Is it me, the knife, or the sharpener?


 
Originally posted by Gary H. NJ:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I have my Cutco rep coming over to my house on Monday to sharpen all our knifes
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He comes to your house?! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yes, SHE will being coming to my house. Doubt this will be as good as sending back to Cutco for factory sharpening, but guess we'll see. When i bought my set of knives off her a couple years ago she offered the in-house sharpening.
 
Dave from Denver
TVWBB Pro
Posted February 18, 2011 09:53 AM Hide Post
I was under the impression that Cutco had some sort of proprietary "micro-serrated" edge that couldn't be properly sharpened at home so that's why they offered the free sharpening service.

Maybe this is marketing/urban legend?
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there seems to be an active debate regarding edge finish. One camp like a rough micro serrated edge, the other highly polished. IMO, out of the box, a highly polished edge is as sharp as it gets. And what cutco does (IMO) is not micro by any means.
 
And what cutco does (IMO) is not micro by any means.
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Personally, I was a little shocked by their last sharpening (rough!), which is probably why I've waited so long for a resharpening.
 
I began married life with a gift of a large set of Cutco knives and I must say that they served me well for many years. But I have gone on to other things.

I used to send mine (a 50-year-old wedding gift) to Cutco in New York for free sharpening and I thought that they did a good job. They were awesome when I got them back, before I learned about steeling and sharpening them. Unfortunately, I lost the whole set to a huge 8-condo fire a couple of years ago. Couldn't even find the blades in the rubble. All that remained of my Weber gas grill was a 4-inch square portion of the red lid. The only thing that hurts about that is that my parents scrimped and saved for a long time to buy those knives for me/us because they thought the knives were the best available in those days - circa 1950's and 1960's.

Rita
 
Someone posted a really nice link about knife edge properties a while ago.

IIRC - a slightly rough edge (220 stone or so), with a little "grab" to it, as it is drawn across the skin of whatever you're cutting, is sometimes desirable in a SLICING knife.

Micro-polished better for push-cutting/slicing

I tend to agree with this - some of my knives that have a very polished edge have a hard time getting started when slicing tomatoes or the hardened bark on the outside of meat. Once they bite-in, however, they're fine.
 
If you are not using the steel at the same angle your blade is sharpened you are never going to see that razor edge you want. I cook for a living and have sharpened a lot of knives if I was you leave the steel in a drawer and just use the sharpner.
 
In addition a smooth polished edge is the blade you are looking for.All these micro serrated things are not cutting meat they are tearing it. Sharpening is all about angles if you send you knife out to be sharpened it will be sharp but if you pull it through your sharpener and it is not the same angle it will be trying to cut a new edge hence making your knife feel dull. Everything has to be at the same angle or you are just working backwards. Watch a few shows on TV and see how many serrated blade knives you see most likely only for cutting bread and those are the pros. Just like learning to grill takes time so does sharpening but with out the proper tools and know how you can only get so far.
 
f I was you leave the steel in a drawer and just use the sharpner.
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hones play an important role in keeping a edge sharp. Fine edges can roll over, and be easily restore (without metal loss) with a steel or ceramic hone. Every time you sharpen a blade you lose metal a reduce the life of the blade. A steel or hone can significantly lengthen the time between sharpening. I have a lansky ceramic hone and love it.
 
Originally posted by John Ford:
Gary , your steel's purpose is to deburr the edge. Eventually the edge itself will need work.
I have a single old cutco chefs knife that it's not worth the time to send back for sharpening.
Warning this is the method I use for my outdoor high use knife , I would not suggest for your high end kitchen or hunting knives.
I use an Smith's carbide sharpener
2-3 strokes, With it followed by 2-3 strokes on the steel works great!it does remove a lot of metal, but for my cutco, & inexpensive skinning knife , it works great.
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I agree. When you use a knife the edge will curl. The steel is meant to straighten this curl. It will not take more than one or two runs per side to straighten the blade. If you are using it more than this, you are dulling your blade. The steel will not sharpen your knife.

I use the Chef's Choice 130. It uses magnets to hold your blade. It has two sharpening wheels with a third honing wheel. Very nice and I am extremely satisfied with the product.

I will strop my filet knifes and my chef's knife but it is really unecessary.
 
Jeff: How does the Global stand up against a DP santoku?

Im thinking of getting a set of Global knives,but im not sure if its worth the money.

Or if i should order a set from Germany: Wusthof,Henckels,Messermeister or the cheaper F Dick.

Global looks great and i like the steel,we have one small Global and its razor sharp. But the hype the Global gets makes em overated?

This is not a jeff only question offcourse. If any one have a Global and another first klass knive please help me.
 
I have the following knives:
http://www.knifewear.com/knife-family.asp?family=17
out of these I have the 270mm sujihiki. use it for slicing sushimi and meat carving

http://www.knifewear.com/knife-family.asp?family=20
From this knifemaker I have the 165 Nikiri for vegetables

http://www.knifewear.com/knife-family.asp?family=11
I have a Deba (fish filleting) knife from this make but it isn't shown on the page
here is a pic of the Takeda Deba from another retailer;
http://www.chefknivestogo.com/takedadeba.html


I also have a Global chef's knife. I purchased all of the knives except the Global from the store on the webpage showing the pictures, although he does sell Global..

The Global is the "dullest" of the knives. by this I mean that I can sharpen up all the other knives much sharper than the Global and to most people my Global is very sharp.

Ths knives of this quality are incredible. They are pretty to look at, feel very good in your hand, do the job they are designed for very well and sharpen and hold a razor edge for a long time. they are expensive but once you use one you become sold.
 
Global looks great and i like the steel,we have one small Global and its razor sharp. But the hype the Global gets makes em overated?
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I don't see much hype for global here in the states. They were kind of a big deal, a ways back, as really the first wave of japanese style chef. But now I mostly here hype regarding shun.

I think they are a great knife under $100. They sharpen up great and keep their edge.

The Global is the "dullest" of the knives. by this I mean that I can sharpen up all the other knives much sharper than the Global and to most people my Global is very sharp.
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K, what are you sharpening your edges with?

and its not fair comparing HC steel to SS. Do you have rust problems with you HC blades? I have to keep mine covered in food grade lube to keep them rust free.
 
I sharpen with Japanese wetstones and then finish with a leather strop and then graphite powder depending on which knife I am sharpening.

As for rust, I live on the dry prairies of western Canada and we aren't very humid. having said that I do rub some mineral oil on them after cleaning. I haven't had any problems yet. (touch wood)
 
Thanks for the input both J and K.

By the "Hype" i mean that they are sold in every kitchen store as a top brand here in sweden.

Dont get me wrong i think they are great knifes,but i have not compared them to another blade in the same or higher price class.

And i might aswell spend some extra money on a new set of knifes. Its better then regretting the purchase for the next 10 years Knowing that if i did spend another 200 i would get a set that is better.

K walsh:"having said that I do rub some mineral oil on them after cleaning.!"

That wont happend in this household im afraid. Im looking for a set of blades that dont need any maintenance.(ofc a sharpening now and then)

Jeff: I just looked at the Shun knifes. And they look great but **** that is some serious money.(think i can get 2-3 Global knifes) for the same price as 1 Mcusta Zanmai chef´s knife.
 
Dont get me wrong i think they are great knifes,but i have not compared them to another blade in the same or higher price class.
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Dan, its really about the shape of the blade and whether the handle feels comfortable in your hand. Most knives are made with similar types of steel, and go through similar tempering processes. You'll see Rockwell hardness mentioned, but they're all within a point or two of each other, and, in use, I haven't noticed that it actually correlates to sharpness.

IMO, once you get over a certain price point, you aren't really getting much more performance for more money. I can say a $100 knife is twice as good as a $50 knife, but I can't say a $200 knife is twice as good as a $100 knife.

Rather than plunk down a ton for one knife or just a few, I decided to invest in an edgepro apex and a variety of blades. Even the most expensive knife in the world will only hold an edge for a few weeks of regular use.
 
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