Thread: kitchen knives and norton

The next logical question is, of course, can the Norton get thrown into the same drawer as the knives?

Inquiring minds are legion

Gosh, 1k is way too much for kitchen knives. I think your trying put a Briggs and Straton lawn mower engine in a Ferrari.

Originally Posted by Russel Baldridge

most knives won't benefit from anything more then around 1000 grit, especially anything mass produced.

I finish all my knives on 8k including both my Gieser and F.Dick ones which are mass produced, stainless knives, but the sharpness is very much superior to that of coming straight off 1k hone. Still not as sharp as the carbon though. But since the OP is probably just using them for domestic purposes 1k certainly get you a relatively sharp edge.

Originally Posted by Philadelph

Why don't you like Global? Curious.

Personally I think they're ugly and the metal handle isn't ergonomically friendly (to me anyway) also I used to work in a cold environment and the scales on a knife got cold enough without handling cold steel all day.

I don't think they have been designed too well, since I have seen several chefs drop theirs and they snap between the handle and the blade because it seems to be too thin.

Of course this is just my opinion and what I have seen, everyone's different. I'd rather shell my money out on a decent carbon steel knife from Sakai than on a Global.

I sharpen my kitchen knives on up to a 4k. An 8k finish will yield an edge that will quickly dull and not cut as well. Personally, I prefer the belgian blue stones for kitchen knives as they are quick and the edge is phenomenal.

I recommend cross-training for honers (whetters) as a way to improve skills. You'll learn more about what's going on at the edge by sharpening a wide variety of cutting implements than through any other way. Your razor honing will improve as a result of your honing other things.

I have honed all kinds of kitchen knives, hunting knives, fishing knives, tools both woodworking and metal, in fields as divergent as agriculture and tool making. You'll develop a great life skill by doing all of this.

In general, for kitchen knives on a Norton, what angle should I be shooting for? Obviously the optimum amount of bevel on stone, but does anyone have a number?

I've mostly heard to go for the 30º range.

I like 23 degrees (centerline of knife to bevel). Fold a piece of paper or index card twice from the corner and you have your template. DMT recommends 20 degrees in their brochures, but it doesn't need to be exact at all. Buck Knives currently recommends 13 to 16 degrees, which I consider too fine for everyday use (the edge is slightly thinner and weaker, as in "straight razor"). 20 to 23 degrees will give you a nice sharp edge with a bit more edge retention. Your choice.

If you can't cut it with 23 degrees or so, it can't be cut.

YMMV

Originally Posted by OLD_SCHOOL

Personally I think they're ugly and the metal handle isn't ergonomically friendly (to me anyway) also I used to work in a cold environment and the scales on a knife got cold enough without handling cold steel all day.

I don't think they have been designed too well, since I have seen several chefs drop theirs and they snap between the handle and the blade because it seems to be too thin.

Of course this is just my opinion and what I have seen, everyone's different. I'd rather shell my money out on a decent carbon steel knife from Sakai than on a Global.

I like Global exactly for the way they look so obviously it's a matter of taste. With that in mind though, Globals aren't the most comfortable knives to use and I've had the blade snap off once. Luckily, it's lifetime warranty and they've exchanged it no questions asked. Still, there are a lot of other better knifes you can buy for the price.

As far as sharpening, I think it might be over-generalization but I'd say majority of work is done using 1k stones. You can use higher stones of course but it depends on the hardness of steel, the angle you put and the intended use. I don't think there is a universal answer.

However, I've had japanese style knife (uneven edge) professionally sharpened and he used a progression of japanese stones all the way up to around 30k.

I never let my kitchen knives touch my razor hone. Saves my lapping time

I sharpen my kitchen knives (german steel) with Arkansas stones. I start at the soft then go to the hard white. Thats good enough for any kitchen task I have.

As you can tell sharpening anything is a personal issue. What works for one is poopy to another. I'm sure I'll be filed away as "one of those nuts" after you read this

As stated earlier I'm a fan of Japanese carbon steel. I use my 4/8k norton (only polish stone I have) for both razors and my kitchen knives. What some people END their sharpening rutine on is what I rarely go DOWN to. My kitchen knives stay sharp for weeks at a time on the line at a restraunt with heavy use, off the 8k stone. So yes you can have a good sharp blade past 4k. I plan on getting a shapton 12k soon for a final polish on my various slicers. You would be amazed at how sharp a good carbon steel knife can get, and it will keep that edge if done right. My 270 AS steel gyuto falls through lemons and I don't even feel the seeds as they shave off. Can you do the same with softer western steel knives, ya but not as easy and they wouldn't hold it as long. On that same note the softer steel would roll the edge instead of chip, so you end up with a trade off.

All of this is relative anyway. The quality of the steel, bevel, stone, user skill, idea of what sharp is, and SO MANY other variables will dictate what is going to happen when you sharpen your knives.