The Easiest Way To Sharpen Knives with Dan Wowak. Yes you can do it.
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- čas přidán 26. 11. 2019
- The Easiest Way To Sharpen Knives. Keeping your knife sharp may seem like a daunting task. There are dozens of different techniques and tools to get the job done. Simplicity though, proves to be one of the best practices! The goal when sharpening a knife is to simply make the knife sharp. This is done by removing metal from the edge of the dull blade. Blades become dull due to, on a micro level, the metal rolling over. As we sharpen the blade we remove that rolled metal leaving behind a nice clean crisp edge.
Outdoor Essentials: www.ucogear.com/
Morakniv Knives: www.industrialrev.com/morakniv - Jak na to + styl
A good tip if you are new to knife sharpening is to use a permanent marker to colour in the edge. Then when you sharpen it makes it clear where you are removing metal.
I agree I used to do that
Thanks for the tip.
Ahh! The Mora 511. The 10 dollar knife that cuts like a million bucks. Excellent video...and this technique works.
The 511 - a very underappreciated and versatile knife - cheap - brilliant and even sports a nice little handguard - love it!
It works by giving it a secondary convex edge. Not a bad thing IMO but something to be mentioned.
It's nice to see that the Mora 511 is appreciated "everywhere" even if it is one of the most basic knives in the Mora line up.
Sorry though to see the price... Here in Sweden you usually pay 40-50 kronor, which is 5-6 USD.
Then you can get a few and practice your sharpening skills on 😊
@@ejimbru I just think it is really appreciated, because it is very basic. You get great value for money and don't have to worry about a "shiny-display-knife". If you really have to get some work done this is all you need. And working people have no need to impress others on some online-forums! :D Btw: at least here in Germany they range between 8-9 Euros - which is a great price!
Grind the Back of the blade with a file to get a sharp-angled edge and you also can use it with a fire-steel!
I had a 511. Very good knife for sure especially for the price
I realize this is an old video but I'm a 49 year old homeless man with cerebral palsy. Your candle trick and y stick and lots of your content makes life easier.
I realize I am not your target audience but thanks.
Love from Wisconsin.
God bless you, my friend.
You just taught me something I could not figure out in the first 50 years of my life.Thank you for the great video!
finally someone sharpens a knife the way i do!! been a toolmaker for 38 years and never could get anyone to catch on to my knife sharpening style!! way to go!!
Do you not create a bur like when sharpening a chisel?
Me too
I gave out those cheap red Morakniv camp knives at the office for Christmas last year. Later people came back to me telling me how amazingly sharp they were. Awesome for a cheap knife.
@@sibco96 ay the cheap ones can shock you sometimes.. my favorite knife i own and that i had for like 5 years now was a 50$ one i got at canadian tire "its an outdoors shop/tire change garage here in canada" and it beats out my 300$ knives lol
Well,that done it for me,finally someone showed me,what worked for me!!!🙂
I love how you flipped this around, bringing the stone to the knife, to help us understand how to maintain the grind angle. All the other tutorials I've seen or been taught were about trying to somehow "envision the angle" as I brought the knife to the stone which never worked for me and undermined my confidence in the technique as a beginner. Thanks for sharing this innovative, clear, and simple method to do this correctly.
Excatly
Well said
This makes it harder...with a scandi knife you can easily feel when the bevel is at the correct angle on the stone
Very good screening. Good job.
You sharpen a knife blade on a large stone at first, but you only need to use the smaller stone later to resharpen small areas later.
I've struggled to find the right angle for decades, trying various techniques and getting frustrated at the slow progress, but this is so simple and makes so much sense. Thank you!
Absolutely the best knife sharpening video I have ever seen. Outstanding! Thank you, sir. I subscribed.
Subscribe to his own channel coalcracker Bushcraft. Much more of this stuff :)
Thank
I know im asking the wrong place but does someone know of a method to log back into an Instagram account??
I was stupid forgot my account password. I would appreciate any tricks you can offer me.
@Magnus Kyrie instablaster :)
@Rhett Myles thanks for your reply. I got to the site thru google and im in the hacking process atm.
I see it takes a while so I will reply here later with my results.
This has got to be the best video on CZcams explaining knife sharpening. I dread trying to sharpen my knives and usually have someone do it for me. With this EASY explanation, I’m going to bite the bullet and give it a shot. Thanks Brother!!!
How did it go
Simple, solid physics explaied brilliantly! Thanks, Dan, from now on I will do it right. I expect many good years from my new carbon Companion. ☺👍
OK. You're encouraging me. If it works for you it'll work for me :-) This method makes the most visual sense I've ever seen. Awesome.
Try it on a crappy knife first, to get the feel of it....
Agreed.
This makes so much more sense to me than ALL the other videos I've watched.
Prior to this video, I gave up. I just happened to watch this one on a lark.
Thanks Dan, FINALLY someone gets that we are not all expert sharpeners! Sub!
Excatly right
We will be now...after a lil practice
Best field sharpening tutorial I've ever seen. And it shows how effective a very small/portable sharpening stone can be. Thanks man
That’s been my method for the past 60 years. The “kiss” method rules supreme. 😊👍👍
You are a rare breed bro, thanks a ton. Regards from Shillong, India. 🇮🇳
Dang! 73 fricking years old and sharpening knives since I was a kid and you just taught me a whole new way to sharpen a knife! I've always liked using a "Washita" stone - a small one like in the video - they've always been a bit challenging to use horizontally so your "vertical" technique looks intriguing. Can't wait to try it out. Thanks!
As with most " everything " , it is the Q. U. A. L. I. T. Y. of the TEACHER that gets " IT" DONE !!!!!!!!
DAN!!! Have I got your attention? Good. I posted before, said I was going to sharpen everything with a blade. I did. I started with the oldest crappiest knife I have. My stone has two sides. One for crappy and the other for not. Anyway your system WORKS. All my knives are now sharp. Also, I'm an upholsterer. The scissors I use are the hardest to sharpen. I usually end up with about 1 inch of blade that cuts. Not anymore. My scissors CUT!! Thank you very much. If I should ever meet you I'll buy you a beer. Or two. 😎😃
That info on the gap was the best info I have gotten on the correct angle. Great video
This sounds like a great technique as the biggest problem in learning to sharpen is 'finding the angle' or 'closing the gap'.
What has helped me is stropping. Yes, instead of pushing the blade against the stone (to sharpen it), with stropping you draw the blade 'backwards' so you are never in danger of crunching the edge into the stone. But whilst stropping, you learn to feel that 'perfect angle' and it translates to when you then try pushing (as in sharpening with a stone) instead of pulling (as in stropping).
Of course it doesn't happen overnight. I did not set out deliberately to learn sharpening by stropping, but I used to spend nights watching TV stropping whilst playing with my new knives. After a few months, feeling the angle had been learned and I found sharpening 'just happened'.
Also, I started sharpening with an oiled but smooth Arkansas stone, and I would recommend starting off that way because it is more forgiving if you do crunch the blade but also because I think the smoothness and slight grip of the oil, helps you feel when you have just the right angle. After that, shifting to courser (more aggressive) stones is easy.
One last point, you need to be aware of what type of grind your blade has, and try to preserve it. The Mora, for example, has a scandi grind with flat side meeting at an angle. They make feeling the angle easier because you have a large flat area which makes contact when on the perfect angle.
Other grinds may be concave, and finding the angle there does involve feeling for a slight crunch, backing off to maintain the angle - so a bit more difficult. But there again, stropping helps because maintaining the angle is all part of the 'stropping skills development package'.
Oh, another last point. You need to sharpen evenly along the entire blade, then stop and sharpen the other side when you feel the edge has folded over. Yes... After sharpening the blade for a while the edge will become really fine. So fine, that a microscopic edge will develop and get pushed backwards on the other side. When that happens, evenly across the entire length of the blade, you then need to begin sharpening from the other side. You know when this folded edge has developed by stopping every so often and testing to see if your finger nails can catch the fold when you pull your nails down over the edge (not length wise... that would slice them open) on the side opposite to the that which you've been sharpening.
Once you've developed that folded edge and swapped sides a few times, you need to be more gentle and careful with your sharpening and move to a finer stone.
Sometimes the folded edge you're developing simply flips and flops around to the opposite side that you're working on without actually resulting in much sharpening. If you feel that is happening then swipe (as in, cut or slice) the cutting edge of the blade through a corner of a block of wood, in order to wipe the edge off. Then continue sharpening.
BTW, I think Dan's method is a great starting point. I hope what I've outlined (practice stropping to learn to feel for the angle then...) will help you progress. Obviously there are also lots of CZcams knife sharpening videos out there as well.
Here's another tip (lol).
For most people, you don't need to sharpen your knife that frequently. Often a simple stropping will do. If you get to the point where stropping is just not doing it, you could try using a (carving) steel before moving to stones. The thing about using a steel is that, when used correctly (which most people will already have seen), it helps you set a consistent angle.
What a great explanation! The art of tackling a subject (could be any subject), and explaining said subject so that both experienced and inexperienced people can understand is a gift. Being able to effectively take a subject and simplify it for everyone to understand is actually very difficult! Well done!
Probably the best CZcams video I’ve seen regarding tutorials. Very detailed, yet kept simple and to the point. Subbed
I've been hesitant to sharpen my knife but you made this really simple.
That's a really great approach to sharpening. The angle has always been my number one issue but not anymore. You just made me sharper! Thanks
This video is super mega helpful. I'm one of those who have teetotally messed up some damn nice blades while "trying" to sharpen them. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience.
Agreed with a lot of comments, this is one of the best knife sharpening videos that I've seen and sharping it in the woods.
Thanks for sharing!
Thank you ! I never looked at sharpening a knife in that way but it damn sure works!!! Thank you ! Mr Dan
That’s a real easy way to get a nice edge on my knives. Thanx
Dan, you are a simple person and I say that in a good way. Love ya.
Wow thank you. That is super easy. Especially in the field, you don’t have the luxury of bringing an entire knife sharpening set with you. The close up shot is very helpful. Most people are visual learners and that is definitely a good way to learn something as delicate as knife sharpening.
So I just tried this with my single blade Case XX. I don't think it's ever been this sharp!Great video, very helpful. Thank you much!
Dan, all of your videos feel so comfortable to watch. Thanks for keeping things simple and straightforward! I have 5 different Moraknivs and use your tip to keep them honed! Thanks!!!
Moraknivs are incredible knives
This is the best video / explanation I've come across! Bringing the stone to the knife (instead of the knife to the stone) is such a simple subtle shift that makes all the difference in being able to really clearly see what you're doing and get the angle and technique correct.
I love minimalist solutions like this. I'm determined not to go down the rabbit hole and contraption purchases involved in knife sharpening, and this video is greatly appreciated.
Thank you, Sir, for presenting a great technique in such a calm and professional way. Brilliant! 👍🤙👌
Wow, I know there are a ton of great videos out there but this is a whole new perspective for me and probably the best explanation or "what's going/science" of seeing the angle. Awesome video!
Almost feel like face palming after seeing this technique. It just makes so much sense since finding the correct angle is the hardest thing about sharpening
Brilliant - thank you. As someone who struggles with knife sharpening this concept of determining the blade angle is genius - thanks once again.
This is the easiest method and I never thought about the method before. Thank you!
I love my lansky puck's for all camping etc. They are EXCELLENT for axes and hatchets.
"keep the faith people and keep on keeping on"
Finally someone who can actually explain this properly.
Thank you! So many people emphasize the 15 or 20 degree angle, but I like how you mentioned the gap and closing it. Makes sense!
Thank you this makes it more likely that I will be sharpening in the future rather than just buying a new knife
When I was an adult Boy Scout, we actually tried shaving with our pocket knives- Crocodile Dundee style! We spent an hour sharpening first, then we were able to shave some. 😎 We still needed the razor anyway. 😋
Omg! I've been trying for awhile to sharpen my camping knifes and even had a friend with a bunch of fancy stones try and it didn't work but this was the best video ever!! I've now got sharp knifes and I did it myself!
I just found your channel tonight! Love it!
Excellent, Dan. This is the first time that I've seen this technique taught. Thank you.
What a wonderfully simple technique. This takes the dread out of the process for me.
My grandfather was an ornamental black smith and wood carver. I was taught by his son my uncle how to sharpen knives. You come closest to the way our ancestors sharpened knives, axes, hoes, shovels and scissors. The circular motion and angle method you demonstrated comes closest to the method I was shown. But I have seen a more interesting method that Japanese sword black Smith's use. They set angle and draw the stone like a leather strop. This method works well on a small knife but not on a sword for example.
Very good. Easy to understand and takes away all the uncertainty of knife sharpening.
This was the most helpful video of I found on internet for amateur 💯💯💯 THANK YOU
I've always considered I know how to sharpen really well, but this is new and wonderful!
It's nothing new (well maybe to you) but not to experienced people. It's the method I use for convex because it will convex the edge.
@@stevanoutdoor Yeah if you wanna maintain real scandi geometry I would want to use a hard stone and I would take the knife to the stone not the other way around
@@AnarchAngel1 Yes indeed. Knife to the hard flat stone in a cutting motion. Stropping is the opposite motion on a soft surface that will create a small convex secondary bevel. You can create a convex with a stone that is hand held but again the different motion and the fact that the stone is in your hand gives it the flexibility needed for the convex.
Once the edge has a decent convex it takes a lot of time on the stones to bring it back to full scandi since you have to remove a lot of steel.
Wow, great video Dan. I never could keep the edge at the correct angle by laying the sharpening stone flat but this method lets you actually see and maintain the same angle. So simple but so effective.
The best knife sharpening instructional I've ever had. thank you
Mind blown for sure. Genius in its simplicity! Thank you so much!
This was a great instruction. I was always 45ing it like how they taught me. Never got why I was dulling my blade.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I will most certainly try this method out next time. I have always had problems with keeping the correct angle when using the classic slide on the stone method.
I collect knives & I've viewed many, many videos covering "How to Sharpen" your knife.., well, your's beats them ALL!!! THX for these insights [especially the info covering blade-to-stone angle] and safe & sure way to kill dullness.
I was searching you older videos. Found this one. Thank You I will try this.
I knew the small stone that came with my knife must be to sharpen, but had no idea how to use it. Very clear instructions here! So handy for myself who’s a widowed single mama. Thank you!
What was the stone called you got with your knife? There’s so many stones out there I don’t know which one is the right one :/
Can't stop the feeling
I did it, I did it!!!!! 🤪 Thank you for this video, I’ve always felt intimidated to sharpen my own knife, but after watching this, you made it really easy to follow.
This really is a common sense and useful video. I have always struggled with sharpening knives and this technique is definitely going into my toolbox 👍🏻
Simple concept. Simple response. Thank you, Dan.
Dan,
Love your videos man. Your teachings are great. Simple, to the point, and made so that I can understand and apply with a degree of confidence.
Would you consider another knife sharpening video on those of us with convex blades. My go to knife is the Joker Nomad. Love that knife. However, it has a convex grind to it. I know this is different from other blade grinds. This would be super helpful. Thank you for considering.
Dang, I've been doing it wrong all this time?! Thanks Dan.
You mean what you say! You teach from your bottom of your heart!
Thank you Sir! Much Love from Canada!👊🏽💪🏽🙏🏼😁🤙💙
GREAT video. Perfect presentation. Thank you Dan.
Great video on field sharpening. I hadn't considered keeping the knife stationary and moving the stone. Your work is done here Batman.
You don't see this one used on scandi grinds much because it will give a secondary convex edge. Not at all a bad thing if that's what you want.
@@stevanoutdoor Why would it create a secondary convex edge...?
If the stone is straight and you have that flat to the ground bevel it will not create a secondary bevel nor will it be convex.
@@ejimbru Yes it will. Because you can not apply constant pressure using the stone freehand and holding the knife free hand. Even if you try to use the same amount of pressure the metal near the edge is thinner so you create a tiny roll. You do that from both sides and you create a slight convex.
Good content.
That's the first time I've seen that technique. Great way to find the correct angle.
I love the water stone, instead of an oil stone. Finding the correct angle is critical.
As for stones, when buying one, make sure that it's not one that has been pre soaked in oil. If you get one that's pre treated with oil, you won't be able to use water. That's been my experience, anyway.
Thanks
Just out of curiosity, why do you prefer the water stones over oil stones. I have never used the water stones just oil, to me it seems that the oil stones put more of a polish on it towards the end on the higher grit stones
@@markodenbrett2163 he said in the video that the water stones can be used in the field without taking oil out with you - spit, snow, etc
@@markodenbrett2163 it tends to be more about funtionality than presentation when it comes to bushcraft
@@markodenbrett2163 when I use a stone at home, I mix dish detergent with water to wet my stone, the reason for this is to lubricate, prevent clogging and to facilitate cleaning. In the field, I use an elliptical diamond steel, for touch up.
Great instructions on knife sharpening. An easy task nobody practice anymore including myself. Thank you.
This video was so helpful! I took a knife that hasn’t been sharpened in about 2 years and followed your instructions and bam sharp knife. I did he newspaper test and it cut like butter. Thank you thank you.
His knifes are so sharp the fingers of his gloves ran off out of fear of getting to close to the blade lol.
👍🗡🤪🗡👍
🤣🤣❤
*knives
The only explanation for fingerless gloves
@@Embrachu do you feel better, professor?
I’ve never seen this technique before. Definitely trying it soon.
That just means you haven't been around for long. Not that that's a bad thing. We all have to learn.
That was great. I must agree with the last guy probably the best sharpening vid I've ever seen.
You're a Really Great Guy! God Bless you. Every Boy Scout, Cub Scout etc. should see this.
My Father sharpened all his knives to razor sharp, I watched him many times when he sharpened our carving knife using a steel, it was so fast i asked him to slow up, Ive never really understood how he did it. Nice video Dan, easy to follow.
If we don't pass thing down to the next generation it will be lost.
@Colin Killian Yes thank you Colin.
How about the sharpie marker you can mark up the edge of knife that’s the angle and put it to the stone when the mark wares off you on the right angle that help me a lot when I was a kid first learning to sharpen my knife. I’ve help some others folks learn to sharpen knives. Also a wide stone helps out too
Do u have a video on it or make one ?
And let me guess . After watching this video ,you somehow think your sharpie trick is better , right , do me a favor Mr. Me Monster , go check out Bryan Regan' s "I walked on the moon " right here on CZcams, you must be a great "parachute jumper" lololo
No sir just trying to add to y’all’s maybe it will help some other person learn a valuable life skill sometimes you have to look at things from all angles to see and learn.
@@773butwipe Everyone has their own thing. Right? Sharpie is a great idea :)
Sharpie is a good idea... wish people
Wouldn’t harass you
I have never heard of the gap explanation/method before, it is mind blowing! Thank you for not only explaining what to do - but WHY. This is what too many CZcams videos fail to do.
This is by far the best video I’ve seen on how to sharpen a knife ! Superb thanks
Ever use the edge of your truck window to put a quick edge on your knife. The ground glass of a car/truck window is an excellent honing tool!
That and the very bottom of a ceramic coffee mug
@@markodenbrett2163 Awesome! Thanks for sharing.
That's a good tip,I would have never thought to hold my knife like that,also a strope is pretty handy in maintaining your knifes edges an removing burrd.
Most people haven’t a clue what a strop is for, nor how to use one. You might explain your suggestion .
@@maxsparks5183 ,your right.
A strop is for removing the burr, something this video doesn't even mention. I feel like that's kind of a big omission, you could do everything he said correctly and if you leave a big burr it's still not gonna be very sharp. I understand why he didn't mention it but that's a big part of sharpening
@@AnarchAngel1 , exactly
This is the best knife sharpening video, better than all the other long and fancy and elaborate and expensive ones - and a small stone will do too!
I really like how you hold the knife and stone so you can see the gap. However, you may want to mention that not all knifes have a single grind. For example blades that are made from thinner stock than the one you use in the video, like Swiss army knives, will have a primary grind of around 15 dps which extends 1/4 or 1/2 the way towards the spine of the blade, and then a secondary grind, which only extends a couple of millimeters from the edge, of 20-25 dps. This means that when you 'close the gap' your stone is resting on the primary bevel and won't remove any metal from the secondary bevel. It could be quite frustrating for someone to apply your great technique only to find that their knife never seems to get any sharper.
God Bless everyone!!!! Jesus Loves you all very much!!!!
This is the best knife sharpening video on CZcams.
Think you sir for putting this on CZcams.
Tried this and absolutely works!! Thank you!!
I think it’s hilarious that every time someone puts out a video on how to sharpen a knife, it’s a Scandi grind. The easiest grind to sharpen. Show how to field sharpen a convex or hollow grind with no obvious bevel to use as a guide. That would be a big help for people starting off in Bushcrafting. Not all knives are scandi.
Select the tools that will help you. There's a reason most bushcraft era use scandi grind. Why make life difficult?
Thanks for the tip, I never knew that.
@@toddandangelbrowning2920 The speediness of your reply equals your attempt at sarcasm. Listen, your the same as all the others. Making a big deal out of sharpening the easiest, but not the only, knife grind there is. 🙄
@@itsawonderfulknife7031 I’m sorry pal, you assumed an untruth. I really meant the comment as sincere as I could be. I seriously never knew most bushcraft knives were of Scandi grind. No attempt at sarcasm.
@@itsawonderfulknife7031 if you're going to use rarer equipment you have to work harder to learn it. You have a bad attitude towards someone who put out free content and someone who tried to show appreciation.
Old time standby that my Dad taught me is to test sharpness on arm hairs..... if my knife doesn't shave my arm hairs then it is dull
Then my knives are mostly dull, meanwhile I test on a nail.
Don’t try this with a chisel lol, ended up slashing my arm with an 8mm chisel
@@connormcenhill6090 heck, that is what sharp edges are for.....yup
Just love your videos, always thankful when I watch. All the stuff I've been teaching my son. Love it don't stop.
I will try it.
The correct way is most of all times also the simplest way. And you explained it extremely simple. It made sense too. Now I will try.
I'm really pleased with this! It works like a charm czcams.com/users/postUgkxDcr-y2Pf6xdnrFHrSP7dl9kpKaCozcSQ Takes less time than my old electric sharpener because it can take more off the knife faster, and then it smooths out nicely with the finer grit polisher. I don't know how long it will last before the grit wears away, but I wouldn't mind having to replace it every once in a while.
What about knives with such a small bevel that you can't really know for sure if you "closed the gap"? Like SAKs.
Mark the edge with a sharpie. Angle to the point where the stone scrapes off the sharpie
Awesome video!
I’ve watched a lot of knife sharpening videos and this one is hands down the best technique for beginners. Can’t wait to try it out! 🙏
Great , Great I have been using this design of a way to sharpening a knife for a lot of years . It works great. Thanks
Treat every knife as if it were loaded.
Never point your knife at something you are not willing to cut.
Keep your finger/thumb off the jimping if you're not ready to cut.
etc.
lol.
🤣🤣🤣🤣 yeah!!!
Exactly why I am wondering why anybody would sharpen their knife by pointing it towards themself.
Very good explanation. Harder to apply knife to stone. That Jay in the background is giving you a thumbs down, lol.
Best knife sharpening video I ever see..thanks
I've been around a long time and your knife sharpening technique is fantastic. Never have seen it or thought of it. Can't wait to try it out. Thanks.
OMG! Thank you so much, Dan!
Thank you sir. Appreciate your working here brother.
Thank you, you’ve made knife sharpening so easy now......brilliant xXx
I feel confident about sharpening my knives correctly now! Thank you!
Excellent. The best I’ve seen yet!