. I sharpen forward usually. I like your comments in one of your other videos about this. So cheers 🍻 to trying something new. Thank-you keep up the good work can't wait to see more!

Man I’m glad you’re making videos again. I missed watching

2:03 I appreciate the audio editing there, where you add the box falling to the alternate shot. Nice continuity

Nice to see u back 👍

Didn't even read the title....saw it was an outdoors55 vid and clicked away. Always enjoy the content man.

I more often push than pull, but have not paid much attention to the difference. Just how I have learned and done it over the years I guess. I also use circular moves which I find easier with smaller hand held stones when outdoors to get the edge back after some use. When using sharpening device such as the KME I sometimes also do back and forth.

just getting into the knife world, thank you sir!

Your close up shows what I felt. A weird round dullness when going backwards.

Great video!! I usually sharpen backwards...guess all that matters in the end is the knife is sharp 👌 Also loved the part when you were scolding yourself! 😂

What about sharpening sideways.

Your expression at 1:42 was perfection lol your sharpening videos I've learned a lot from. Cheers

Looks more consistent and more even on the going backwards to me

Your sense of humor reminds me of my youngest brother. Even the way you word things.

Strange, I never got a notice for this video. Great video and subject, thank you!

Even if I use my Lansky guided system, where I use to shatpen in both directions, I raise a burr. Feels like the burr has nothing to do with the direction of the sharpening motion. The burr will rise on the oposite side of the apex, or, said in different terms, on the side that is looking away from the force that removes steel. Sounds logical. Nice video of yours. I was missing your work and appreciate it a lot. I have learned a lot about sharpening knives from your videos, even came into stropping - and started freehand benchstone sharpening. I used the Lansky guided sharpening system and later the Turnbox, everything because I have seen your videos about this systems. Now I use the Work Sharp "Benchstone" with two diamond plates in 320 and 600 grit and a ceramic plate with about 1000 - 1200 grit. Started out with the angle guides, but after a short time I was able to use this benchstone free hand. I want to thank you for starting my interest into learning something new, I really appreciate it. Stay safe everybody, and stay blessed. Greetings from Germany!

1:50 you got me there xD The position and absence of reaction are perfect

I love the video but now I would love to see back and forward vs circular motions and both along Side the footage from today

I usually sharpen backwards and forwards for sake of efficiency. I'm sure it's not going to create the "perfect edge" but I can get it shaving sharp in a short period of time, which is all that I'm really after. A lot of people argue about the best way to sharpen things, but I think it's down to whatever feels comfortable to the individual and allows them to maintain a fairly consistent angle.

What about sharpening in both directions? Might the burr and sharpness be the same as in just one direction, but the sharpening takes less time because of the higher efficiency of the motion?

Great video, I’ve learned a lot from your channel 👍

Great video , I often wondered this !!

Great explanation alex.. keep it up..

Good video showing key information; I spent some time working with a butcher; did most everything you covered while maintaining his knives, but the final step was to use the leather (or Fabric) strop to put a polished edge on the knife. It only takes a moment, but the results gave a far better cut,

Thank you so much for your video, I really love it 😊

Love your channel!! FYI, I got ZERO notification when you put this video up. YT may be playing games with your channel.

The muscles in the arm have more precision control in the backstroke this is know in many crafting cutting tasks. More control leads to greater control of the precision burr…if you want it small that is easy if you want it big that is also easy… what do you want…it is up to you - I vote that more control - backstroke is the greater winner! Love your videos; I have learned a lot!

If I could heart this video instead of thumbs upping it I would. I've been toying with the idea of sharpening my pocket knife with stopping strokes using sandpaper followed by Bark River compound and I can't seem to get it as sharp as I can on my DMT guided diamond sharpener. Even though it's fully apexed but at least now I know it can be done with good results. Thankyou for this!

Lol good show mate! Subscribed!

Really appreciate your videos!

Thanks for doing all the careful work it took to get this information. Interesting the whole way through. Too bad it won't put the debate to rest, but maybe some folks will duplicate your work for themselves and maybe opt out of the next argument?

Very interesting, and I appreciate the chapters format the video. Do you feel that one sharpening method gives you better feedback than the other? I am interested to know if edge training has its place in polishing and honing than edge leading.

Thanks for that 👍 Very good !

"I'm going to do something useful' You were already doing just that, very useful. Thanks for your time and effort. Much appreciated. Subscribed.

Thanks for the info, I have wondered if it really makes any difference which direction to sharpen.

Good video , thanks for sharing , God bless !

neat. I had always wondered which direction was better for burrs. (turns out neither) thank you for the information.

good info, good test

I thought backwards looked better on all accounts. However, the difference is likely so small it can't be measured. What I have learned is it is easier to maintain the angle of the bevel going backwards and sharpen more even. It also prevents a slip and slice when you are doing it quickly. Honestly, I don't think it really matters enough for it to matter. I will keep doing backwards as it works better for me. I used to always do forward and was able to get them kinda sharp. Now that I do backwards I get them scalpel sharp everytime and do not have the risk of slicing myself due to a slip.

My dad was a butcher for a long time and the way he’s always sharpened his knives on the stone is forward AND a backward So when I sharpen my own knives in the stone I also go forward and backward It feels uneven or like I’m wasting time when I only go either forward or backward Why not both

Thanks Alex !!!

Nice video. The diference i see is on rather you prefer to push or pull your hand while sharpening. I rather pull than push i feel i have more control pulling. I have learned a lot with your videos. Thanks for that

Hey Alex. The scratch patterns are different on both and also (and I might be wrong) but the sharpened backwards looks crispier, while I can still see burr on the other one. Great video as always 😁👌

Best sharpening channel i know so far love u bro

Great video! I prefer edge trailing because I feel the knife will float over debris on the stone. But either way produces a good edge.

This was very enlightening..I'm going to try and sharpen one of my straight razors and see if it makes any difference. Most videos on RU-vid only show Razor sharpening in the forward direction. I think backwards sharpening might be easier…I'll report back as to the results. Great video! Cheers from Nova Scotia, Mike.

Thanks Alex‼️ I'm a backwards sharpener, just the way I have the most consistent blade angle and apex. I would like to mention I always enjoy your sense of humor and have incorporated some of techniques. Many THANKS ‼️ 👍🔪👍

1st You are back! 👏 2nd You killed me with h8ters bit 3rd Great video