# pressure on cutting edge



## cklim55 (Apr 23, 2015)

When sharpening a knife's edge do you apply constant pressure on the cutting edge as you push forward and backward or do you let off the pressure on the stroke back towards you? From the videos it looks like applied pressure on both the forward and backward stroke.


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## cheflivengood (Apr 23, 2015)

Look up japanese knife imports on YouTube


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## brainsausage (Apr 23, 2015)

Edge leading apply pressure on the push, then relax on the draw. Edge trailing apply pressure on the draw, and relax on the push.


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## mhpr262 (Apr 24, 2015)

OP it doesn't really matter. Some videos advise to let off pressure when the knife is moving with the edge forward but that is only done to prevent people with poor sharpening skills from cutting into soft stones. if your stone isn't very soft and you can hold your angle halfway decent you can just go ahead and sharpne without paying too much attention to what pressure you apply when.



brainsausage said:


> Edge leading apply pressure on the push, then relax on the draw. Edge trailing apply pressure on the draw, and relax on the push.



That doesn't make any sense. You are aware that leading and trailing doesn't have anything to do with the edge pointing toward or away from you?


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## brainsausage (Apr 24, 2015)

Nobody told me that my posts were supposed to make sense. I've been doing this wrong the entire time...


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## knyfeknerd (Apr 24, 2015)

brainsausage said:


> Edge leading apply pressure on the push, then relax on the draw. Edge trailing apply pressure on the draw, and relax on the push.



I agree with Josh. It is also a little bit safer this way. But, whatever works for you.


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## Geo87 (Apr 24, 2015)

Read this thread  http://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/showthread.php/16935-Push-Pull-question-on-Sharpening?


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## cklim55 (Apr 24, 2015)

Thanks Geo87 for the link to a thread regarding my question


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## cklim55 (Apr 25, 2015)

From what I have read in this forum and viewed on You Tube, it seems that you apply pressure to the cutting edge when pulling or pushing the edge away from the stone. So no pressure when moving the edge into the stone. The videos just seem to show the experienced sharpeners applying constant pressure. I guess you don't want to force the cutting edge into the stone.


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## Keith Sinclair (Apr 26, 2015)

cklim55 said:


> From what I have read in this forum and viewed on You Tube, it seems that you apply pressure to the cutting edge when pulling or pushing the edge away from the stone. So no pressure when moving the edge into the stone. The videos just seem to show the experienced sharpeners applying constant pressure. I guess you don't want to force the cutting edge into the stone.




That's correct an experienced sharpener it looks like both ways, but letting up fingerpad pressure when pushing into the stone.


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