# Think I got a sharpening gig :)



## Umberto (Jun 26, 2014)

Either I'll get paid a few bucks a knife or get beer in trade 

I asked the chef if he needed some knives sharpened. His first question was "how do you sharpen." I said "well I take em to a grinding wheel till sparks and metal fly everywhere." Followed by a "just kidding I use waterstonesI

He seemed interested. He had some cheap knives, also a Shun knife. I'll bring my carbon steel knives and my shun knives to demonstrate the limitations of VG10 and also the difficulty in removing burr. I do believe it is not as difficult as hyped up to be. But I'm finding with the Shun classic knives that there is a point where it will only get so sharp. 

I'll only be using a 1k stone and maybe use an atoma 140 to do some tip repairs if there are any. Fortunately I have the next week off, so maybe I'll gather 30 bucks worth of sharpening services woopy! Only 350 knives to go until I can buy that j-nat I've been lusting for.


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## Benuser (Jun 26, 2014)

You won't remove a VG10 burr with a 1k.


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## BeerChef (Jun 27, 2014)

As someone who takes care of a lot of knives from the kitchens around me from chefs and cooks who don't know any better your going about this all wrong. A 1k finish is lazy and not what you'll need to do. Yes you will see a ton of shun but if you treat them well and give then the respect any knife should you'll have repeat customers instead of a one and done.


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## Boondocker (Jun 27, 2014)

Are you sure this is a good idea?


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## Umberto (Jun 27, 2014)

How is a 1k finish a lazy way of doing things? Not all knives need a fancy polish and finish. Most of the cheaper kitchen knives handle better with less refined edges. Lot's of knives have great performance with less polished edges. 

BeerChef are you meaning to tell me you put a 5k edge on a stamped steel knife that rolls it's edge every second it cuts? That's just silly an 800-1000k edge will be more functional on a softer steel. 

I can utilize coarser stones and finish at 1k...but I certainly don't see a point in refining a low end stamped steel knife for the sake of vanity.


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## jai (Jun 27, 2014)

I sharpen peoples knives for money were I work at it is good for a bit of cash but it grinds my gears when they dump it in the sink the next day... also from my experience I would take shun clasic higher than 1k and tbh how much longer does it take to bring it up the grits after you have an edge. Like 1 minute.


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## jai (Jun 27, 2014)

Also I forgot to add I find with shuns and cheap knives that have been flogged and not sharpened much use a 300-500 grit aswell speeds it up so much.


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## LKH9 (Jun 27, 2014)

I sharpened all the dull box-cutter blades and a Kiwi petty knife at my workplace for my colleagues, but still no one requests me to sharpen their own kitchen knives at home. I'm more than happy to do it for free, I need some dull knives to play with.


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## Benuser (Jun 27, 2014)

jai said:


> Also I forgot to add I find with shuns and cheap knives that have been flogged and not sharpened much use a 300-500 grit aswell speeds it up so much.


With a difficult steel like VG-10 it can indeed be very helpful to make sure you're dealing with fresh steel. You don't need to abrade a lot, a few strokes will do. Good point.


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## DDPslice (Jun 27, 2014)

Umberto said:


> How is a 1k finish a lazy way of doing things? Not all knives need a fancy polish and finish. Most of the cheaper kitchen knives handle better with less refined edges. Lot's of knives have great performance with less polished edges.
> 
> BeerChef are you meaning to tell me you put a 5k edge on a stamped steel knife that rolls it's edge every second it cuts? That's just silly an 800-1000k edge will be more functional on a softer steel.
> 
> I can utilize coarser stones and finish at 1k...but I certainly don't see a point in refining a low end stamped steel knife for the sake of vanity.



I don't agree, on my practice no-name stainless (before I started whetstones) my brother put a well polished edge on that knife and my Cutco. The edge lasted ages. Now, still using the no-name, I put the same edge and polish and it is well worth the 20 minutes.


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## icanhaschzbrgr (Jun 28, 2014)

Benuser said:


> With a difficult steel like VG-10 it can indeed be very helpful to make sure you're dealing with fresh steel. You don't need to abrade a lot, a few strokes will do. Good point.



What's so difficult about VG10? I've tried only Tanaka's and Hattori knives in VG10 and they all very easy to sharpen. Had no problems with creation and removing burr. Though maybe I was lucky to use knives by knifemakers who knows how to work with VG10 properly.


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## jared08 (Jun 28, 2014)

I do believe the idea of burr removal being tough on Vg10 comes from experiences with makers/companies who don't optimally heat treat the steal to its full potential. The two mentioned are near the top of the list.



icanhaschzbrgr said:


> What's so difficult about VG10? I've tried only Tanaka's and Hattori knives in VG10 and they all very easy to sharpen. Had no problems with creation and removing burr. Though maybe I was lucky to use knives by knifemakers who knows how to work with VG10 properly.


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## Benuser (Jun 28, 2014)

I admit the difficulty is all relative. With VG-10 you can't expect the burr to fall off more or less spontaneously like with basic carbons, and if it did, it would leave a devastated edge behind. So you have to patiently abrade the burr on finer stones. No big deal perhaps, but far beyond the reach of an unstable novice.


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## Umberto (Jun 28, 2014)

Shun Knives just don't take a great edge...they can get sharp but only so sharp.


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## Pensacola Tiger (Jun 28, 2014)

Umberto said:


> Shun Knives just don't take a great edge...they can get sharp but only so sharp.



Sorry, but you are wrong. Again.


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## Benuser (Jun 28, 2014)

And Rick is right, once more. Shun's VG-10 does take excellent edges, but as with all new things in life, you may have to reconsider your preconceptions. As far as sharpening is concerned that means varying procedures, listen to others, and not just demolish if it doesn't immediately work out as expected.


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## daveb (Jun 28, 2014)

The expression "Frequently wrong but never in doubt" comes to mind.


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## Benuser (Jun 28, 2014)

VG-10 might be very well adrressable, the poster is not.


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## Dave Martell (Jun 28, 2014)

Umberto, I hope that you gets lots of *Moritakas* to sharpen, you deserve them. :clown:


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## lucabrasi (Jun 28, 2014)

You've shown yourself to be such a master at caring for steel again and again. Why not hold yourself out as such to others who depend on their knives for their living?


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## erikz (Jun 29, 2014)

VG-10 can get scary sharp and stay that way for a long time.


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## Boondocker (Jun 29, 2014)

Dave I hope you are taking notes on how to be a professional here


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## Matus (Jun 30, 2014)

I have no horses in this race nor have I enough sharpening experience, but for what it's worth I do find that VG-10 in Shun Classic series is somehow harder to put a nice edge on than R2 from Tanaka, or SLD or SKD from Yoshikane.


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