How to Sharpen Whittling Knives 

Thank you for your comments.

Thank you for your kind comments. It’s great to know that others out there are old school learners like myself. I agree that Solingen tools are high quality. I’ve been using those knives for over 50 years and are still my favorites.

I had no idea that my technique is opposite of what others are demonstrating. I don’t recall the particulars of who taught me but I’ve been doing it that way since the early 70’s. However the stropping part is always a reversed motion. Perhaps it doesn’t really matter as long as you get a satisfactory result.

@@shoptalkwithtim do what ever takes. I am going to try your method .

Thank you. I’m glad you found it helpful.

Thank you for your kind comment. I’m glad it was helpful to you.

Regarding downward pressure sharpening a blade, at least for me, it’s usually when I see my finger tips start turning white. That’s perhaps my only gauge and when I feel the edge biting in. Not too hard though, as a light touch is best for smaller tools and it depends on how much sharpening is needed. Best thing is to keep practicing. Best of success to you and thank you for your question.

Thank you for your comment. Good luck with your whittling journey. You may find my other sharpening videos helpful too if you start using chisels, gouges or v-tools. Keep on practicing!

Awesome, thank you!

It’s great to have a simplified sharpening system that works well for you. Thank you for your comments!

I admit that I am old school using natural stones the way I do. But they work for me.

It seems counterintuitive but I find it works well to cut into the stone as though you were slicing cheese. Then dragging it the opposite way on the strop as it will damage it if you didn’t do that. Best of success in your sharpening.

There are many ways to sharpen your knives. Main thing is to sharpen them with the way that works best for you. My oilstone technique is just one way and it has worked for me.

Thank you for your comments. Please note that my technique of knife sharpening is not recommended for using water stones. The tools will tend to dig into them too much. Dragging the blade as you would in stropping works well. However oil stones work best for me for doing quick touch ups.

Thank you for your comments and your question. I use a grinding wheel primarily for chisels and not usually for knives. The problem with grinding knives on a wheel is it will shorten the usable life of your blade more quickly. I can achieve satisfactory results with oil stones in a fairly short period of time without risk of overheating and drawing the temper out of the edge. Chisels are thicker and have the mass to disperse the heat more before temper colors appear provided one is careful. The exception for grinding knives is if a blade is badly nicked or broken and needs reshaping. Best of success with your sharpening.

@@shoptalkwithtim that’s brilliant thank you.

Thank you for your comments. It’s always interesting hearing how others approach tool sharpening. Bottom line is to keep ‘em sharp with the method that works best for you.

I’m glad you liked the video. Thanks for the thumbs up.

I’m not sure if I understand your question. The knife blade should not be totally flat on the stone. When you sharpen a longer blade or a curved blade you will not be able to have the entire edge in complete contact with the stone at all times. Keep the blade moving and at the same angle throughout the process. If I were to guess at the angle on both sides probably between 12 and 15 degrees. Don’t round the edge by multiple angles or it will not cut well even though it appears to be sharp. Practice will tell you where the sweet spot is on your blade. Thicker blades will have a wider edge bevel than thinner blades will when sharpened to the same angle.