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Sharpening knives.

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,319
7,744
Which model do you have? Shuns are kinda like hydrids and take some elements from German knives and some from Japanese. KAI, the parent company of Shun, recommends users target a 16* angle when sharpening.

Their page agrees with 16 degrees. But I don't know what that means without context...
 

Adventurous

Starshine Bro
Mar 19, 2014
10,343
8,902
Crawlorado

Their page agrees with 16 degrees. But I don't know what that means without context...
Double-Bevel-and-Single-Bevel-Square-V2-1024x1024.gif

Image courtesy of: https://www.togknives.com/what-angle-should-i-sharpen-my-knife-at/

The majority of knives are double bevel, and the majority of knives have a secondary bevel too. The 16* is the spec for the secondary bevel, not the primary.

Most of those knife sharpeners have angle settings so you dont have to do much other than set the guide at the prescribed angle and go.

Like @StiHacka, I free hand it, but you're likely to bungle it the first few times. Still, whetstones remove a fraction of the material that grinders do, so your knives should last longer.
 

boostindoubles

Nacho Libre
Mar 16, 2004
7,880
6,178
Yakistan
Free hand sharpening fan here. It's a good skill to learn.
I agree but my skills are inconsistent at this point. That Spyderco Sharpmaker seems like a good in-between with the systems that clamp the blade down/have stones on guides and free hand stones/strops. Since the tool is fixed and the blade is being held free in the hand - I'm thinking I can develop a technique that can be transferred to a free hand system and have sharp knives in the mean time. They're like $85 NIB on the bay.

1678210096844.png
 

StiHacka

Compensating for something
Jan 4, 2013
21,560
12,505
In hell. Welcome!
I agree but my skills are inconsistent at this point. That Spyderco Sharpmaker seems like a good in-between with the systems that clamp the blade down/have stones on guides and free hand stones/strops. Since the tool is fixed and the blade is being held free in the hand - I'm thinking I can develop a technique that can be transferred to a free hand system and have sharp knives in the mean time. They're like $85 NIB on the bay.

View attachment 190543
When I want to be precise (like when re-creating a bevel of a $500+ knife), I use these to make sure I nail the angles.
 

eric strt6

Resident Curmudgeon
Sep 8, 2001
23,322
13,613
directly above the center of the earth
so I used my newly sharpened 20 yr old Henkels kitchen knife to slice veggies and some London broil and fresh garlic for a stir fry tonight. I had forgotten how nice it is to use a properly sharpened knife. Ruth had taken them to a knife sharpening guy a few years back and he used a grinder, totally fucked them up. I tried my best to get them back to sharp but until today nope.

20230307_165709.jpg
 

HardtailHack

used an iron once
Jan 20, 2009
6,751
5,650
I am lazy, and a shit cook, I got this with a set of knives years ago and figured I'd drag a Wusthof through it a few times to see what would happen.
It ended up sharp enough for me, cuts veggies, shaved part of my hand okay too.
1678263017991.png
 

eric strt6

Resident Curmudgeon
Sep 8, 2001
23,322
13,613
directly above the center of the earth
nice but out of my price range or need. My set has 4 whetstones 120,320,600, 1500. after the first sharpening I usually just do a touch up with the 1500 unless the wife has dinged up an edge and then I might do a minute with the 600 then go back to the 1500
 

jdcamb

Tool Time!
Feb 17, 2002
19,839
8,441
Nowhere Man!
I am not skilled or patient enough to get my knives as sharp and ready as I like them. I leave this to others. My guy is good too.
 

jdcamb

Tool Time!
Feb 17, 2002
19,839
8,441
Nowhere Man!
I take my knives to the public market. He has a shop. Al. Doesn't talk much. Povini Brothers. I drop them off He sharpens them for me. I shop in the market. Pick them up on my way out. Always $14. No matter how many knives I drop off. He never tries to upsell me knives. I understand it's how he makes his money. If I ever need a new knife...