# Practice sharpening with Victorinox, handle gets in the way



## stollio (Feb 10, 2017)

I've been practicing on my new stones with my trusty Victorinox chef's knife. When sharpening with the blade away from me, the only way I can position it without banging the handle on the stone is to rotate the knife all the way to 135deg with the handle pointing forward. It feels really awkward, esp. when moving up the knife and then having to rotate back through 90deg to 45deg. 

Has anyone else run into this with this knife, or any other with an infringing handle? Any workarounds? 

By the way, the knife got really sharp and I loved sharpening freehand on water stones. I wish I had avoided buying all these dumb guided systems(DMT, Sharpmaker) and just gotten some stones from the start. 

Thanks!


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## Lars (Feb 10, 2017)

There should be nothing stopping you from sharpening your Vic to absolute ork slaying nirvana.
Maybe catch a couple of Jon's youtube vid's to get you in the mood will help..?

Lars


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## cheflivengood (Feb 10, 2017)

I have 6 at the restaurant that I maintain so I know your plight. I actually keep them thin behind the edge with about a 2mm wide bevel then I use the bolster as my angel guide during stropping to micro bevel them. Yes its a lot of work to thin them in the beginning but then sharpening them later is faster.


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## stollio (Feb 10, 2017)

The more I think about it, why would you ever design a knife where the handle/bolster overhangs above where the blade starts? Just seems stupid from a sharpening point of view &#128545;


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## miggus (Feb 10, 2017)

Hey, one guess is that they didn't assume many of their customers would use the knives on stones in the first place, so they didn't worry about that. (My personal theory). I haven't had that kind of incident, and I'm glad about it. Its difficult enough to sharpen a knife with a bolster


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## Jovidah (Feb 10, 2017)

Just keep turning your sharpening stone until you find something that works... there's always at least one orientation that's comfortable.


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## stollio (Feb 10, 2017)

miggus said:


> Hey, one guess is that they didn't assume many of their customers would use the knives on stones in the first place, so they didn't worry about that. (My personal theory). I haven't had that kind of incident, and I'm glad about it. Its difficult enough to sharpen a knife with a bolster


Good point 



Jovidah said:


> Just keep turning your sharpening stone until you find something that works... there's always at least one orientation that's comfortable.



Great idea! I'll try tonight, but I don't think that is an option if I want to keep the push forward/pull back motion. Seems like my best option might be to switch hands and sharpen on the left side of the stone :-/


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## Jovidah (Feb 10, 2017)

stollio said:


> Great idea! I'll try tonight, but I don't think that is an option if I want to keep the push forward/pull back motion. Seems like my best option might be to switch hands and sharpen on the left side of the stone :-/



For inspiration: 
[video=youtube;rTxFtK4shVY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTxFtK4shVY[/video] 
(not my movie by the way). 

I'd advise against switching hands; usually that makes people a lot crappier at keeping angle. And just try this first... it's really not that bad. It can lead to somewhat more 'sideways' motion, but it can work. Just keep trying different orientations of the stone and your body and something will click eventually.


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## stollio (Feb 10, 2017)

Interesting technique Jovidah, thanks for sharing. I'll give it a try


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## Jovidah (Feb 10, 2017)

For what it's worth; I find turning stuff around especially useful when thinning (tends to make it look more consistent), or when you have handles making life difficult for you. It's not necessarily 'perfect technique' but one of the (many) possible ways to deal with it. In the end what it comes down to is rubbing the knife on the stone at a consistent angle. How you do the rubbing is of secondary importance to the consistency of the angle.


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## unprofessional_chef (Feb 10, 2017)

Jovidah said:


> For inspiration:
> [video=youtube;rTxFtK4shVY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTxFtK4shVY[/video]
> (not my movie by the way).



This technique won't work for parring knives or Japanese petty. Or even a western chef's knife with a full bolster.


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## bkultra (Feb 10, 2017)

Welcome to the forums


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## unprofessional_chef (Feb 10, 2017)

bkultra said:


> Welcome to the forums



Thank you. I might have double posted in this thread because I wasn't sure if I answered the challenge question or not.


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## Jovidah (Feb 10, 2017)

unprofessional_chef said:


> This technique won't work for parring knives or Japanese petty. Or even a western chef's knife with a full bolster.



Iduno, it works for me. I didn't post it was a 'full-tutorial' just as an illustration of how you don't necessarily have to orient the stones in line with your belly button. It can fix the 'awkward angle' issue.

Agree on the knives with full bolsters though. That's why I hate them.


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## bkultra (Feb 10, 2017)

unprofessional_chef said:


> Thank you. I might have double posted in this thread because I wasn't sure if I answered the challenge question or not.



No problem it's an easy fix.


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## V1P (Feb 10, 2017)

Jovidah said:


> For inspiration:
> [video=youtube;rTxFtK4shVY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTxFtK4shVY[/video]
> (not my movie by the way).
> 
> I'd advise against switching hands; usually that makes people a lot crappier at keeping angle. And just try this first... it's really not that bad. It can lead to somewhat more 'sideways' motion, but it can work. Just keep trying different orientations of the stone and your body and something will click eventually.



+1 on this method


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## foody518 (Feb 10, 2017)

Less of a problem if you switch hands (I'm assuming your concern is when you're sharpening the left bevel with your right hand?)


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## stollio (Feb 10, 2017)

foody518 said:


> Less of a problem if you switch hands (I'm assuming your concern is when you're sharpening the left bevel with your right hand?)



Exactly. Just didn't know if switching hands was considered bad form


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## Jovidah (Feb 10, 2017)

stollio said:


> Exactly. Just didn't know if switching hands was considered bad form



Well it's often said that switching hands tends to make you crappier at keeping a consistent angle. This certainly was the case for me, and I improved a lot when I stopped doing it. But whatever works for you; as I said the important part is to achieve a consistant angle, not how you do it. I'm just trying to illustrate some alternatives.


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## foody518 (Feb 10, 2017)

stollio said:


> Exactly. Just didn't know if switching hands was considered bad form



I found after getting used to it, I followed curvature a bit better and was a bit more aware of angle/contact on the stone, being able to see the edge on the stone on both sides versus just one (impetus to switch technique was how terrible of a job I was doing with sharpening the off-side of pocket knives, lots of curvature per length). Angle holding and consistency a bit worse with my weak-hand, but still a net improvement overall transitioning to 'switching' from 'flipping'. It also happens to get those funky shaped handles on some stamped knives a little more out of the way


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## daveb (Feb 11, 2017)

On the Korin sharpening videos, Vincent is a switcher. He would be a good one to watch if you wanted to try that.


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## stollio (Feb 11, 2017)

Thanks Dave, I'll check that out.


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## Keith Sinclair (Feb 11, 2017)

The fibrox are a little worse than the rosewood handles. Why they make handles that extend out on the spine I think is for pinch grip. It does make heel sharpening esp. at low thinning angles a pain.

Used & sharpened Forschners at work. Stiill have a lot of Victorinox come my way. On the handle side at low angles I plant the wood against the side of the stone. Index finger of handle hand firmly pressed on the heel of the knife & go straight back on the stone. It is second nature to me done it so many times makes me appreciate wa handles & Japanese micarta western handles more for ease of heel sharpening.

Also sharpen German full heel bolstered. These drive me even more nuts, cannot understand why they still make them this way:bashhead::dazed:


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## miggus (Feb 11, 2017)

Actually, it can be a safety measure. I'm so used to these that I cut myself at the end of non-bolstered knives in regular intervals, because I'm so used to resting a finger against that part of the blade :dazed:


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## Keith Sinclair (Feb 11, 2017)

Guess it is what you are used to. Used Japanese knives over 25 years at work can't remember cutting myself on the heel. Used cleavers quite a bit too so careful with my digits.

Like tall heel blades like Tanaka's, always considered a sharp heel a important part of a good functioning blade.

Honestly have not seen many full bolstered chef knives used in Hotel Kitchens here. I think the old rosewood handle Forschners were the most used blades when I started out. 

That all said I have known a few people who love their full bolstered German knives


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