Knife DatabaseI’m really happy to finally announce our new ! You can find it with preceding link or under the resources tab. Here I hope you’ll all contribute your knives, adding in as much as you know about them and the recommended settings for sharpening them. I’ll get started adding some today. Eventually, I hope we’ll have a very comprehensive database that we can all use as a resource. It is searchable and sortable by any of the category headings so you can browse by manufacturer, steel type etc… I’m looking forward to everyone’s contributions.
I should add that we built this database on the recommendation of forum members. Many thanks to all of you that are kind enough to share your suggestions!
Thanks! This should become very useful for quickly and easily determining how to set up a knife in the vise. I already took a look at the entries in the database so far and to me they look quite accurate.
I think it is a very useful addition that’s going to help a lot of people.
Thanks guys for the early entries! I’ll be traveling over the next two weeks but will get back at it when I return. Hope to see lots of new entries coming in.
[quote quote=“eatyourroadkill” post=3126]awesome … added one knife to test it but not showing up. i’ll check tomorrow and then add a couple more.
thanks[/quote]
Thanks for adding your knife and any you add in the future! Once you add them, I get an email to approve them and I log on and click okay before they show up. Same thing with edits. It’s an easy way to limit spam and catch errors.
i always have tried to get the manufacturer’s feedback on the factory edge angle but that is not always possible.
i am comfortable trusting the suggestions of anybody who has purchased a WEPS and is participating on this forum since they are likely much better at sharpening then i am !
For me it is at least in part personal preference. I often follow the manufacturer’s angle. That is relatively easy for me, since I have a goniometer. However, sometimes I sharpen the knife to a sharper angle. This may be because the manufacturer set a very obtuse angle on it. For example, I have a Becker BK16 that was sharpened to over 30 degrees per side). In some cases I also think the knife can handle a sharper angle. For example, I always try to sharpen a sujihiki (Japanese slicing knife) to as sharp an angle as possible.
For me it is at least in part personal preference. I often follow the manufacturer’s angle. That is relatively easy for me, since I have a goniometer. However, sometimes I sharpen the knife to a sharper angle. This may be because the manufacturer set a very obtuse angle on it. For example, I have a Becker BK16 that was sharpened to over 30 degrees per side). In some cases I also think the knife can handle a sharper angle. For example, I always try to sharpen a sujihiki (Japanese slicing knife) to as sharp an angle as possible.[/quote]
Mark,
Right, I think this is an issue with the database. In my estimation the database needs THREE more columns for each entry:
1.)
I would like to see a “comments section” so that we can leave comments regarding the entry we make to the database for a particular knife. I think 500 characters in a little box might be a good idea. A little space for user comments would be enough.
2.) Username of the contributor of the data and
3.) Usage Intent of the sharpen, i.e. kitchen use, axe wood chopping, EDC, etc..
To give you an example about why I think this is necessary is my own case in particular. When the database was announced I thought “Gee that’s a neat idea, and I have at lest a dozen knives that I can put in there..” Then when I looked over the database I realized that I could put in none of them, because it would confuse anyone looking at my entries. My CRK Sml Sebenza is a perfect example. This knife comes with a factory convex. Clay has a video on how to sharpen it with a modified taper grind. I have done mine with a standard V grind. So we need to be able to list all these possible “option grinds” in the database with a brief narrative in a comment box of each possible choice. If I was to just “plunk down” my V grind data with no explaination, it would make no sense whatsoever to someone scanning over the database.
Dan, great suggestions, I’m passing them along to the webmaster to see if we can include them. Thank you.
For me it is at least in part personal preference. I often follow the manufacturer’s angle. That is relatively easy for me, since I have a goniometer. However, sometimes I sharpen the knife to a sharper angle. This may be because the manufacturer set a very obtuse angle on it. For example, I have a Becker BK16 that was sharpened to over 30 degrees per side). In some cases I also think the knife can handle a sharper angle. For example, I always try to sharpen a sujihiki (Japanese slicing knife) to as sharp an angle as possible.[/quote]
Mark,
Right, I think this is an issue with the database. In my estimation the database needs THREE more columns for each entry:
1.)
I would like to see a “comments section” so that we can leave comments regarding the entry we make to the database for a particular knife. I think 500 characters in a little box might be a good idea. A little space for user comments would be enough.
2.) Username of the contributor of the data and
3.) Usage Intent of the sharpen, i.e. kitchen use, axe wood chopping, EDC, etc..
To give you an example about why I think this is necessary is my own case in particular. When the database was announced I thought “Gee that’s a neat idea, and I have at lest a dozen knives that I can put in there..” Then when I looked over the database I realized that I could put in none of them, because it would confuse anyone looking at my entries. My CRK Sml Sebenza is a perfect example. This knife comes with a factory convex. Clay has a video on how to sharpen it with a modified taper grind. I have done mine with a standard V grind. So we need to be able to list all these possible “option grinds” in the database with a brief narrative in a comment box of each possible choice. If I was to just “plunk down” my V grind data with no explaination, it would make no sense whatsoever to someone scanning over the database.
I agree the fields you mention would be useful, particularly a comments field, which can be used for anything the standard fields do not support.
That said, I think the main advantage of the database is the recording of the position of the knife (depth and alignment). I hope everybody records those settings that result in as little angle change as possible at the tip of the knife.
All of the other fields record either fixed information about the knife (length, steel, etc.) or, as you rightly remark, information that is to some extent subjective.
I’ll try to post some more pictures when I get to it.
When I had posted my blog the edge was basically 13 degrees on one side and 14.5 degrees on the other side. This was no problem: it shaved arm hair.
However, I wanted a truely symmetrical edge, so I have now put a symmetrical 15 degrees per side microbevel on the edge. It still shaves arm hair :cheer: .
In hindsight: if I have to maintain a fully convex knife again, I’ll start with stropping only. If the edge is just a bit dull, that should be enough. However, as I wrote, the A1 had a small microchip, so in those cases you’ll have to use the stones.
here is a good articleYou’ve probably read it already, but on finding the right position for your knife in the vise.
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