Steak Knife Touch Up Issue

[sksharp]

I like MarcH and Organic use paper, full sheet of phone book paper held by two fingers with thumb underneath and push the paper into the edge while clamped and through sound, feel and pressure determine if it’s indeed sharper than the last time I tested it. You can also get a visual inspection by examining the cut in the paper. Started this while learning to strop and it works pretty well. Also tells me right away if there is any bad spots in the blade.

2 users thanked author for this post.

wickededge, Marc H

[tcmeyer]

I rely on the USB ‘scope – in particular, the view looking straight down on the edge.  If you can’t see any light being reflected from the edge, it’s sharp.  Any dull areas or chips or even the tiniest of burrs will show up as a bright line on the edge.  This, and if you’ve made sure that the last few grits have been working the edge and not just the lower part of the bevel, should give you confidence that the edge is indeed sharp.

2 users thanked author for this post.

sksharp, wickededge

[sksharp]

For touch ups… I have 3 knives I hand strop with very good results, 3 knives that I steel with good results but those need resharpen more often probably due to the steel being more aggressive. 3 others that I only do on the WE and I’m, like you, trying to work out the best method for me on touch ups. Also want to be able to help others with methods and mediums when it comes to touch ups. Been kicking around a Sharp Maker but haven’t pulled the trigger on that yet mainly because it only has the two angles but might give it a try down the road. Can say that touch ups on the WE don’t take me very long. I use the advanced alignment guide for placement. Usually just stropping is enough and the edge improves every time I touch them up. The quickest has been steeling with the hand steel but I don’t think that’s the best for the knife. Hand stropping takes me the most time but does work very well and if I’m willing to take the time can actually improve the knife but I fear after a year or two of hand stropping that it will be a total resharpening and I don’t think that will be as much of an issue maintaining on the WE. We’ll see I guess!

The knives sharpened for others are almost all micro beveled for 2 reasons. 1) Makes the edge more durable while maintaining some characteristics of the underlying bevel.  2) They are much more forgiving to maintain and from what I’ve seen so far can be maintained longer than a straight V edge.

[tcmeyer]

I had a Sharpmaker for at least twenty years, then ordered a new one in 2011 when I noticed they added a second angle.  I gave my old one to my brother.  About a month later, I found the WEPS on the internet and couldn’t resist.  I haven’t used the Sharpmaker since, except to compare it to my WEPS.  I get more use out of my WorkSharp, which I’ll use to remove a lot of steel in a reprofile or repair job.  Now I’ve bought a Harbor Freight 1X30 belt sander, so I’ll probably use that more.

I sharpen my Wuesthof steak knives with a straight 20 dps bevel and haven’t had any problem in maintaining the edge.  They seem to be hard enough to stand up to normal steak-knife use.  In fact, I don’t think any of my other knives would stand up to cutting on glass dinner plates.  They’re very thin, so I don’t think there’s value in a lower-angle main bevel with a micro-bevel.

Wuesthof’s web site says this model (#4050) is “high carbon stainless tempered to 56 Rockwell.”  I don’t believe it.  They’re harder than Japanese arithmetic.

2 users thanked author for this post.

Gazillion, sksharp

[Gazillion]

Good evening,

I apologize if this question is off topic but I really need some help.

When I mount my Henckels Steak Knives using the top holes my stones are hitting the jaws. My knives are very similar to yours.

How do I keep this from happening?

 

Derek

[Readheads]

<p style=”text-align: left;”>Just change the angle, at 17 degrees mine just about hit the jaws, otherwise buy the low angle adapter to raise the blade</p>

[Gazillion]

Readheads wrote:

<p style=”text-align: left;”>Just change the angle, at 17 degrees mine just about hit the jaws, otherwise buy the low angle adapter to raise the blade</p>

Thank you very much, that was incredibly nice of you to respond.

[Mark76]

Gazillion, welcome to the forum! Please don’t hesitate to ask any more questions if you have them. There’s a nice bunch of people here who’d happily answer your questions.

I think Readhead already gave the answer to your question. Increase the angle or get the low angle adapter. If the low angle adapter doesn’t work well enough, you could also use the Tormek low angle adapter which gives even more flexibility, but it wouldn’t be my first choice.

Molecule Polishing: my blog about sharpening with the Wicked Edge

1 user thanked author for this post.

Gazillion

[wickededge]

Gazillion wrote:

When I mount my Henckels Steak Knives using the top holes my stones are hitting the jaws. My knives are very similar to yours. How do I keep this from happening?

You can also clamp the knives higher in the jaws if there is a mark on the blade that you can use as an index for repeatability.

-Clay

1 user thanked author for this post.

Gazillion

[tcmeyer]

Mark76 wrote:

you could also use the Tormek low angle adapter which gives even more flexibility, but it wouldn’t be my first choice.

I think Mark is referring to the Tormek “small knife adapter.”

2 users thanked author for this post.

Gazillion, Mark76

[Gazillion]

Good evening Gentlemen,

I appreciate all of your advice.  I certainly didn’t intend to hijack this thread. I look forward to talking to all of you more in the future.

Thank you,

Derek

1 user thanked author for this post.

sksharp

[Marc H]

Derek, We’re all here to help you.  That’s what this Forum is about.

Marc
(MarcH's Rack-Its)

1 user thanked author for this post.

Mark76

[dulledge]

tcmeyer wrote:

I get more use out of my WorkSharp, which I’ll use to remove a lot of steel in a reprofile or repair job.  Now I’ve bought a Harbor Freight 1X30 belt sander, so I’ll probably use that more.

Tom, WorkSharp has Blade Grinder attachment. Belts for attachment are wider and longer: 1″ x 18″ instead of 3/4″ x 12″. Why did you prefer 1×30 ? Harbor Fright is much bigger. WorkSharp is compact. I do not have neigther of them. I am looking for something that can remove a lot of metal fast and is small enough to take with me in a car. I would take it for small vacation trips or to visit friends.

[tcmeyer]

dulledge wrote:

Tom, WorkSharp has Blade Grinder attachment. Belts for attachment are wider and longer: 1″ x 18″ instead of 3/4″ x 12″. Why did you prefer 1×30 ? Harbor Fright is much bigger. WorkSharp is compact. I do not have neigther of them. I am looking for something that can remove a lot of metal fast and is small enough to take with me in a car. I would take it for small vacation trips or to visit friends.

My WorkSharp is an older version – not the Ken Onion version, so it won’t take the new attachments, so far as I know.

1 user thanked author for this post.

dulledge

[Author]

Posts