A sharpness story

[Evil D]

But.....but......serrations can't make clean cuts WTF :eek: :confused:

[Cambertree]

The Z-Cuts are great knives. It’s a lot of fun to play with the SE and PE versions side by side. I think they’re 1.3mm bladestock, from memory, so it’s cool to have CTS-BD1N in a blade twice as thin as a Delica.

The SE pattern is different to the usual Spyderedge pattern, as well.

They’re very comfortable table knives for eating with too.

[vivi]

The Z-Cuts are great knives. It’s a lot of fun to play with the SE and PE versions side by side. I think they’re 1.3mm bladestock, from memory, so it’s cool to have CTS-BD1N in a blade twice as thin as a Delica.

The SE pattern is different to the usual Spyderedge pattern, as well.

They’re very comfortable table knives for eating with too.

I'm going to have to try z cuts some day. They look like they'd be nice for camping. I think whenever the Swicks or LC200N Pacifics drop I'll add a pointy Z cut to my order. Maybe two so I can get one in each edge type.

Today I took a couple of beater chef knives to my belt sander. Bad pictures and I'll probably play around with the edges some more tomorrow, but these boys will cut circles around the knives I was using this weekend even as they are now. I gave them a few licks on a ceramic rod and they'll cleanly slice paper and take off arm hair, so they're getting there.

[Cambertree]

I'm going to have to try z cuts some day. They look like they'd be nice for camping. I think whenever the Swicks or LC200N Pacifics drop I'll add a pointy Z cut to my order. Maybe two so I can get one in each edge type.

Today I took a couple of beater chef knives to my belt sander. Bad pictures and I'll probably play around with the edges some more tomorrow, but these boys will cut circles around the knives I was using this weekend even as they are now. I gave them a few licks on a ceramic rod and they'll cleanly slice paper and take off arm hair, so they're getting there.

Nice work Vivi. I’ll be looking forward to your report in the Community Sharpening thread. :)

After realising the hard way that most people just aren’t equipped in their mindset to properly use or maintain decent chef knives, I often buy cheap ones with decent blade shapes and handles from thrift stores, or op shops as we call them here.

I’ll give them a similar edge to you - thinned out and cleanly apexed on a coarse diamond stone, then a few passes on the brown rods and maybe a light strop with a diamond emulsion pasted strop in the 10-7μm range.

When I give them to people, they usually comment that they’re the sharpest knives they’ve ever used.

They dull fairly quickly, of course, but it’s very quick to resharpen them with the same process again.

Despite the cheap mystery steels and heat treats, I find the technique is a useful confluence of maximising edge retention by using acute angles, relatively coarse finishes, and thin behind the edge grinds.

[GarageBoy]

Cold steel also has great factory edges

Most kitchen knives I've encountered by non knife people are so dull - people will buy shuns/globals and think that initial sharpness is forever - also, check on ebay to see how many end up with nasty chips

I live with someone who's main kitchen knife is a sub $10 dexter russel - can't seem to get it sharp/stay sharp- maybe because the steel is super soft

[Evil D]

Cold steel also has great factory edges

Most kitchen knives I've encountered by non knife people are so dull - people will buy shuns/globals and think that initial sharpness is forever - also, check on ebay to see how many end up with nasty chips

I've actually heard people say "I have ______ knife, they never need sharpened!". At family functions I just stay away from the kitchen.

[James Y]

One time I was reading Amazon reviews on the Victorinox chef’s knife, and one reviewer said, “This knife is terrible quality. It worked great at first, but after only several months of using it every day in the kitchen, mine is already starting to get dull.”

:rolleyes:

Jim

[ykspydiefan]

I did years in a kitchen as a teenager and learned to love a sharp knife and hate a slippery cutting board. I am lucky as the kitchen I started in understood that good, sharp knives make food prep faster and easier. My current 8' chef knife is sharp junk. This is where my knife life conflicts, I have spent too much on fun knives with new steel and new platforms and have spent no money on the knife I really use for every meal prep every day. Currently, I have limited my knife spending to a new chef knife or sharpening tools.

Around other knife people I do not claim to have a serious knife hobby, I have no stropping supplies and do not strop. I have a good steel and sharpen well but I understand that a razor sharp knife needs that next level of honing perfection.

I freehand sharpen on diamond stones. This thread and others have been helpful as I have thought allot about buying a guided system for sharpening. Helps me to reinforce, Chef knife and honing tools first. If I am a good boy for Christmas I might sneak a Spy27 Mule into the stocking. Really reinforces perfect current skills vs learn new skills on new equipment.

[Bill1170]

Our kitchen knives are nothing fancy, but I keep them sharp. My wife never uses the 8” chef’s, so it stays sharp much longer than the others. My nicer kitchen knives live in my office desk and only come out when I’m really cooking up a storm. They are very thin, hard, Japanese pattern knives that cut like a dream, but could be ruined by a careless user.

Back when I took road trips I packed a small bag of sharpening gear and would sharpen the kitchen knives at the homes we stayed at. It was appreciated greatly!