# Sharpening a global?



## chiffonodd

I agreed to sharpen a global (not sure which exact model, but will be a chef knife/gyuto in the ~8" range) for a coworker. I've never owned a global and am not particularly familiar with the steel/heat treat. Global describes it as: "CROMOVA 18 Stainless Steel, ice tempered and hardened to Rockwell C56° -58°."

I'm guessing it is a fairly typical M/V type stainless. Although 56-58 seems pretty soft, even for your less exotic moly blades. 

Bottom line: I'm guessing that I'll do no more than reset the edge using no lower than 1K. Then polish things up at 3K or so. My current stone line up skips from 3K to 8K and I can't imagine that 8K is going to be beneficial with this steel.

Anything I'm missing here? Anyone gotten good results with a Global?


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## panda

reset with 400, finish at 1k


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## Sharpchef

panda said:


> reset with 400, finish at 1k



That `s it... no more refinement... just steeling with DICK Dickoron.... lasts for month`s... in pro business.

greets Sebastian.


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## StonedEdge

panda said:


> reset with 400, finish at 1k


+1


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## chiffonodd

Don't have a 400 unfortunately. What about 250 but light touch/careful, then finish at 1K?


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## Benuser

Should be OK. I would keep the light touch for the 1k though.
Carbides are much bigger than with typical molys.


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## Nemo

Do I remember hearing that some Globals come with a convex edge?

The grind on the ones I sharpened seemed quite flat yet not at all thin. Didn't really enjoy sharpening them. From memory, they felt "grippy" on the stones (Choseras) and they were pretty abrasion resistant. Or maybe just thick. And deburring was a pain.


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## Benuser

Yes, they come with a convex edge. Final bevel almost invisible. First thing to do with a new one is thinning.
Both raising a burr and getting rid of it are unpleasant. As if there's some plasticity in the steel. Not that abrasion resistant though. I've thinned a G-2 behind the edge with a Chosera 800 when I had no coarser stones.


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## Mucho Bocho

Chiff, I just did one and used jon's 1K/6K diamond stones. The knife wasn't in terrible condition but it didn't have a few useful edge. 

W 1K I cut a bevel in,. with a few strokes, medium pressure.

Thinned a little metal from behind the edge, then sharpened the edge.

Then lots of edge leading and edge trailing stropping with wood for burr removal.

Then finished with very light strokes from the 6K.


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## Nemo

Benuser said:


> Yes, they come with a convex edge. Final bevel almost invisible. First thing to do with a new one is thinning.
> Both raising a burr and getting rid of it are unpleasant. As if there's some plasticity in the steel. Not that abrasion resistant though. I've thinned a G-2 behind the edge with a Chosera 800 when I had no coarser stones.


Yeah, thinking about it, I guess it was more that raising a burr was difficult (rather than removing metal being difficult).


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## HRC_64

sharpen globals on sandpaper on top of 6mm of eva closed cell foam
if you lose the convex edge you basically will ruin the edge.

The last one I did with #400 3m wet/dry paper,
and deburred/finished on 800cho


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## Benuser

HRC_64 said:


> sharpen globals on sandpaper on top of 6mm of eva closed cell foam
> if you lose the convex edge you basically will ruin the edge.
> 
> The last one I did with #400 3m wet/dry paper,
> and deburred/finished on 800cho



Ruining... You basically change a fat convex edge in a much thinner one. Nothing wrong with that. You may want to add a micro-bevel if edge retention is important to you.


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## zitangy

Less than 400 Grit on Globals

This knife is prone to carbide pull out. With course stones below 400, do not aim to get an apex or remove metal at a higher angle, then proceed to a 400 preferably or 1000 grit. Reason is that the less than 400 grit striations are too deep and with its proclivity for carbide pull out... it happens frequently

Learnt this the hard way.. after you think its all done.. out of the blue...you then see a tiny , tiny missing piece .. like a grain of fine sand along the edge.

Hv fun


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## Dave Martell

Hand sharpening a Global? I'd rather have my fingernails ripped out with rusty pliers.


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## Jville

Nemo said:


> Do I remember hearing that some Globals come with a convex edge?
> 
> The grind on the ones I sharpened seemed quite flat yet not at all thin. Didn't really enjoy sharpening them. From memory, they felt "grippy" on the stones (Choseras) and they were pretty abrasion resistant. Or maybe just thick. And deburring was a pain.



Ive only sharpened like three for other people. And two were a little beatup. But the above comments remind me of my experience. Tbey did sharpen up well though. But i did not spare aggression wit them. I used a 120 dmt on atleast one of them. I would think starting at the 1k would be unnecessarily tedious and agree about going the 250 route first.


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## HRC_64

Benuser said:


> Ruining... You basically change a fat convex edge in a much thinner one. Nothing wrong with that. You may want to add a micro-bevel if edge retention is important to you.



non-convex globals cut like ****


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## Benuser

HRC_64 said:


> non-convex globals cut like ****



Can you please explain how thinning at 2-3mm from the very edge changes a good performer into a poor cutter?


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## chiffonodd

Benuser said:


> Can you please explain how thinning at 2-3mm from the very edge changes a good performer into a poor cutter?



And even _if_ thinning a bit off a convex grind at 2-3mm BTE is going to create a bit of a "sticking point" (think the transition from the newly created flat grind to the convex grind), i imagine you can mitigate that by rounding a bit off the conjunction of those two grinds?


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## LifeByA1000Cuts

@Benuser I could imagine it worsening a geometry that relies on bending soft stuff away from the blade face (by a certain thick, convex part - kind of creating a slipstream by ploughing anything away that would go to near it) before it can get stuck to it/bind the blade?

There is a commonly found conjecture that the steel used is AUS-6M, BTW. Hope they didn't ice temper it before hardening!


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## HRC_64

Benuser said:


> Can you please explain how thinning at 2-3mm from the very edge changes a good performer into a poor cutter?



Just my observations after testing them. 

In short, the discussion about convex vs scandi grind edges is long and well debated, and no need to re-hash that here. Its just that the global knife is designed to have a convex edge, and it cuts better with it. Tried it both ways, and empirically it is what it is.

If you haven't done so, maybe try this out....3M papers is like $5...


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## Benuser

The thinning I propose and have done before doesn't change the fundamentally convex character. All you do is making sure no shoulders got created. No need for sandpaper either, stones will do very well. It's perfectly common to create convex bevels that are in line with the face's geometry.


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## chinacats

Benuser said:


> The thinning I propose and have done before doesn't change the fundamentally convex character. All you do is making sure no shoulders got created. No need for sandpaper either, stones will do very well. It's perfectly common to create convex bevels that are in line with the face's geometry.



Yep...really enjoy a (thin) convex edge so do it all the time...


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## Benuser

chinacats said:


> Yep...really enjoy a (thin) convex edge so do it all the time...



Exactly.


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## HRC_64

chinacats said:


> Yep...really enjoy a (thin) convex edge so do it all the time...



you really enjoy sharpening globals, eh?... :rofl:


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## Benuser

HRC_64 said:


> you really enjoy sharpening globals, eh?... :rofl:



As far as I'm concerned, certainly not, but that has all to do with the steel. But most of my knives get convex edges, yes. Thin, convex edges.


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## Nemo

chinacats said:


> Yep...really enjoy a (thin) convex edge so do it all the time...


Which technique do you use to create them?


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## daveb

I have a single data point. It was like trying to put an edge on a chalkboard eraser.


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## chinacats

Nemo said:


> Which technique do you use to create them?



I have no idea where I saw it but there was a video of I believe Murray Carter that showed a slight roll and I've found my own version of this that works for me...I find it somewhat more natural than holding a perfectly 'hard' edge which is closer to what I put on the left side of the knife.


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## HRC_64

Globals are prone to facet using that technique,
whereas 3m papers on flex-backing makes the 
convexing easy.

as someone said above the steel is a PITA.


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## HRC_64

daveb said:


> It was like trying to put an edge on a chalkboard eraser.



LOL. my thought was "titanium x crayon"


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## chinacats

HRC_64 said:


> Globals are prone to facet using that technique,
> whereas 3m papers on flex-backing makes the
> convexing easy.
> 
> as someone said above the steel is a PITA.



Guess it's a good thing I don't sharpen globals That said, if it facets then you need to work on the technique...can't really see that being related to the knife...


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## brainsausage

daveb said:


> I have a single data point. It was like trying to put an edge on a chalkboard eraser.



This. 

Ive sharpened a couple for friends/fellow cooks and it was not a pleasant experience. 

Never again.


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## HRC_64

chinacats said:


> Guess it's a good thing I don't sharpen globals



LOL. That was my guess. 
The technique you mentioned works on 'normal' steels.
But this is a 'how to sharpen a Global' thread


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## chiffonodd

brainsausage said:


> This.
> 
> Ive sharpened a couple for friends/fellow cooks and it was not a pleasant experience.
> 
> Never again.



The good thing is that I now have all these posts to show my coworker when I eff up his knife lol.


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## K813zra

Dave Martell said:


> Hand sharpening a Global? I'd rather have my fingernails ripped out with rusty pliers.


Makes you want to sharpen a Aritsugu?


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## unprofessional_chef

chiffonodd said:


> Anything I'm missing here? Anyone gotten good results with a Global?



I have the 5" Chef's Prep Knife. But I only had the knife for 4 months and only light sharpened it twice on the Chosera 3K. I left the factory convex edge as is. With a convex edge finding the optimal angle is a little challenging but it can be done. Then deburr at the same angle. Why change the geometry of the edge when you don't have to? I really like the bite Globals have. To preserve the bite similar to factory I wouldn't go any higher than 3K.


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## Benuser

HRC_64 said:


> LOL. That was my guess.
> The technique you mentioned works on 'normal' steels.
> But this is a 'how to sharpen a Global' thread


The technique Chinacats describes works well with Globals as well, as I could verify. Wouldn't know what makes one believe its steel behaves so much differently or is especially prone to facetting.


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## HRC_64

Benuser said:


> The technique Chinacats describes works well with Globals as well, as I could verify. Wouldn't know what makes one believe its steel behaves so much differently or is especially prone to facetting.



I think you may be mis-under-estimating 
what a (true) convex edge is...

its not a flat edge with a blended shoulder...
its a continuos convext to the edge.

and this is why they are done on flexible backings.
Especially on a 56-58 underhardened stainless.

So here you're arguing with not only 
conventional wisdom (on any steel)
but on a particularly difficult steel.

Which even if it is true, 
is bad "off the shelf"
advice for people


cheers


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## HRC_64

Now lets talk about that burr removal ... :rofl:


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## chinacats

HRC_64 said:


> I think you may be mis-under-estimating
> what a (true) convex edge is...
> 
> its not a flat edge with a blended shoulder...
> its a continuos convext to the edge.



The technique we're referring to leaves just that...a true convex edge and not one that could be faceted as it involves a rolling motion vs multiple flat motions...again, a true convex :razz:

I'll see if I can find the video as you obviously didn't understand my explanation... likely due to the lack of quality explanation but I maintain all my convex edges this way and it works...

Now deburring ****** steel is a whole other story...:wink:

Edit:

You'll notice he mentions faceting during the thinning part of one of these videos but the convexing is fairly clear the way he teaches it, and you shouldn't get faceting on the edge if done correctly...I've modified to fit my personally style/touch...ymmv.

https://youtu.be/3lxBVDAoqHM

https://youtu.be/UdEe9sEQRcE


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## StonedEdge

I'm fairly certain the convex bevels of Global knives are less the result of purposely designing them that way and more a function of their manufacturing process.

There's nothing special about it. It's chunky. 

Thin the heck out of it and get it sharp, when it dulls most Global users put it to a honing rod anyway so any of you guys' fancy pants convex bevels will get wrecked anyway.

Make it sharp, hand it back to the poor soul who owns it. Done.


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## aaamax

StonedEdge said:


> Make it sharp, hand it back to the poor soul who owns it. Done.



Lol, aint that the truth. How the hell did Global make such a good snow job on soooo many cooks I know. The conversation usually something like this. "yes, yes, I love a good knife that's why I bought a whole set of Globals!" We're taking CHEFS here. You would think that they should know better after a life of suffering poor blades. Hell, I prefer a cheap old Forschner, it as at least thin with a decent profile.
Lol.


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## chiffonodd

StonedEdge said:


> Make it sharp, hand it back to the poor soul who owns it. Done.



That is the full extent of my plan at this point ullhair:


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## chiffonodd

aaamax said:


> Lol, aint that the truth. How the hell did Global make such a good snow job on soooo many cooks I know. The conversation usually something like this. "yes, yes, I love a good knife that's why I bought a whole set of Globals!" We're taking CHEFS here. You would think that they should know better after a life of suffering poor blades. Hell, I prefer a cheap old Forschner, it as at least thin with a decent profile.
> Lol.



Pretty sure you can blame Anthony Bourdain for the Global phenomenon.


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## pleue

I've hand sharpened one for a co-worker. Never again. It's by far the worst sharpening experience I've had.


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## Benuser

StonedEdge said:


> I'm fairly certain the convex bevels of Global knives are less the result of purposely designing them that way and more a function of their manufacturing process.
> 
> There's nothing special about it. It's chunky.
> 
> Thin the heck out of it and get it sharp, when it dulls most Global users put it to a honing rod anyway so any of you guys' fancy pants convex bevels will get wrecked anyway.
> 
> Make it sharp, hand it back to the poor soul who owns it. Done.



Agree. 
The Global factory edge shouldn't be the object of special veneration. It's conception has more to do with easy production than with any other consideration. That being said, most of my edges are convex.


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## LifeByA1000Cuts

There might be a reason they endorse the minosharp pull throughs 

@HRC_64 is the Haiku-esque format on purpose?


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## Jville

StonedEdge said:


> I'm fairly certain the convex bevels of Global knives are less the result of purposely designing them that way and more a function of their manufacturing process.
> 
> There's nothing special about it. It's chunky.
> 
> Thin the heck out of it and get it sharp, when it dulls most Global users put it to a honing rod anyway so any of you guys' fancy pants convex bevels will get wrecked anyway.
> 
> Make it sharp, hand it back to the poor soul who owns it. Done.


This sounds extremely sensible to me. I did get the ones i sharpened, sharp without too much of a headache(if i remember correctly) but again i spared no amount of aggression getting there. I think, maybe, the gyuto was a pain in the arse.


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## Noodle Soup

chiffonodd said:


> I agreed to sharpen a global (not sure which exact model, but will be a chef knife/gyuto in the ~8" range) for a coworker. I've never owned a global and am not particularly familiar with the steel/heat treat. Global describes it as: "CROMOVA 18 Stainless Steel, ice tempered and hardened to Rockwell C56° -58°."
> 
> I'm guessing it is a fairly typical M/V type stainless. Although 56-58 seems pretty soft, even for your less exotic moly blades.
> 
> Bottom line: I'm guessing that I'll do no more than reset the edge using no lower than 1K. Then polish things up at 3K or so. My current stone line up skips from 3K to 8K and I can't imagine that 8K is going to be beneficial with this steel.
> 
> Anything I'm missing here? Anyone gotten good results with a Global?



Sharpen it like you would any other knife and ignore the people here that try to play the cutlery snob card. I've used my share of Globals and while they may not be magical blades from a 19th generation samurai sword maker, they are still knives and will cut like any others.


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## Nemo

Noodle Soup said:


> Sharpen it like you would any other knife and ignore the people here that try to play the cutlery snob card. I've used my share of Globals and while they may not be magical blades from a 19th generation samurai sword maker, they are still knives and will cut like any others.


Nothing wrong with being a cutlery snob &#128526;


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## Benuser

Noodle Soup said:


> Sharpen it like you would any other knife and ignore the people here that try to play the cutlery snob card. I've used my share of Globals and while they may not be magical blades from a 19th generation samurai sword maker, they are still knives and will cut like any others.



No bad starting point. Just be aware that they shouldn't get a high polish, need a good thinning and need a very careful deburring.


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## supersayan3

I wasn't using the traditional method on the stones.
I was using a diamond rod, best method if you have the feeling of how to use it,
Or the diamond rod move, on a 1000 grit stone.
On the stone it is a ***** to sharpen.
I tried not to loose that fat convex, which is very effective and my favorite characteristic of the knife


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## Doug

I just happened to be working on my cousin's Global when I came across this thread. Seems to be a ton of them out there. I find they cut pretty good once you thin them behind the edge.The tip section needs a lot of attention. Once thinned they're easy to touch up.


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## Benuser

supersayan3 said:


> I wasn't using the traditional method on the stones.
> I was using a diamond rod, best method if you have the feeling of how to use it,
> Or the diamond rod move, on a 1000 grit stone.
> On the stone it is a ***** to sharpen.
> I tried not to loose that fat convex, which is very effective and my favorite characteristic of the knife



How do you deburr after the diamond rod?


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## aaamax

chiffonodd said:


> Pretty sure you can blame Anthony Bourdain for the Global phenomenon.



Funny thing about Bourdain. That first season, probably 2o years ago???, I thought he had a real interesting slant on things and found him interesting. Unfortunately as time went on, he too found himself _far _too interesting... lol.


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## Benuser

Globals have been introduced half way the eighties. In these days the general public only knew the big German names, thick, heavy and dull.
The Globals were a revelation. Thin, light, sharp out of the box, with a to some appealing, modern design. Easily available. Soft enough to allow the common abuse. Users could go on with their poor habits.
Since they are a bit outdated. Much better stainless knives have become available through distance selling, even to the general public.
But for many, Globals have been a first introduction to better knives.


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## chiffonodd

aaamax said:


> Funny thing about Bourdain. That first season, probably 2o years ago???, I thought he had a real interesting slant on things and found him interesting. Unfortunately as time went on, he too found himself _far _too interesting... lol.



To his credit, Bourdain seems pretty self-aware about his narcissism. He also wonders outloud all the time why he's famous lol. 

Just has some questionable opinions about knives sometimes. But an interesting guy for sure


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## K813zra

Globals are better than any knife I have ever found in a random friend or family members kitchen. Hell, so is a Mercer...:rofl2: And in four countries on two continents. I find that people just generally have crap knives. And at least they are able to be sharpened. With the exception of one no name carbon Chinese cleaver and a Sab that neither of the people would actually use...

I find the annoying to sharpen but I think many people are exaggerating...


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## Xenif

I only tried to sharpen my Global peeling knife after reading this thread, and its by far the most annoying experience of my very short/noob sharpening experience. 

I feel like they make knives that has bad sharpening properties so they can sell you pull through sharpeners that destroys your knives, then sell you more knives.

And sometimes those poor souls find this forum


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## unprofessional_chef

Xenif said:


> I only tried to sharpen my Global peeling knife after reading this thread, and its by far the most annoying experience of my very short/noob sharpening experience.
> 
> I feel like they make knives that has bad sharpening properties so they can sell you pull through sharpeners that destroys your knives, then sell you more knives.
> 
> And sometimes those poor souls find this forum



Global sells stones too. In fact that's what they recommend. This global's promo video for their sharpening products is hilarious. I already posted it in the youtube knuckleheads thread...

[video=youtube;V9iJy-OZ4us]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9iJy-OZ4us[/video]


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## unprofessional_chef

Benuser said:


> Globals have been introduced half way the eighties. In these days the general public only knew the big German names, thick, heavy and dull.
> The Globals were a revelation. Thin, light, sharp out of the box, with a to some appealing, modern design. Easily available. Soft enough to allow the common abuse. Users could go on with their poor habits.
> Since they are a bit outdated. Much better stainless knives have become available through distance selling, even to the general public.
> But for many, Globals have been a first introduction to better knives.



Maybe that's why they use a convex edge? For people transitioning from german knives. There is a youtube video of them trying to figure out why Americans were breaking their knives in half at the neck (emoto).

100% agree their steels are outdated at the price point they are selling their knives. I do own one of their Chef's "prep" knifes because that shape is hard to find.


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## unprofessional_chef

Noodle Soup said:


> Sharpen it like you would any other knife and ignore the people here that try to play *the cutlery snob card*. I've used my share of Globals and while they may not be magical blades from a 19th generation samurai sword maker, they are still knives and will cut like any others.



I like this term... the cutlery snob card. :laugh:


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## Mucho Bocho

A high ranking Japanese chef at Disney gave a small cooking demo and was using Globals. This guys knew his s#it. When I ribbed him after the demo about them, he said he wasn't going to take his good knives in the kitchen so he uses Globals. Prob. has a endorsement though.


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## Benuser

Out of the box, I much prefer the Globals over Wüsthofs or Zwillings. And little work is needed to change a G-2 into a good working instrument.


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## Nemo

Looks like she has some pretty serious edge assymetry going on with the ceramic rod. Was it a microbevel?


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## Benuser

That must be about Mrs Roux' most elegant sharpening.


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## Jville

unprofessional_chef said:


> Global sells stones too. In fact that's what they recommend. This global's promo video for their sharpening products is hilarious. I already posted it in the youtube knuckleheads thread...
> 
> [video=youtube;V9iJy-OZ4us]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9iJy-OZ4us[/video]



Here angles look horendous!


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## chiffonodd

So here's the aforementioned global that my coworker brought in for me to take home and get to work. He said he's had it for ~15 years. I actually found the knife to be in much better shape than I anticipated. It is dull and needs a minor tip repair as well as some thinning, but it could have been much worse. The blade doesn't need any reprofiling (he actually likes having a bit of belly because he is -- to what I've informed him is his eternal shame -- a bit of a rocker). And I see no signs that the blade has been steeled a lot, i.e., no reverse belly. The blade also shows no obvious signs of being abused by a pull-through sharpener. 

Anyway, the appearance and condition of the blade matches what he told me, which is that he's only sharpened it once in 15 years and that was through some sort of professional service. He's just been using it at home to cook. But right now this thing has been so duled that it wont reliably cut through the outer membrane of an onion without slipping off. 

A few "before" pics:

*1. Left side*

Nothing too much to see here. Just circled the chipped tip and a flagged a couple microchips on the edge. I'm guessing that's about where his pivot point is for doing that cross-rock-chop-maneuver that TV chefs are so fond of demonstrating. 







*2. Right side*

Right side of the blade. Drew a line marking the approximate height to/at which I think thinning might be most appropriate. Also marked the area for the tip repair. 






*3. Tip close up*

Here's a closeup of the broken tip. Very minor. Should take little work to fix.






*4. Choil*

And finally, the long-awaited choil shot. Honestly, I have seen worse. The grid is a little wonky, at least at the heel, as you approach the edge. But don't think it will be too onerous to thin it out the area behind the edge, going back maybe 3-4mm. 






Seriously, it's not that bad. Compare it with the stock grind on the Richmond Artifex, which as to be one of the clunkiest grinds I have ever seen on a chef's knife:






(Pic taken from C-K-T-G website) 

So that's it for the pics. Unlike the edge, the spine and choil are relatively sharp, so I also plan to round those a bit. Hoping to get most of this done tomorrow. Will post the "after" pics for your viewing pleasure / general amusement.


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## chiffonodd

Also - I just realized I have no idea how i'm going to refinish this thing without creating an annoying phenomenon. The stock scratch pattern on this blade is vertical and very obviously done with a belt. I don't have a belt so I really can't duplicate that. The best I can probably do is horizontal hand sanding, but that is going to create a rather abrupt (and likely fairly jagged, even if i use tape) transition point in the finish from the blade to the handle, given that it's all metal and there's no way that I can refinish the handle itself. 

Oh well - that's what you get for having a global!


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## Benuser

I use coarse ScotchBrite to even out the finish. Not the most refined solution, but very fast. Horizontally is the easiest. Stay away from the edge.


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## aaamax

The thing with Globals is that yes, you can make it better, but Why?? At that price point ($140ish for their G2?) you can have a better blade for less, sometimes much less, think Zakuri, Fujiwarra, Tanaka, etc.
But I am biased. I just don't dig Globals at all, the strange balance, that handle and forget trying to sharpen it as expressed above many a times.


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## Grunt173

To me,the handles on the Globals are a big turn-off,just no class and they looks very slippery.


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## K813zra

aaamax said:


> The thing with Globals is that yes, you can make it better, but Why?? At that price point ($140ish for their G2?) you can have a better blade for less, sometimes much less, think Zakuri, Fujiwarra, Tanaka, etc.
> But I am biased. I just don't dig Globals at all, the strange balance, that handle and forget trying to sharpen it as expressed above many a times.



I guess it depends on how someone uses their tools too. I would not consider my Tanaka mother in-law proof but a Global I would. Then again, the Fujiwara you mention is a great option for this and is what I use but in carbon. My mother in-law loves my FKH.


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## Xenif

But at the same time Globals go on sale (eg. Their 3pc Anniversary edition , was on sale for $149 CAD on black friday) , same goes for a the Henkels and Wustofs. People have that "wow those were like 400$ now $149!" mentality. 

And since 99+% of the people have never heard of of Tanaka or Fujiwara, or hell even of Masanoto, Misono, Masahiro


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## aaamax

Xenif said:


> But at the same time Globals go on sale (eg. Their 3pc Anniversary edition , was on sale for $149 CAD on black friday) , same goes for a the Henkels and Wustofs. People have that "wow those were like 400$ now $149!" mentality.
> 
> And since 99+% of the people have never heard of of Tanaka or Fujiwara, or hell even of Masanoto, Misono, Masahiro



So true and the funny (or sad I suppose) part is that often pro cooks think that I'm sporting homemade junk (I shiet you not) when I come in and unroll a Takeda or hell, any true J-blade as we know it, but especially a Takeda.
Global is still the reigning king in these parts for now.


----------



## LifeByA1000Cuts

@aamax Zakuri/Tanaka fill a different slot in the knife block (carbon steel with all its ups and downs) - the upgrade to a Global would be more likely something like a Tojiro DP or Ryusen VS ...


----------



## inferno

I sharpened 2 crap knives last week and they were way softer than 58. I would use a 1k and then a 2 to finish. done. takes 10 minutes at max. use high force/pressure to get things done. I like the shapton pros for this since they wear very slow and you dont have to waste "good stone" on sh1t knives.
I do however think these are fairly good stones though. 
If chipped go to diamond 3-400 or so before 1k


----------



## chiffonodd

Update: I finally got around to sharpening the global today. Deburring at 1K was a bit of a pain but no big deal really. Honestly the whole experience was pretty anticlimactic lol.


----------



## Benuser

Can imagine that...


----------



## daddy yo yo

Old thread, I know. I am supposed to sharpen old Globals. Read that it is not recommended to go higher than 1000. Also, 3M papers are recommended.

HRC_64 recommended “3m papers on flex-backing”. What do you mean by flex-backing?


----------



## Nemo

He means some kind of soft backing, like rubber or a mousepad. The soft backing induces a bit of convexity to the sharpening (the degree of which will be dependent on the pressure with which you sharpen and the give in the backing).

Some globals are known to have a convex edge and this is a way to reproduce it.


----------



## Dhoff

This thread killed me. I have no idea how to avoid using the abusing pull-through sharpener on my Globals until i can get them replaced xD


----------



## Bert2368

daddy yo yo said:


> Old thread, I know. I am supposed to sharpen old Globals.



Girlfriend has Globals, uses the oval Global diamond rod. Makes them into micro toothed food saws...

I sharpened them all for her, a Shapton glass 500 to correct what she had done to the bevels with the diamond rod, then I went as fine as a 2,000 Shapton pro, then stropped them. They shaved hair, sliced loosely hanging paper- And since they were then fairly smooth edged, not jaggedly "toothy" as she had been used to, she complained that I had made them dull?!

Yeah, sharpening at 1,000 is fine, you can strop them on a piece of newspaper afterwards. You can use many different methods to sharpen these and have them turn out better than no sharpening at all, just don't use an electric machine or in any way follow Ms. Roux's examples. 

I have seen hard up people sharpen knives on the bathroom's porcelain sink edge, the top edge of a car's door window, wet or dry carborundum sandpaper taped to a piece of window glass, all were better than NOTHING.


----------



## daddy yo yo

My aunt had these Globals for, don’t know, 15-20 years and has never (!) sharpened them. I sometimes cook for/with her when I visit her and found that these Globals are crap. They cut like the spine of my Jknives. Now I know why!


----------



## Bert2368

daddy yo yo said:


> My aunt had these Globals for, don’t know, 15-20 years and has never (!) sharpened them.



WARNING!!!

If your aunt has been cooking with that level of edge, she has certainly developed some muscle memory/knife handling habits which will be dangerous if you get her Global knives anything close to their potential "keenness".

I have sent two family members to the emergency room by sharpening their knives. After sharpening, I TOLD these ladies (my sister in the first incident of about 25 years ago, one of my 3 nieces just this month). I even posted a written warning on the niece's knife block.

Didn't matter. People develop BAD HABITS when they never use sharp knives.

Sister came home tired from work (RN, 12 hour shifts at the hospital). Without thinking, she picked up a Chicago cuttlery chef's knife and a bell pepper to start dinner. Held that pepper in her LEFT HAND while doing a PUSH CUT TOWARDS HER HAND. The knife sailed through the pepper, her skin, fat/muscle layers and then cut the flexor tendons of her left index and middle fingers before stopping on bone. She was out of work for over a month after the re-attachment surgery.

Tell your aunt about that before you leave her alone with the freshly sharpened knives.


----------



## daddy yo yo

Thanks for the warning. I will.


----------



## Benuser

Last time I sharpened a Global — a G2 I gave to a friend who loves cooking but is absolutely ignorant about knives — I had thinned it quite a bit, and put a 25 degrees one-sided micro- (or mini-)bevel on it with a 2k Chosera. Just as I did those days with soft carbons. Very, very light deburring on a 5k.
Later on, when I asked whether it wasn't time for a sharpening, she nodded and said: strange, it doesn't feel sharp at all, but flies through the food.


----------



## Knife2meatu

Benuser said:


> [...] I had thinned it quite a bit, and put a 25 degrees one-sided micro- (or mini-)bevel on it with a 2k Chosera. [...]


Do you perchance have an fairly accurate idea of how many thousandths you would thin to, before applying such a mini-bevel? I'd be interested in having a something to aim for next time, instead of just settling on something rather arbitrarily -- it wouldn't even much bother me if you yourself had settled on your thinness quite arbitrarily; I'm just looking to follow a bit of a recipe next time, I think.


----------



## galvaude

I sharpened a lot of Globals and they were my practice knives when learning to freehand sharpen. I view them like I view Victorinox, Henckels, Wusthof...

Over the years I have come to appreciate a very coarse edge on these knives and this is where they perform (well somewhat).

I set bevels and finish on a DMT Coarse. Very sharp and aggressive. Retention is not that bad. 

If the knife hasnt been sharpened much you will have to get rid of that stupid convex grind they come with, you will maybe have to thin.


----------



## Benuser

Rule of thumb I use for any steel: above the bevel, say immediately behind the edge 0.2mm thickness; at 5mm from there 0.5mm; at 10mm around 1mm.
These figures will assure a great performance. According to the type of steel, you put the edge on it the steel can take and hold. Even with a very conservative edge — say 45 degrees inclusive — performance won't suffer thanks to the thinness behind it.


----------



## Benuser

Knife2meatu said:


> Do you perchance have an fairly accurate idea of how many thousandths you would thin to, before applying such a mini-bevel? I'd be interested in having a something to aim for next time, instead of just settling on something rather arbitrarily -- it wouldn't even much bother me if you yourself had settled on your thinness quite arbitrarily; I'm just looking to follow a bit of a recipe next time, I think.


After said thinning I probably put my standard edge on it, right side convex ending at some 12 degrees, left side straight somewhere around 18 to compensate for steering. After that, cutting the micro-bevel, so that the thin geometry of the fine edge is maintained.


----------



## Knife2meatu

Very interesting indeed! 

Cheers


----------



## Cmfuen

Bert2368 said:


> I have sent two family members to the emergency room by sharpening their knives.



I am now going to steepen the edge of my mother’s favorite Kikuichi utility knife she insists on using for way too many tasks!


----------



## Dhoff

Any good instructional videos on how to thin a knife out there?


----------



## Benuser




----------



## Benuser

Start by removing the shoulder, where bevel and face meet. Next step is sharpening at the lowest angle you're comfortable with, thus creating a relief bevel. Verify your progression by looking at the scratch pattern, or use the marker trick. 
Further thinning implies pressing on the opposite side. See Mr Broida's videos.


----------



## HRC_64

when you take out the shoulder, just take care to not make a dead-flat in the grind cross section


----------



## Benuser

Easing the shoulders will take a few strokes only.


----------



## Dhoff

Thank you both. What grit would you recommend?


----------



## Benuser

My pleasure. For the shoulders any grit should do, 1k or lower. For further thinning take the coarsest you have. I use a 220 Shapton GS, followed by a Chosera 400.
Or use automotive sandpaper on linen, like Robert Bosch 'Metall', P120 to start with. Use hard rubber or soft wood as a backing. Only edge trailing. Stay away from the very edge or you may cause an overgrind.


----------



## Bert2368

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.


----------



## Benuser

Great write-up! Not that far from what I once proposed with Krupp's 4116 in the case of the common Victorinox, where the grain is larger than with Zwilling and Wüsthof: 400 Chosera — my coarsest one in those days, enough pressure, cleaning up and deburring by stropping on the green abrasive side of a Scotch household sponge. Done.
Problem is likely to be the same: big carbides and clogging of them in far too soft a matrix to hold them, resulting in edge instability at any angle.
Thanks, Bert!


----------



## DanielCoffey

For 17-yo Globals they are in pretty good condition. I am very impressed at your ingenuity!

Some of mine have lost metal near the heel due to my poor use of a MinoSharp. I have just got a set of King stones in 220/1000/6000 and will be looking at remedial work on them soon.

Any thoughts on how badly I have mangled my GS-5 and GSF-15?


----------



## Bert2368

DanielCoffey said:


> For 17-yo Globals they are in pretty good condition. I am very impressed at your ingenuity!
> 
> Some of mine have lost metal near the heel due to my poor use of a MinoSharp. I have just got a set of King stones in 220/1000/6000 and will be looking at remedial work on them soon.
> 
> Any thoughts on how badly I have mangled my GS-5 and GSF-15?



Hopefully you got a 400 mesh diamond plate to maintain the water stones? 

If so, start working the heel of the GSF-5 back into a smooth curve, eliminating that "reverse belly".

If not, you COULD use the 220 waterstone, but you'll probably dish or groove it with that kind of a major repair. Maybe start with 160 or 200 wet/dry sandpaper on a piece of glass? 

Or a WATER COOLED low speed grinder, if you have access?

Once the edge is reshaped to a nice, smooth, convex curve and the bevel along it is somewhat uniformed, proceed to the 1000 grit water stone, sharpen normally. Then strop, with or without compound, it will improve the edge a bit either way.

I wouldn't even bother with the 6,000, I tried a 5,000 on these knives and it made the edge smooth feeling, it sort of shaved hair a LITTLE better than what I just did with the soft Arkansas/paper & polish. 

But the finer stone's edge worked less well on meat or tomatoes, GF said I had made them "duller", she meant the edge was less toothy/grabby.

That poor little GF-15!

If you don't mind spending a LOT of time and shortening it a good bit, you could do much the same to return the edge to properly convex or at least straight.

I personally would do the primary reshape of the pareing knife on a medium grit stationary belt sander, slowly in very small steps to avoid overheating.

I would dip it in water to cool as soon as any heating was detected. Once the edge was in correct profile and the bevel roughly re-established, same 1,000 grit and stropping as the larger knife.


----------



## Benuser

I prefer a soft backing when using sandpaper, hard rubber or soft wood, to avoid facetting and have a smooth, convexed face.


----------



## vicv

I've never sharpened a global. Are they any different than a wustoff or henkels as sharpening difficulty? Because those knives are relatively easy. Not as easy as carbon but not bad. Just use the right equipment and don't start at 1000 grit. Start at around 200. Should take less than 5 minutes from very dull. I usually don't bother with Waterstones for these. I just use a crystolon. Or if I'm honest a belt sander to do the thinning then a crystolon fine to finish the edge


----------



## mhpr262

Bert2368 said:


> The knife sailed through the pepper, her skin, fat/muscle layers and then cut the flexor tendons of her left index and middle fingers before stopping on bone.



Good god I cringed reading that.


----------



## rick alen

A micro-bevel should provide everything a convex edge does. You can even convex the micro-bevel if you want. But thinning the edge down to .015"/.4mm, or a little less even, is going to make everything easier. And microbevel I find is the best way to remove the last remnants of a burr. Just strop it in on a clean stone. That is especially important when dealing with gummy-acting steels that easily pull a wire, you don't want loose grit.


----------



## zitangy

vicv said:


> I've never sharpened a global. Are they any different than a wustoff or henkels as sharpening difficulty? Because those knives are relatively easy. Not as easy as carbon but not bad. Just use the right equipment and don't start at 1000 grit. Start at around 200. Should take less than 5 minutes from very dull. I usually don't bother with Waterstones for these. I just use a crystolon. Or if I'm honest a belt sander to do the thinning then a crystolon fine to finish the edge



Just my experi3nce....i avoid going below 400grit for globals for the reason that if the striations are too deep with the 200 grit, i wld get just 1 tiny " micro chip" alomg the edge when i am done polishing.

double sure that i dont see it at 1000 grit


----------



## HRC_64

wet dry 3m paper #400 on a soft backing
... saves time and hassle and is cheap


----------



## vicv

I've never had that before happened. I do use quite light pressure though at the end


----------



## vicv

HRC_64 said:


> wet dry 3m paper #400 on a soft backing
> ... saves time and hassle and is cheap



I've never tried to soft backing like that before. But I've always found that paper wears out much too quickly. And I dislike doing trailing only Strokes


----------



## HRC_64

vicv said:


> I've never tried to soft backing like that before. But I've always found that paper wears out much too quickly.



The soft backing avoids pressure points, whereas 
if you sharpen a high-angle convex ege on flat stone you will wreck it,

unless you are very, very good...but in my experience
the global steel will facet on fast, hard stones 

The paper will last longer on a soft backing
because the lack of pressure points, also.

TLDR...globals aren't worth buying new stones,
and 3m papers work well and are cheap.


----------



## vicv

Fair. I use stones to sharpen my softer stainless knives . Usually oil stones. Or just a quick trip to the belt sander. Then I deburr on a paper wheel


----------



## rick alen

Interesting that Globals are just made from a totally 'nother kind of steel. I hope to never actually have to sharpen one.


----------



## Cyrilix

Benuser said:


> Start by removing the shoulder, where bevel and face meet. Next step is sharpening at the lowest angle you're comfortable with, thus creating a relief bevel. Verify your progression by looking at the scratch pattern, or use the marker trick.
> Further thinning implies pressing on the opposite side. See Mr Broida's videos.



Is there any reason to not just flatten out the primary bevel dead flat until thin enough and then work on re-convexing? Then lastly, redo the edge (secondary bevel).


----------



## Benuser

Cyrilix said:


> Is there any reason to not just flatten out the primary bevel dead flat until thin enough and then work on re-convexing? Then lastly, redo the edge (secondary bevel).


If you're familiar with the thinning process that is very well possible. In this case though I suggested to proceed by small steps.


----------



## HRC_64

Cyrilix said:


> Is there any reason to not just flatten out the primary bevel dead flat until thin enough and then work on re-convexing? Then lastly, redo the edge (secondary bevel).



The other issue (IMHO) with global is they don't have any shape in the gind...
all the convexity is on the edge, so if you lose it there, 
you are killing the knife's personality and how it cuts.

It doesn't have the harder, higher quality type steel to take super-steep and thing
edges, its just not how the knife is designed...it will be sharper but won't cut better
if that makes any sense (paper cuts vs food cuts, etc).

YMMV but that was my experience with it...more work, worse performance.


----------



## ModRQC

A most revealing thread. Thanks to all, I now know the knife I just bought is skilled sharpeners' worse nightmare.  I'm glad I didn't read that before buying... most discouraging! At the price I got it though, I still think it will serve me well, and fulfill its meaning - which is to get to know what I want, and what I don't want ever again. All I've ever handled are 30$ knives, I had to start somewhere. Learning to sharpen with the worse ever knife or so will make it worthwhile in the end when I'll come by easier blades. Will most probably destroy the G2 with ill sharpening along the way though lol. That should speed up the need to buy a decent edge, so I guess it wouldn't be that bad an outcome.


----------



## kayman67

Reading this, I wonder how the heck I could sharpen them just fine.


----------



## Carl Kotte

kayman67 said:


> Reading this, I wonder how the heck I could sharpen them just fine.



I hear you!


----------



## ModRQC

And... if I may ask... how the heck did you do it?


----------



## M1k3




----------



## ModRQC

What if I trust you guys more than I trust these guys?


----------



## M1k3

ModRQC said:


> What if I trust you guys more than I trust these guys?



¯\_(ツ)_/¯


----------



## kayman67

ModRQC said:


> And... if I may ask... how the heck did you do it?



Now I'm asking myself that.


----------



## ModRQC

If you could just have been a tad more specific...


----------



## ModRQC

supersayan3 said:


> I wasn't using the traditional method on the stones.
> I was using a diamond rod, best method if you have the feeling of how to use it,
> Or the diamond rod move, on a 1000 grit stone.
> On the stone it is a ***** to sharpen.
> I tried not to loose that fat convex, which is very effective and my favorite characteristic of the knife



This! Exactly...

I was about to post a thread, precisely that query: wouldn't a noob (NOT saying supersavan3 is) like myself be better to properly and dutifully hone the Global, and then lightly sharpen it from times to times using some med/fine grit... But then before doing so I knew that I had to check first, all chances were that someone had popped the question already... and someone had... and she refused, and it was a world of hurt and chaos...

But still... THIS.


----------



## inferno

I sharpened a global yesterday. It had a weird profile from being sharpened on one of these roller pull through sharpeners...

atoma 400, shapton pro 1k then 2k, done. took less than 10 minutes.

globals are 55hrc lol (measured by the catra lab).


----------



## ModRQC

So according to these not even the advertised 56-58...

Wow I've bought crap, didn't I?


----------



## ModRQC

Then again I have to receive that crap... and then again have to receive notification that I will get it. In the meanwhile... go Cuisinart!

Tonite the perfect mac' n' cheese with Croque-Monsieur... well I didn't want to build a bechamel for nothing. As I said once, I can make do with what I have; chiseled those onions right, and I can't see the Global not being better than what I have.


----------



## ModRQC

M1k3 said:


>




Tried to listen to it... it was only the same guy after all... and he's "Global" alright. In the absence of at least two different takes on the matter, I still rely more on you guys... Sophism of "authority" and all that... 

Edit: I guess it went bad when I saw him pop out the angle clip...


----------



## inferno

ModRQC said:


> So according to these not even the advertised 56-58...
> 
> Wow I've bought crap, didn't I?



its soft and tough like common german steel i guess. probably made for medium light abuse.


----------



## ModRQC

I'm all for no abuse... sigh... should have went true J. Should have paid more... should have, should have, should have... should have received notification on that order already.

Thanks inferno!


----------



## inferno

just use and be happy. resharpen when needed.


----------



## ModRQC

That last bit seeming so obvious to you all...


----------



## M1k3

ModRQC said:


> Tried to listen to it... it was only the same guy after all... and he's "Global" alright. In the absence of at least two different takes on the matter, I still rely more on you guys... Sophism of "authority" and all that...
> 
> Edit: I guess it went bad when I saw him pop out the angle clip...



But...but...but... it's Mr. Global!


----------



## Carl Kotte

M1k3 said:


> But...but...but... it's Mr. Global!



Yeah, and mr. Global rocks!!! [emoji41]


----------



## ModRQC

Rocks as in lacks of any stones, if not of whet ones....


----------



## Carl Kotte

ModRQC said:


> Rocks as in lacks of any stones, if not of whet ones....



As in ... Sammy Hagar! [emoji41][emoji41][emoji41]
*slowly backing away*


----------



## M1k3

Just wanted to say, Globals aren't bad (I personally can't stand the handles). There's definitely worse out there.


----------



## ModRQC

Thanks to both of you for your humorous input... and serious one too. I feel at bit better now, thanks to inferno too. 

Now if supersayan3 could have his/her input (sorry but I don't like to check profiles, if any concluding...).


----------



## M1k3

Just have fun. Sharpen however you like. Yes, it's made with a convex grind. So what? Yeah, it's not some 68+HRC S00PERST33L. So what. It'll do things that some other knife can't. It's like the Wusthof, Messermeister, F. Dick knives. Tough and works.


----------



## Midsummer

I bought some Globals after reading Anthony Bourdain's book "Kitchen Confidential". I had only had German steel knives prior to that and these were an improvement for me. I have given away some of the larger knives. I still sharpen them and the petty's I have around for some tasks. They do require more of my time to get an acceptable edge; but the people I sharpen them for tend to dull them pretty much before resharpening.


----------



## orangehero

My approach for these types of knives is diamond stones, you can leave a fairly acute secondary bevel (10-12°), and keep the edge toothy. 600 mesh grit (DMT diamond "FINE") is where I leave it. Try not to use them on ceramic plates or granite countertops if you make the secondary bevel acute. Otherwise beef up the bevel angle, maybe convex it with a multi angle treatment and blend the shoulders after. Strop a bunch until you get rid of the burr...unless you are really good and sensitive at working on the stones with light pressure and edge trailing. They are not gonna stay sharp for that long, but some regular touch ups on a ceramic hone will keep it going for a while.


----------



## DisconnectedAG

I don't know why people have such trouble sharpening globals. 


ModRQC said:


> So according to these not even the advertised 56-58...
> 
> Wow I've bought crap, didn't I?


No, they're not crap. They're not hand-made 63HRC ferraris, but they're one of the most consistent beaters in the industry, despite what people often complain about. And they're not that horrible to sharpen either and hold an edge reasonably, albeit not magically long.


----------



## kayman67

ModRQC said:


> If you could just have been a tad more specific...



They do behave more like a harder steel, but I haven't seen one worse over all these years, compared to similar stuff. For example AUS 8 will crumble much faster using the same aggressive approach. So I would say not too shabby. They will take a much keener edge compared to any traditional German knife and if done right, will hold it longer (not crazy lond, but definitely not gone after a few cuts). Some insight and knowledge towards this can be found here https://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/threads/stropping-on-medium-grit-stones.43483/ and the idea is important, as the means might differ. 
The problems I've had with Globals were related to handle and grip. But I actually had a newer model to sharpen now and it's quite different. The grip is different. The balance is different for its size (some will enjoy the benefits of that blade heavy approach on purpose, although it didn't feel blade heavy as others do), the grind is different (definitely not convex, but with V bevels like a high flat at obviously much lower scale). And compared to the Zwilling counterparts I had as well, it was much nicer while cutting vegetables. It just felt better and effortless. 

Since I encountered no sharpening issues with any of them in the past, I just can't say what's so special. Just the usual edge development specific to a knife and usage scenario. I think I've said this before. If you do hammer/nail sharpening, some knives might not be nails. There isn't one thing fits all, the rest is garbage. This translates in usage as well. And with anything, more people that don't like something will say so as opposed to people that do, making small problems seem much bigger than they really are.


----------



## ModRQC

All this being why I bought it after all. Had some good comments on it going on, but it seemed the sharpening was not easy. All of your insights are really appreciated. Last two posts are soothing, and I'm taking in and slowly digesting all approaches listed here. 

I do think. hence why I bought it, that with my kind of use, careful honing and some touch-ups would do the trick for a long while... I've brought a couple of cheap knives back into action by honing properly with one of the cheapest steel rod on the market. A Cuisinart santoku is actually my leading edge since a couple of weeks, and it was crap when I found it in a drawer. It still wedges a bit in inline roots cutting of an onion but then I can do any thickness parallel cuts and it just melts through the onion the way my almost brand new Cuisinart Chef's knife cannot... this of course because the edge, shoulders and spine are about a third of the thickness of their Chef's knives. But still at first it was just wedging everywhere while not cutting all that much. It needs a resharpening, but honing it correctly with its thinness helps in a way I was not anticipating for. 

Hence why I was shying away of most German Chef edges and design, often much too thick to do a good job on finer cuts. I was hoping the Global was the best in between before I get to know how much I want of this and how much I want of that and how very much I despise of other aspects. Groping in the dark here. Will figure it out and the Global will help me do that better than a Wusthof or else would have done. And just can't wait to mess around with the Victorinox rosewood santoku either. I thing I'm expecting that one even more to be honest. Fell in love with the Santokus since I had that cheap ceramic one that I still use for blunt thin cuts (say cutting bread into breadcrumbs) now that its duller than an afternoon TV show...


----------



## ModRQC

*best unexpensive*.... I still regret that MAC weren't offering some kind of equivalent bargain on the MTH-80. This was the knife I wanted as an in between... but its price here in CA is more expensive than some really good entry level J blades. Such a price I could have paid for, but didn't think it was reasonable to do just yet.


----------



## HRC_64

AFAIK Globals first became popular because they out-cut german knives with sharpness + ootb edge geometry.

Maybe its a nuance to some, but this "wow" factor is worth keeping 
and alot easier if you can manage the ootb geometry.

OFC all of this is relative, more in the context of head to head with a wustie or victorinox, etc.
But alot of work in the world gets done with those three styles of knive still i'm sure.


----------



## 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.


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## 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.


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## 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.


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## Marek07

ModRQC said:


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


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


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## Bert2368

ModRQC said:


> 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...


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## Bert2368

There. Knew it was around here somewhere...



Bert2368 said:


> 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.


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## 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.


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## ModRQC

Bert2368 said:


> There. Knew it was around here somewhere...



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


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## ModRQC

inferno said:


> 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.


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## 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.


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