Lots of good advice above, and thanks to all who mentioned my name and still managed to refrain from cussin'.
As for sharpening, the single most critical bit of information we need to understand is:
Sharpening any type of cutting edge requires more knowledge than skill. We don’t need a collage degree but there are just a couple things we need to understand before getting started. Here are a couple of brief, basic guidelines/tips:
1) The coarsest stone (or possibly file) you have is your best friend.
2) Don’t leave the coarsest grit till the blade shaves.
3) If you go more than 5 minutes without producing a sharp edge, the stone you’re using isn’t coarse enough. (or you might be pushing to hard).
4) Trust the stones to cut the steel. They will and they don’t need any help from us in the way of muscle exertion (added pressure). In other words, pushing harder will not help. In fact, using excessive pressure will prevent the blade from ever getting sharp.
Remember: “Ounces, not pounds”.
After doing it about a zillion times, I’m confident that I can teach anyone basic sharpening on the phone in about 10 minutes. I’ve offered this invitation many times and it still stands. If anyone needs help sharpening just call me. I don’t care if you have one of my sharpeners or a different brand. Yes, I make and sell sharpeners but helping people achieve their first shaving sharp edge is the fun part for me!
Ron
800 561-4339