reply on: Sharpening Knives and Chisels \ stacker news ~meta

21 sats \ 1 reply \ @mudbloodvonfrei 17 Jul 2023 \ on: Sharpening Knives and Chisels meta

There is something special to doing a mundane, repetitive task that allows the mind to wander off or go empty; it feels very soothing and therapeutic.

I took sharpening up ~two years go for the same reason. Well, that and being sick of using dull knives.

I think it might fall into the category of easy to learn, but hard to master. One might think to sharpen a blade, you simply move it back and forth along the sharpening stone. That is partly true, but the hard part is keeping the angle of the blade consistent against the stone

Agree! I can see that it will take me a long time to be a master. I also have an easier time sharpening when my dominant hand steadies the knife, but when I switch sides it's all over the place.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @gnilma OP 17 Jul 2023

I also have an easier time sharpening when my dominant hand steadies the knife, but when I switch sides it's all over the place.

I ran into the same problem when I first started sharpening knives. Although after a few years of practice, I feel more comfortable when sharpening in the off-hand position now. Still doesn’t feel as natural as the main hand position, but at least I can keep the knife steady while sharpening off-hand.

It takes a long time and a lot of practice to become a master. I know I’m certainly nowhere near and probably will never become a sharpening master. After all, sharpening is just my hobby and my craft lies in carpentry. However, sharpening helped train my patience and focus, which I appreciate very much.