Yes, if you are sharpening freehand.
Tormek sell a range of jigs that make the sharpening easy.
Yes, if you are sharpening freehand.
Tormek sell a range of jigs that make the sharpening easy.
Exactly, meant as a general comment on requiring some form of jig, not directed at you, sorry for not making that clear.
No problem.
I bought the IKEA one which has two grooves - rough and smooth sharpen. I sharpened all the knives on our rack. I’ve cut myself three times since then…
My younger brother (forty years a chef) told me long ago that pro knives don’t need such frequent sharpening as those of amateur chefs because if they did, you’d spend half the evening re-sharpening knives rather cooking.
Yes I gather the rockwell hardness is higher on the better blades around 60 rockwell compared to our domestics at about 55 rockwell hence why we need to sharpen more often. The chef wanted a safe locker to leave his knives on site rather than travelling with them but my predecessors had let him down so I got him a very good lock fitted and thats when I found out the cost of his set.
Thats correct @Porridge .
One end of the cylinder has a diamond disc for sharpening. The other a ceramic disc for honing.
I am a bit out of my depth now. I had never heard of rockwell hardness.
I have always chosen carbon steel over stainless steel because it seems much easier to sharpen. The stainless may stay sharper longer but seems to be much more difficult to get the edge back, I prefer the little and often sharpening approach.
I have no idea what angle I am using. All I can say is that I can feel when it is right. The proof of the pudding is in the cutting.
I am sure roller jigs are perfect for restoring a lost edge but a few frequent draws across a sharpening steel are all I need to maintain a sharp knife.
On the other hand, I wont’t tell you what OH does with my knives. I even bought her a small tool kit but to no avail.
Carbon steel is harder than stainless, stainless is prefered by most of the public because, well its stainless implying that carbon steel will stain more and more likely to rust if not looked after. Absolutely nothing wrong with carbon steel and its often taken to a higher rockwell hardness so requiring less sharpening. Shouldnt really require little and often, thats more the realm of stainless steels.
Just goes to show the failings of non-scientific method! I always have an Opinel in my pocket. I have one with carbon steel and one with stainless. The carbon was much easier to sharpen than the stainless so I presumed it was less hard. I verified the sharpness using the unscientific tomato test.
My favorite knife for grafting. I can get it so sharp I can shave with it.
The method of sharpening on a wet stone is to push the blade at an angle on one side for a few strokes & then on the otherside push flat for a couple of stroke. then strop on a leather belt. To test try shaving a few hairs on the arm or leg. By the end of a few weeks of grafting hardly any hairs on legs & arms.
I have just about worn out my second Global diamond in 24 years. A bit pricey though.
Carbon steel knives have been a hygienic no-no in commercial kitchens for decades; I inherited my brother’s knives when that happened and still have his Sabatier boning knife which is incredibly sharp and effective. Unlike other knives that can lose their most effective shape over the years, a boning knife just gets better and better.
That said, the knife I use for everything else is a large Laguiole santoku knife with a Damascus stainless steel blade forged in China. It’s a hybrid, that wasn’t insanely expensive given it gets used every day for preparing breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Apropos sharpening, some people might find this link of interest:
https://www.seriouseats.com/how-to-choose-knife-honing-steel#toc-the-winners-at-a-glance
“Honing steels (or honing rods) are useful for maintaining knives between sharpenings.”
Interesting when a longer section is quoted:
Although a honing steel is meant to be used as maintenance between sharpenings, it can still have some light sharpening effects. This is because honing steels do, in fact, remove some material from the knife’s edge during the honing process. It’s more noticeable when using ceramic or diamond rods because of the powdered metal residue left behind after honing. Even stainless steel honing rods, which are usually said to just realign the edge by pushing any rolled metal back into place, actually remove some metal through adhesive wear1. This helps the rod break off any tiny, irreparable snags and form a new micro-bevel on the existing edge. However, how much metal a honing rod removes depends on its abrasiveness.
As I said previously being able to maintain the same angle stroke after stroke is the issue. 1 or 2 degrees difference on each face could mean forming a radius more than a cutting edge. Some form of fixture removes this error which is why I showed the simple rolling sharpener and honing wetstones that can also be used. As I said my brother can dull the edge of a knife very quickly with a steel. I have removed all steels in my homes and replaced them with rolling sharpeners for this very reason.
It irritates me when advice from experts, like yourself Corona, is ignored by less educated numpties like myself BUT sometimes personal prejudices prevail.
I am used to using a steel and whether the angle is right or wrong or the edge is sharpened or straightened the important thing is the result.
I test my blades before and after sharpening using a tomato. The blade is balanced on the fingers of one hand and the skin of a tomato. Drawing the knife gently across the skin before and after sharpening, clearly demonstrates (to me) the effect the sharpening method chosen. It may not be scientific but it works for me.
Mik, I have no problem with a technique that works for you or JohnH. Just trying to remove the dogma that is repeated and then seems to become fact. Back in my apprentice toolmaker days I was handed the role of heat treatment for all tool steels which was hardening and tempering metals to certain rockwell levels. I also used to sharpen the directors kitchen knives and those of their friends as well. The most part was to put an edge back where many had damaged with I suspect steels. Sometimes that would mean having to thin the blade as they became too thick after the cutting edge to carve well. So I have a fair amount of experience
I have read, marked, learned and inwardly digested your words of experience with much appreciation.
I am reminded of a story that management staff at Mercedes had to have done a year on the shop floor so that “they could feel the steel”
Deleted - life’s too short!