Finishing on 1k Chosera custom knife, edge still damn good

[gic]

So I just got a new custom by Dan Prendergast, it's really nice, well balanced and thin and cuts well. I'll post some pictures soon.

But here's the thing, Dan said he finished it on a 1k chosera and yet the edge was really really good, if I didn't enjoy some of my new naturals to play with (love that mud), I really wouldn't have to refine the edge very much at all. So my question is other than single bevel knives and our own idiosyncrasies does one really need to go over 3k considering what this knife does with stopping at a 1k?

 

[John Doe]

No.

 

[berko]

awesome first post!:lol2:

 

[Benuser]

A good 1k edge is great. Only reason I go beyond that is deburring. But a burr-free 1k edge is what I dream about. What steel?

 

[gic]

He uses a British steel called BS1407:1970

http://www.zknives.com/knives/steels/steelgraph.php?nm=bs1407&ss=1
http://silver-steel.co.uk/aboutsilversteel.php

Seems like an OK steel, takes a good edge and good hardness but the lack of Vanadium for example seems to mean low abrasion resistance, so not quite as good for knives as 52100 or even say 01. But a nice profile and nice F&F

 

[psfred]

A 1k edge on good steel is quite useful in the kitchen, single or double bevel. Great for things like peppers and tomatoes and meat, all of which require some "tooth" to cut cleanly.

It will not be adequate to give the correct surface for sashimi or sushi although it will cut well. You must have a really sharp (meaning near perfect, smooth sided apex on the edge) to get the shiny surface on cut fresh fish, and that requires finishing an edge more like a razor than a kitchen knife.

Sounds like the steel in question will have fairly small carbides and will should sharpen like plain carbon steel (unless it has significant chromium, and hence large chromium carbides). If the carbides are small enough, you can easily polish the edge on higher grits and get a nice clean apex, but unless it's quite hard the edge will not stay straight, it will bend easily.

If you like the edge at 1k, there is no real reason to use higher grit stones on the knife, it's a cutting tool!

Peter

 

[Marcelo Amaral]

In my experience, it depends on the blade. In general, hard and small grained steels are the ones which shows better results with higher grit stones. It doesn't mean you need to go there with those, but one can feel the difference. It cuts smoothly when finished on those (higher grit) stones.

 

[Dan P.]

The steel is actually 1.2210, which has Vanadium, otherwise very similar to BS1407.

 

[gic]

Thanks Dan, vanadium makes the carbides better so the edge, no??

Great knife BTW!

 

[Dan P.]

I'm glad you like it!
At that % of vanadium it is there to facilitate the heat treatment process, specifically refining the grain, rather than for carbide formation.

 

[clturner603]

Can't ask for a better answer than that!!