Short strokes for a compact 7.5 cm blade
Small blades are easy to over-sharpen, so less is more:
- Colour the edge bevel with a permanent marker; after a few strokes you will see exactly where the stone is cutting.
- On a stone of 1000 to 3000 grit, keep a shallow angle of about 17 degrees and make short strokes that cover the 7.5 cm edge in two or three overlapping passes.
- Alternate sides every few strokes until a faint burr forms along the full length.
- Remove the burr with a few light passes on a leather strop, or on newspaper laid over a flat board.
Between sharpenings, a few passes on the strop keep compact Damascus knives from Pakistan like this one keen.
