The Knife Thread

Are some stones designed to wear out more quickly than others? This is mine:
https://www.amazon.ca/Wusthof-4450-2000-Grit-Whetstone/dp/B0000DJYGS
I've only had it a couple months and I've already noticed that it has dished out a bit in the middle. Often while trying to sharpen it feels like I'm removing more stone than I am metal, judging by how much of the blue residue comes up vs almost no black/grey from the metal.

 

^ Can't answer if that's by design or not but I do know that some people prefer stones like that for the feel, sharpening certain steels, etc. Also, in my limited experience with softer stones, they're a little more forgiving of user error when sharpening.

If you don't have one already, I got a "correcter stone" that you use to file a whetstone back to flat after it inevitably develops some uneven spots.

 

@Velomane was kind enough to lend me his 4k and 8k stones as well as a lapping stone. It while while lapping my wusthof stone that I realized how scooped out it was. His stones are also the splash kind from Knifewear. I know they are higher grit than mine, but I can tell right away they are also far harder. Now I just need to try a harder stone in 1 or 2k to really appreciate the difference.

 

I have only good things to say about the King waterstones from Japan. I haven't found the brand website but they are sold on Ebay. I used 2k for years and later upgrades to the double sided stone with 6k on one side. A+ quality and I cant detect any significant wear.

 

Not by design, just nature. All stones outside of diamond plates will dish, with the cheaper, softer stones wearing away more quickly, especially if not matched up to the hardness of your blades. Many stones come with a flattening stone, or you can get a rough diamond plate to level them if you are investing into good stones. I use an Atoma 400 plate to fix any really rough blades, but also as a flattener for my 1000 and 5000 stones.

You can also look into wet sandpaper on glass plates if you don't want to spend a ton of money.

 

I'm not opposed to spending some money on nicer stones, but don't want to go overboard either. Maybe looking at the diamond if I have the SG2 steels. Buuuuut I need to slow my role and actually develop better technique and feel instead of succumbing to new toy syndrome. I suspect I've picked up some bad habits from trying to learn on crap noname knives. I'll also need to look into honing as some of you have mentioned, which for my particular knives may be more useful than sharpening.

 

Using a steel? I've never heard it called that, which may be just transatlantic language difference or... just that I never heard it.

As I understand it (I'm no nerd on this stuff) all it does is correct the edge, like make everything central again, rather than sharpen. They don't, I think, normally abrade, although mine does,so it does a little sharpening. But I really do only one or two swipes per side.

It may be more effective on softer steel like the carbon steel knives that I use, than the very much harder stainless steels. Or maybe that stainless just needs less of everything.

I gather that, long ago, carbon steel was the pro choice, and that it now very much isn't. This is due to the fact that it is much harder to keep clean, as well as the extra sharpening required. It isn't what I'd buy if I were starting out today, but it is what I have, including knives up to forty years old!

 

Yes that is using a steel and you are correct it is primarily to keep it straight. However you are only describing traditional carbon steel, many low alloy steels are just referred to as "carbon steel" wrt kitchen knives and they can be comparable to or exceed >=10.5% chromium & < 1.2% carbon (the definition of stainless steel) in hardness as things like vanadium carbides or tungsten carbides or a few others are harder than chromium carbides. My aogami super takeda for example is more of a pita to sharpen than my stainless knives and holds an edge longer. I've only actually sharpened it one time but it gets pretty light use, I am not a professional chef or anything.

 

I need advice on what to look for in a new kitchen knife for cutting veggies.

My "best" knife so far is a Wusthof Santoku (https://www.amazon.com/Wüsthof-Classic-Santoku-7-Inch-Hollow/dp/B0862TD3MG/).
It's crazy sharp and I chop off parts of my fingernails more often that I'd like without noticing at first. But with certain types of vegetables I'm having a hard time.

Recently I saw this video and couldn't believe how easy this guy cuts through carrots.
https://tinyurl.com/2p8ky25b


Now why am I on the other hand struggling cutting carrots with my Santoku? The blade gets stuck very easily, which makes cutting off a slice in a straight like or with one single motion absolutely impossible. I can't imagine it's not sharp enough. Is the blade maybe too flexible, or too thin?

 

I have that Santoku, and I think the issue is not thin enough or it's not thick enough. I have a Gyuto that is thinner yet still rigid athat is way better for carrots, and a Wusthof Chef's knife that is thicker and splits the carrot easer. The Santoku sticks more than either.

Also YT videos are well doctored - I wouldn't be surprised if that carrot was blanched first to make it look easier.

 

@schnesim, from what you described, could the problem be not with sharpness, but with "stickiness" - the knife has scallops, but may be it is still too sticky for carrots and induces too much drag?
Another possibility - the blade geometry is not good for cutting deep (example - hollow ground)

 

@Dzerh It's definitely a sticky one. When I finely chop onions or carrots (once they are in stripes eventually) I constantly have to scrape off the sides to not have the pieces fall everywhere. Whether this is because of the metal or the blade geometry I can't say.
If it had hollow ground once, I guess it's gone by now since I use a Scheppach wet grinder for sharpening.

 

Your cutting technique also greatly affects how the food sticks. I find the more common push-down slice makes things stick, vs the tip-down-slide back slice. On the former when you finish the slice, you're at maximum surface contact of blade to food. With the latter, by the time the cut is finished with the tip there's almost no contact left.

 

Ok so I know honing is supposed to "realign" the edge... but if I have high grit stones like a 4k or 8k wouldn't running a few passes on those be effectively the same thing?

 

I suppose it would, but I tend to hone every time I reach for a knife. My hone is at hand whereas the stones have been put away.

 

Agree with above. It makes sense on paper, but doesn’t work that way. Also, I wouldn’t use the stone dry (which you are suggesting?) and it would be a pain in the arse to soak it unless you’re all in. I’ve got a full set of Shun Premiums and I’ve tried other steel but eventually got the Shun and it is superior. I only sharpen them every couple of months and just straighten them up on the steel when using them.

 

Sigh, I guess I'll be adding those Knifewear black and white hones to the shopping cart. Might as well get a strop while I'm at it. Oh wait, the hones are half price if I buy a knife? Guess I should pick one of those too. Oh wait, the sale is in two weeks? well I guess if I'm getting another knife I might as well get one of those limited edition special ones... you know how it goes

 

I'm thankfully free of GAS in this area. I have enough knives (just one does 99% of all my cutting, the others come in handy occasionally) and enough "midfi" sharpening devices.

Phew!

 

This morning I couldn't find the nail file and used the steel honing rod instead. I might be developing a problem.

 

Friday night I saw an in-stock Shibata Koutetsu bunka, put it in my cart, but then decided to wait overnight. Next morning it was gone. But I managed to get a ko-bunka that will arrive Tuesday. A few months ago I'd contacted the factory to see if I could buy direct since they were out of stock everywhere. The response said it wouldn't be possible because there's a 1-year waiting list!

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/fSB9Mf7U7yY (looks like SBAF's media plugin doesn't handle YT's "shorts" URLs)