Which knife...?

[daveb]

So, this SKD11 is reputed to be fine grained with excellent edge retention and easy to sharpen-if PROPERLY heat treated. The importance of the skill in HT has been mentioned before here and in Wiki since the temp and method affect at least the grain size.
So. How does one know/find out which makers are good at HT, other than custom knives of course? I have 22 tabs open trying to find a trustworthy site that names names. Except for a few sites, based on referrals here, I have a bias against seller's statements.

If it says Yoshikane it's good SKD.

 

[daveb]

3.5 hour drive to Tampa for SLT.😕

You could buy me lunch....

And I've got better knives than slt:sly:

 

[MaggieG]

I know fantastic developers who hunt and peck and make twice as much as I do, or more...

....Yes, but they didn't have to write as many papers as in healthcare, no more than 3 corrections/page- back when home computers were 3K. I bit the bullet and picked up extra hours. Still spent less time than retyping pages.


My college friend did chemical engineering and has literally worked for (the parent company of, but actually worked on) Trojan, and now works for Hershey. Sounds a lot more fun than my career...

Hershey?! Sign me up for the dark chocolate division😄

 

[MaggieG]

For an in service on HT? Cheap @ twice the price. Re: SLT, I'm certain of that!

 

[MaggieG]

Thank you.😊

 

[Nemo]

So, this SKD11 is reputed to be fine grained with excellent edge retention and easy to sharpen-if PROPERLY heat treated. The importance of the skill in HT has been mentioned before here and in Wiki since the temp and method affect at least the grain size.
So. How does one know/find out which makers are good at HT, other than custom knives of course? I have 22 tabs open trying to find a trustworthy site that names names. Except for a few sites, based on referrals here, I have a bias against seller's statements.

That's what this forum is for (amongst many other things)

I can attest to Yoshikane's HT of SKD12. I can't personally comment on their SKD11 (aka SLD) although I have read many reports that they also give it a very good HT. IIRC, SKD12 is semistainless, with a Cr content of around 6%. SLD is also semistainless but with a Cr content closer to 12%, so should be more stain resistant (but doesn't quite qualify as stainless). SKD12 sharpens very easily. I obviously can't offer personal experience on sharpening SLD.

In my kitchen, SKD12 has been effectively stainless but note that I do live in an area with a fairly dry climate.

 

[MaggieG]

Hi Nemo, thanks for the info. Poked around and found this post. If the edge is super thin-which I equate w sharp, it doesn't stay smooth.
How could I sharpen to avoid the problem w the burr? I didn't quite get the bottom line of that conversation.
What is a "hard" draw? I tend to be "quite enthusiastic", AKA aggressive 😄 so some kind of measure for that would be good.

http://www.bladeforums.com/threads/...shikane-180mm-skd-11-d2-64-hrc-petty.1019267/

Thanks

 

[Nemo]

Maggie,

They are discussing a SKD11 (SLD) Yoshikane, so I have no direct experience with this steel. Also, I do not consider myself an expert sharpener, so take what I say with a grain of salt. Maybe a sharpening expert can chime in if I'm going off track?

They are talking about sharpening to quite low angles, as low as 8 degrees per side (dps). Tool steels like SLD are moderately alloyed and have some large carbides so will suffer carbide pullout below a particular angle. Maybe this was the problem. I suspect (but am not sure) that this is less of a problem with SKD12, although I have never sharpened my Yoshi at such an acute angle (and I'd probably use a microbevel if I did).

I have sharpened at about 15 dps without problem and with great edge retention.

I wonder if you are overthinking this. I suspect the best idea is to get a knife which is not too hard to sharpen (the Yoshi would be fine, but so would many others that have been suggested) and learn to sharpen it (at the edge). Then start to research (or post a Qn about) how you will take care of the geometry of that particular knife (aka "thinning", which will maintain the geometry over time and sharpenings). The thinness behind the edge is probably as or more important than the acuteness of the edge for the performance of the knife.

 

[MaggieG]

Overthinking? Moi? Actually it's my specialty. Or largest character defect depending on how you look at it 😂 With some final advice from Jon, I finally made a decision.

https://www.japaneseknifeimports.com/products/gesshin-ginga-180mm-white-2-wa-petty

 

[K813zra]

Overthinking? Moi? Actually it's my specialty. Or largest character defect depending on how you look at it 😂 With some final advice from Jon, I finally made a decision.

https://www.japaneseknifeimports.com/products/gesshin-ginga-180mm-white-2-wa-petty

Don't worry, I have that same character defect. I have been overthink about a natural stone that I want to buy for about 9 months now.

You will be happy with your Ginga, or at least I think so. I love my Ginga knives. Easy to sharpen and are not really that reactive, which is particularly true after you have a nice patina.

 

[MaggieG]

Thanks. With new to me subjects I get analysis paralysis, especially when I see folks selling catch & release.

I am deeply appreciative of all the friendly people here who patiently followed this 90+ posts thread and answered all my questions.

Maggie😊

 

[Salty dog]

Damn Dennis, I thought about a hand gun for maybe 30 min, bought a Glock, and was not late to dinner. A couple more have followed me home but my favorite still holds 13 rounds of "go rob someone else".

Sig all day.

 

[DanHumphrey]

Thanks. With new to me subjects I get analysis paralysis, especially when I see folks selling catch & release.

I am deeply appreciative of all the friendly people here who patiently followed this 90+ posts thread and answered all my questions.

Maggie😊

You're almost talking like you think you're done.

 

[MaggieG]

Only on this thread😄 I'll create a new one for the next knife😂
In retrospect, a spreadsheet would have helped me compare knives. Is there one already on KKF?

 

[Mucho Bocho]

Maggie, Something magical happens when you start handling knives 210 to 240mm. They have more weight, height and length to work with. Usually have larger flat spots and more room in the emoto/choil area making them more comfortable. They weigh more, giving more momentum through cuts. Kinda like driving on autopilot.

You got a nice safe first knife, now look for something with a little more to hang on to. Sometimes sometime bigger is better (to an extent).

 

[MaggieG]

MB! What an enabler you are!! I haven't even gotten the first one OR learned to sharpen it yet!
😄

 

[dafox]

Maggie, the first nice knife I got was a 240mm Tanaka Blue2 gyuto from James at Knives & Stones (also a vendor here, and also a heckuva great guy). In all honesty, there is 0 I've gained, functionally, from the dozen or so more I've bought - they're nice, and different, but none had anything like the boost over my old crummy Target knives that the Tanaka did. It was easy to sharpen, held an edge well, and could neatly cut everything I needed. All the others have just added fun and enjoyment.

The one thing I did NOT like about that knife was its reactivity - the iron cladding turned orange if you looked at it wrong. Forget "taking care of it", it would be orange by the time I finished cutting a couple of peppers. If you can live with that, it'd be a great knife in 210mm for you. There is a stainless-clad version that won't react like that, but unfortunately it is out of stock at the moment.

http://www.knivesandstones.com/tana...uto-210mm-with-custom-octagonal-ebony-handle/

For another option, my current most-used knife is a Sukenari, and it is fantastic but not a beginner's knife (very hard Blue Super steel, tricky to sharpen). They also have a Ginsanko line, however, and I have no reason to believe the quality is any lower. Ginsanko is a stainless steel, but much nicer than the stainless crummy Target knives are made out of, fine-grained and easy to sharpen. You might like this one.

http://www.knivesandstones.com/sukenari-ginsanko-ginsan-gyuto-210mm/

James sends his knives out with a VERY nice edge. I'd get a 1k/6k combo stone from somewhere (Jon has a very nice one, last I looked), watch lots of videos, and pick a time you have an hour or two to practice, going slowly, maybe with a glass of wine or similar if it helps you relax. I find that stropping on unloaded denim is the quickest, easiest way to deburr, One of those knives, that stone, some videos, and a leg panel of an old pair of jeans will have you wondering how you ever survived with crummy knives.

The Tanaka ss clad blue 2 gyuto is back in stock at K+S.
http://www.knivesandstones.com/tanaka-blue-2-nashiji-gyuto-210mm-stainless-clad/