“When I was developing the tool Burke sharpening system that we manufacture, I looked into a lot of different systems and the ideas that other people had on the subject. I then tried to reduce it to it’s basic form, which is to work the edge of a tool until you have developed a wire or burr and remove it by stropping it back and forth. Kind of like taking a tin can and bending it back and forth until it break.

So in reality how you do it is not as important as what you do; stones, grinding wheels, emery paper, leather, bricks, the sidewalk and so en. All will achieve an edge of some sort if the two basic criteria are mer: develop the wire edge, and then remove it. Simple as that. You now possess all the know how it takes to produce a superior edge on your tools. All of the other stuff like angles, rounding the rips and other things that tend to confuse you will come with practice and experience. These few words should help the hopelessly confused and make those who try to make such a big thing out of it realize…Hey! It ain’t that hard!”—John Burke