Handmade Damascus Skinning Knife

[Travis Johnston]

This is the first hand made(not by me) knife I have sharpened with my WE120. It came out nice but I did noticed that the looking directly at the edge from the bottom it is not in the middle of the ricasso. Like during grinding more meat was taken from one side than the other, this is not a super expensive knife. It took a little time to get the bevels as even as possible.

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[Marc H]

Nice and unique knife, Travis. Looks good.   I think we all get to know our knife edges pretty intimately while they’re clamped in our WE vices blade up during our lengthy and deliberate sharpening sessions.  We see and learn every cm of steel over and over from every angle.  Sometimes, maybe often, we really didn’t take the time to look at what we had to start with.  I know I was usually just so excited to have another interesting shape and style knife to clamp and sharpen that I’d never seen, before.  It was another chance to apply one of my Wickedly Sharp and shiny sharp edges I’d been claiming and bragging to my friend, I could do.  I often didn’t take the time to look the edge over at all until it was thin side up.

Now with some sharpening time and experience under my stones, I look at the edges with some scrutiny, first.  The first step in my sharpening progression is to view the clamped knife edge under magnification.  Every bit of the bevel length.  That way I know exactly what I’m starting with and what the edge is shaped like along the entire knife’s length.  I usually snap magnified edge photos of bevel defects and mark the knife side with a sharpie where I see edge damage or defects needing my particular attention.  I usually know now at the get go how well the knife was ground; evenly and symmetrically.  Sometimes I can correct these shortcomings while sharpening.  Other times I can only just make them very sharp and shiny.  I do know that it doesn’t really matter how perfect the steel was ground as long as I applied my edge well and precisely, it’ll be the sharpest knife the user has ever cut with.

Thanks for sharing that work of art, Travis.

Marc
(MarcH's Rack-Its)

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Brewbear

[Travis Johnston]

Thanks Marc, its funny how people here view an edge and what the word “sharp” really means. I have so many friends, family, and clients that I do knives for that if I stopped at the 600 grit stone the knife in question would be the sharpest thing they have ever held. I use a belt machine for my mass sharpening of cheesy store bought cutlery and have enough different belts to make what most people in the world would consider a polished edge. I only use the WE for people that can appreciate the time and effort that goes into making an edge damn near perfect. I have a hard time spending a large block of time on a 20 dollar knife  but I could spend all day working on a fantastic piece of equipment. I laugh when I hand a knife back to someone and they hold it like they are scared of it. Sometimes they hold it like they have a rattlesnake behind the head, lol.

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Brewbear, Marc H

[Marc H]

That made me chuckle.  I can tell you I carefully and respectfully handle my kitchen knives.  When I lay them down when prepping food I am very careful to place them where I won’t inadvertently bump the knife edge.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve cut myself over the years when making a salad just by barely bumping against the blade of a knife lying next to my cutting board.  I’ve learned to lay them blade toward the board and tucked up under it’s edge.

Marc
(MarcH's Rack-Its)

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