Sushi knife challenge

[Readheads]

I have a 9 inch Sushi knife, 1.25″ tall, single bevel 5/8″ wide at 10 degrees with a micro bevel of 12 deg (verified with sharpie, angle cube, USB scope, eye and repetition). Using the extension slim knife accessory. Typical Sushi knife. I wanted to WE the 10 deg single bevel to a mirror for show and then add the 12 deg micro bevel. I’ve seen Clay do it with a 2+” high Nakiri knife but I don’t have that clearance.

To do the whole knife the clamp is in the way on the 10 deg single bevel. I can get it done if I ignore the heel of the knife where I mount it but that is no good because I am looking to impress Sushi Chefs in my little side business. No matter how I mount the knife I can’t  get full coverage at 10 deg (bummer!!!). I can do just the 12 deg micro bevel with just enough clearance (barely) with the extender and of course beburr the backside by hand (easy peasy).

Yet, my understanding is that these Sushi guys think that the 10 deg single bevel goes all the way to the apex. If there is a 12 deg micro bevel then it does NOT. It is about meeting their expectation though and I do not think I can do it with WEPS or any other jig system (unless the clamp holds only the handle and the rods are very long).
WDYT ? It could be a game changer in the high end Sushi land.

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[Readheads]

<!–more–>I filed down one side of the LAA and now I can get to 9 deg single side.

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[000Robert]

I don’t remember ever seeing a Wicked Edge like that one. I’ve never tried to sharpen a knife like that one. I might try to use my scissor attachment to see if it would work. Maybe Marc will chime in soon because I don’t know anything about Japanese knives.

[Readheads]

Well, I was able to get full WE coverage on the 10 deg 5/8″ bevel but after 1.5 hrs of paddling using even my 50/80 grit it has become apparent that I’ll need alot more time and will likely wear out my diamonds. Probably cause it has a 12 deg microbevel and the 10 deg bevel changes by ~1.5 deg over the 9 inch length. Not a job for the WE. Will clean up the scratches on my HF grinder and put a 12 deg microbevel on it. I thought it would be sweet to have a 10 deg bevel to the apex with no microbevel. Makes me wonder why the OEM would put a microbevel on top of a 10 deg bevel. They should have just made the 5/8″ bevel 12 deg to the apex. Fun while it lasted.

[000Robert]

The WE diamond stones last a lot longer than most people seem to think that they do. I’ve had my WE130 for nearly 3 years and I still use my original stones. I was even reprofiling chisels with my 100 grit stones before I got smart and bought some 50/80 stones. My 100 grit stones are starting to look a little ragged, but they are still working for now.

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sksharp

[sksharp]

I have run into a similar problem sharpening knives with what I was told was a Swedish grind. Some people around here use them for hunting knives. Because of the amount of metal to be removed I put a 15 degree standard edge on them and the hunters loved it. I know that doesn’t help you but my experience with that particular grind is they are not flat when you get them the grind is convex. This means you will have to remove a ton of metal. A guided  belt sharpener would be the thing for that knife, In my humble opinion.

To the pleasure, sksharp

[000Robert]

sksharp wrote:

I have run into a similar problem sharpening knives with what I was told was a Swedish grind. Some people around here use them for hunting knives. Because of the amount of metal to be removed I put a 15 degree standard edge on them and the hunters loved it. I know that doesn’t help you but my experience with that particular grind is they are not flat when you get them the grind is convex. This means you will have to remove a ton of metal. A guided belt sharpener would be the thing for that knife, In my humble opinion. To the pleasure, sksharp

I would advise against using a dry belt grinder on blade edges except for maybe lawnmower blades. Here is an article about it on Knife Steel Nerds. A dry belt grinder may ruin the heat treat on blade edge bevels.

[sksharp]

Professionals have been using belt sanders, wheels, or the like in one form or another for hundreds of years. with the right material and in the right hands, so you don’t ruin the heat treat, you can make edges very, very sharp with convex edge and no limitation on blade width. You can also polish the daylights out of the knife if you want it pretty.

Otherwise you could learn the ancient art of sharpening by hand, with the right stones, which are crazy expensive, for an edge of that type.

These are my opinions of course, I’m not a professional so take my comments the way you will.

To the pleasure, sksharp

[000Robert]

Then their edges start chipping or rolling and they blame the steel. The edge apex is a very small area of steel. You can overheat it enough to damage the heat treat and not even know it or feel it.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 2 months ago by 000Robert.

[sksharp]

OK so you are the authority on all types of sharpening and sharpeners. I’ll have to remember that in the future. I mean you even had to point out that there is a very tiny amount of steel at the apex. What a revelation! You don’t think there are ways to sharpen different edges differently? The WE is the only answer? You do realize they make belts in different grits and materials right. Some of them made to prevent the very problem you are worried about. A sharpening sander is not a belt sander from Home Depot. The speed can be controlled, compounds can be used, hell you can even run water on them continuously. If you think that your way of sharpening is the only correct way then, well that’s all the info I need from you sir. Have a nice day.

responding to 000Robert

To the pleasure, sksharp

[000Robert]

I think you are overreacting. I’m not the authority on sharpening, but I do try to listen to the experts.

[Author]

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