PhunkyPhilibuster
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- Joined
- Mar 19, 2012
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Ok, here's the deal. I've never sharpened a knife, period, before. No oil stones, no whetstones, no EdgePro whatnot. I'm a home cook that has never had sharp knives until recently and now I'm coming to the point where I'm realizing I need all my knives sharp.
I bought a Tojiro DP gyuto (240mm) about a year ago and have basically stopped using it very much because the edge has gone dull even with regular honing on a ceramic idahone. Enter Shapton Glass Stones (1k,4k) that I just got in the mail today from Chef Knives to Go. Long overdue, I know, I know, but alas the sharpening devices are here and I'm ready to get down to business. Don't know if that was the best choice, but that's what I'm working with now and I don't really have a budget for anything new soon.
But wait, I don't want to practice my initial sharpening skills on my "nice" knife (a DP is my nicest knife, unfortunately) so I figured I would do some test runs on my beater knives, which are the same knives I use at work (cheesemonger in gourmet store.) Branded Povinelli (?) from a local cutlery distribution place. I bought my two chef's knives for $6 each, I think it was a couple of years back. They look like this....http://www.carolinacutlery.com/largeimages/cooksknive.jpg Don't know if you can quite see the edge in that photo, but it seems like they are German style with a wide angle (20-25 deg. ?)
I have been trying to educate myself about sharpening and just watched this video (among several others over the past few months) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UsolwpCyTQ&feature=player_embedded
I realize he is sharpening a J-knife in the video, but for some reason I assumed I could just adjust my angle wider to accommodate the beater knives' angles and off we go. Not quite. I did everything exactly as in that video with the exception of using a strop, because I don't have one. 1k stone first, 8-10 strokes on each knife section. Tried to feel for burr, couldn't really tell as I've never felt one before, but there was definitely residue and something on knife after a side of strokes. Repeated with less pressure and less strokes. Finished with stropping motion on stone. Changed stones and repeated.
I feel like absolutely nothing happened to this knife. Arm shaving test failed. Paper test failed miserably. Onion slicing seemed no different.
Am I an idiot? Can you not sharpen these types of knives on waterstones? I definitely tried specifically searching the internet for this, but found it difficult to come up with anything specific about it. Do I need to keep at it and increase the # of strokes on each side and section of the knife? Perhaps I should try the magic marker trick, didn't remember that one till now. How do I know I've gotten a burr?
Sorry for this noob post and question, but I'm just trying to get started and figure this out and am a little in the dark. THANKS in advance for any help and advice!
I bought a Tojiro DP gyuto (240mm) about a year ago and have basically stopped using it very much because the edge has gone dull even with regular honing on a ceramic idahone. Enter Shapton Glass Stones (1k,4k) that I just got in the mail today from Chef Knives to Go. Long overdue, I know, I know, but alas the sharpening devices are here and I'm ready to get down to business. Don't know if that was the best choice, but that's what I'm working with now and I don't really have a budget for anything new soon.
But wait, I don't want to practice my initial sharpening skills on my "nice" knife (a DP is my nicest knife, unfortunately) so I figured I would do some test runs on my beater knives, which are the same knives I use at work (cheesemonger in gourmet store.) Branded Povinelli (?) from a local cutlery distribution place. I bought my two chef's knives for $6 each, I think it was a couple of years back. They look like this....http://www.carolinacutlery.com/largeimages/cooksknive.jpg Don't know if you can quite see the edge in that photo, but it seems like they are German style with a wide angle (20-25 deg. ?)
I have been trying to educate myself about sharpening and just watched this video (among several others over the past few months) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UsolwpCyTQ&feature=player_embedded
I realize he is sharpening a J-knife in the video, but for some reason I assumed I could just adjust my angle wider to accommodate the beater knives' angles and off we go. Not quite. I did everything exactly as in that video with the exception of using a strop, because I don't have one. 1k stone first, 8-10 strokes on each knife section. Tried to feel for burr, couldn't really tell as I've never felt one before, but there was definitely residue and something on knife after a side of strokes. Repeated with less pressure and less strokes. Finished with stropping motion on stone. Changed stones and repeated.
I feel like absolutely nothing happened to this knife. Arm shaving test failed. Paper test failed miserably. Onion slicing seemed no different.
Am I an idiot? Can you not sharpen these types of knives on waterstones? I definitely tried specifically searching the internet for this, but found it difficult to come up with anything specific about it. Do I need to keep at it and increase the # of strokes on each side and section of the knife? Perhaps I should try the magic marker trick, didn't remember that one till now. How do I know I've gotten a burr?
Sorry for this noob post and question, but I'm just trying to get started and figure this out and am a little in the dark. THANKS in advance for any help and advice!