1.2M views · Dec 4, 2023 · 5:58 · 3 HN recommenders · 3 mentions · discussed 2025–2026
A beginner-focused tutorial on freehand knife sharpening with a single stone, aiming for a shaving-sharp edge in about five minutes.
Why Hacker News points people here: Recommended by commenters who say its practical, scientific explanations finally taught them how and why sharpening works.
“he's pragmatic, approachable, and scientific, and now I actually understand how to sharpen a knife and why it works.”HN comment, 2025
“he's pragmatic, approachable, and scientific, and now I actually understand how to sharpen a knife and why it works.”
Pragmatic, approachable, scientific sharpening instruction that taught the commenter how and why.
Knives are a great example. Any chance it was this guy? this video I've watched like 3 hours of his videos on sharpening because he's pragmatic, approachable, and scientific, and now I actually understand how to sharpen a knife and why it works.
“what finally allowed me to gain the ability for high sharpening on a whetstone was watching a YT video of a master at the craft who worked slowly”
Master working slowly on a whetstone taught the commenter high sharpening.
Off-topic: what finally allowed me to gain the ability for high sharpening on a whetstone was watching a YT video of a master at the craft who worked slowly [0]. He wasn't one of those chefs doing the whoosh-whoosh-whoosh and it's sharp off a hone, nor even on the stone. He stared and concentrated and carefully made each pass. That leads to a lot of idiocy out there. I've twice handed knives to (amateur) others only to find them duller after "sharpening" than before. One had a hone; the other had a diamond-grit stone. The muscle memory to keep your edge at the same angle through the draw along a curved knife face takes a looooong time to perfect. He didn't trust in it; he always watched and moved with care. Once I accepted that as the end goal, I too could get knives that routinely shaved paper. [0]: OUTDOORS55 this video
“This channel has great explanations about this and what to do instead”
Channel with great explanations of lasting edges versus pull-through sharpening.
Pull through sharpening creates an edge that does not last. This channel has great explanations about this and what to do instead: this video
