Hi, Carvers
How do you sharpen your hook knives? Do you want the back to be flat or is a back bevel OK? Do you sharpen the back (inside) or the bevel side?
To introduce myself to this forum -- I'm an experienced hand tool (hybrid, actually) woodworker. I know how to sharpen flat chisels, turning chisels, plane irons and knives -- mainly by hand. . I just bought a Narex hook knife as part of a spoon carving set. It was not sharp. I wrapped some SC paper around a piece of PVC pipe and put in on my lathe to grind the inside -- so that would be grinding parallel with the edge. 220 - 1500 in steps. I worked on it for some while and never did feel a burr. I assume this is because of the direction of grinding. It is reasonably sharp now. I'll probably continue to hone the inside of the hook unless the consensus is that its the wrong way to do it.
Doug