Cladding line vs cutting edge

[Seemore]

I’ve read a few discussions about this issue, yet every situation is different.

I got a new, inexpensive knife directly from Japan, from a maker quite esteemed in the “rustic” category. This knife is not all that rustic - well sealed at the handle, no rough corners, and so on.

The cladding is quite close to the cutting edge in two places. In those areas, it is polished down pretty thin, to translucence. Soft iron cladding. Can I simply expect the cladding to recede when I eventually thin it a little?

 

[MSicardCutlery]

In short, yes.

 

[pavhav]

In my limited experience - yes. If it doesn't cross the apex it will just keep receding as you thin it along the way without causing any deleterious issues for usage.

 

[Heckel7302]

All that really matters is what steel is on the apex of the edge. As long as the core isn't so off center that the center line of the edge is cladding, it will be fine, even if it looks like the cladding is all the way down to the top of the edge bevel.

 

[bsfsu]

If you sharpen the primary and secondary bevels you will be fine. If you just sharpen the secondary bevel the cladding will get to the edge very quickly. Ide-san may have also got a bit loose with the sand blasting, throw it on some stones and you might find the cladding is thin at that point and after a few primary bevel sharpenings more core steel is exposed.

 

[Seemore]

If you sharpen the primary and secondary bevels you will be fine. If you just sharpen the secondary bevel the cladding will get to the edge very quickly. Ide-san may have also got a bit loose with the sand blasting, throw it on some stones and you might find the cladding is thin at that point and after a few primary bevel sharpenings more core steel is exposed.

Thank you. People use different terminology, and I’d like to be sure I understand - -
Is primary bevel what some call the blade path (road)? If so, when you say “sharpen the primary bevel”, isn’t that equivalent to thinning?

 

[bahamaroot]

...Is primary bevel what some call the blade path (road)? If so, when you say “sharpen the primary bevel”, isn’t that equivalent to thinning?

Yes and yes.

 

[bsfsu]

Thank you. People use different terminology, and I’d like to be sure I understand - -
Is primary bevel what some call the blade path (road)? If so, when you say “sharpen the primary bevel”, isn’t that equivalent to thinning?

Primary bevel is the "blade path/road" or kireha, some people do call this thinning but in my mind it's just part of the general sharpening of Japanese knives.

If you sharpen the primary and secondary bevels each time there is no need to thin. If you only sharpen the secondary bevel you will eventually need to do a "heavy" thin.

A heavy thin takes it toll on your hands and your stones, much like deferred maintenance takes a toll on your wallet. If you do the proper work each time you sharpen your knife also won't degrade in performance.

 

[bsfsu]

As I've said in another thread, if you give Ide-san's knives a bit of work on the stones they start singing.

I like his aesthetic, his knives are great performers and he's a solo blacksmith.