Suggested starting angle to sharpen new Tojiro DP Gyuto and Petty?

[franzb69]

Since it is the edge being discussed, I'm good with that. Easy enough to change, but if the factory has a problem getting and even 50/50 edge, I doubt I could do better. Why would a company say it's "quite difficult" so they proclaim 60/40? Sounds like just a way to justify an uneven bevel, so bias it on purpose one direction.

they only say it's difficult for people new to knife sharpening. =D

Tojiros are pretty chippy and not particularly fine-grained.

i don't find my tojiro to be chippy at all.

Why?
By the way, you'll have to go far beyond the 1500 grit to get your VG-10 properly deburred.

i sharpen to around 5k.

[tk59]

...i don't find my tojiro to be chippy at all...

Good for you. I'm not going to guess why you don't find yours chippy but I've owned and/or fixed quite a few of them and I'm not the only one that's noticed.

[franzb69]

Good for you. I'm not going to guess why you don't find yours chippy but I've owned and/or fixed quite a few of them and I'm not the only one that's noticed.

understood

=D

bought mine used, probably the previous owner took out enough steel that the stressed steel has been ground away. i dunno. lol.

[GeneH]

... I've owned and/or fixed quite a few of them and I'm not the only one that's noticed.

Well if I do grind a new lower angle bevel and find the edge doesn't hold up under whatever my normal use is, it's easy enough to put a new primary or micro bevel on it.

But back to an earlier question - how about 1 micron boron carbide paste on my leather strop? Not too fine and not too course to use after a 4k or 5 k stone? In reality I guess I'm using strops as a fine, soft stone, (successfully) but sure seems less likely to screw up the edge.

[mikemac]

The EP will do a great job, but unless it's the EP Pro, it only goes so low, and I think that may be 12*. After the EP, the loaded strop will do a good job , so have at it.
Personally, since you just got these, and these are your first foray into J-knives, I wouldn't screw with the blade or edge bevel...I'd recommend black marker on the edge, start with a little thinning behind the edge, then put a new edge on and finish with loaded strop. As a reference point, it's useful to know where you've started before you change something....

[GeneH]

The EP will do a great job, but unless it's the EP Pro, it only goes so low, and I think that may be 12*. After the EP, the loaded strop will do a good job , so have at it.
Personally, since you just got these, and these are your first foray into J-knives, I wouldn't screw with the blade or edge bevel...I'd recommend black marker on the edge, start with a little thinning behind the edge, then put a new edge on and finish with loaded strop. As a reference point, it's useful to know where you've started before you change something....

Ya, that's a really good idea. I did my larger Chicago Cutlery chefs at a pretty shallow angle, then had to do a mini-bevel because it kept chipping and folding... I should have known better, but it was fun grinding it down and polishing it.

[GeneH]

Well I rounded and polished the spine then cleaned up the bevels on the Petty. Measured about 12 1/2 deg, so take a little off for the blade angle itself, and that's a pretty thin bevel. I set the stones to match the shallowest part of the factory grind and am happy with that. And actually the 1500 worked pretty with just a little stropping. There are a few very tiny chips, presumably from the factory grind that I did not cut out, but not enough to warrant taking off more metal. The Gyuto is plenty good the way it is.

[Benuser]

Tojiros are pretty chippy and not particularly fine-grained. You'd be best served sharpening at whatever angle you desire and then putting a micro on it at a high angle. I also wouldn't worry too much about the asymmetry. I've never noticed it, myself.

Do they stay chippy, even after a few sharpenings and the initial edge being removed?
Or is it microchipping as so often seen with brand new blades?

[GeneH]

Originally Posted by tk59
Tojiros are pretty chippy and not particularly fine-grained. You'd be best served sharpening at whatever angle you desire and then putting a micro on it at a high angle.

Do they stay chippy, even after a few sharpenings and the initial edge being removed?
Or is it microchipping as so often seen with brand new blades?

Since no response from more experienced users, I'll let you know after a couple months. But if I read tk59 correctly, they stay chippy.

[franzb69]

i bought my gyuto as used so i can't tell if it started out as chippy, all i know is that mine isn't chippy at all. i also have another vg10, a shun santoku. bought it for my mom. hers is doing fine as well. bought it new. also vg10, of course.