# Sharpening western knives



## nortagem (Jun 24, 2015)

Hi all,
I have a technical question regarding freehand sharpening on whetstones:
I sharpen my knives the Japanese way. 
I get good results (very sharp, nicely polished edge), however, when applying this technique to German/French knives (with more arc or "belly" to their profile) - over time the profile gets flattened.
My question is this - are there sharpening tips to avoid flattening these types of knives, or maybe there's a different sharpening technique more suited for western knives?


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## aboynamedsuita (Jun 24, 2015)

If I inderstand what you're describing correctly it sounds like what you may need to do is rotate/arc with the spine on the inside of the curve (often stated for tip work) rather than the back/forth. Jon at JKI recently posted a comment in a thread which was rather detailed in this regard. I'm no expert though in this regard and it's early in the AM so may want to wait for others to chime in as well.


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## nortagem (Jun 24, 2015)

Yes, tjangula, I assumed the technique for sharpening the curved tip should be applied in some manner to the entire length of the blade.
Most serious sharpening videos/guides are perfect for Japanese blade profiles, but I fear they're no good for western knives.
I did see a video once where the guy swiped the blade along the stone in a a single motion, following the curve shape of the blade.
Maybe that's the way to go.


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## aboynamedsuita (Jun 24, 2015)

IIRC that technique is used in the shapton and Kramer videos, the technique is often recommended for the tip of knives in general because you sharpen the arc of the blade rather than the chord (and grind away what would be the mid-ordinate). Not such a big deal with the flatter sections in theory.


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## chinacats (Jun 24, 2015)

Most gyutos are similar in the shape to western profile though more French than German...as stated earlier, the technique Jon teaches will correct this.

Geometry is a different story.

Cheers

I just read the follow-up comment...I can't stand that guy or his technique...best of luck...


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## nortagem (Jun 24, 2015)

When learning how to sharpen freehand, I've watched so many different sharpening videos. 
I really didn't like Bob Kramer's videos ('Sharpening with Bob Kramer') as they weren't detailed or technical enough, and I just felt like the guy was making more effort promoting his ridiculously expensive merchandise, than teaching how to sharpen.
Anyhow, just now I've found a video by one of my favorite YouTube instructors, Richard Blaine, called 'Knife Sharpening: How To Sharpen A Knife: The Western Stroke', demonstrating that single-stroke to help maintain blade profile.
I think I've found my answer.


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## nortagem (Jun 24, 2015)

Hey chinacats, could you please refer me to Jon's technique video/post?


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## chinacats (Jun 24, 2015)

Sure, I'm traveling but will send pm later today unless someone else posts it. I would recommend his entire playlist actually and will send that as well.

Cheers


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## Pensacola Tiger (Jun 24, 2015)

chinacats said:


> Sure, I'm traveling but will send pm later today unless someone else posts it. I would recommend his entire playlist actually and will send that as well.
> 
> Cheers



Here's the link to Jon's YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/user/JKnifeImports?feature=mhsn#g/u

Rick


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## nortagem (Jun 25, 2015)

Thanks, Pensacola Tiger, Jon has excellent sharpening videos, and I believe I've watched every one of them. He goes into detail about how to hold the knife, how to keep the proper angle, deburring on so on.
So, if there's no video that I missed, specifically discussing western knives, I must be doing something wrong. 
I've mentioned before Richard Blaine's video on this specific issue. Since I'm familiar with Jon's tutorials and lectures, but still face that problem, I guess I'll try to go that way.
I was hoping for a "Sharpening Western Knives - Specific Emphasis and Tips" video, explaining what it is I'm doing wrong, but to no avail.


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## JBroida (Jun 25, 2015)

if you want, maybe we can set up some time and go over it via Skype together... just e-mail me if you're interested

I'd be happy to make it a group call if more people are interested. I think we can do up to 10 people at once. Otherwise, maybe we can livestream like we sometimes do.


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## sandra (Jun 3, 2017)

But before you start altering your knives, keep the following points in mind: Western knives are generally made with a softer variety of steel that is more forgiving to the high-impact style of cutting we do in the West, rendering them too soft to hold a narrower 15-degree angle for very long.


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