For everyone here who doesn't have the time to watch the whole video. To answer the question from the titel: If you have a knife that's heat treated to a 59 or below that you can use a honing rod. For Japanese that are heat treated with a rating of 61 and above you should use a strop with compound.
Thank you for answering my question, Ryky! The honing rod vs strop makes a lot more sense after your explanation. I’m always learning on your channel, love the content.
Yours is the most thorough treatment of answers to viewers questions that I have seen on you tube. Clearly you take the time to get to the root of the questions...then answer them with clear information and reasoning. Thank you for doing so...I felt compelled to leave a comment of appreciation.
My dad was a professional butcher for decades, and he was religious about using a steel. He'd give his knife a few swipes almost every time he picked it up. So, I grew up seeing a steel being used. If I'd been a barber's son, I'd probably be used to seeing the strop. My dad never used a stone. It was always a belt sharpener with an angle guide. Pretty aggressive grit, and he'd do an extra long session on the steel to clean it up. Anyhow, great video as always.
i've heard that for a lot of 'working edges' you need a very course grit. something i noticed is a very soft steel would cut for a much longer time with a 200 grit, than a 10,000 grit finish, and while using. Because the steel is softer, it doesn't chip out, but the edge alignment really suffers, to a point where strops are too soft for realignment. I usually just destroy this edge and put on a new one, since i dont have a steel. Not a professional butcher, but this gives me a lot of ideas on how to finish different kitchen knives when prepping large amounts of meat, and maintaining different edges for different steels/tasks. thanks!
They were soft. I don't remember what brand they were, but according to my dad they were very expensive. They had nylon handles with no lugs, and a very strange steel. My dad called it stainless. However, he told me to never try and sharpen them. He said it takes a very special touch, and if you got them too hot, they would explode. I always thought he was full of crap and just trying to scare me into never touching his knives. Regardless, it worked. I never tested it, nor did I ever touch his knives. However, years later I was reading something about magnesium and it said it would indeed blow up if you ground on it. So, either these blades had magnesium in them as some kind of alloy, or they were magnesium blades. The other odd thing about this steel, is it simply would not polish. It never got shiny. It stayed a dull aluminum color no matter what you did to them. You could also leave them sit in water for a month, and they wouldn't get so much as a tiny rust pimple. No patina whatsoever. He used them for a good 20+ years, and he only sharpened them once a year (twice a year on the boning knife, since that's the one he used most). The rest was on the steel. His steel was also 2 feet long. Cool times.
Todd Wall… thought I commented a few weeks ago. My dad was also a butcher, and at work wore a metal scabbard on his hip (I didn't know that's what it was called until just now!). He had two or three knives in it as he worked, and also a steel, which was used throughout the day. Sound familiar? Did yours have any that ended up like this?? drive.google.com/open?id=1SrnPLNXaUtDl2k5aDubkYWdeCHFUw5Tc I'm positive it didn't start life like that. It's pretty rigid, and I'm guessing he ground down a bigger blade to create what I call this "pig sticker". One of the sons of a guy who owned the store with my dad said that it would be too dangerous to use, that it could snap and shoot back out. He thinks it was the result of years of sharpening and just kept around as a momento. That's possible, but I think my dad wanted it that way and used it. Can't ask him, as he passed away many years ago, but I'm happy to have it.
@@b-radg916, Okay, up front, I don't know about your dad's particular experience or knives, so... just a fair warning... In MY experience, however, those "pig-stickers" tend to result not just from years of use and weathering down... BUT from occasional abuses and eventually a "final reshaping". Over time and use in business, you run into situations where "there's just no good option" and you end up abusing a knife. In a Butcher-type business, it's often "separating the sides" when the proper utensil (different for different shops and groups) just isn't there... SO you grab a "sacrificial knife" and a hammer, and you can use the hammer to drive the knife into the sternum territory to break that bone... It's HELL on blades, though, when they're not "built for that"... so chips happen. Whenever chips happen, someone reshapes the knife, grinding past the damage so a reasonably safe utensil can still be kept... put an edge on it, and carry on. Normally, a properly equipped and competent butcher will have a proper "separator" whether it's a "wedge" or a saw or other particular choice... OR a skilled person would "disarticulate" the ribs at the connective joints with a fine boning blade... BUT there are still "those situations" from time to time and "no good way out"... Personally, no. I see nothing wrong with the "pig-sticker" as far as safety. ONLY understand that what you have is essentially a "fillet knife"... OR a really fine pairing knife. I wouldn't try to butcher anything larger than a groundhog with it, but if you're in any way associated with "outdoors culture" it would suit a tackle-box, and it's likely short enough to be less cumbersome around some of the smaller game-fish. Old-timers in my area of the Appalachians highly prize those sorts of things. I have a couple around, myself, just for really fine little shaping cuts and for pastries and the like... They can be maintained easily to a razor edge and the narrow shape reduces friction while allowing you to twist and turn through cuts with a minimum of stress or force in any material... SO I love them to death for pie-crusts and particularly decorative desserts. ;o)
@@b-radg916 I was a butcher professionally for a while, and we had a couple knives like this that were simply ground down from years of monthly sharpening. I used them to break down chickens, debone legs of lamb, and many other tasks They were basically my go to knife after the scimitar.
Very helpful. I'm into swords, I find that a quick strop after each cutting session keeps the edge nice and keen. Only takes a minute, and blade is ready to go for next time....
Thanks for your channel. So, what should I do when I find a burr on the knife? Should I switch the knife around and sharpen on the other website? What does the burr actually indicate? Moving to a finer stone or what? Thank you again.
Hey Ryky, if you want a piece of wood to partially dull knives go for teak, it's high silica content makes it great for dulling tools as many woodworkers can attest. And of course don't use teak for a cutting board
Question - I just ordered the Suehiro Cerax 1000/3000 combo stone, do you think it's a good investment. Also, what do you mean when you day a stone feels "muted". I'm just getting started sharpening. Thanks, love your videos.
Hi, I am an absolute beginner in sharpening. I own some Wuesthof Ikon knives and want to start maintaining them better. I heared metal or glas plates are easier for beginners because they stay flat. Is this correct? Which ones should I buy?
I am new to your channel. I love it. My favorite part though was about the people saying vg-10 is more chippy. You are so on point. Every person I know that has a VG-10 steel knife complains about how they chipped the tip or edge. I have 4 or 5 VG-10 knives in my kits that have yet to be chipped. I think it is all user lack of respect or care for what they are using. Otherwise, I found this video very informative have some great pointers.
Coming from the EDC/pocket knife collector community, I also am bewildered by the comments on VG-10 being chippy. I carried a delica in VG-10 for YEARS and never noticed chipping or anything resembling actual chips when dealing with edge damage.
The steel "steel" wasn't really designed to sharpen knives at all, it's to realign the edge that tends to bend out of "true" on softer heat treated steels. The diamond and ceramic versions were probably made to allow someone used to using a steel to sharpen their knives with the same technique.
Yup, you don't even want the steel to remove material, just straighten the edge. But people think they are sharpening rods, so the market created fancy ceramic and diamond rods for those people who think they are sharpeners.
I use a VG10 RH62 rating knife and i use a ceramic rod aswell as a strop (with green paste) I prefer to use both together. Just stropping makes it sharper as does just using the rod but using the rod and then stropping makes it even sharper. i use it every feet uses and dos a few turns on the rod then a few on the strop and its razor sharp. And i only use my stones twice a year as i do seem to lose profile over time.
Thanks! Just getting started, I got a King 300, and Suehiro 1k/3k and got good results after doing my first 5 knives. I have some Shun VG-Max knifes (Shun claims HRC 60-61) and I was considering leather strop vs. ceramic for light touch-up maintenance so thanks for addressing that specifically. After using my 3k stone I made about 10 light alternating strokes to help break the burr, and then finally used about 10 alternating light passes on newspaper to "strop". But for maintenance I was not sure what to do, so I think based on your info I will pick up a leather strop and compound for my routine light maintenance
the combo stones you mentioned for a bit softer than ideal for the HRC 60-61 knives you own. i would continue using your stones just so you get good technique and habits down, but once you are ready to upgrade there are lots to choose from. these are what i use for my personal knives burrfectionstore.com/collections/whetstones-sharpening-kits/products/naniwa-by-ryky-800-3000-professional-combo-stone-set as for maintaining, i just sharpening on the 3k stone every 2-3 months. i only go down to 800 when my knives are REALLY dull
Thinking of getting a VG10 knife for everyday use (I'm a home cook..and cook a LOT), but what kind of knife would you recommend for if I was cutting through, let's say a chicken with cartilage and possible bone, or more hard things? Last thing I'd want to do is chip my knife. Thank you, love your vids :)
Okay, clueless question: Could you do a video on technique of sharpening a vg10 knife with a strop? I’ve never used a strop before not sure if it would be any different than sharpening with a stone. Jus thought I’d ask. Lol
Hey Ricky I just bought a sharpening stone of 3,000 & 6,000 grit and a very soft stone. I noticed that the 6,000 side loaded extremely quickly when I switched to it but after using the knife I noticed it did not feel sharp enough to cut. it's my first stone and I'm a subscriber to your channel. I want your opinion if I should begin with a lower grit stone perhaps to see and understand the difference of stone grit and what their purposes are and how they work. Please advise me because sharpening is becoming my passion thanks to your channel and I want to perfect my skills.
Question: Here is a burning question about edge retention. I hear that pro sharpeners sharpen their knives on course stones and then polish/deburr them. As they see it they do not only do this becouse it is quicker but also becouse the toothy edge would stay (feel) sharp longer especially when cutting vegetables with a tough skin and soft inside like tomatoes. could you do a test? like sharpen 2 identical western knives (most common used in kitchens) sharpen one with a 500 grit and deburr/strop and sharpen the other to a high end mirror polish. cut rope with both like 50 times and then slice a tomato if they both cut repeat and see what knife fails the tomato the first. i don't think it will take too long keeping your fingers in mind.
I use a strip with gunny juice 3 micron, gunny juice contains 3 times the diamond abrasives than other manufacturers, it strips really fast, it lasts forever on the strop, you get 10 ml for around 25$, but again it lasts forever, the diamonds just inner themselves into the strop, its actually really aggressive till its been used a bit, then its perfect, I put one drop on my strop around every 3 months, and I strop allot, all my knives are super steel, 59hrc and above, most in the lower to mid sixties, also in the bottle it stays uniform throughout, the diamonds do not group together causing it to scratch your knife, you don't even need to shake it, I've used dmt, jende, and many other diamond stropping compounds till I found gunny juice, it is the best, I think two other companies saw this and his success and tripled the amount of diamonds in there product, but his is the only none I know of that is affordable, WORKS the best, and doesn't group together, needing to be shaken constantly, he also makes gunny glide which is a knife lubricant, for knife actions, I forget the science, but its outstanding as well, even after the oil dries it is still lubricated using carbon or something else that burnished into the metal and remains slick and protected after the oil evaporates after a very long time, just look it up I cannot remember the science, I know I sound like a gunny fanboy, that's because I am, his products are affordable and superior because he does this himself, he doesn't have a large company with bloated salaries, and passes the savings onto you,
Can you recommend the best most convenient way to sharpen my Katanas, I tried whetstone and made a cloudy mess on the blade, what do you recommend to sharpen edge and possibly polish blade surface...thankyou...I subscribed
If you dont do any type of maintanence to your edge. How long do your knives usually stay sharp? I know it depends on steel but lets say the average knife
Hey Ryky! Great video, have you used any of those Arkansas stones? When should we expect to see a video on them and a comparison to the Japanese stones.
Thanks Ryky, I was wondering about the grit equivalent of the Enkay Green. So the Enkay Green is around 7000 grit, what can you say about the other Enkay colors? * QUESTION *
Woohoo! I was wondering what grit equivalent it was too! I had asked that a few videos back. I read several opinions on the interwebs, but getting that from Ryky trumps the others since he's playing with so many stopping compounds. Now what to do with the 1 pound Enkay Green block I bought since I've already applied it to my strops...
I love your videos, they're very informative. However, I'm a beginner and the information can be quite overwhelming. What videos of yours do you recommend watching first to help me get started?
Thank you for this video. Im a beginner and I want to sharpen my own knives and I have some Dalstrong Shogun knives and I was wondering between a honing rod or a leather strop and you answered my question in the video! Thanks again for the video.
Hey Ricky, Question: I have lots of knives lying around that have completely lost the edge profile and has no bevel. Would you recommend using a whtestone to profile a knife without a bevel where the edge would be? Thanks!
Okay, it's been a while since this post... SO just in case you're still concerned... I have a couple points to offer. First and foremost, notice the thickness of the blades in question. I know Ryky shows off a lot of knives in various states of disrepair... BUT it's very easy to miss the detail of blade thickness when considering a repair to a bevel... Most of the time, it's not really an issue. AND for what it's worth, even when it IS an issue, it's only so much more or less work... Most of the time, we run into knives that around around a millimeter (ish) thick. AND yes, taking one to a stone is a valid method. Technically, it's valid anyway, just a lot more work sometimes. Here's the first thing. With no bevel left at all, you don't have any relevant guidance on what the "factory finish" was. You may be able to research it, and with some practice on similar blades (or just finding a guide to start you off) you can get a "feel" for the process and move on to "the doing part"... The other sides is that "most of the time" caveat I mentioned earlier. SOMETIMES, we run into a "special case"... If the special case is a knife with a surgical steel "extremely thin" blade, it's again no problem... hit the stone and on THOSE super-thin ones, almost any angle will work... if it gets sharp at all, you're good to go... BUT SOME of those special cases come in TWO other varieties. 1. A factory make that's unusually thick (2mm+) or a "cleaver-type"... Once you get past that 2-3mm territory, the workload and time spent borders on the ridiculous. It is (after all) just a "cruddy old kitchen knife"... Cleavers often fall into this category, because they're intentionally designed to take brutal abuse (as far as a kitchen commonly is concerned)... 2. You've found a "blank"... Blanks are usually fairly easy to spot. It looks like a knife, but there's absolutely NO edge or form to it. Essentially, it's an unfinished piece of metal in the shape of a knife... flat edges and 90-degree angles all the way around the thing. AND only some factories put them into handles before they go to shaping, edging, sharpening, and polishing... SO you can't JUST rely on blanks being unfinished knives without handles, either... These are a LOT of work. In either case, I would recommend a power-tool. For most ACTUAL knives, that tool is commonly called a "Dremel" (brand name) but is technically a "Hand held rotary tool". It's important you get one with VARIABLE SPEED control if you're investing. Slower speeds cause less heat over the time you're working. It's important here, that I point out, any time you're applying ANY power-tool to the shaping and grinding of metal, it's going to heat up. Taking regular breaks is ESSENTIAL to a good quality finished product. SO a good "rule of thumb" is that anytime the metal is uncomfortable for your finger to rest on, it's getting hot... and you should look to a "break-point" to let it cool off. In the more technical term, around 400F steel will "turn blue", and this is the first Visual Evidence of "losing temper" in the metal... SO you want to keep the temperature lower than 400F at all times... It's also worth note, that water and electrical powertools is NOT a good mix. If you're going to have water around, it's better to stop whatever you're doing and then dunk the blade in the water and put it back in a clamp or vice or whatever to resume, than to even attempt spraying or running water over the thing while you work. (obvious and necessary disclaimers...lolz) Blanks and some Cleavers... Some blades are just obnoxiously large jobs... SO we have Bench grinders... Each bench grinder can have two stones with TWO different grits... AND there are other accessories like wire-wheels, polishing wheels, etc...etc...etc... that you CAN get if you are so inclined. Great Bench Grinders also have VARIABLE SPEED, so you can run them faster or slower for different sized jobs... This is important when you get confidence up and want to try your hand with smaller jobs that will still drastically reduce working by hand with a good start on the grinder... There's also "hardware" attached to the grinder. Specifically, and IMPORTANTLY, there are "guides" or "supports" in front of the stones... These should be adjusted for EVERY job, tuned in to the particular angle of bevel YOU find desirable for your blade. This way, you don't have to wrestle with an ever sharper instrument in your hand against a whirling five or six pound chunk of "whetstone" (essentially) spinning in excess of 3000 rpms... In a fight, you're not going to win. The supports can be adjusted right up to the stones, even when the stones have been worn, so with a degree of care, you should have little or no problem maintaining control as you run the cutting edge(s) over each stone on each side in turns... It does take a bit of getting used to, and you can't "be intimidated" by it and get anything done well. This thing moves a WHOLE LOT of metal very quickly, though... SO in the beginning, it's a reserve for blanks and really thick stuff until you start to relax and learn finesse with it. It does exist, but it's tricky to find. Okay, as I said in the beginning, taking your non-bevelled knives to a stone is a perfectly valid way to do it. I hope there isn't really a case where you NEED all this good information, but it's worth posting here just in case you (or someone else) finds it helpful. ;o)
The Miyabi Birch wood comes with a titanium steel because of the knifes hardness. In your opinion would that superceed your comment about over a 58 and going to whetstone or strop??
I was curious if you had any opinions or had a chance to work with or test the Worksharp Ken Onion Edition? In particular if you feel it is too rough or unsophisticated to be used with kitchen knives?
I have no personal experience, but general consensus in the folding knife/EDC community is that the worksharp can get the job done, but you risk removing too much material if you're a bit careless. The popular choices are guided sharpening systems such as the Apex Edge Pro, KME, and Wicked Edge in no particular order.
When I'm getting burr does it mean that's the knife fully potential in getting sharp is done? So, putting on a strop to get rid of the burr; because I did this and the knife is only decent sharp, barly shaving sharp. Also what is the point of using finer stones when 250# grit stone takes decent amount of metal off? I'm confused. Please help!
Metallurgical question, there... Okay, there's a bit more to a burr that just reaching the limits of the steel for sharpness, BUT you have a valid perspective for the basics... Part of the process of getting a burr, is the metal pulling and rolling upward from being dragged over the stone and chipping off little pieces (the dark stuff you see build up in the stone)... Part of the sharpening process is refining the angle at the cutting edge, which narrows that part of the blade so that the new edge you create will stay sharp as long as possible. A coarse stone (like 250 - 800 grit) gouges BIG chunks out of the metal, so it's suited for shaping the angle, but the resulting burr tends to be ragged and large. A fairly popular early experience in sharpening is creating a burr so big that it actually peels off the edge of the blade in a wire... (wow)... SO we have finer grits and stones to "move up" from the coarse shape to take off excess "burr material" as we pass the knife over each side. Ryky has quite a few videos about this "stone stropping" process in titles like "how to sharpen chef knife"... etc... They're worth a look, so he can explain his method and techniques WHILE he's doing them on camera. Finer grits do more in edge refining that just "straightening" the burr. They reduce the ragged shapes and remove excess material, leaving a finer and more mirror-like polish the higher those grit-numbers get. A cleaner edge will suffer a little less friction, dragging, and wear and so lasts a little longer than a duller, jagged, or "ugly" edge. In stone refining, progressively reducing the numbers of strokes on each side of the blade... after having produced the original burr, steadily straightens and reduces that burr so that you get a finished edge as straight, clean, and sharp as possible. Finally stropping on leather and compound will further polish the edge, and can even be implemented as a daily maintenance to reduce the need for whetstones and the larger job of full resharpening process... though it will NOT outright replace it. Okay, I tried to separate where the different "subjects" would be easier to get to or fall back and review... SO I hope this helps a little. It takes practice to "get the feel" for sharpening, and practice and experience come with the caveat of "screwing stuff up"... so remember to relax, breathe... reflect on jobs (both good and bad)... and keep on keeping on. You can and WILL get there. ;o)
Ryky, i have makita 1200(king 1200) king 4000 and king 8000 stones, i wanted to get a stropping compound for after this and i don't want diamond pastes. Bark river white compound is 12000 grit(ish) but it is not in stock in Europe and quite expensive to import. Do you know of any other grit rated(or micron) stropping compound in bar form?
I just got a miyabi kaizen and a regulsr chefs steel kind of left a little crescent bend/chip near the base of my blade where i used it. I dont sharpen at work at all anymore, just strop at home compound. Should I get a ceramic honing rod maybe?
Germany makes a good carbo stell knife. I have no experience with a Japanese handmade knife but they have great quality. I remember a story about some of the craftsmanship they throw away some of their knives that don’t meet their own standard.
Question: Have you every tried the Knives Plus Strop Strop Block, Leather Sharpening Strop? ($29)... if not, would you consider doing a review? Thank you.
In my experience, honing steels are often a bad idea, for a couple of reasons: 1) As Ryky mentioned, they really only work with softer metals, which is actually the whole point. As Jerry Loffelbein pointed out, they are not supposed to actually do any _sharpening,_ they are actually just intended to bend the tip of the edge back into a straight line (which is what "honing" means), because softer steels can develop micro-bending to one side or another along the very edge during use. Harder knife blades do not have this issue, and will get very little if anything out of using a steel on them, IMHO. 2) It is very easy to use them incorrectly, which can often do more harm than good. Many people see people on TV whipping their knives up and down the steel super fast and think that's what they should be doing, but unless you've already been doing that exact motion daily for decades, that's really wrong. If you do use one, you need to be sure that you are maintaining the correct and consistent angle along every stroke, because just banging your edge really fast against a round metal/ceramic object is usually just going to make whatever edge you have worse than it already is. 3) There are a lot of really crappy cheap honing steels out there, which are absolutely worse than nothing at all. I've seen some with huge lumps of metal sticking out all along the ridges, which is just going to ding and dull any good edge you might have (I actually suspect this may be the source of some of the rumored "chipping" incidents). Never use those on anything. If you are going to use a steel, make sure it's good quality (it should feel smooth, not rough or gritty, for a start). Using a decent steel *correctly* on a harder knife should not do any harm, but it also probably won't do much good, and using a bad one, using it wrong, or being sloppy with it definitely can harm your edge. If you also have softer knives (such as many European-style knives), then they can be beneficial, but even then you do need to have a decent one and practice how to use it correctly.
Hi just started watching your channel obviously I've been sharpening my kitchen knives wrong all this time. Does this also work with folding knives and have you done any tutorials with folding knives?
Hi Ryky, Great video. Thinking I should get a strop. Question which one do you recommend for for a person just beginning to strop. Knives that I would be stropping are the Nexus brand 63 Rockwell and yaxell ran 60 Rockwell. Also what compound. Thanks
I own a dalstrong whetstone set, 1000# and 6000# .... I feel the 1000# just doesn’t cut to the job quick enough, can you do a test review on this? So I can determine whether I have a faulty stone, or if it’s just the quality of the item!
I hone my German knives on a steel about 5 times a day, and sharpen them on stones about once a month they're always the sharpest knives in the kitchen
I had a boss once who told me "ya know you should only have to sharpen once or twice a year" instead of the once a month or so I do... I picked up his knife, drug thr edge across my finger, and then touched mine to draw a small bit of blood and said "thats why I do it this often" (this was before I had japanese steel in my roll too... Just a cheap knife that really did need it that often)
Hmm, about the steels. I always thought that they were more about repairing an edge. Since the cutting edge is rather frail and subject to getting bent and dinged when in use, depending on what you are cutting, the steel is as much about standing that edge back up again. These imperfections might be able to be felt by very sensitive fingers, or you need a very close up microscope view to see. A wine bottle is some times used.
Hello ! I watch your videos with interest and seen and that you are competent I wanted to know in your opinion the best system for sharpening knives and stones manually or with systems such as The TSPROF K03 Knife Sharpener or similar Thank you
Hello, my honing steel has some rust on it. I guess when I bought it I have had put water to clean it and now I have this problem... How can I get rid of the rust? Is there any solution?
There is only one steel in my book, The F. Dick Dickoron 12 in. Oval Sapphire Cut Steel. It is expensive but I've never experienced sharpness on this level from a steel before. It is truly amazing.
Hey Ricky I’m a meat cutter for a grocery store and so I deal with a lot of meat . I own a lot of Victorinox knives but lately I been wanting to try something new and maybe better . Do you recommend any butcher knives other than Victorinox ? I recently bought a dalstrong shogun butcher knife and was just wondering if there was anything similar or better out there ! The only thing I didn’t like about this knife was the small handle and when wet I couldn’t get a good grip of it .
I agree that chipping VG10 is user error. We have Shun VG10 kitchen knives and my wife doesn’t take care of them (doesn’t clean them after using them, sometimes leaves them in the sink), so they have chipped due to micro rust. I’ve had to repair all of them. I also have a Spyderb Delica picker knife in VG10 and it’s never chipped.
Hi Ryky! Got one question : Could you PLEASE review the Nesmuk leather strop? It has 4 sides, with 3 of them have different sized diamond particles ingrained into the leather. I am interested in getting one of these, as an all in one solution, but would rather hear a professional opinion before. Thank you! Marc
Yes! I am also interested in the Nesmuk leather strop. At first glance it seems overpriced, but to get four leather strops and three different diamond particle solutions is already not cheap. And like all things Nesmuk it looks really nice and well-built. I do not own a Nesmuk knife, but this strop could be well suited for my first high quality kitchen knife - a Kai Shun Premier Santoku. A review would be helpful.
hi Ryky I've a question for you. I have two knives that i use every single day at work, they're a Chinese Cleaver from Shan Zu (HRC55) and a Wasabi Serie Chef knife from kai (HRC58); my question is: can I cut lobsters (not frozen) in half with those knives or the knives might chip?
Anime Nerd Ita… at those lower HRCs, it seems unlikely they would chip, especially the cleaver at 55 (although the chef's knife might be better for the task because it has a pointed tip?). But it would make sense to do a few easy tests before going all out. Personally, if this is something that you'd be doing regularly, I'd consider getting a knife specifically for the task, as that seems like it might do best to have different sharpening angles/steel/profile than your regular knives.
Hi, I've just been brought a Shun premier chefs knife as a gift, after reading g a bit about it the advice from Shun is to use a honing rod to maintain the blade, would you agree with tbis? I know nothing about knives but this knife seems really nice to me and if hate to mistreat it. Thanks to anyone for any thoughts
A full year later and no comments, not even from the poster of the video. Cool. 😒 So, here's a nickels worth of free advice. Don't ask other people what their advice is, after the manufacturer has already given you the information. 🙏
I personally don't get too much out of using my steels, though I own a few. My personal preference, I've found, is simplicity. I find that running my softer knives along the very hardwood cutting board I cut on every day as if I'm stropping has excellent results; much better than I've gotten with a steel, and it's very convenient. If that doesn't work, to me, neither will a steel and it's whetstone time. I haven't sharpened one of my softer knives in months and only used my cutting board to hone it, and I use it very often for a home cook. It's true. Harder steels only chip with misuse. They aren't meant for bone and whacking and such. Cutting and slicing only. I've only chipped my harder knives because I've slipped during washing and banged them.
Almost two years later and with more experience, I have grown to like steels quite a bit more. Grooved ones nowadays are much better than they used to be, and have indeed given me great results on my softer knives. I own a henckels pro heat treated to a 57 hrc and a mercer grooved steel works very, very well on it. I find that these softer knives hold it well, but unlike my Japanese 61hrc or higher knives, they don't feel as sharp as they could be until they've been taken to the rod, even after sharpening, and need to be kicked into shape a little by steeling before they're ready for action. I always finish my softer knives on a steel now, and even after weeks of use, a good consistent run on a quality grooved steel makes them feel again smoother than they felt right off the 8000 grit stone. It's quite impressive. However I've found my Japanese edges feel ruined after being taken to a steel. Mercer apparently makes their honing steels out of steel rated at 65 hrc. I believe this is a factor to what knives it can work on; Shun sells a steel also rated at the same hardness, and they recommended it for their knives which are vg10, so perhaps if you have a steel of the right hardness, it can help. The issue is, these knives take so long to get out of alignment anyway by the time they feel dull they probably just need to be sharpened, huh?
Hey, Ricky! I finally made the jump from a crummy knife to a pretty decent Miyabi gyuto. I bought a $40 two-sided whetstone, 1000/6000 grit. I have sharpened knives decently before, but this is my first time using high-grade Japanese steel in my kitchen. How often would you say I should sharpen/hone the knife? I don't want to let it go to waste and be mistreated, and I'd really like to make sure it's always at peak performance. Thanks for any help you might be able to provide!
How often would depend on many things… which Miyabi knife you bought (good on you btw!), what you're cutting, how much you're cutting, what you're cutting on, what stone you're using and maybe even whomever else is using the knife. All of which are pretty arbitrary and unique to you. All my knives require different handling, even those of the exact same manufacturer and steel, because they're used to cut different things and for differing amounts of time over say a week. When you're new to things, anything, the best thing to do is to experiment. For instance, what you might want to do is use the knife until you feel the cutting performance drop and note how long it took to get there. Sharpen it and note how much it took to do that. Use the knife again but then for only two-thirds or a half that time. Sharpen it again and compare how much effort was needed… you want to see if the effort required (especially on the 1000 grit side) is disproportionate one way or other. Cut the usage time significantly again and rather than doing a full sharpening routine maintain it using only the 6000 grit side. You might find doing this may well obviate you needing to equivalently use the 1000 grit side one out of two times which in case minimises your material loss. Try a strop. By trying different things you'll get a good feel of what suits you and your lifestyle the best rather than only considering what is right for the knife… and you will carry that to all your next knives as well.
PhyrexianHex… congratulations on moving up! I haven't tried a Miyabi (yet), but they make some beauties. Regarding stones and strops, my thinking is different from shannonandsheila1's, and is still evolving. Stropping is currently my primary way to maintain my edges. It's true that a strop loaded with compound abrades metal, but significantly less than sharpening for many reasons: a) very high grit compounds are much more affordable than the same grit stones, b) the stropping motion is significantly gentler than sharpening, c) the VERY light pressure that should be used. To me, these all add up to much less metal wear than sharpening on a stone. After use, I often strop my knives on leather loaded with green compound for a dozen or two strokes, then finish on a bare leather strop. It takes just a minute or so and keeps them scary sharp (and it's fine if you miss a few times)! For my personal knives, I'm now trying to understand what will require putting them to the stones? Maybe if my stropping pressure is too high and results in a convex edge, or through abuse/damage, but it seems like the effectiveness of stropping is going to relegate my stones to when I sharpen other people's knives. 👍🏼👍🏼 Enjoy the Miyabi, and keep it sharp!
HI, Have been enjoying you videos. I would love it if you did a video sharpening a folding knife for utility use. Do you carry any pocket knives? I EDC a Swiss army knife and a spyderco CPMs30v paramilitary.
While any good stone will sharpen the steel, certain stones perform better (quicker and more efficient) with certain steels. Naniwa Super Stones use resin bonding that gets a quicker burr with certain steels like 440 C and 1095 carbon steel than with Chosera/Professional Stone, which uses Magnesia bonding. With M390 and CPM S90Vneither do as well as ceramic. Diamond stones will cut anything, but they do not leave nearly as polished look as water stones. This is just my experience. I agree that you do not have to buy a lot of stones. Chosera 3000 has done well for me with chef knife steels.
Have you ever done an Arkansas stone video ? I feel like they would fit a lot of people for a one stone option unless reprofiling cause they are not fast cutting stones
Hi Ryky I have a question regarding the tip of the knives , I have a Chicago Cutlery (cheap knife) 🔪 and when I tried to sharpen it I screwed it up so How can you isolate the tip for sharpening if you're a rookie? Thanks
You supposed to have a nice small bevel on the tip but I believe I didn't rise it well enough and now the bevel is large and without sharp. So cosmetically is ugly but worst it doesn't cut.
Amilcar Wilhem Gonzalez Orellana… I don't think I lift the blade or change the sharpening angle while I'm sharpening different sections. I do change the direction I am pulling and pushing the knife along the stone, so the tangent at the edge's point of contact is pretty consistent to the stone during the motion. Hopefully that makes sense (I just made it up!).
You do nice work and give good information. Did I hear it correctly from one of your videos that you are originally from the Boston area? If so, we're "Homeboys!" Beyond that as it relates to strops. What about people using and old leather belt that they no longer use to save a few bucks? Just cut it to the right size, glue it a board of the right length, put some compound on it, and go to work! No good? I'm curious about your thoughts on that? Keep up the good work! My best to you, DJ
Hi Ricky, I'm from Sydney Australia and this has really been a great video for me. I've just purchased a Miyabi Mizu as my first 'real' knife and after watching many of your videos I am going for a single stone plus a strop to keep it and my other knives sharp. Getting these products in Australia is always an expensive import with not much in the way of quality stones carried by the specialty stores. I'm thinking of the Debado #1000 and a home made strop to get the job done. Do you think that's a valid approach as the Chosera 3000 is around $200 here. Thanks.
I don't know about Ryky (okay, I have a suspicion or two)... BUT as a part-time smith, knife maker, and "obnoxious lunatic abut his kitchen and knives", I can assure you that YOURS is as valid an approach as any I've seen. I might suggest you be open to the thought of "experimentation" and thus more than one "homemade strop", so you might even go to an automotive parts store for "valve grinding compound" to get a local source for yourself... OR at least check the price. Outside of that little tip, you're on the right track to say the least. This kind of thing is a balance between "function and feasibility" and that includes finances. ;o)
Regarding honing rods, I think part of the reason for using them on lower HRC knives is that the softer edge is more likely to roll and be honed straight again by a rod than with harder steels. I think the chipping danger with a honing rod on a harder steel comes because the relatively thin rod concentrates much more pressure against the knife's edge than a flat surface (like a stone or a strop), especially if you go at it like Gordon Ramsay ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-YmX3RD2d61Q.htmlm28s He may be a Michelin star chef, but I'd never let him abuse my knives like that! If you MUST use a rod, do it with very light (not Gordon Ramsay) pressure.
I think the same… the harder the steel the less it is prone to bending/curling and the more prone to breaking/chipping. And then I see something like this from Miyabi… www.miyabi-knives.com/us/en/series/cutlery/miyabi_birchwoodsg2-5000mcd/9_birchwood_sharpeningsteel-32541-230-0.html … and then think "what the s&#%!!!".
There's a knife that I see used quite a bit in Teppanyaki cooking when they slice meat. It's hard to read the imprint on the side of the knife and I've been searching all of the manufacturers I know about, but I can't seem to find the same knife available for sale. I was just wondering if you could check out the video and be able to tell who the mfg. is and what type of knife it is. The following video at about 8:50 into the video has the knife close up, but it's hard to read the engraved information. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-MURPf_6r8z4.html Can you help identify this knife? Thanks!!
I have used several different grades of wet or dry sandpaper, the stuff they use in auto body shops. But I use them on a piece of GLASS. Cheap to pick up, great for big blades, planes, chisels. You can use spray mount adhesive and afix them to a piece of glass, or just tape it down
VG10 won't chip if you use common sense. I agree, it's 99.9% user error and abuse. they even make outdoor knives out of VG10. But if you hammer it on a board like you see tv chefs do, it you scrape product, if you think that 85 degree angle is 90 degree angle, if you twist at the end of a stroke, if you pry items, it might be chippy for you. If you try to get them what you think is "razor sharp" and push them past what the steel should support, they might be chippy. 15 degree is good for VG10. And it IS possible that some bad companies might try to push the hardness higher than the physics of the steel should be so they can sell to morons who think high Rockwell is the only criteria of a knife. As far as a few wiggle room points on Rockwell ratings based on heat reat, but more so on who they pay to do the test and how they "interpret" the test. . Yes there may be a slight difference, but MOSTLY it is the marketing company pushing for advertisement higher than it really is, with the actual number being the low number. Yes, that stereo from the swapmeet might be 150 watts per channel, but that is probably pushing the edge of it's design criteria and it's 100 watts just before meltdown. An Onkyo amp has 3db of electric headroom so if they say it's rated at 100 watts, it is actually designed for 200 watts. the same holds true of a knife from a good maker. if Miyabi or Tojiro says it's 61, that means it's damn solid at 61 not interpreting a divot on a cone test as "not significant". And again, consider the mindset of the maker. Are they concerned about number, numbers, numbers, or are they considered about reputation, reputation, reputation?
The Norton 4K/8K combo might be a nice choice to tidy up a knife after work. There are some combo waterstones that give two for the price of about one. One side will get used more than the other and then replace that one. Depending on the knife and how you hone it the 1K may or may not be used for daily refreshing. Yes the 3K hone is a great single hone.
I am confused about the rods. They are "honing" rods. Which is to say that they don't exactly "sharpen" as much as straighten out the edge, so then it will be sharper. However, this is a temporary fix since eventually all you would be doing is straightening out a dulled edge. They take off some material so perhaps it will sharpen it a little, but not much. Bottom line: You sharpen with a stone and hone with a rod. However, if the steel rod has a grit of approx 200, that has a higher grit than say your Chosera 800! So if I understand things correctly, you would "sharpen" with a 800 and strop or hone with a 200? That makes no sense to me. You did not say this, but if I am reading between the lines, it seems like there is no use in using a stone on a knife that you will end up honing with a steel (just steel) rod?
I dont know if here is the wrong place to ask this quedtion but im looking to by a knife for my mom that is below 60 dolars. what would be the best knife at this price. Stainless ofcourse. the reason my budget is at 50 to 60 dolars is because she real beats up her knives ... so ... yeah lol
