[woodspiritslover]

Hi all woodcarver friends, just got me over the weekend my first serious double edged knife German brand Kirschen known also as Two Cherries. Luckily I was wise enough to buy a sharpening stone (that 2 colored) with it. I tried it at home and YES it is not sharpened at all . I know that I have to wet the stone first but I have absolutely no idea why the stone has to colors (is one side harder than the other?) and what moves I have to make in order to sharpen the knife without damaging the edge. Anyone can give me a hint pls or advise if there is a site where I can get some tutorial on that? Thanks in advance because I know I will have the most possible advice.

[Darlene D]

Hi Mary,

With regards to the sharpening stone, it sounds like the stone you have is a combination grit water stone. The orange side is coarse grit which is the side you begin with when sharpening your knives. Then the yellow side is a fine grit which you would use next.

For more details on sharpening techniques, ideally it would be nice if you found someone locally who can actually show you. The next best thing would be using any of a number of instructional videos/dvds that demonstrate sharpening techniques. Actually, Two Cherries makes a basic sharpening DVD that can be played in 5 languages.

Good luck!

Darlene
European Hand Tools
Canadian Importers for Two Cherries

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

do a google search of "scary sharp" sharpening .....easy cheap way to get a great edge...as for sharpening, I always sharpen, with blade flat to surface, that way no secondary bevel....but I carve soft woods...i.e. basswood and butternut

[woodspiritslover]

Darlene and HiHo I appreciate your advices. Darlene there is no one here that would be willing to show me. Hungarians have totally different mentality. Like they don't like to share knowledge and many more. I noticed the DVD you mention but I try not to invest too much before I know that I can really curve something worth seeing. I take your advice and I go google for scary sharp as per HiHo's advice. Thank you both immersely. Mary

[Just Carving]

Mary,

Practice sharpening on some old non-serrated kitchen knives or other knives that don't get used. Once you get the idea on how to sharpen, then you'll have some sharp kitchen knives, and you'll be more confident in sharpening your new knife.

Bob L

[FK]

Sharpening references:

http://www.woodcarvers.com/sharpening.htm

You Tube has many short video ref. some are with motorized equip. (not recommended) others with stones are good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5X0PBY0XgI

Regards,
Fred Krow

[AlArchie]

Woodspiritslover, if that double edged Two Cherries knife is the scimitar shaped one, you may find sharpening the inside curved edge a bit difficult with a flat stone of any kind.

Here's a tip for the outside curved side, though. Place the blade on your stone (you can wet your stone if you chose with either water or oil or leave it dry) and raise the back of the blade about the thickness of a dime. Then push the blade forward into the stone as if you are trying to cut off a thin slice. Keeping this same angle do ten strokes on one side of the blade, then turn it over and do nine strokes on the other, flip the blade again and do 8 strokes, flip and 7, etc, till you get down to one stroke on each side. My bet would be that you can use the fine side of the stone to do this, but if you first used the more coarse side, turn the stone over and do the same on the fine side.

Hi Ho mentioned keeping the blade flat to the stone, and this is true if you have a blade that does not have a secondary bevel on it. However most commercial blades, Two Cherries included, will already have a secondary bevel ground into it. By raising the back of the blade that "dime's thickness" you will approximate that same secondary bevel. Once your blade is sharp, resharpening should be a rare occurence. You should only need to strop the blade to keep a keen edge.

You can use the scary sharp system instead of a stone to do this, too. And you can actually strop by using a piece of crocus cloth on a flat surface instead of a leather belt or strop.

Then is you don't have a strop, take a leather belt, place it on a hard surface and draw the blade over the belt exactly in the opposite direction as you did to sharpen it. In other words, lay it flat on the belt, lift the back the same dime thickness and drag the blade toward the back of the blade down the lenght of the belt. then turn the blade over and repeat. About ten or twenty strokes on the belt should polish your blade up to a super sharp edge.

If you have some polishing compound, use that on the belt.

On the side of the blade with the inside curve, you can find a round ceramic rod that will work to sharpen it. I've got two of these knives. One I sharpen with the ceramic rod and the other I just ground that inside curve flat so It's not sharp at all. then I can use it like a curved bench knife.


Al

[woodspiritslover]

dear woodcarving friends your precious advices extremely appreciated. Al I ptint out your super detailed instructions and keep it with my woodcarving books. Over the weekend I will apply your instructions on a kitchen knife and then off I go for my new knife. I am not sure if my knife is a scimitar shaped (!) but it's the modell 3353 if that means something to you. Slightly bend. I will try to upload a photo of the knife in hope that it works. Thanks again. Mary

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

If you carve like I do and a lot of carvers, placing your thumb on the back of the blade and kind of helping it along.......that could get embarassing with that knife lol....I don't wear a thumb guard on my right hand, but think I would if I was using that one! just in case I forgot it was two sided

[woodspiritslover]

yes HiHo I thought of it while I was choosing this knife because I also follow the same back of blade thumb BUT this brand is expensive and I didnt want to spend twice buying 2 separate knives. I have promised myself not to spend a lot before I make sure that I can carve anything halfway decent. I will be extra careful I promise.