How risky is it to straighten a stainless knife?

[backdoc]

I'm sharpening a friend's knife. It's a Wustof Grand Prix CrMo. I believe it's "x50 cr mo v15", but I don't have the knife with me to double check. Anyway, if it were my knife, I wouldn't hesitate to apply a little pressure to try and bend it back. But, I don't want to take chances with someone else's knife. I'm just wondering how risky it would be? Is this steel pliable enough to straighten with little to no risk, assuming that I don't put stupid pressure on it.

Here's a couple of pics (sorry about the focus in the second image).

 

[HRC_64]

For low hardness wustoff or EU steel...

you can do it just flex it reverse curvature on a flat surface...
try using wood as backer ...like soft pine... it will give a little if needed

don't hammer unless you can use a proper metal working hammer ... in a light weight like 200g
especially if you are unsure what you are dealing with in terms of steels etc

I'd say it gets tricker over 58 hrc, under that things tend to bend before shatter,
over that I would defer to some makers/experts re: monosteel bending techniques

 

[backdoc]

For low hardness wustoff or EU steel...

you can do it just flex it reverse curvature on a flat surface...
try using wood as backer ...like soft pine... it will give a little if needed

don't hammer unless you can use a proper metal working hammer ... in a light weight like 200g
especially if you are unsure what you are dealing with in terms of steels etc

I'd say it gets tricker over 58 hrc, under that things tend to bend before shatter,
over that I would defer to some makers/experts re: monosteel bending techniques

Thanks. It doesn't look like it has far to go.

 

[backdoc]

For low hardness wustoff or EU steel...

you can do it just flex it reverse curvature on a flat surface...
try using wood as backer ...like soft pine... it will give a little if needed

don't hammer unless you can use a proper metal working hammer ... in a light weight like 200g
especially if you are unsure what you are dealing with in terms of steels etc

I'd say it gets tricker over 58 hrc, under that things tend to bend before shatter,
over that I would defer to some makers/experts re: monosteel bending techniques

BTW, I figured I'd just use a scrap piece of lumber lying around and cut a slot in it to use to bend apply pressure.

 

[Slim278]

This may help

 

[HSC /// Knives]

I wouldn’t straighten it by bending it ... I wouldn’t try without using a carbide chisel or carbide tip hammer.

 

[inferno]

you can straighten that with just a hammer and some wood imo. its soft as butter.

 

[parbaked]

you can straighten that with just a hammer and some wood imo. its soft as butter.

That's what she said...

 

[daveb]

Has friend tried warranty support? Lifetime warranties are part of the reason a $30 Wustie costs $100

 

[backdoc]

Has friend tried warranty support? Lifetime warranties are part of the reason a $30 Wustie costs $100

I thought about that. But, I don’t think he cares about it as much as I do. I think that’s how I would go though.

 

[backdoc]

you can straighten that with just a hammer and some wood imo. its soft as butter.

That’s pretty much what I did. I had other plans but when I went into my garage I tried putting in on my table saw and just applied a little pressure with my thumb and it looked like it was working. I laid it flat tried tapping it with a hammer, but I wasn’t comfortable with that. I also tried putting a flat washer under the tip with the knife lying flat on the table saw and tapping close to the washer. But, I was afraid I’d break the tip. So. I happened to have a piece of scrap wood with slot already cut in it. I ended up using that until I was afraid my luck was running out. I improved it. But, I settled for less than perfect. Here’s some pics of the wood and the end result.

 

[backdoc]

I wouldn’t straighten it by bending it ... I wouldn’t try without using a carbide chisel or carbide tip hammer.

Thanks. I don’t have access to any of those tools. I just had to work with what I had. If I had to do this professionally or more often, I would invest in the tools. But, even if I had broken it, maybe Wusthof would have replaced it.

 

[stringer]

Thanks. I don’t have access to any of those tools. I just had to work with what I had. If I had to do this professionally or more often, I would invest in the tools. But, even if I had broken it, maybe Wusthof would have replaced it.

Good job. I can't really tell from this angle but it looks like you could have probably eliminated that last little bit of curvature just through some shaping/thinning/sharpening the tip.

 

[backdoc]

Good job. I can't really tell from this angle but it looks like you could have probably eliminated that last little bit of curvature just through some shaping/thinning/sharpening the tip.

Thanks. I am thinking I’ll get most of it with sharpening, which I will be doing this morning.