System Use FAQ

[Iceshiver]

Can the FAQ be supplemented with instructions on how to sharpen single bevel Japanese Usuba knives? After some trial and error, I figured it out. But the method for sharpening using the wicked edge system is counter intuitive as hell due to the nature of how these knives are typically made. I’ve attached pictures for reference of the exact knife I sharpened. In a way, I still don’t know what degree angle I used to sharpen the darn knife :D. I know its definitely not the 22 degrees that the angle cube suggests when attached to the rods. Nor is it the 26.5 degrees the selector suggests. Its a mystery, but prooobably somewhere close to the 10-12 degrees I typically sharpen it during freehand.

For what its worth, the knife is sharper than its ever been. This system CAN do it, its fantastic. However, this product would be easier to recommend to others if I could point to literature that shows new users/friends how to do this properly.

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[tcmeyer]

From your photos, I infer that the knife is a single-bevel, right-handed Nakiri.  I wouldn’t be surprised to find that the blade was sharpened at around 10-12 degrees.  I have an Aritsugu that is sharpened at 6 degrees per side, for an included angle of about 12.  The edge is foil-like (you can bend it with your thumbnail) and such low angles make the edge quite fragile.  It won’t tolerate any pressure applied to the edge, as edge fracturing will result.  I’ve settled on about 10-12 dps as a workable edge and it’s working out OK.

I would try to sharpen it at 20 degrees or so, and watch for damage to the edge when you think you might have applied too much stress.  20 degrees included is a very sharp edge.  Nakiris are intended for cutting all sorts of veggies so it should stand up to at least some abuse.  A blade crashing through a carrot can hit the cutting board hard.  If you see damage, sharpen it to a higher angle next time.  Adjust until you’re happy with the performance.  My Aritsugu didn’t like cutting artisanal breads with a hard crust.  Here are videos before and after.  I later figured out it was the bread-cutting that was causing the damage.

For what it’s worth, single-bevel knives are a delight to use.  I love ’em.

[Marc H]

Welcome to the W.E. Forum Iceshiver.  There are so many different grinds in knives, in general.  In Japanese knives that’s taken even further with all the specialized artisan knife styles and grinds. It’d be very difficult to address all the different knives in the FAQs. Once you learn how to sharpen knives, in general, with your W.E. and you develop your sharpening technique that works well for you, sometimes intuitiveness is your best asset.  (Even though you found the process was counter-intuitive). The W.E. is simply a handtool.  It’s a bench clamp with precisely adjustable angle jigs that allows us to slide our sharpening stones across our knife edges repeatedly, and consistently, at angles of our determination.

In the case of your Usuba it’s really up to you to figure out how to use the W.E. to make it work for you to match the knife maker’s grinds. Even within the Usuba style, each knifemaker’s grinds may be somewhat different within that same style.  We need to use our W.E. and our experience to figure out how best to sharpen it.  There may be some some specification data available for some of the more popular brands but for the most part it’s up to us to just figure it out and work with it.

It appears this is just what you did. You achieved good sharp results.  It really doesn’t matter what angle you ended up using other than to record this angle for future touch-ups.  As long as the knife cuts well that’s all that really matters. With this single edged knife there are several different angle grinds along the knife’s length and down the knife’s height.  Even with these different angles, overall it’s a single bevel knife like a “chisel” grind.  We are really just sharpening the small, almost tiny edge bevel, relative to the almost vertical backside bevel.  As long as these bevels meet keenly at the apex you should be good to go.  Only after a lot of use and time will you need to work on the the next grind up to restore and thin down the angled edge profile.  The Usuba is a much thicker more stout knife than it’s cousin,  the much thinner profiled, double beveled Nakiri.  The heavier Usuba should stand up well used on a proper cutting board.

As “tcmeyer” suggested after using the sharpened knife and experiencing how the edge wears and stands up, you may learn next time to narrow or widen tthe edge’s bevel angle.  This is a trial-and-error thing done over time.

Here is a video made by Clay Allison sharpening a Shun Usuba knife.  Clay, as did tcmeyer has called the knife a Nakiri.  Whereas this single-sided grind style vegetable knife is more specifically called a Usuba.  The knife Clay is sharpening is a thinner style Usuba knife, almost like a Naikiri, compared with your thicker style Usuba.

Marc
(MarcH's Rack-Its)

[Iceshiver]

I confess I provided my feedback/suggestion, less towards the community asking for advice — Not that I don’t appreciate you chiming in Tcmeyer/MarcH! — But to whoever is selling this system. From my own experience, I’ve always wanted to know what drove someone to buy a system and what drove people to recommend it to others.

To that end, I’m grateful you brought up this video, MarcH. This video? Is 100% the only reason I bought the sharpening system. My attitude was “if this dude can figure out how to sharpen a shun, I can figure out how to sharpen my yoshihiro” — So that’s why I BOUGHT the system. There are not a ton of great posts that discuss these knives on this forum/reddit in combination with WickedEdge.

But what stops me short from recommending it to other mates who use similar knives (lots of Japanese knives are single bevel/chisel grind) is the deficit of official materials/FAQs to comfort prospective customers that this system can be leveraged effectively in those circumstances.

[Author]

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