How acute on a Ginga

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augerpro

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Loving my Ginga gyuto so far, but I'm having an issue I haven't had with the few other knives I've sharpened. I took it to 12 degrees on an EP and it was extremely sharp, but after two meals it had dulled noticeably, even had trouble getting through the skin on a soft tomato. I use a plastic cutting board that has treated my Shuns pretty well for years until I discovered the wider world of J knives. Anyway what are you guys taking these angles down to on the Ginga? I don't think I've gone less than 14-15 on my on any other knife I own, so maybe I'm just too low? Gonna try a 15 microbevel on one side today if I get the chance. Under a scope there isn't really any chipping, just a general unevenness along the edge. I'm a novice judging this, but it also appears to have a bright line along the edge - bright because it is lit up by the LED on the scope. Is this a rolled edge?
 
I'd say it sounds like burr or wire edge I use to sharpen my ginga petty at like 8 degrees and it soul hold it for a long time!
 
Here is my method on the EP. Start with either 1k shapton GS or 2k chosera. Raise a burr then end with some pull strokes, then deburr on cork. Move to 6k Shapton GS and basically same thing, with maybe more pull strokes at the end before the deburr.
 
Sounds like a wire edge; from what I understand edge-pros make them fairly often.
 
can always deburr in between stones on something like cork or a strop....
 
can always deburr in between stones on something like cork or a strop....

ya just strop on stone or use cork or wood if you have it just pull it through and itll be gone. I had an issue a while back on a knife where i thought i had chipping going on it was just burr left over. If we dont take care to deburr weird things can happen haha
 
can always deburr in between stones on something like cork or a strop....

As I said I end each stone with some pull strokes, so basically stropping, then through cork, then move on to a new stone.
 
what ginga do you have? how long have you had it? is it carbon or stainless? sometimes if a knife feels razor sharp by touch but isnt performing too great its secondary bevel is in need of thinning. stainless gingas should hold up much much longer than what your describing. carbon too, unless youve used it on a bunch of acidic stuff.
 
Under a scope there isn't really any chipping, just a general unevenness along the edge. I'm a novice judging this, but it also appears to have a bright line along the edge - bright because it is lit up by the LED on the scope. Is this a rolled edge?

As stated, it sounds like a wire edge, and yes it's prolly rolled. Applying a micro bevel (try 40*) should help to get rid of the burr. Check out Broida's video on microbevels at YouTube for more info.
 
what ginga do you have? how long have you had it? is it carbon or stainless? sometimes if a knife feels razor sharp by touch but isnt performing too great its secondary bevel is in need of thinning. stainless gingas should hold up much much longer than what your describing. carbon too, unless youve used it on a bunch of acidic stuff.

210 gyuto, just got it a month or two ago. Only sharpened (lightly) once on my EP
 
As stated, it sounds like a wire edge, and yes it's prolly rolled. Applying a micro bevel (try 40*) should help to get rid of the burr. Check out Broida's video on microbevels at YouTube for more info.

Yeah I'll probably try that.
 
what ginga do you have? how long have you had it? is it carbon or stainless? sometimes if a knife feels razor sharp by touch but isnt performing too great its secondary bevel is in need of thinning. stainless gingas should hold up much much longer than what your describing. carbon too, unless youve used it on a bunch of acidic stuff.

Hi I am not trying to argue, have read often how acidic foods dull carbon knives.I can see how it is percieved as fact.Acidic foods are highly reactive to carbon steel,if you want a quick patina cut a 25# case of lemon wedges.I was Head Gardemanger a good streach of many culinary jobs.As such cut large amounts of oranges,lemons,pineapples,& esp. tomatos dicing up for lomi salmon.Always used thin carbon blades.Huge improvement over the stainless(mostly Forschners) I had used in the past.

So I can only say fr. my experience that acidic foods do not dull carbon blades.I always washed & dried my knives at end of shift.I cannot help myself to defend carbon,so I am not picking on my buddy fr. Baton Rouge.I have a tendency to over react.I do believe that,who ever started this acidic,carbon,dull thing,never has cut large quantities of acidic foods in a production kitchen or either had a very crappy carbon blade.:knife:
 
even just the slightest patina on the edge can cause the sharpness to degrade or deteriorate. thus dulling the blade. using a carbon blade with acidic food is the quickest way i know of to cause this. if you are not very very careful this will happen. to the OP, have you considered starting at a lower grit stone maybe?
 
You'll just have to figure out how to finesse it; the EP and stainless both have tendency to leave a wire or burr. You will know when you hit the sweet spot as the Ginga should hold a nice edge for quite a bit of use.
 
Not my experience at all,never thought about edge degrading,using only carbons for over 25 years 15 yrs. in Gardemanger cutting as much as 50# of tomato's,up to 5 cases of pineapple,half box of lemons in one day.I took care of my carbons because they performed so well.

I have read persons saying stainless works better in a kitchen because carbon degrades in a wet corrosive,acidic enviroment.A bunch of dribble in my experience.Carbon works best when it is being used over many hours of time day after day.It rusts when it is not being used & stored correctly.I often used a damp towel on my board to wipe my blade on.

Lemons are pretty acidic,give or take 100 in a case.Including end cuts,core around 10 cuts for 8 wedges,So say a 1000 cuts for 1 case.I will take my Sakai white steel special thin.A deadly lemon wedge cutter,even goes through seeds like a hot knife thru butter.Challangers can use the stainless knife of their choice.If the acid degrade guys are right,I will lose big time,heck my sakai is so thin it might dissolve!I don't think so though cus I know how fast I can go thru a case of lemons wt. the Carbon.:D
 
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