How careful are you with your knives

[LifeByA1000Cuts]

After trying coyly, I have to say that even a kataha deba won't quickly dull or take damage if mindfully (no need to use crowbar grade force, knife's heavy and sharp) used as a rocking mincer

 

[Mucho Bocho]

Life, You use your deba to rock chop and mince with. What are you cuckoo?

 

[Barmoley]

Do you guys microbevel your knives to improve edge durability or just sharpen until sharp enough and move on with your life?

 

[El Pescador]

A microbevel is key to not having to sharpen often in a pro kitchen. It also will help in not chipping a knife's edge as easily.

 

[LifeByA1000Cuts]

Home use: Tend to try and get away without microbevels on shirogami, and would also try that on other "ultra-thin-edge-friendly" steels like AEB-L if I had any, anything else sooner or later ends up with one

@mucho bocho I know you think I'm crazy anyway, and I just can't be bothered to try and prove you wrong

 

[fatboylim]

After putting a big ding in my biggest fattest German chef's knife (cutting neck off a 16lb turkey) I got a $5 stainless cleaver in Chinatown. It's now the house "this will wreck your edge" knife. Things do wreck its edge! And no one cares.

My cheap Henkel vegetable cleaver is awesome for just beating up. Also, good for mincing so I keep a keen edge on the nice knives

 

[LifeByA1000Cuts]

@fatboylim Kiwi meat cleaver?

 

[paulraphael]

Do you guys microbevel your knives to improve edge durability or just sharpen until sharp enough and move on with your life?

I've just started to use them. The guy who taught me to cut and sharpen with a laser was anti-microbevel, so I never really tried before. Plus, I assumed that stropping and general imprecision would automatically give a bit of a microbevel. Recently Jon at JKI encouraged me to try them for real (I was asking if he thought I'd get better edge retention out of a Suisin or one of his Gesshins than I got out of my Tadatsuna; he said no—and that I needed to wake up and use a microbevel). He suggested a hair's width, at 30+ degrees, just on the face side.

I've tried it with maybe a 20° microbevel. So far it's made a big difference. I can't feel any decrease in performance but my edge holds up to much more abuse, and touches up in just a few seconds when it eventually looses its glory. Next time I sharpen I'l try it at the more obtuse angle.

 

[Soso]

I've just started to use them. The guy who taught me to cut and sharpen with a laser was anti-microbevel, so I never really tried before. Plus, I assumed that stropping and general imprecision would automatically give a bit of a microbevel. Recently Jon at JKI encouraged me to try them for real (I was asking if he thought I'd get better edge retention out of a Suisin or one of his Gesshins than I got out of my Tadatsuna; he said no—and that I needed to wake up and use a microbevel). He suggested a hair's width, at 30+ degrees, just on the face side.

I've tried it with maybe a 20° microbevel. So far it's made a big difference. I can't feel any decrease in performance but my edge holds up to much more abuse, and touches up in just a few seconds when it eventually looses its glory. Next time I sharpen I'l try it at the more obtuse angle.

Which grit is recommended for setting a microbevel?

 

[malexthekid]

A fine grit stone.... 6k+. Finer if you take your edge finer

 

[El Pescador]

I use a Gessin 2K to set a microbevel.

 

[Barmoley]

Do you guys just raise the angle to slightly over twice of what you used for initial sharpening?

 

[fatboylim]

@fatboylim Kiwi meat cleaver?

Actually I would love a Kiwi but haven't yet got round to finding one.

 

[spoiledbroth]

It also depends on the steel, what grit you put the microbevel on. Cheap stainless will probably run alot at 6k

 

[MontezumaBoy]

Back to the conversation at hand ... err the one the OP started anyway ...

Use all my knives & rotate the multiples ... something magical about taking out a "new" gyuto that hasn't been played with for a month or so - like Xmas ... the only products that gets Henkel treatment are hard squash (at least splitting) and chicken carcasses (but hey the squash comment is another thread anyway) :doublethumbsup:

Why not ... how else would the get to need to be sharpened ... duh!

 

[paulraphael]

Which grit is recommended for setting a microbevel?

Jon recommended whatever you use for a finishing stone. Mine's a Superstone 10K.

 

[preizzo]

Using microbevel only on shigefusa s and Kato s.
Rest of my knife rotate every two weeks so like Montezuma says it s always like Christmas 🎄.
😊

 

[LifeByA1000Cuts]

Also see the thread on differential grit sharpening, microbevels are a good experimentation ground there Also, I think asymmetric microbevels are also interesting to try ...

 

[Neens]

I wouldn't say I baby my knives but I don't beat on them at work. I use the custom monster I posted to take apart pork butts at work 2-3 times a week. I just don't let anyone else use it.