Having trouble with crook knife

[Stuart Danger]

Hey guys

I am having real trouble sharpening my spoon knife, it is a right handed ben orford and when I received it it was razor sharp and lovely to use. Now, only 3 weeks after it is dull and I can run my thumb up and down the cutting blade no problem, it doesn't bite into my nail either.

I have tried sharpening it with some P600 mounted on a round of Elder, and have tried to sharpen it just like in Ben Orford's video on his site, but I am getting nothing.

Does anyone have any tips? I might record myself doing and upload it to youtube for you guys to critique tonight.

Thanks

Stuart

[Paulm]

Sounds like it may have been left to get too dull for the 600 grit to be having much effect, or the angle it's being used at isn't right ?

600 grit would be fine if used a little and often just to refresh an already reasonably okay edge, but in this case it may be worth dropping down to something a bit coarser to re-establish the edge geometry before refining it after with some 600.

Also try using a black marker pen on the blade edge so that you can see where you are removing metal from when sharpening and that will give you some idea whether you need to be using a steeper angle perhaps ?

Cheers, Paul

[Kepis]

Im only over Worthing way, can meet you half way somewhere if you like and i can show you how to sharpen it up, drop me a PM

[Stuart Danger]

Kepis, that sounds great. I am home in Oxford over summer but I will be back at uni in Chichester after. I'll PM you when I am home!

Paulm, i will drom down to 280 and see what happens...

[shaggystu]

.......Paulm, i will drom down to 280 and see what happens...

slow down chap! ben orford's tools are lovely, they should never come within sight of anything less than 600 grit IMHO. if your technique's not good with 600 grit then after a little while you might damage the blade, if you use that same technique with 240 grit then all that changes is that you manage to damage the blade a lot quicker

[Samon]

If possible, meet Kepis! he makes beautiful spoons and must have alot of experience keeping his crook knives sharp! Nothing beats a hands on lesson how to do something, but untill then don't try any quick fixes. Go slow with 600 grit as it will work given the right technique and patience! I've been using my Ben Orford medium crook knife today and stropped it every 10 minutes or so to keep it properly sharp, but I have only sharpened it once since new and I've had it about 6 months! stropping is your best friend, sand paper is your acquaintance!

Bens videos are the best I've seen, they really are good tutorials but if it isn't working for you (and lets assume the knfie is not deffective or hardened too high) then as many pictures or even a video of your own would help us find the problem. Another way to sort it without the dreaded 280 grit, is to send it back to Ben so he can sharpen it for you. I'm sure he can offer you a reasonable charge to get it razor sharp again. Then you can follow the stropping rule untill it needs a light hone.

To make a strop is simple, you can use anything to put stropping paste on (I use autosol on a leather belt, pinned to a block of wood)and even card will work and is easily rolled to strop the inside of the blade. Then yo repeat the stropping as and when needed. I find every 10 minutes or so a quick strop keeps it a good blade in working order.

[Stuart Danger]

Thanks for the advice!
I was actually starting to worry about my sharpening technique, as I could never get my Mora knives sharp. I perserved and spent an extra two or three mins sharpening and stropping and I can now shave my arm with them! Woowee!
I'm going to try again with my crook knife later this evening!