A common complaint of beginner sharpeners is after sharpening their blade is that it is razor sharp but only lasts a few cuts.
This can occur when the burr has not been properly removed. The burr being a small wire of excess steel hanging from the edge that forms while sharpening. This steel is so very thin that the knife will feel very sharp but will immediately roll and crumple when cutting.
For best performance the burr should be cleanly removed by a few long strokes on a high grit stone or my preferred method a few strokes on a compound loaded leather strop.
After this there should be a nice clean sharp edge that will last much longer.
Jon Spencer,
Sharpening Specialist
ProTooling Australia
