[Dull Knife]

to this forum, but not to wood carving. I've been carving for 20 years....and all that time I've never learned how to sharpen a carving knife.
I can sharpen my wood chisels...for them, I use a rotary system. I don't get good results using the rotary with my knives, that's why they remain DULL.
I'd like to learn the Scary Sharp method. All I've been able to find on the web is how to sharpen a wood plane blade.....I need the info on how to sharpen wood carving knives with the Scary Sharp method. Can somone please direct me to that info. thanks

[AlArchie]

Hey, Dull.......wait, that just doesn't sound right......better have a name than go on calling you "Dull".

Anyway, if you are familiar with the Scary Sharp system for plane irons and chisles, you should have no trouble transitioning to sharpening a knife. Here's a few tips that may help, no matter what type of sharpening stone or system you use.

Start by laying your blade flat on the stone, then raise the back (about) the thickness of a dime and pretend you are trying to slice a thin sliver off the stone. Push the blade toward the stone at that 10 to 15 degree angle. Then turn the blade over and do the same thing the other way.

That's the basics, but lets back up one step. You want to take ten swipes on one side of the knife, then turn it over and take 9 on the other, over again for 8, over again for 7 and on down to one stroke on each side. Keep that blade back raised that dime's thickness on each stroke and make sure you are sharpening into the stone, not dragging the blade backwards across the stone.

When you get down to the last stroke of the sequence, it's time to start stropping.
Use a hard leather strop, and again, put the blade flat on the strop, raise the back of the blade the dime's thickness, but this time pull the blade backwards across the strop. Turn the blade over and hit the other side the same way. Repeat this until you see the fine wire edge you developed in the stoning process, disappear. By now you SHOULD have a finely sharpened blade..........or not! It does take a bit of practice, and the hardest part is training your hands to hold that blade at the proper angle while sharpening. This absolutely has to be consistant! Once your hands have learned, the process will become second nature.

Oh, I forgot......when stropping make SURE you keep that blade almost flat on the strop, and absolutely no more that the angle you sharpened at. You want to remove the wire edge and polish the edge. If you raise the back of the blade more than that, you will put a very sharp, BLUNT micro bevel on the darn thing. That translates to DULL!
Al

[TIGER7]

i just thaught that i'd drop in and say welcome to the group. sorry i don't know that method myself but i'm sure there's someone here that would be glad to help.

[Mark N. Akers]

Welcome aboard Dull Knife,I refuse to sharpen my knives on a rotary,I use diamond stiones on all my knives and do them by hand.

[Dull Knife]

Gee that was fast!! Thanks to all for the fast answer. O.K. Al, I'll try your method tomorrow. I was looking for the proper angle to hold my knife, and you've said that I should hold the knife at the thickness of a dime off the stone. Great!!! I've got natural, diamond, and ceramic stones....now maybe I can get something positive done.....I'll change my name when I get a sharp knife. Thanks to all.

[slivers&dust]

Welcome Mr Knife

I've read about the Scary Sharp system on here before...but I still have a question...do you that use it sharpen your gouges using this method too?