How to Sharpen a Knife

Via MAKE Magazine.
I am trying not to simply copy articles, that being said, I am ALWAYS looking at this one.

Whether it’s used for cooking or precision woodworking, a knife is one tool you’ll want to keep sharp. Some tips:

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1. Begin with a sharpening stone — a 1,000/6,000-grit combination is a good starter stone. One side works to “set” the edge, the other to refine it.

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2. Sharpen the blade at a 10°–15° angle — essentially the slope of a matchbook.

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3. The pressure required is 4–6lbs. Using a slicing action across the coarser side of the stone, make 5 passes away from you, then flip the knife over and make 5 passes toward you.

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4. As the two planes that form the edge come together and intersect they will form a wire edge, also known as a burr. If you don’t feel one, make 5 more passes on each side and check again. You should feel this wire edge from the heel of the knife to the tip.

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5. Once you create the wire edge, move on to a finishing stone to refine it. Use the same angle and pressure as you did on the first stone. This stone will only require 10 strokes on each side.

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6. For a high-polished edge, place the knife edge on a leather strop and stroke the knife backward, using the same angle and pressure as with the stones. You should be able to slice printer paper easily.