What happens at the edge once you've sharpened a knife far enough that it hits the soft cladding?

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eazypeazy

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One thing I've wondered is what happens if you've had a knife long enough that you've sharpened the knife so many times that the edge hits the intersection of where the soft iron cladding starts? Nothing? Does the soft cladding get in the way? Is there any way to get that cool line back that separates the hard core like when the knife was new? thanks
 
Thinning the bevels is the answer. If you were to go that far sharpening without thinning, most knives would be useless. It would be too thick behind the edge to perform.
 
I don't think useless is the word. In my experience the knife would work fine but seem to loose it sharpness needing another sharpening almost immediately. But in reality the edge was never the issue. The knife had become so thick that it no longer moved as easily through product. A quick thinning or even building it into your routine before moving to the very edge works well.
 
It also depends on the maker. A cheaper sanmai for example will not have core steel all the way up to the spine, therefore after it loses a certain amount of belly all the core steel will be gone. As all (i think) knives are spine tempered, it isn't cost effective to use the more expensive core steel in the top inch of the knife. My original j-knife is coming up to this point, it was a 58mm tall moritaka now it's closer to 52mm and even though i have it very thin the lamination is very near the edge, so I have retired the knife before it comes to the point where I'm sharpening cladding.
 
cheflivengood said:
It also depends on the maker. A cheaper sanmai for example will not have core steel all the way up to the spine, therefore after it loses a certain amount of belly all the core steel will be gone. As all (i think) knives are spine tempered, it isn't cost effective to use the more expensive core steel in the top inch of the knife. My original j-knife is coming up to this point, it was a 58mm tall moritaka now it's closer to 52mm and even though i have it very thin the lamination is very near the edge, so I have retired the knife before it comes to the point where I'm sharpening cladding.
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No spine tempering needed on San mai , proper one with proper heat treatment should last from sharpening all the way from gyuto to parer
 
See it as a pencil where you have to remove some wood to free new core. Sharpening is about reproducing a former configuration that has moved a very little towards the spine. Soft cladding doesn't take nor hold an edge. Don't ask how I know.
 
chefcomesback said:
No spine tempering needed on San mai , proper one with proper heat treatment should last from sharpening all the way from gyuto to parer
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Interesting. What if the Jacket material is hardenable like damascus san mai?
 
eazypeazy said:
What's the physical/chemical reason for this - just wondering?
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I'm not a materials engineer but I suspect it probably has less carbon and alloyed elements than the core steel. The idea is for it to be soft and tough, to allow easy thinning and protect the hard core steel from cracking.
 
It is why full damascus blades, ala Del Ealy or HHH, are only made with a few combos of steel. As you want two steels that will etch differently but harden pretty similar.
 
Pensacola Tiger said:
Most, if not all, damascus cladding isn't hardenable to the same degree as the core.
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but if the most common damascus that the gents around here make is 1084/15n20 or 52100/15n20, would they use that damascus that they make in big billets for more than one project (efficient/cost effective) or would they use something else?. I'm not really thinking in terms of japanese makers.
 
I would hope not as it defeats the purpose of san mai.

Though I guess it would also depend on the core material, as that governs the HT. And then how the cladding performs with that HT
 
Most if not all Japanese Damascus clad San mai is soft , doesn't harden . Most western Damascus made from derivatives of 10xx/15n20 etc harden fully .
 
Trash Can.

It is my personnal method of recycling that helps to supply the homeless with the weapons they need to survive. 😂
 
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