Sharpening a global?

[Carl Kotte]

I learned how to use a knife properly with a global gf-33. Back then it was the coolest knife I had ever tried. I later learned sharpening with the same knife. By now it has served me well for 15 years, two of which were in a pro environment. It’s not my best knife, and it’s not the one I enjoy sharpening the most. But we have a history together and I still like it a lot. More than Sammy Hagar.

 

[Scribbled]

I bought my first global when I was 11 with paper round money. Parents had just divorced and my mum had the remnants of a sabatier knife block which included a steel, a ten inch carving knife and a bread knife. None of which helped a confused young boy cut onions. So I smashed open my piggy bank and bought the best knife the local shop had: still have the same knife abused and badly sharpened sitting on my knife rack.

honestly it’s my favorite possession.

 

[DisconnectedAG]

I got my first global G2 in 2006. Back then it was the sharpest and most premium kitchen tool I'd ever put my hands on. It stayed sharp (by then standards) literally forever. And then I got a minosharp and my mind was blown again. Compared to **** ikrs pull through this was some god tier ****.

Yes, I don't mino no moar, but it was a journey and the G2 is still with me, being loaned to friends while I sort out their ghetto ass broken Wursthofs and abused globals thst loon like bread knives.

 

[ModRQC]

I bought my first global... just about now.

Nice reminiscent posts, very interesting, brings another light as to how I may in fifteen years tell a likely story.

 

[Marek07]

... duller than an afternoon TV show...

Best descriptor of dull I've heard for a while!

 

[Bert2368]

A most revealing thread. Thanks to all, I now know the knife I just bought is skilled sharpeners' worst nightmare

No, a skilled sharpener's worst nightmare says CUTCO on the blade...

Seriously, Globals ARE NOT ALL THAT BAD. They work, cut stuff, can be sharpened. Don't stay sharp all that long, but at least they're reasonably thin.

Been sharpening Mira's set for many years. Yes, there are better knives out there, some even are available for same price. But the difference between BAD and WORSE is so, so much more noticable than that between GOOD(ish) and BETTER.

Way up thread, see me sharpening them quite adequately with a $12 natural Chinese stone. Or a slightly more expensive Washita stone. And stropping them on a piece of typing paper and some MAAS metal polish. Or a piece of denim and "Turtle Wax" auto buffing compound.

We don't allways have to spend a ton on pedigrees J nats, or the finest grade of distinguished name bladesmith's work. We sometimes just have to chop the onions reasonably effectively...

 

[Bert2368]

There. Knew it was around here somewhere...

View attachment 47090

I was at loose ends at GF's, decided that the performance of her 17 year old set of Globals was just too unpleasing, I had to do SOMETHING.

Found a new, unused 6" X 2" soft Arkansas stone in her kitchen drawer, and some rubber mesh scraps left over from lining the kitchen cabinets And a tube of metal polish. Stole a couple of sheets of copier paper out of the printer and letter folded them to be 3 layers thick. Annointed one with metal polish, left the other bare.

I used a few drops of water on the soft Arkansas and went at it, edge forward. Feedback was useable, started to get a little "sandy" feeling if angle got too steep, skated with little resistance if too shallow. I'd judge that it cut and left a surface like it was somewhere between my 500 and 1,000 grit man made water stones.

Then cleaned, stropped a few strokes on the metal polish bearing paper, cleaned again and stropped a few more times on the bare paper. DONE.

They're about as sharp now as they ever were. Any of them will happily cut a thin, straight 11" slice off of a loosely held piece of copier paper, they all shave arm hairs, but not super comfortably.

To test the chef's knife, I thinly sliced a pound of venison steaks and quickly sauteed it in a smoking hot pan with butter & olive oil , dusted with a bit of paprika, granulated garlic, black pepper and salt.

Sprinkled the seared but still pink in center venison steak bits with toasted sessame seeds, added a dab of "S&B premium" prepared Wasabi. GF approves of this snack...

When life gives you dull globals and no J nats or leather strop, make lemonade.

 

[inferno]

i have no problems at all sharpening globals. the problem is the people using them. i dont know *** they use them for but lets just say they do more than cutting with them. then onto the roller sharpener...

so its almost always onto a coarse diamond stone to fix the geometry/profile, then a 1k to thin it out a bit/blend the diamond scratches then a 2k to put an edge on there. and sometimes just for show i strop them on cardboard so they can push cut paper. wow.

usually 10-15 minutes or so. from wreck to good.

shpton pro 1/2k and atoma 400 or dmt 325. thats all you need imo. i sometimes do them on sandpaper too. start on p180 and finish on p1000 or 1200.

 

[ModRQC]

There. Knew it was around here somewhere...

Yep man, read that, enjoyed it. Thanks for replying again.

 

[ModRQC]

i have no problems at all sharpening globals. the problem is the people using them. i dont know *** they use them for but lets just say they do more than cutting with them. then onto the roller sharpener...

so its almost always onto a coarse diamond stone to fix the geometry/profile, then a 1k to thin it out a bit/blend the diamond scratches then a 2k to put an edge on there. and sometimes just for show i strop them on cardboard so they can push cut paper. wow.

usually 10-15 minutes or so. from wreck to good.

shpton pro 1/2k and atoma 400 or dmt 325. thats all you need imo. i sometimes do them on sandpaper too. start on p180 and finish on p1000 or 1200.

Also read your technique and liked your posts. And HRC64 and everything else. You bet I’ll be coming back to this thread most often when I get some stones and decide its time for the Global. I’m guessing after Xmas it will be in dire need of at least a med grit tuning.

For now I’ve received all my orders, but the board is conditioning and the knives safely stored away until it’s ready.

 

[stringer]

Globals make great re-gifts. When people who don't know anything about knives want to buy a gift for a chef the sales people at Williams and Sonoma always convince them to buy the Global. Just keep track of who gave it to you. You never want to re-gift a gift to the original gifter.