David Wieland

After decades of sharpening knives with a variety of methods and abrasives, I've settled on diamond sharpeners as giving consistently good results quickly and with minimal effort. The results depend primarily on a few things, namely the quality of the blade steel, the condition of the blade to be sharpened, the quality and amount of diamond dust on the sharpener, and the angle of the blade against the sharpener. It's been years since I last used the Japanese waterstone in the knife drawer, although I acheved good results with it, because it takes much longer than using a diamond "stone" (which wasn't even readily available when I got the waterstone). However, waterstones and diamond stones share the virtue of removing a minimal amount of steel in the sharpening, greatly extending the life of the knife. (I can see using a grinder or belt sander in making a knife or restoring a seriously abused one, but I wouldn't do that for a commercial kitchen knife in good condition.)

I've learned that a key technique for quickly getting a usefully sharp edge (I don't intend to ever shave with a kitchen knife) is ensuring the knife is angled carefully against the stone and that the blade is pushed diagonally onto it rather than drug away. Because I'm old, I need strong light to see the edge well enough to know when it's at the correct angle, just touching the stone. (Increasing the angle is likely to actually dull the edge.) But another way to know the angle is right is by feel. When the angle is too low, the blade just slides. But when it's raised to the right angle, with the edge grazing the stone, I can feel the light cutting action. A few strokes is then enough to restore a "kitchen keen" edge.

I'd never heard of the Meadow Creature or seen any of the styles that earlier posters show. The broadfork I've used for decades (https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/garden/garden-care/cultivators/10521-lee-valley-u-bar-digger) has very strong tines. I don't think it would be possible to bend a tine on a rock, as mentioned in an earlier post. Lee Valley says it won't work with clay, but I can confirm that it works with clay loam that isn't too dry. I used it instead of a tiller to break ground for a new garden bed. It was a good workout, but the strength and leverage of the tool made it feasible. Any soil you can force the tines into by standing on the crossbar will yield to its might. It's a power fork!  Now I just use it to loosen the soil in the garden beds in spring.

I'm a guy and have never been accused of being stylish, but I'm fond of cargo pants (shorts for hot weather). Don't they make them for women too? In gardening season especially, it's really handy to be able to carry a compact pruner, not just a phone, and to pocket a small zucchini at risk of being missed until it's a big one. (Ditto for mini beit alpha cukes.)

I realize this is a tangent from the original topic, but not more so than the gun holster, eh. 🙂

Hans Quistorff wrote:I use Dawn in the foam spray bottle and refill it with more diluted. A spray on just the greasy spot or the scrubber gets it off with much less rising.  The scrubber may do several more items without having to use any more.  The oat meal, egg or cheese residue may just need to soak a little longer just leave tm in the sink while rinsing other things.

I do the same, except that I have noted that Dawn PowerSpray, as the spray form is called, is somewhat more efficient in cleaning greasy things, so I buy PowerSpray refills as needed. Both formulas seem to have left the competition "in the dust" (or the grease ).

As you noted, a little goes a long way, a point I think Paul undersold. I'm on a well and septic system and can see no negative consequences from any of the soap/detergent that my wife and I use. We use water-efficient appliances, treat our well water for unpleasant mineral content, and get the 50 year old septic tank pumped out about every 8-10 years (whether it actually needs it or not) and have never experienced any sign of a problem. For me, efficiency is the primary consideration, whether of amount of cleaner and water used or the time and physical effort required to do the job.

By the way, the last time I did my semi-annual car wash, I discovered that Dawn PowerWash worked as well as specialty sprays for cleaning road "tar" from the door bottoms and rocker panels.

Here's a lesser-known tool that comes in handy for tightening (or loosening) nuts and bolts when away from the shop, barn, garage, or wherever you keep wrenches. It's the descriptively titled Pocket Wrench (https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/tools/hand-tools/wrenches-and-ratchets/72640-pocket-wrench). I keep mine in the greenhouse, beside the garden, when it's not in my pocket.

I wanted a greenhouse for years,  but it wasn't until I encountered Northern Greenhouse and an early fall that I actually built one. My 12'x19' hoop/quonset style is similar to the one made with rebar (https://northerngreenhouse.com/projects-and-ideas/bobs-projects-and-ideas/rebar-greenhouse.shtml) but uses round bar, which was recommended by the metal supplier when I told him what it was for. (Round bar was both cheaper and longer than its nominal length, and rebar bumps don't add anything useful as hoop ribs.)
Knowing that I had much to learn about greenhouse operation, I didn't try growing anything in it the first winter. In the second winter I used a small electric fan heater under a tent of clear polyethylene, and the min/max thermometer confirmed that could maintain growing temperature even at -25C.
This has been a multi-year project, getting to know what's practical in my eastern Ontario climate, even with the addition of a rocket mass heater bench. I've discovered that summer overheating is a given, even with a covering of shade cloth, the south side rolled halfway up, and a 12" exhaust fan. I have plenty of garden space, so I don't have a need for a summer greenhouse and have decided to not bother trying that any longer. At a different latitude, the conditions would be different, but a three-season greenhouse works for me.

Aww, I'm disappointed to see that she omitted sourdough waffles. I've been making whole wheat ones for half a century, using an overnight ferment. That takes a lot less than a day, and there's no discard.

Douglas Alpenstock wrote:...
That said, my skills have progressed to the point where I can build a much more durable edge with diamond sharpeners. These edges hold up better to hard use with woody materials -- especially dry wood. So the Speedys are more for emergency first aid these days.

As I mentioned, I use diamond sharpeners for knives, especially kitchen ones, for the more refined edge they can provide. I've also used a diamond stick sharpener i bought years ago for sharpening pruners and loppers, but the Speedy Sharp has been superior for that use, being much better for getting rid of the occasional nick. I haven't noticed any difference in the durability of the edge I achieve, but there's definitely a difference in the sharpener durability, with the diamond infused type wearing down faster than the high-grade carbide of the Speedy. The quality of the blade steel seems to be a bigger factor in edge durability, although maintaining a sharp edge and avoiding twisting when pruning reduces the frequency of major sharpening.

My favourite tool for sharpening bladed tools, at least those used outdoors is the Speedy Sharp (speedysharp.com/). Although the company touts it for kitchen knives as well, I think it's a little too aggressive for those and prefer a diamond stick or water stone. But a Speedy Sharp can't be beat for pruners, loppers, axes and the like.