Trying Out That Viking Edge Thing
So, I kept hearing about this thing, this “viking edge”. Saw it mentioned online, you know, forums, maybe a video somewhere. Sounded pretty rugged, like something serious. Like you could get your tools, your knives, whatever, sharp in some old-school, super effective way. I figured, okay, I use knives around the house, garden, workshop. Why not give it a shot? I like trying practical stuff.
First thing, I tried looking up exactly what it was. Man, that was a rabbit hole. Some folks said it was a specific angle, some said it was a type of grind, others just seemed to use it as a cool name for getting things really, really sharp. No clear answer, really. Just a lot of talk. That’s how it usually goes, isn’t it?
Anyway, I decided to just pick a method someone described, one that sounded straightforward enough. Got my old whetstone out, the one I’ve had for ages. It’s chipped on one corner, reminds me of the time I dropped it moving boxes out of the garage back in ’08. Thought that place was gonna be the long-term spot. Funny how things turn out.
So, I started sharpening this old utility knife. Following the steps I’d read about. Holding the angle, trying to keep it steady. You know, the usual sharpening process, but I was trying to do it with this “viking” idea in mind. Focused. Determined.
- Got the stone wet.
- Found the angle, or what I thought was the angle.
- Started grinding away. Back and forth.
It took a while. My shoulder started aching a bit. Made me think about my old boss, Gary. He was always going on about “putting in the grind”, but honestly, mostly he just shifted paperwork around his desk. Never actually did much grinding himself, if you know what I mean. Always talked a big game, though. Big ideas, big plans. Most of them fizzled out. Like that time he wanted us all to learn calligraphy for… reasons? We spent a whole afternoon on it. Total waste of time.
Back to the knife. After a good amount of effort, I checked the edge. Was it sharper? Yeah, it was definitely sharper. Could slice paper cleanly, shave a bit of arm hair. But was it some magical “viking edge”? Honestly, it felt… like a sharp knife. Pretty much like how I normally get my knives sharp, maybe just a bit more effort involved this time because I was overthinking it.
Here’s the thing: I realized I spent more time reading about the idea of the viking edge than actually doing anything fundamentally different. It wasn’t some secret technique passed down through generations of seafaring warriors, not for me anyway. It was just… sharpening a knife. Maybe slightly more deliberately.
It kind of felt like a lot of things these days. You see a fancy name, a cool concept, and you think it’s going to be revolutionary. Then you try it, and it’s mostly just the same old thing with a new label slapped on it. Maybe I missed the point, maybe there’s a real technique I didn’t find. Who knows. But for me? I just sharpened my knife. It works. Good enough.
Still got that chipped whetstone, though. Still works fine too, chip and all. Some things don’t need a fancy name.
