Masamoto VG with microchips...

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guga

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Hi, I was looking at my Masamoto VG and realized that it was full of microchips. I dont really know what I did to chip my knife as I am always very careful with it.

I read in another post that maybe my chop board is too soft....could this be the cause?

Also, I would like to know if this is difficult to fix, I have a 1000/6000 King stone but I am not very good with it but I am planning on buying an edge pro (maybe this is the perfect excuse to buy it now).

I am including a couple of pics, they are not very clear but they are the best I could get with my camera.


Hope someone can help me out.


Thanks,


guga

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d5654


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Have you sharpened it before? What kind of board are you using? I've had a wire edge crumble like that before, so that could be the cause.
 
VG-10 in my experience because of its brittleness, does not lend itself well to very thin edges or acute bevels, it is a good performer if profiled at a higher angle. Not every steel works well with any grind or geometry, and you can maximize your steel performance by trying out different edges and angles. I don't have your Masamoto VG-10 so I can't give you any tips, you just have to try it on your own.
 
I've also had horrible results with vg10 steel with my shun classic gyuto. It did the same thing as your knife is doing now, although it will get pretty sharp and is fun to use i always find it dulling very fast and will be full of chips even if you take all the precautions you can. I tried about every angle i could and even adding micro bevel to add durability and still chipped.

finally got a couple new knives and I'm loving them no problems what so ever. Not sure about the Masamoto could be better steel than shun but good luck!!
 
I don't have your Masamoto VG-10 so I can't give you any tips, you just have to try it on your own.

Not that it helps the OP's problem, but the Masamoto VG knives are made of an otherwise unnamed "Hyper Molybdenum Vanadium" steel, not VG-10. The yanagiba is, I think, the only knife in that lineup with a VG-10 core.
 
VG10 is not a very brittle material per se. A proper heat treatment provided, it should not chip like that. I have no issues with a Miyabi Fusion. I've sharpened it to an angle of 17 deg (8.5 per side) with a 30 deg microbevel, produced by a few trailing strokes on a #10000 Chosera.

However, as the carbides of VG10 are not that small and the material has a tendency to include larger primary carbides, I would not recommend sharpening to an acute angle without microbevel.

The microchipping in the picture could also be due to an overheated factory edge. I once had this in a VG10 knife. The factory edge chipped like crazy, but 2 sessions of re-profiling the edge, the chipping was gone.
 
LOL *** ^^^

It's not VG-10, damnit.

DrNaka said:
There they state clearly that they are using VG-1 (V金1)or VG-5 (V金5) from Takefu for their stainless cutlery.

http://www.tukijimasamoto.co.jp/grade.php
http://www.tukijimasamoto.co.jp/grade.php?page=2

Hope it helps.

Edit to add:
I think that the VG Series which uses Hyper Molybdenum Vanadium Stainless Steel is the similar gyuto to the Tsukiji Masamoto 特上ステンレス鋼牛刀鍔付 which uses VG-1 at 0.95-1.05% carbon.
I do not think it is the VG-5 which has only 0.7-0.8% carbon.

Original Discussion Thread from 2009
 
Because of previous posts by this contributor I assume that this is a recent acquisition and has never been thoroughly sharpened. I'm afraid it's very common to see microchipping with brand new knives. Most authors seem to blame very local overheating at the very edge. The phenomena will disappear after a few sharpening sessions during which material has been removed to some extend. It therefore could be useful to ad a coarse stone (J400) to your collection. This will be used to build an entirely new bevel, as well as for some thinning. Regards.
 
The chips aren't big. Just sharpen and if it doesn't come out in the first session, it will come out by the second. No big deal.

I have used an edge pro and sharpen freehand. I would stick with the stones you have. The learning curve appears more daunting than it actually is. Watch some sharpening videos online, go slow, youll get better every time you sharpen.

And as Vertigo mentioned, it isn't a VG-10 knife. But in regards to knifefan's reference to his Miyabi, I find the Miyabi VG-10 significantly better than other VG-10 steel knives I have used. I don't know what they did to it, but it performs better and behaves better.
 
Thanks everyone for the quick replys, if fact I sharp the knife one with the king stone, I watch a few videos and I started on a few cheap knives I own, then my whustofs and finally the masamoto.
I am adding two extra pics of the knife and one of my cutting board that is made of.....mystery wood, it was a gift from my girlfriend. Also, what you people think about boos cutting boards? Are they any good? which one is easier on the knives? maple, cherry or walnut?

thanks

http://www.freeimagehosting.net/d4a82

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