Search found 389 matches

by Peter Nowlan
Mon Nov 30, 2020 11:15 am
Forum: Sharpening Advice
Topic: Knife cutting into whetstone
Replies: 11
Views: 1639

Re: Knife cutting into whetstone

You need to slow down and focus on correcting the mistakes. I have gouged lots of stones and in every case it was due to error on my part, rushing. I would suggest not using an angle guide if you’re talking about the ones that slip into the blade. Take a methodical approach, establish a sharpening p...
by Peter Nowlan
Fri Nov 06, 2020 12:55 pm
Forum: Sharpening Advice
Topic: question for you pro sharpeners re German steels
Replies: 9
Views: 1598

Re: question for you pro sharpeners re German steels

Salemj, the only difference between me and you is that people pay me to sharpen their knives and I probably have more knives to sharpen than you. This doesn’t make me a better sharpener than you or anyone else. You’re a very intelligent individual and I’ve learned much from you. As for the 20 deg an...
by Peter Nowlan
Thu Nov 05, 2020 2:27 pm
Forum: Sharpening Advice
Topic: question for you pro sharpeners re German steels
Replies: 9
Views: 1598

Re: question for you pro sharpeners re German steels

I agree with Ken. The impact on edge retention from the final grit is insignificant. Ensure the knife is thin behind the edge and you cleaned the edge, no lingering burr/wire edge. I realize that many folks believe a lower grit finish enhances edge retention but as I said, it’s trivial compared to t...
by Peter Nowlan
Sun Nov 01, 2020 7:01 pm
Forum: Sharpening Advice
Topic: New, Nervous, Excited...
Replies: 8
Views: 1219

Re: New, Nervous, Excited...

Congratulations, it’s an awesome journey to be on.
You’ll be fine with the 1k stone at first and you’re smart to get the flattening plate. You’ll know when you need a coarse stone, it’s part of the journey, the urge, desire and need to expand your collection of stones.
Good luck
by Peter Nowlan
Fri Oct 23, 2020 5:54 am
Forum: Sharpening Advice
Topic: Extra-fine-grit stones.
Replies: 14
Views: 2351

Re: Extra-fine-grit stones.

I have the Yagonishima 😊
by Peter Nowlan
Thu Oct 22, 2020 4:38 pm
Forum: Sharpening Advice
Topic: Extra-fine-grit stones.
Replies: 14
Views: 2351

Re: Extra-fine-grit stones.

I’m always experimenting with one goal in mind: edge retention. It’s an impossible riddle to solve, for me that is, because we as sharpeners play a very small but very significant role. I won’t get into what we can do as I know everyone here knows anyway. What I have been doing recently is finishing...
by Peter Nowlan
Wed Oct 07, 2020 8:09 am
Forum: Sharpening Advice
Topic: Shapton Glass 220 not cutting much
Replies: 18
Views: 2720

Re: Shapton Glass 220 not cutting much

Robstreperous I agree, lots of techniques. But mine would be the best right 😇🇨🇦
by Peter Nowlan
Tue Oct 06, 2020 12:40 pm
Forum: Sharpening Advice
Topic: Shapton Glass 220 not cutting much
Replies: 18
Views: 2720

Re: Shapton Glass 220 not cutting much

I’ve always found it strange how people’s opinions differ so much on stones. As for the SG 220, I’m Probably on my 8th one now and I’ve never experienced any issues with it. At the end of the day though if it isn’t working for you, if you’ve lost confidence in it then ditch it. I’ve had a stone that...
by Peter Nowlan
Fri Sep 25, 2020 10:54 am
Forum: Sharpening Advice
Topic: Exposing the core
Replies: 18
Views: 2871

Re: Exposing the core

Atang I don’t really care how long it takes me to accomplish a task. 90 minutes converts to me being a better sharpener by completing 90 minutes or work. If someone else can do the same job in 45 minutes they either have more coarse stones, a nice belt grinder with all the right belts or they they a...
by Peter Nowlan
Fri Sep 18, 2020 6:25 am
Forum: Sharpening Advice
Topic: Exposing the core
Replies: 18
Views: 2871

Re: Exposing the core

I appreciate the reply’s. Believe me Ken if you lived in Canada I’d own several of those stones. The work took me about 90 minutes in total using a boatload of different stones. I exposed the core in 60 min . The knife has a very strange bend in it that hampered the process. It was a Dojo and I thin...
by Peter Nowlan
Wed Sep 16, 2020 7:36 pm
Forum: Sharpening Advice
Topic: Exposing the core
Replies: 18
Views: 2871

Re: Exposing the core

Thanks all. I don’t need anything was just asking about time.
I’m done.
by Peter Nowlan
Wed Sep 16, 2020 6:28 pm
Forum: Sharpening Advice
Topic: Exposing the core
Replies: 18
Views: 2871

Re: Exposing the core

Thank you. I’ve done this several times I was just curious how long other people take. I use coarse stones starting at 120 grit. 35 minutes is unrealistic for me. It’s typically one to two hours from start to finish in the repair work, thinning and sharpening. Good tip on the lemon. Thanks again
by Peter Nowlan
Wed Sep 16, 2020 2:28 pm
Forum: Sharpening Advice
Topic: Exposing the core
Replies: 18
Views: 2871

Exposing the core

I forgot how to insert photos. You should see the knife I received yesterday, in ten years it’s the worst. I had to completely remove metal from the edge right up to the lamination line so there is no visible core steel visible. I find the removal of the Jigane to restore the aesthetics and also ens...
by Peter Nowlan
Wed Sep 16, 2020 2:19 pm
Forum: Sharpening Advice
Topic: Fixing a tip
Replies: 12
Views: 2407

Re: Fixing a tip

Well if one of is wrong it’s likely me. I rarely go through a day without a screw up.
by Peter Nowlan
Wed Sep 16, 2020 6:16 am
Forum: Sharpening Advice
Topic: Fixing a tip
Replies: 12
Views: 2407

Re: Fixing a tip

For the first time I agree with Ken on this one. 😊 It’s a pretty easy fix and that’s easy for me to say I know but you’ll be surprised how well it will go for you. You need to do this to learn. I’ve long since learned that the actual act of sharpening is the easy part it’s the repairs, the thinning,...
by Peter Nowlan
Thu Sep 10, 2020 3:39 pm
Forum: Sharpening Advice
Topic: Starting a whetstone collection
Replies: 22
Views: 3109

Re: Starting a whetstone collection

Take it from the king of making bad choices when it came to starting my water stone collection. Buy a coarse stone, 400, 500 or 600. That’s where to start, 1,000, 2,000 or 3,000 can be where you finish. It’s now you finish the sharpening process it’s how you start it. I sharpen every day and every k...
by Peter Nowlan
Thu Sep 03, 2020 12:02 pm
Forum: Sharpening Advice
Topic: Stones for my shibata kotetsu gyuto
Replies: 9
Views: 1864

Re: Stones for my shibata kotetsu gyuto

I should clarify myself when I say 500/1k/6k. This is based on my experience with these knives and pretty much and knife of this caliber. This progression is successful assuming that all the work is done on each stone, squeezing the goodness out of every stone used (I don’t suggest that we should re...
by Peter Nowlan
Wed Sep 02, 2020 3:39 pm
Forum: Sharpening Advice
Topic: Stones for my shibata kotetsu gyuto
Replies: 9
Views: 1864

Re: Stones for my shibata kotetsu gyuto

500, 1,000, 6,000 will create a beautiful edge on that knife. Don’t be afraid of a coarse stone, you just need to use pressure wisely. I start every knife on a coarse stone and often use two in a progression depending on the level of dullness. If I’m not staring coarse then I’m honing the blade in w...
by Peter Nowlan
Mon Aug 31, 2020 8:31 am
Forum: Sharpening Advice
Topic: Good lesson for me. Play outside the comfort zone. Burr.
Replies: 21
Views: 3433

Re: Good lesson for me. Play outside the comfort zone. Burr.

Grant, I picked up the idea of Jointing from Hap Stanley and he showed me how and why he does it. Basically, after I’ve finished my sharpening process which includes removal of the burr on every stone, I joint the edge. This is the final step prior to stropping. All I do is run the knife over my 16k...
by Peter Nowlan
Sun Aug 30, 2020 11:39 am
Forum: Sharpening Advice
Topic: Good lesson for me. Play outside the comfort zone. Burr.
Replies: 21
Views: 3433

Re: Good lesson for me. Play outside the comfort zone. Burr.

Of all the sharpening topics that pop up I think this is the big one. When I started sharpening seriously 11 years ago, by serious I mean as a business, I didn’t think much about burr removal. I didn’t lose any sleep over it. Instead I wasted my time worrying if a 10k Stone was good enough, should I...