Knives Out

[Dekster]

By hand,
A good knife edge that will hold for years takes hours to complete. There's a whole edge geometry science to get involved with. It requires jewlers loupes and a steady hand....knowing your bevel angle that will work.
Then there's the monotony of grinding and especially polishing that edge (which takes a LONG time of most of a day.

My dad would spend hours sharpening his hunting knives. We have just too many knives for me to fret about any of them. We have another drawer stuffed full of never used knives, a lot of them those ceramic things my better half would buy on sale but we never really got them into the knife rotation. My past experience with ceramic knives were odd. We had one that would do vegetables or frozen meat crazy well, but if the meat was thawed, it was like trying to cut through it with a chopstick.

 

[Chuz Life]

I have a lot of kitchen knives. Can't name a single one for sure. Some I like more than the others. Some, I despise. Still in the drawer, anyway.

I think they are called the "make do with the shit you got" brand.

If I can't cut it with a fork when it's done, I didn't cook it right.

 

[JohnDB]

My dad would spend hours sharpening his hunting knives. We have just too many knives for me to fret about any of them. We have another drawer stuffed full of never used knives, a lot of them those ceramic things my better half would buy on sale but we never really got them into the knife rotation. My past experience with ceramic knives were odd. We had one that would do vegetables or frozen meat crazy well, but if the meat was thawed, it was like trying to cut through it with a chopstick.

Ceramic knives are a phenomenon that I never really understood.....
They either cut or are broken. Once dull, toss them....they cannot be resharpened.

They can look pretty and come in every color under the rainbow.....not something professionals use.....but not horrible either.

But you did touch on something....
Edge geometry.

An axe has a very different edge shape than the razor you use to shave with....and both steels are a different composition as well.

The axe may glide through the wood with chopping....but put it on a tomato and an expected result happens.
But a chef's knife and an axe might be made from the same type of steel.
And a chef's knife can glide through a tomato....

Different angle on the two blades.

Ice skates can either have a hard 90° (hockey) or other edge angle for figure skating.
Ice chisels have 15 degree.....same as a sharp axe for carving ice....and not too different from chisels used to carve wood on a lathe. Just about three degrees difference.

Razor blades are at 10-12 degrees.
That edge angle is everything.

Factory edges vx polished ones. Most everything comes with a factory edge. Huge scratches can often be seen in the edge bevel of most sharpened cutting tools like axes and knives. Geometry for intended purposes is gonna be close too.

But....that also causes them to get dull quick with use. (The scratches)

Polishing the edge with stones, leather strip and etc until the edge is a mirror.....that provides an edge that wont be corrupted with use....misuse? Of course....which is why you definitely want a cutting board.

A Maple, end grain cutting board is the best....often termed butcher block. End grain is butcher block....not side grain. Nevermind the marketing. And maple is used for its natural antibacterial properties. Season, clean and scrape often. It wont ever let you down. The butcher block countertops sold in big box stores? Looks nice but is not maple and will tear up quick if used as a cutting surface. (Just saying)
Eventually maple will tear up....resurface and go again. I've had one I've used for 25 to 30 years....just saying.

Razors? These are at the very limits of high carbon steel metal. A jewelers loupe (60x-90x magnification) is used on the edge to see scratches but you also will see the crystalline structure of the various metals in the steel. Steel is a blend of metals.

The steel formula for razors is also different.....very brittle. That's why its thin strips in a plastic housing. But it holds an edge forever.

 

[JohnDB]

I have never owned a custom, hand forged knife before.

Especially not one this nice.
Damascus steel....custom etching and stamps. All hand made.

Since the blacksmith, bladesmith is not that knowledgeable about edge geometry and is not someone who uses or has used a chef's knife for 8-10 hours a day for years on end....
He doesn't know much about how to put an edge on a chef's knife that was going to work for me. (Specifically)

He put a standard appleseed edge by a belt sharpener....it was sharp enough to cut paper or shave hair off your arm or leg.

But for me the angle of the bevel wasn't sufficient and too obtuse. So I had to change it. And I did by hand with a new 120/240 grit stone. (8x2)

Took 3 hours to accomplish.

I'll have to say....this wasn't a normal edge because a factory machine blade is much more simple and I could sleep through doing one of those as I've done those my entire life.
Damascus steel, hand crafted blade....nothing is going to be "normal".
Meaning I had to pay attention the whole time, check my work and recheck my work as I progressed.
Different metals grind different....
Different steels polish different.

And I had a progression of 5 stones....the last being black surgical Arkansas.

The edge is there. The new bevel shines like it's chrome. much thicker than it was when Josh brought it to me. And it glides through things now in a way that defies common sense.

The edge is much more fragile than it was....but I take care of my knives. Always stored in a block, never washed in a dishwasher or thrown in a drawer. Always using an end grain cutting board. Not a plastic (HDPE) cutting board.

It will last me years before I'll need to do it again....Likely 10 or more. I'll of course maintain the edge with a sharpening steel. No problem there.

But....this sharpening episode was different....very different. But the edge? It glides like butter. Stay on the dull side with your fingers.....well, just the ones you want to keep. .