Knife sharpening

[zrock]

I have a work sharp precision sharpener. I'm seeing mixed instructions on where to set the bevel, if u want a 30 degree bevel do u set it at 30 or do u set it at 15? Trying to sharpen these pc of crap Cuisinart knives that are well past their prime and the edges keep chipping out. I finally managed to get one sharp but having no luck with the other.. these things are 15 plus years old and I'm still trying to figure out where the hinkle knives I purchased disapeared to..lol.. just ordered a new set of knives but want to toss these in the trailer.

 

[DAKSY]

Most knives are sharpened to a 17 to 20 degree angle… Maybe that 30 angle is too wide & causing your chipping.

 

[Pinesmoke]

Most knives are sharpened to a 17 to 20 degree angle… Maybe that 30 angle is too wide & causing your chipping.

I would think 30 degree would not really chip but wouldn't cut well. I can tell you how mine get chipped though. My wife will cut veggies on a plate, click click click. Chips the chit out of them, especially the old high carbon blades.

I generally have a very fine edge on my kitchen knives and deal with the damage for the sake of sharper than hell while I'm using one. Every time I pull one out it gets about 10 strokes a side on a ceramic rod followed by about that on a steel.

Zrock I don't know your particular sharpener but I would think it's the included angle on the final edge. 30=15 per side, but that's just a guess. Some blades I've sharpened, especially the older stainless steel blade can be a real groan to get brought back. I usually pull stones out to cut them hard and go to rods from there. I really have to stay on top of them or they go back to do a hell. I had a set of hinkles that I hated, they just wouldn't hold an edge.

We got some knives at a suggestion, cheap as on Amazon but they come very sharp and come right back to razors with a few strokes on a ceramic rod.

I'll dig the name out and post it.

 

[Wisco Shepherd]

The knives I make are usually sharpened around 15-25 degrees, kitchen knives are 15 hunters, and EDC types are a bit closer to 20 or 25. Big fan of lansky sharpeners and if you don't have a strop you should absolutely get one.

 

[bigealta]

If u are ever at consignment/thrift stores ask about knives. I've picked up some nice older ones with German and Japanese steel. They usually cost $1. old Henckel and the like can be found if lucky.

 

[zrock]

This is the sharpener i use and as you can see the angle gauge on it, im seeing mixed instructions online for setting the angle. It seems that if i use the rough stone i can get it to the point where all the chips are gone and i do one more pull and the whole edge is chipped again and im starting from square one again. These stupid Cuisinart knives have a stainless blade that just sucks and everything else by this manufacturer that i have ever purchased has been garbage.

A few years ago i purchased a electric sharpener to try and save the edge and save some time sharpening so i'm wondering if that would have damaged the hardness of the knife? I even went out and purchased a pull through sharpener just to see if that would help get it back to a point that i could fine tune the edge and that made it way worse.

The knives i ordered of amazon and all the reviews off amazon were good not that i trust those, so i also went and read some independent reviews and top 5 lists and they seem to get quite a high score. They were on sale for %40 off so worst case on out a few $$ not the end of the world.

Wisco Shepherd​

those are some nice looking knives and if i liked to cook i would be all over those. I looked at the lansky sharpeners and ended up getting the one i have just for ease of use and did not have to purchase extra parts to mount to the table or bench.

 

[bigealta]

My buddy uses something like the above and likes it.
I use a japanese wet stone. It takes time but works.

But those crap knives are just a mess. Get knife with good steel that makes all the difference.
An old used 8" one can easily be much better and cheaper than many many new kitchen knives.

 

[ozarkoak]

We do a lot of meat processing and were constantly sharpening knives. We got the Worksharp Ken Onion with the blade grinding attachment. That thing has save so much time its crazy. Can sharpen all our blades razor sharp in a few minutes instead of a few hours. Most of our stuff I sharpen at 17 degrees I have one benchmade skinner that is 14 degrees and I keep that angle instead of re-profiling it.

 

[Wisco Shepherd]

A few years ago i purchased a electric sharpener to try and save the edge and save some time sharpening so i'm wondering if that would have damaged the hardness of the knife? I even went out and purchased a pull through sharpener just to see if that would help get it back to a point that i could fine tune the edge and that made it way worse.

The trick with electric sharpeners is to keep things moving, they work great but you can mess things up. I sharpen with my 2x72 belt grinder and a spinning stropping wheel but I move quick to avoid overheating the edge.

 

[zrock]

We do a lot of meat processing and were constantly sharpening knives. We got the Worksharp Ken Onion with the blade grinding attachment. That thing has save so much time its crazy. Can sharpen all our blades razor sharp in a few minutes instead of a few hours. Most of our stuff I sharpen at 17 degrees I have one benchmade skinner that is 14 degrees and I keep that angle instead of re-profiling it.

i have been looking at that one.. may just pull the trigger and get it..

 

[ozarkoak]

i have been looking at that one.. may just pull the trigger and get it..

Not one of those sharpeners for people who like the sharpening process and the whole making love to their knife thing. It take blades from dull to hair popping in a few minutes. I had some kitchen knives that I could not get sharp on a stone after hours. They are are old and no idea what kind of steel. I looked them up and one guy who owned them said they had to be made out of meteorite because how hard to sharpen they are. No problem with the Ken onion. Have fixed several blades with chipped or broken tips. If you do get the sharpener look on Amazon for the leather strop that fits and diamond compound over their stropping belts. I sharpen everything from 420hc to sv90.

 

[zrock]

Well i think i finally figured out my problem after working the blade for over a hour on course. I think i was making to many passes on one site before working the other side and getting to much of a roll on the back side, then when i would go to work the opposite side i would break the roll off and it would keep chipping the blade. Been doing 2 very light passes and then flipping it and i have all but 3 cracks worked out. Need to take a break before i start getting aggressive again. GF thinks its funny that i have been sitting their so long on 1 knife, told her its not patients but stubbornness as im not letting the knife win..LOL

 

[zrock]

Well that was a brutal sharpening I think I killed the course stone. But all said and done it sliced a pc of paper from top to bottom with 0 effort.

 

[zrock]

Well during all of this i ended up ordering another set of knives got them at 40% off so if they do not hold a edge its not great loss.. Out of the box these things are stupid sharp, i thought i sharpened mine well and these things were far sharper. Not a bad set but the handles could be a little bigger. I did not trust the amazon reviews so i looked up a few independent reviews and they were all good as well. We will see..

Amazon.ca

I ended up ordering some fresh stones for my above sharpener, a course set so i could get the edge profile back much easier (hopefully), a fine stone to replace the course on my current setup, and then the strop/serrated kit to go with everything. The old knives will go out to the camper and replace the cheap walmart no name set that is out their that cannot cut warm butter. Put a box of bandaids next to the new knives as its only a matter of time..LOL

 

[bigealta]

Don't use the built in sharpener. Those v sharpeners do not work. There are you tubes with super close ups showing they only mess up the edge.

 

[zrock]

Ya I did not plan on using it.. that is part of the issue my old knives are so bad.. thanks