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“Definitely less than 1mm” is the number that I was looking for. It’s still not exact, but better than saying, “literally behind the edge.” I don’t think trigonometry is necessary to establish a reference point.

I enjoy using measurements to compare knives, but I like those measurements to be well-defined. You both reference 10mm and 5mm behind the edge, but where exactly is “above the edge”, “at the shoulder” or “BTE”? It could be 0.5mm behind the edge or 1.5mm behind the edge. The difference between...

I will happily show her off. Here is a before and after. Brand new versus how she looks today. Edge is 230 mm. Spine is 4 mm thick at the heal. 218g. 65 HRC AS.

I don’t have a big collection like you all, but my favourite knife of all time is my Y. Tanaka in Aogami Super from Sakai Kikumori. The edge that never quits!

I have always been against using sponges for dishwashing and general cleaning. I was told long ago that they harbour more bacteria. I also prefer the versatility of a cloth for getting into nooks and crannies, but I never liked the feel of microfibre. I use regular cotton dish cloths for...

In Canada, I like to buy stones from Paul’s Finest. He has a good selection of Naniwa and Shapton as well as a couple others at competitive prices.

Shapton says that you should not use detergents on their whetstones. They say that it can cause changes in the quality of the stones. Shapton FAQ

It didn’t say that it wasn’t effective, but yeah, it is a little bit gross to slide your knife around in slimy, bubbly saliva. I don’t think that is a controversial opinion. If it works for you, then that is great. I will be avoiding that method if I can.

I appreciate your insight. I am curious though; when you (and others) say thickness “above the bevel”, how far above the apex are you measuring exactly? 1mm, 2mm? You mention 5mm and 10mm, but you don’t specify where the first measurement is taken. I have always wondered this.

I am off topic, but my stepdad, who taught me how to sharpen over 30 years ago, used to spit on the stone as well. I forgot about that until you mentioned it. It is kinda gross.

My first stone, about 15 years ago, was a Messermeister 400/1000 combo stone. It’s a fairly coarse and thirsty stone that cuts slow. Only upside is it’s slow wearing. I didn’t know how bad it was until I started using better stones about two years ago. Now my NP400 and SP1k, SP2k feel like...

Bonika Shears is a professional shear sharpener that has hundreds of videos. She uses an expensive machine with sanding discs, but there is still a lot of knowledge to be gained from her videos.

From my experience, the cooks with minimal knife skills could achieve better results with a gyuto when slicing large roasts like prime rib. I personally always choose a suji for slicing meats because I enjoy it, but I don’t think it is any more efficient than a gyuto for large cuts of sliced...

When I’m sharpening multiple knives, I’ll throw the Naniwa 600 dressing stone in some water just in case because it is just slightly faster than using the 140 Atoma to clean off stones during the process. I don’t use the 600 dressing stone on whetstones 400 grit and under or on polishing stones...

The Debado MD20 is soft and muddy large coarse stone. It is great for thinning, but not good for sharpening. Leaves a consistent hazy finish with some deep scratches that are easily removed with a 400 grit stone.

There must be an error with their currency conversion tool because that is the Canadian price that I paid. It is still expensive for sure. It might not be worth it for some people. For me, it checked all the boxes for a single workhorse knife that can do it all, so I splurged a bit. If you are...

I just bought a Crystolon coarse stone a couple of weeks ago after seeing it recommended on here. I am comfortable using oil since using a Norton India combo at work for 6-7 years. The old chef bought it to use as a house stone. I reconditioned it with 60 grit sic powder once because idiot cooks...

I got a Mazaki migaki. It arrived today. I’ve wanted a Mazaki for a long time, but I don’t like the new profile on his gyutos. The suji isn’t as triangular, but it does have a small flat spot near the tip that I want to round out eventually. I will lose a couple of millimeters, but that is ok...

This thread makes me feel better about the 240 suji that I have coming in the mail. I also have a 270 already. My plan is to use the 240 at work. I don’t really need it and my wife doesn’t know I ordered it yet, so I’ve been trying to justify it to myself. Thank you for alleviating some of my...

No, I cannot. I am just a cook and not a collector. I have not used knives from those makers. I would love to if I could though. Most of my experience is with cheap western knives. I am sure that a knife from any of those popular Japanese makers would be fantastic. They are professionals that...