Thread: Good day for sharpening kanna

A couple of thoughts:
The wire rack in the bucket for separating the stones looks good.
I suggest not having the stones at a high angle; to keep them wet, you will have to keep washing the slurry off.
I also suggest you learn to sharpen without the jig. With a little practice you really don't need it.

Gadge

I hear you about the hand sharpening without jig.. I have quite a bit of tendon damage in one hand.. so I have to be extremely careful about the kinds of forces I exert upon them.. the Veritas does act as a crutch but not for fear of freehand : )
Yes.. I do keep dipping and pouring.. maybe too much.. I will experiment with your suggestion regarding angle.

Originally Posted by ObairLaimhe

I hear you about the hand sharpening without jig.. I have quite a bit of tendon damage in one hand.. so I have to be extremely careful about the kinds of forces I exert upon them.. the Veritas does act as a crutch but not for fear of freehand : )

ObairLaimhe's use of a jig is understandable in his case, but in general think of a jig as training wheels. So-san recommends novices begin by using a jig and even for more experienced sharpeners who aspire to move up to the next level. It was advice I took, and I returned to using one for a while despite having freehanded for more than a decade before that.

This is what So-san had to say (eight years ago now) on the matter:

The sharpening (your sharpening) was MUCH better than I had expected. Even compared to Japanese professional carpenters, this sharpening is quite good, better than most of the carpenters. But since my classification is a bit different from others (much more strict) this sharpening would be classified as higher end of level A (worse than using a jig) very close to level B, which means out of 100, it would be around 90 to 93 points. So, it's NOT that YOUR sharpening skill is bad, but it is that the JIG is that good.

..... snip....

I suggest you learn what a level B bevel looks like using a jig with your wider blades. Jig sharpening requires skill as well, because you have to manage the surface of stones at least, and communicate with the stone through the blade. Those two aspects don't change even if you use a jig.

There is no shame in using a jig if you are a novice or an experienced sharpener aiming at taking your sharpening up to the next level.

If you are a novice, think of the jig as training wheels to get you going and learning faster, which you will remove when you are ready.

And, if you are an experienced sharpener, think of the jig as a gauge that you periodically use to check the quality of your freehand sharpening.

Originally Posted by ObairLaimhe

Yes.. I do keep dipping and pouring.. maybe too much.. I will experiment with your suggestion regarding angle.

Stones vary in how much water they need, but, in my experience with natural stones, that mud is too valuable to wash away before it has fully done its job. More often than not, I will retain the mud on the stone between uses.

Neil

Originally Posted by ObairLaimhe

I will experiment with your suggestion regarding angle.

Hi ObairLaimhe,

What I meant by not using a high angle was not using an anlge all. As Neils said, you don't want to wash the mud (slurry) off.

Gadge

I really appreciate the (literally) thoughtful replies.
Because of my hand situation, when I have done freehand sharpening, I found that (with the blade facing me, as when in use) pressing the bevel flat against stone with right thumb and fingers along the top of the blade, I achieved respectable results; backwards as it may be.
-Training wheels is a good metaphor.. I can also see it (a jig)being similar to chainsaw sharpening.. starting with a fresh, machine milled (perfect) chain, I can use and sharpen the chain freehand as needed.. but in order to avoid angle drift or cumulative error over time, so I have them machine milled back to "perfect".
-I can see that 0 angle, and allowing slurry to work will improve my results.. or decrease sharpening time (?).. as I enjoy sitting outside with my buckets and sharpening on my back steps, I will build a small table of sorts to level the stone in use : ) perhaps with two shorter legs that will stand on the step just below.