Like others have said this video was beyond helpful. Pray that you can make more videos in the future. Skilled craftsmen that can teachers like you are rare.
Two years later, still the most comprehensive video on sharpening available on youtube. This video is so important and I appreciate you for making it! I wish you were still creating, your knowledge is so needed in this world. I understand your circumstances. Hope you're well, from SWMO!
Greetings from the Philippines This guy has the technique of teaching the way I learn best. I feel I can learn anything as long as he’s the teacher. New subscriber here.
I watched a lot of "how to sharpen...." videos on youtube. Hands down this is the best one. I just came back from my workshop successfully sharpening my hatchet and two pocket knives and it worked better than ever before my. Thanks a lot for this! I really enjoy your videos and love your way of life.
I couldn't agree more. The best way... I just sharpened my hedge shears, two axes, and a hatchet. I'm looking forward to trying this method on my pocket & kitchen knifes.
@Carving A Path I can't say enough about how much I appreciate learning from you. You are an outstanding teacher and I mean that so sincerely. I have watched way to many videos on RU-vid in the hopes of learning a skill and very few can hold a candle to the way you are able to educate and articulate the process and methodology behind learning some of the skills that you demonstrate. Thank you so much for making these videos, I can't wait to watch them all.
great wisdom comes from carpenters... keep the mind sharp by practicing mindfulness and equanimity just as we keep honing our knives to stop the dullness coming about🙂
Thank you so much, that was such an enlightening video. I love the way that you teach, and you should not apologise for the length of the video, I personally feel that I could watch ten hours of you talking about sharpening. Every moment is crammed with useful information it is like having a masterclass. What I also enjoyed is the fact that I don’t have to go out and buy expensive tools, ( like so many other videos )just sandpaper and a strop. “Tuning the edge” was so useful as well, I have always wondered. You address the real world problems in a no nonsense practical manner, which so many people leave out. I am so glad that I have found your channel. Thanks again Mike
Wow. Love the video. Hubby been using the stone all these years as we’ve never knew if the strop and compound. Just received today and he’s sitting here working it out after we’ve watched your video several times. See you can teach a 75 yr young man something!! Thanks, his supporting wife Sandy. Lol. 😁
This does sharpening really help me out by calling it a shaping Stone instead of a sharpening stone I finally caught on to what people were saying I'm doing wood carved bowls and I will soon be trying to make one of your ads
I started sharpening knives at a young age . I was forunate enough to have acess to stones of all types. I used sand paper to do the odd shapes and do my finish honeing with leather and polishing compound. You are the only other person that I have seen do the same. The quality of knife steel has went down over the years. Yes you can find quality steel 'but its expensive. I'm in my later 60"s now and enjoy watching skilled people .Keep up the good work.
Welcome to the club! Couldn't agree more about the decline quality of steel. I have a few mid-nineteenth century chisels and gouges- mainly Sheffield, England. Another kettle of fish. Still, a sharp edge is always a joy to use.
Thank you very much awesome video learned a few things. For future videos don’t worry about timeline. The more detailed the more we understand. It’s the details that makes you an expert.
This man has humbly produced a very informative educational. My mistakes were caused by sharpening lessons learnt from my dad. Dad was clueless - this video breaks starts at the beginning. I can't say enough. THX
Hi from Down-under, yet another brilliantly simple exposé of the art. Never heard a chicken having just laid an egg make it to a movie. Would have to be a first. Most of you city slickers won’t know what I am talking about but trust me, this show is nature at its best. Cheers.
@Carving A Path I am a late comer to this video and I've taken to a rather aggressive method of shaping and sharpening my tools and thought I'd run it by you. Now. I am one of those people who used to use an old belt (or the belt I'm wearing, or a folding wallet, or some scrap leather, or my forearm which doesn't have much hair on it.) to strop on occasion without any compound on it. But I've recently taken to using a college ruled composition notebook to do my stropping. Usually without compound. In addition. I typically use files for complete re-profiles of edges (if they bite), and do the reprofiling and raising of the burr with diamond bench-stones to whatever I need them to be. Usually going somewhere between fine and low end of extremely fine, and then I work off the burr with the composition book and will usually work it a little extra to get the mirror polish I like on my working edges. It seems to work well for me and I definitely get razor sharpness out of it, but I've been told everything between it's not useful without abrasive compound and that paper is too aggressive period. I suppose in short, I'm asking the following. How do you feel about diamond sharpeners, do you ever recommend stropping without abrasive/polishing compound, and do you think notebook paper (such as a standard college ruled 100 sheet composition book) is a good option for stropping?
thanks for sharing... I remember as a kid watching elders go through the process and the process was lost in my young mind. I appreciate your time going over this.
I recently received my strap strong, like yours, and my sandpaper and compound. Tonight I gave it a try on a paring knife I have had for years. I will say I was successful, but I will also need much more practice. Thank you so much for your help.
Hope you never feel your videos are to long every minute is value. I know you have alot going on and you and yours are doing well thanks for sharing your knowledge
What you teach makes sense. I've been going thru the motions for 40 years with my hunting knives and I am guilty of blaming the knive's quality. I could see and feel the serrated edge after "shaping" and thought I had sharpened the knife. I never understood stropping. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and thank God my thinking is still flexible enough to learn. Your video has changed my understanding.
This is great. I have watched sooo many RU-vid videos on sharpening, but this is the first time that I have got a real appreciation for the process. You are an amazing teacher, and I am glad that I found your channel. please don't stop!
Great video! What I liked about it the most is that you break down what's actually going on. Not like the other videos I've seen where they are all saying basically the same thing. Also anyone interested in learning can afford this method. Don't have to go out and spend hundreds of dollars and probably still not able to put a proper edge on.
Thank you for making this video! I have struggled with tool sharpening and now I see what I was doing wrong. All it takes is the right teacher and a willingness to learn! Stan
A gambrel roof has some advantages but your cabin looks exactly perfect. Here’s our email so you can send us your address.. we have some hooks we have forged. We think they might look good hanging across your front porch header to hang lanterns, plants, etc. Harrisrex717@gmail.com
i cant thank you enough ... i have learned today how to sharpen (and i have made a couple of knives myself) i was getting frustrated from sharpening and really got stressed out from thinking about it to the point that i may buy a new tool just because its sharp!! but just a note... you do explain things really great but you do it again and again through out the video .
This is honestly a real wake up call for me, I've had a really hard time trying to sharpen draw knives, axes, knives and this has helped a lot. Can't wait to give sharpening another shot and this time actually know what I'm doing. Thank you!!!
I’m humbled and grateful for the way you explain not only what you intend to do but why. The examples given for sharpening tools,knives etc. zero in to all of the mistakes I have made and didn’t know how to correct them Thank You.
This is by far the best sharpening video I have ever seen. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with me. My grandfather showed me everything but the strop with compound on it. He used his belt.
This was a great practical approach to sharpening, including common sense, myth busting, and every day solutions. As a handtool wood worker for 20 yrs, I've played with most manual (and a few powered) sharpening methods. Your approach will suit most everybody's needs at low cost. One stropping tip I think I came up with is using the grey fiber gasket material (any auto parts store) glued to wood in place of leather when I need a super fine edge with almost no rounding over. The thin tough leather you mentioned is great for 90% of the time. Sometimes I purposely use a thicker leather when I want a more convex edge such as on a general purpose axe (not a carving axe) for more durability. Also, complements to the camera person who never gets enough credit. Your shots are stable, focused, use clear close ups, and are well framed. A joy to watch, and better than most YT productions. Now I'll let you get back to your "flow." ;-) Thanks.
Thank you so much for this clearly illustrated video. For the first time I think I’ve understood how to sharpen my tools. So many seemingly knowledgeable people say it doesn’t matter in which direction to sharpen the tool. Now I know that’s nonsense.
I'm glad I found you. I watched your entire spoon out of walnut video. You are the most exact and honest instructor ever. I acquired my father's woodworking chisels when he passed away. He was a lifelong woodworker and learned how to keep his tools sharp. Unfortunately ..I follow within the sad beginning story you began this video with .. I'm hoping to get better now sir..and also to be honest with myself..as you say!
you have opened my eyes to a whole new way of me sharpening my tools... i've never thought of finishing my sharpening off with the leather as you do, but as you describe it all,, it all makes total sense... thank you...
Somebody could have told me this 20 years ago too :) But thank you very much for taking the time to share your knowledge and experience with us. As always it is helpful, inspiring, and very useful.
One of my biggest regrets losing my dad was he never successfully taught me nor my kids how to sharpen a knife. I appreciate you taking it down to a micro level, gives me a better understanding "why" you need to go through the process the way you're showing us. By the way keep making videos so WE can catch on😉
I have been sharpening using this same method for years and it works great. People bring me all sorts of odd blades to sharpen for them and then freak out when they see how sharp they are when I return the tool . I always caution them that it's very sharp now and will cut you if your not very careful.
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. Without a doubt this was the most helpfull instruction about sharpening carving tools that I have seen the last few years. Grateful greetings from Germany.
I have been asked to sharpen knives far many people I've worked with. Most of them could have learned these simple steps, but wouldn't take the time. You've given a fine example of the process and explained it very well. Thank you for sharing.
Your description of the sharpening process was very informative. I'm in Grad school and your teaching feels like I have another professor to learn from. Thank you for the class.
"the Fatigue" you speak of on the sand paper can be brought back so you can get a second use out of the sand paper with a tooth brush or other soft bristle brush unless you've truly used it far to much. normally you can make it have a second use by doing this. And no it wont work three times I've tried cause I'm a cheep-o lol
I always touch cutting edges, its amazing what you can ascertain through your fingertips when you've touched enough edges. I can tell if something is sharp and to what degree, and if it has a toothy, utilitarian edge or if it's been honed shaving smooth. I just get a harmonious sense of closure from the tactile feedback of an edge I've spent time creating. Zen and the Art of Cutting Tool Maintenance!
Ive had oustanding results from following your advice and demonstration. I have transitioned from being a razor edge half wit to a honed edge convert very quickly. Thank-you for taking the time to enlighten and teach me and no doubt many others. Very thankful.
@@CarvingAPath well Im a novice woodturner and I applied all the techniques you explained to my tools and the results of doing that have been outstanding. I am a dairy farmer and enjoy cooking also so now all my hoof trimming tools and knives are holding their edges for much much longer. I am very grateful and have now subscribed to be able to keep in touch with Carving A Path. :)
That’s great. Being able to keep all of your tools at peak cutting performance is a real empowering feeling. And also welcome to our channel. If you have any questions about anything feel free to ask. We appreciate your positive feedback and also we appreciate your interaction. Thanks again
Thank you so much for this infomative video, I took up carving while having to isolate. First I made a kuksa but I was only raising a burr with a shaping stone thinking that it was now sharp, and as you say, it doesnt hold the edge. After watching this video, I bought a strop and compound and spent a while sharpening with the strop. Amazing. I always thought that last process was cosmetic just to make it look nice and shiny and scratch free. You've been the first out of all the RU-vidrs demonstrating sharpening tools that actually explained the process. I can effortlessly shave my arm now and I'm still not finished sharpening yet. Thank you so much! Carving wood is going to be so much easier now!
Ok, after watching this video two or three times I have decided to give your method a try. The strop has been out of stock for two months, but it finally came a few weeks ago, the yellowstone was hard to find but it was in stock. I have an old Fiskars hatchet that I have been using of several years along with various knives and a gransfors bruks small forest axe. They are now very sharp using your method. I will let you know if they stay sharp longer. Thanks for the tutorial. BTW, I shaved with a straight razor for several years using a strop to sharpen (no board just leather) but without any compound. However, It looks like shaving is not something you do a lot of :).
Hello, i am a bit late to the party on this one. But i just want to say that i enjoyed this video, and agree with everything you said. In my younger days i did a lot of shooting and fishing and just sharpened my knives with a stone i thought they were reasonably sharp. They did the job. Later on i started wood carving nothing major just spoons and things like that. That is when i got a strop and learned how to use it. That one simple tool took my sharpening to another level. The difference it made was unbelivable. Also just a quick tip if you don't have any leather for a strop a corn flake box makes a good substitute.
Fantastic video. Actually knowing what is going on during the process is gold. Haven't seen this in depth explanation anywhere else on RU-vid. A video on sharpening different bevels would be much appreciated. Btw, you may want to consider putting a link in the description to the products you describe so well. Make a little extra coin. I bought 3 knifes from North Bay Forge because of your vid' on carving a spoon.
Your correct. I wish someone had explained that to me a long time ago. I will redo my carving knives and try again. I am going to show my grandsons and daughters how this is suppose to be done. Thanks.
