Edgepro: Technique on german vs. japanese knives

[SEK John]

I've lurked here a long time and reviewed the archives...but still have some basic questions.

Our knives consist of Wusthof Grand Prix and a Hattori HD santoku. My wife bought me an Edgepro Apex as a gift. It came with the 180, 220 and 320 stones, plus a ceramic steel.

I sharpened the Wusthof knives last weekend with decent luck. I was able to feel the burr, etc. Using a Sharpie to help figure out the angle of the bevel, it seemed like the parer had a different bevel angle than the chef's knife. Is this typical, or was it a sign I'm making some type of newbie mistake?

The santoku needs sharpening. It looks like it has a bevel on both sides...but they look like they are at different angles when viewed thru a handheld magnifying glass...can this be so? The archives suggest a 15 degree angle is good for Japanese cutlery. I'm assuming you use 15 degrees on both sides....correct?

Also, in general, should I start with a course stone and work thru to the finest? Somewhere in the archives, I believe someone suggested that the Edgepro stones will have a difficult time with harder Japanese steels. I'm not sure if our Hattori falls into this category or not....and what, if any, effect hardness has on stone selection, technique, etc.

Thanks in advance for any help. It's nice to see an online community that doesn't have the usual arguing, **ssing contests, etc.

Regards,
John

[Fred]

[ QUOTE ]


I sharpened the Wusthof knives last weekend with decent luck. I was able to feel the burr, etc. Using a Sharpie to help figure out the angle of the bevel, it seemed like the parer had a different bevel angle than the chef's knife. Is this typical, or was it a sign I'm making some type of newbie mistake?

I would assume that every knife had a somewhat different angle. The knive are sharpened in the factory by a human being working on a powered belt and the two knives were not necessarily, in fact were probably not, sharpened by the same person.

The santoku needs sharpening. It looks like it has a bevel on both sides...but they look like they are at different angles when viewed thru a handheld magnifying glass...can this be so? The archives suggest a 15 degree angle is good for Japanese cutlery. I'm assuming you use 15 degrees on both sides....correct?

Yes, that will work fine.

Also, in general, should I start with a course stone and work thru to the finest?

Yes, if you are grinding new bevels. If you are followint the original bevels then you can probably start with a medium stone.

Somewhere in the archives, I believe someone suggested that the Edgepro stones will have a difficult time with harder Japanese steels.

As will any sharpener, because the steel is harder.

I'm not sure if our Hattori falls into this category or not....and what, if any, effect hardness has on stone selection, technique, etc.

The only difference is that a harder steel allows you to use a more acute bevel angle. Otherwise, it doesn't figure into the sharpening process.

Thanks in advance for any help. It's nice to see an online community that doesn't have the usual arguing, **ssing contests, etc.

Regards,
John

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Hope that helped, John.

[cwhalgren]

[ QUOTE ]
The santoku needs sharpening. It looks like it has a bevel on both sides...but they look like they are at different angles when viewed thru a handheld magnifying glass...can this be so? The archives suggest a 15 degree angle is good for Japanese cutlery. I'm assuming you use 15 degrees on both sides....correct?

[/ QUOTE ]

Both sides of the blade are the same angle, but the edge of the blade does not fall along the center line. It is common on Japanese manufactured knives. I tried to find some image online, but failed. Maybe this will help:

[SEK John]

Thanks for the replies CW and Fred. The illustration posted by CW looks like what I'm seeing on the santoku.

I just sharpened the santoku. While it's sharper, its not as sharp as the factory edge when new....nor as sharp as the Wusthof chefs knife I sharpened. I seemed to have trouble getting a burr on one of the sides (and as I sit here, I can't remember which side).

This makes me wonder if the bevels are at different angles.
I set the Edgepro at 15 and sharpened each side about 6 times.

I also noticed on each knife I've sharpened that I seem have
a harder time getting a good edge on the end of the knife.

I'm guessing that I wasn't patient enough and should have continued sharpening, but decided to
stop grinding and see if someone had and thoughts/suggestions.


Thanks,
John

[Sid Post]

Sharpening at the tips of the blade is trouble spot for many. The video's I have watched on Waterstones suggests lifting the handle of the knife as you work from the belly to tip of the knife to keep the angle on the edge constant.

On your edgepro, you are probably making the tip angle more obtuse which causes it to seem dull.

For general sharpening, take a sharpie pen or similar, and mark the edge of your knife so you can see where the stone makes contact with the steel. If you are not cleanly wiping the ink away from the edge as you sharpen, you are not matching the bevels of the edge.

For the burr, be patient as it may take a long time with a good hard blade. Especially if it has become dull. Consistent technique with each stroke matters. Be patient, take it slow, and you will find the rhythm of what it takes for your blade.

[Fred]

The problem is that you are trying to sharpen the bevels at an angle different from that on the bevels. Just get the coarse stone and grind the bevels to the angle you have set on the Edgepro and then sharpen. Big difference.