how do I get my knives to cut like it did out of the box?

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I haved same problem as you, my Takamura OOTB cut through carrot like butter, after using around 3 years, even though i thinning regularly, is still doesn't cut like OOTB edge.

My sharpening angle 10-15 degree, micro bebel on high grit.

And then i see Takamura video sharpening video, nearly zero grind, he said his knife angle suppose can't fit 1 penny, now cutting better but still not satisfy yet, maybe i thinning not enough.
 
adam92 said:
I haved same problem as you, my Takamura OOTB cut through carrot like butter, after using around 3 years, even though i thinning regularly, is still doesn't cut like OOTB edge.

My sharpening angle 10-15 degree, micro bebel on high grit.

And then i see Takamura video sharpening video, nearly zero grind, he said his knife angle suppose can't fit 1 penny, now cutting better but still not satisfy yet, maybe i thinning not enough.
Click to expand...
Can you link that video?
 
adam92 said:
I haved same problem as you, my Takamura OOTB cut through carrot like butter, after using around 3 years, even though i thinning regularly, is still doesn't cut like OOTB edge.

My sharpening angle 10-15 degree, micro bebel on high grit.

And then i see Takamura video sharpening video, nearly zero grind, he said his knife angle suppose can't fit 1 penny, now cutting better but still not satisfy yet, maybe i thinning not enough.
Click to expand...

Pretty much everyone sharpens their Takamura at a higher angle than Takamura recommends. It's going to take you a while to get the hang of it. Especially if you listen to people on KKF telling you that they all need a micro (macro) bevel.
 
You might not be blending your secondary and primary bevels. This creates a sharp transition between two bevels and results in perceived resistance while cutting the hard vegetables.
 
I'll upload some picture of my takamura tonight, let me know what you guys think about my thinning.
 
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My left side shoulder little more clearly than right side, i didn't do major thinning recently, but when cutting carrot, it didn't wedge, should i thinning more?

Or am doing fine? let me know if i do something wrong. Thanks.
 
JDC said:
How does it feel on the board now? From the pics I think it still won't perform as out of the box.
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Didn't perform same as OOTB, but much more better than previously when i sharpen higher angle, i might thinning more to see how's going, as this knife has been using 3 years, the knife is m uch shorter now, also thicker, i should thinning more often to maintain geometry .
 
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After major thinning, cutting carrot even better now.
I'm quite satisfy the performance now, let me know if i do something wrong.
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I’m happy with the performance now but after some thinning noticed that food release isn’t as good. Is there a way to polish the bevel so that food release is better or oil it? So much to learn, I live this journey
 
I think the higher the polish, the worse your food release will be. You have much bigger contact patch, so food has way more grip on your knife.
On microscopic level, scratches work like the profile in cartyres. The much smaller contact patches due to the high and low spots (scratches) cut through the water from the food easier. With a high polished knife, the thin waterfilm between the food and the knife creates a sticky feeling (you can skid the food on the knife, but it wont release unless you help with peeling a little bit off, then the distance from the food to the knife gets to big for water to keep it 'glued together'). I guess this is due to adhesion effect, but i could be wrong here.


Thats why a hammered pattern is often advertised as 'better for food release'
 
Goorackerelite said:
I’m happy with the performance now but after some thinning noticed that food release isn’t as good. Is there a way to polish the bevel so that food release is better or oil it? So much to learn, I live this journey
Click to expand...

I would assume that during your thinning you transformed what used to be slightly convex geometry into flat geometry, degrading the food release. If you just lay the entire bevel down flat and sharpen away until it’s a zero grind, you’ll get it thin behind the edge but the food release will be worse on the wide bevel. Hamaguri sharpening is better.

Finish matters some, geometry matters more.
 
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ian said:
I would assume that during your thinning you transformed what used to be slightly convex geometry into flat geometry, degrading the food release. If you just lay the entire bevel down flat and sharpen away until it’s a zero grind, you’ll get it thin behind the edge but the food release will be worse on the wide bevel. Hamaguri sharpening is better.

Finish matters some, geometry matters more.
Click to expand...

How do I do the Convex grind? Anyone have a video link or resource?
 
I'm watching this post with interest. I've been planning to thin my tf denka petty after owning it for around 8 years. It's been sharpened many times but I have only recently even heard about blade thinning
 
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