Author: jhoyla
Date: 2009-12-01 14:57
I neglected to mention that Stephen Hiramoto is a first-class, full time reedmaker and oboe teacher. I'm sure he is aware of all the various refurbishers, sharpening services, 15K knives etc. out there, and that he uses them.
The quote in the book was didactic in purpose and not necessarily an accurate description of his practice.
I also use a burnishing steel on my blades. I bought it from Dr. Hiramoto's web-site.
Walter, regarding straightening your blade; It is possible to do this at home, but MUCH easier to send it to a refurbisher such as the one John recommended. If the blade is visibly curved, it may indicate either bad sharpening technique, or a curvature on your stone! Stones need to be trued from time to time, and there are various reference plates etc. on the market that can do this (they are usually more expensive than the stone).
A cheaper way to true your stone is with a sheet of thick flat glass and a sheet of wet-and-dry 000 abrasive paper. Stick the paper to the glass, spray with water, and then rub your stone on it in an X pattern. Keep doing this until your stone shows abrasion over its entire surface. Replace the paper if it wears smooth. This is NOT as good as the trueing plates, diamond reference plates etc., but it is good enough. Wash the stone thoroughly after this treatment! The grains from the wet-and-dry will turn your blade into a steak-knife if you try and sharpen straight away.
Once your stone is clean and flat, you may get better results using a guide. These attach to your blade and hold it at the correct angle for sharpening, as you move the blade over the stone. You may need more than one stone to get a fine edge.
J.
Post Edited (2009-12-01 15:04)
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