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@@lone-wolf-1 yeah a bit awkward. Hard to wrap the wood in tape with the leather in the way. I bought some hole punched at the hardware store today. But I also like how tight they hug that Washington bolt that sticks out of one piece and goes into the other. Very secure.

@@Ralphm64 cool! You're the viewer I had in mind. I'd love to know which bits helped you specifically.

@@nicolbunyan3203 as soon as I get my export permit they'll be heading to every country.

If you buy the right ones (sellers come and go) they will last for many months. Mine last several months and I use them a LOT. Just search ebay for "diamond sharpening plates"

Being a slicing/carving knife there's no need to fix the heel because it'll never be in the way. Your knuckles will contact the surface before the heel does. If it was a chef's knife I'd do the heel but for these knives it's of no benefit.

@@ianhunter1643 g'day Ian. South Australia. I don't do websites. I deal one on one. You can call or text me if you like. Details are on the about page.

@@koringn what?

@@iSharpen I think he was googling prices for tail strops and saw some that were listed for $300 or so.

@@Riyame supply and demand is a bitch.

@@lars43771 my thoughts exactly. Plus, without a spacing jig they never turn out as nice as a factory cove. But when he said "don't worry, I'll throw it away" I said no, I'll make a nice and unique knife out of it" he's a fisherman. I think the flat end and 15 degree edge might work well with filleting a big fish.

@@bobcambridge8870 I'm a simple man. I take joy in clean holes. Thought I'd share my progress. I like watching people make things. I figured others might too.

@@iSharpen Absolutely 👍,

@@randomfpv22 high carbon is brittle. They chip easily.

@@randomfpv22 I'm a lucky guy. I get to see some amazing knives. I never knew kitchen knives could be so interesting but they are. I'm glad I'm not the only one.

@@iSharpen well you got my subscription. I look forward to seeing how you do it. I’m also from Adelaide!

@@randomfpv22 pop in!

@@iSharpen next time I’m near findon, it’s on! Ya need some sparky work done, I’m ya guy

@@randomfpv22 I do! I need much better lighting in the workshop. In fact I want to redo the whole thing and make a brand new set for my movies. I've got power boards and extension cords, double adapters everywhere. You'd shake your head.

@@elliotmaynes3114 cool! It's a fantastic knife! So incredibly thin.

@@floraly88 thanks. Ya think? I hope so. If I can make a living entertaining you guys I'd be a pretty lucky dude.

@@iSharpen Not only entertaining us, but also teaching us something new. If I can, I'd like to suggest an idea for future videos: Maybe add a quick edge retention test at the end, like 10 or maybe 20 cuts through cardboard with a final Bess reading. I think that would be a great way for us sharpening nerds to not only compare the initial Bess reading, but also get a feel for how it performs. I started doing that, it only takes a minute and is an additional data point that goes beyond the initial Bess score. Writing this, is just realized what a nerd I am...

😁👍

Thanks Ivan, appreciate the feedback. Actually it turns out the reason I was able to sharpen this ceramic knife was that my stone was set to super smooth (by chance) and there was very little impact on the edge. If you try this with a rougher than 1,000 grit (anything) you will chip the edge as many people have experienced. But it's not impossible, you just need a super smooth stone, a gentle touch and patience.

@@samuelharris8830 I've never seen one cross my bench since I started sharpening professionally. They were popular in the 1970s. Might be interesting.

@@interrogationfiles Tormek T8. Check out my other longer videos.

@@jimmygardlund4845 hi Jimmy! Appreciate the views. Good to hear from you. Just off eBay. Get the ones with the thin black foam backing.

@@Villepillle the traditional way feels backwards and wrong to me now. I can remember the day I thought of it and why.

100%

@@RokU5 I did but it was a bit too big. Thinking of cutting off an inch off each end and making it a medium flexible knife jig.

@@ML-sj3gi blue steel so I'm guessing it's high carbon yes. Carbon knives rust yes. But they also build a fantastic patina.

@@theepicoutlet1680 sure have! I made a video about some I had in here for sharpening. Here's the link... czcams.com/users/shortsT9IrlDBAJng

@@mikeboettcher9709 I've broken enough tips from trying to straighten (using various methods) to discourage the suggestion. I'll give it a go of course (un-Australian not to) but I've got lots of broken tips in my past to resist the temptation.

@@iSharpen tips are a bit trickier, especially with how much they tend to get bent. But right in the meat of the blade, it is way less of an issue, especially if you err on the side of caution with how far you bend. Lots of little bends can get the job done a lot of the time. Slight warps are usually pretty easy to fix. Some knives are difficult/impossible to straighten with bending due to the steel. If you try and can't get it, you can give up. Give some videos a peak, and if it still looks like something you'd be uncomfortable with either pass or find a knife to practice on that doesn't really matter.

@@mikeboettcher9709 better a chip off the knife than a tip off your finger. The reason two stones isn't efficient is that I'd have to re-adjust the angle every time because the stones would be different diameters. If using CBN wheels that's not an issue but I'm not a fan yet. My only experience with CBN was disappointing. I like to use the same wheel because then if I do have to back to rough from smooth I can just regrade the wheel and jump straight back on. This has happened enough times for me to be happy with my current set up. Appreciate your encouragement as always.

​@@iSharpenAh ya, that makes sense. Solve one issue, create another. Isn't that usually the way. Can't have your cake and eat it too.

@@mikeboettcher9709 actually, yes you can. Thats how you eat cake. You have it then you eat it. The real trick is "to eat your cake and have it to." Which is how the original saying goes. Everyone gets it wrong. "You can't eat your cake and have it too" and yes I believe everyone loves a smart arse.

@@iSharpen lol they mean the same thing though. "Wolde ye bothe eate your cake, and haue your cake?" is the first known record of the expression in the 1500s. It evolved over the centuries and the reversal of order has been around since the early 1800s and is the most common usage today. It may not be the most easily understood way to phrase it, but that's culture and language for ya. Often doesn't make much sense.

@@mikeboettcher9709 You watch what happens when you say it correctly though. You'll get smiles and surprise from others in the "correct club" and twisted faces of confusion from the normies.

@@ryanwalker1825 appreciate your feedback Ryan but I'll never start from the heel again. I think that's a flawed method. But to each his own. Tip first is the only way to operate this machine in my view. I've literally done thousands of knives this way. Yes, you have to be careful but I've seen more knives ruined by trying to land flat on the heel than starting tip first.

@iSharpen yah I think going from tip to heel, allows the machine to carve a new layer in the edge better, rather than starting on the heel, cause if you start on the heel it's gotta bite in to almost a 2 inch area however wide the stone wheel is, but your way is better cause its easier to start on the tip less friction, then one swooping motion all the way down to the heel, then even spend 1 more second on the heel.. like I see you doing

Nebraska USA, just raw tail so I can make my own strop

@@randynordquist6139 Randy, thanks for your interest. I'm getting a lot of interest from many countries. Once (if) I get my export permit I'll be shipping internationally no problem. But I'm relying on some old retired grumpy people to dig through their old boxes of paper work from the early part of this century so it's 50/50 at the moment. As for prices, feel free to reach out to me on WhatsApp. My details are on my about page.

Yep, used all three of those things this morning and managed to get 95% clean. Found some old spade bits that are clean on the entry but still tear a smidge on the exit. It's hidden by the chicago bolt but I want it to be perfect.

@@iSharpen Good work, look forward to seeing your progress!

I do have a Dremel but I think I'll use either the hand dril or my drill press. I like the drill press for accuracy and I have a machine vice that will stabilise the whole set up. I'll be heading out there this morning to sharpen some filleting knives for a local fisherman and will stare and think about it. I'd like to run some tests on these (now) useless pieces of wood but I'm having a good time and that's the main thing. Nothing worthwhile was ever created without some hassle and effort.

@@iSharpen I love working through problems like this. It’s like a constant dopamine rush for me. I’ll experiment with things at my house and let you know what I find. I don’t have that kind of wood at my place so it won’t be perfect, but the more information the better. Do you have any ideas I could test for/with you? I have a good drill, a dremel with nearly every bit, and wood carving tools. I can also test it with a layer of glue, tape (as was suggested by someone else) sandwiching it between two pieces of wood, just about anything else.

@@iSharpen if I find something that really works, I’ll post a video of it.

@@101skills. I'm about to head out there but try drilling through some soft wood (pine?) with and without tape. It'd be interesting to see how clean a hole just applying some tape makes but I think using the right type of drill bit would help with soft woods. It seems obvious now but I had to try with whatever I had on hand.

@@iSharpen what size bit are you using?

@@randynordquist6139 are you in Australia? If so, I have plenty for sale. If not, you'll have to wait and hope I can get my export license which I'm trying to get. It's a tough and expensive process. I'll announce on here if I'm successful. I should know more within the next month.

@@iSharpenbest of luck with that.

I’m in the USA, any suppliers in the USA?

@@randynordquist6139 not that I'm aware of. Thats why I'm so keen to become an export permit holder. Kangaroo tail is awesome for de-rooting the burr which makes a huge difference. I think every knife sharpener in the galaxy should have one. Stay tuned. I'm still negotiating with the government.

@@floraly88 people believe all sorts of things. I'm going off my experience only. When I tilt the knife up towards the edge it always cleans up faster and nicer.

@@iSharpen Good to see that at least I'm not the only one doing it like that.

@@floraly88 I do try to keep it near the bevel angle but I definitely raise it a bit to make sure I'm working the spec which is the only thing that matters.

@@ProXsek 🤣 of course it is. It's a perfect test for sharpness. What are you talking about?

@@iSharpen i watch Stilgar Polish youtuber who also test knifes and says what i have said

@@ProXsek explain yourself with an intelligent argument. Instead of just trolling, explain why paper isn't a test for knife sharpness then explain how you would test hundreds of knives a week for sharpness. Dont just make absurd comments. Are you a commercial sharpener? What experience have you had sharpening knives?

Thanks! Some great insights there. I did drill 3mm pilot holes. The final hole is 8mm. I do have some ebony I could use as a template for the end holes which I think will always be an inch in from the end. The centre holes will always vary as I'm making each strop as wide as the tail on both ends so that'll have to be a custom hole, or perhaps I could make some sort of movable template that I can position where ever I need a hole. I'll have to think about that some more. Is tape strong enough to hold wood tear out? I think I've seen videos where people used tape to hold tear out when cutting with a saw. That would seems like it'd win a battle against tape. I have some strong cloth tape and lots of various masking tapes. I guess I'll do some experimenting. In my mind I have some sort of sleeve that fits over each end of each piece to drill the end holes. But it'd have to match the width and height or two piece of wood which are already pre-cut. I like your idea of extra leather sandwiched in to reinforce the strop but honestly, kangaroo leather is the strongest leather available so I don't think it'd be a problem however it can't hurt and would solve my gap problem. I don't want to double up the tail as it's cut to maximum length but I do have some off cuts that could be useful and in future strops I might leave that on to double up but at some point they'll be too narrow to effectively double the thickness. I think rounding off the exits is a great idea I hadn't thought of too. Thanks for your input! Much appreciated.

@@iSharpen @iSharpen As I wrote, I wasn't aware that roo leather is very thick, just after. Never worked on thick leather 😌. So, inforcement is not needed, and folding up is goofy. But one thin leather strip I think it would help to clamp all tighter and prevent eventual slippage and stressing the holes in the roo leather. But actually: you're right, it's not necessary. Simple masking tape is good enough for support against tear out while drilling. Cloth tape might get caugt by the drill and turn, so I think it's less good. On the exit of the hole, a piece of scrap wood tight against it, is enough to prevent tear out. But with masking tape it's even better. The least tear out happens on a drill press, advancing slow with a very sharp drill bit. Now that I said this, I have the idea for you to offer sharpening of drill bits too.😉 Online you will find all informations about it. Cheers! Happy sharpening! 😊

@@lone-wolf-1 thanks for the great tips!

@@iSharpen You're welcome, I'm glad if I could help ! You answered to my comment, as I was editing. Please check out the last part. 😊

@@lone-wolf-1 I have a brand new drill bit sharpening jig too but it looks a bit too complicated and not sure it'd be an efficient money maker

@@johncabaniss1628 haha, welcome anyway. Come in, sit down. Wanna drink?

@@kvernesdotten haha, I think I was just being lazy and thought I could centre the small 3mm pilot drill. I was wrong. Yeah, I was thinking of a jig as I was walking Chilli. All the timber has been sized the same width and height but will be different lengths. Need to think of a design that will find the centre every time but I can slide around for the different lengths. I buy my glasses 6 at a time in all available strengths from the spinning rack at the supermarket 😂

@@iSharpen Oh that shouldnt be too hard to solve. Go to printables or thingiverse (or any other 3D printing site) and search for "center finder" and you will find plenty of models/plans to make one even if you dont have a 3D printer. Basically if you have 2 equal lengths with a stop equally spaced apart in your jig you can twist it until the stop pins both touch the wood piece and automatically centers itself on it. Then just make sure its tall enough that your drill stays somewhat straight through it. If you want it to last, you can even press fit something like a brass tube with the correct inner diameter through the center of the jig. It could also be smart to make a "back plate" piece to the jig, so both sides of what you are drilling actually though another piece of wood if its prone to splintering. I have no idea if that made sense