Figured out I'd been sharpening my knives wrong for 10 years

Was at a workshop in Portland last month and the instructor asked to see my knife. He did one pass on the stone and looked at me like I had three heads. Turns out I was holding it at like a 5 degree angle instead of 15-20. No wonder my edge never held longer than a couple days. Anyone else have that moment where a pro just watched you work and called out something obvious?

2 comments

2 Comments

ryang651mo ago

Made that same mistake with my chef's knife for years until my buddy's dad showed me the proper angle.

robin_wright1mo agoMost Upvoted

Your buddy's dad must have had steady hands. Getting that angle right is way harder than people think, especially if you're trying to do it freehand. Most folks don't realize you gotta keep the stone soaking wet too, not just damp. Dry stones just make a mess of the edge.