# What is your ideal angle for sharpening gyutos?



## bechler (Dec 14, 2012)

Been playing around with angles on different knives and just curious what others prefer.


----------



## Benuser (Dec 14, 2012)

Most will end up with some 10-12 degree right, 15-16 left. If you've set a good convex relief bevel right it isn't that important, really.


----------



## kalaeb (Dec 14, 2012)

I am dont know the exact angles I use. I would guess in the range of 12-14 degrees. Sujis are a little less, prob 10-12.


----------



## Mingooch (Dec 14, 2012)

If it has a high HRC 62+ I can usually aim for 11 deg per side and it will hold pretty well. I go closer to 12-13 if it is closer to 60 HRC


----------



## RRLOVER (Dec 14, 2012)

I have settled on 16-18*.......I used to do the 10-12* but I feel at that angle the edge degrades quickly and you end up sharpening more often.


----------



## RRLOVER (Dec 14, 2012)

RRLOVER said:


> I have settled on 16-18*.......I used to do the 10-12* but I feel at that angle the edge degrades quickly and you end up sharpening more often.



Correction....I just busted out my wixey and I am at 14-16*


----------



## tk59 (Dec 15, 2012)

Benuser said:


> Most will end up with some 10-12 degree right, 15-16 left. If you've set a good convex relief bevel right it isn't that important, really.


Pretty much this but it does vary with the steel.


----------



## bechler (Dec 15, 2012)

Convex relief bevel?


----------



## Benuser (Dec 15, 2012)

bechler said:


> Convex relief bevel?


indeed, on the right side, in line with the convex blade. This applies to double bevelled J-knives, with a convex right side and a flat left one.


----------



## bechler (Dec 15, 2012)

Right, I wasnt sure if he meant that he sharpened the knife differently to achieve a convex relief bevel.


----------



## Cadillac J (Dec 15, 2012)

My gyutos are probably about 10 degrees per side with usually a 90/10 or 80/20 asymmetry.


----------



## Keith Neal (Dec 15, 2012)

RRLOVER said:


> Correction....I just busted out my wixey and I am at 14-16*



How do you measure the edge bevel angle with a Wixey? I would like to check my gyutos but don't know how to check them accurately.


----------



## RRLOVER (Dec 15, 2012)

Keith Neal said:


> How do you measure the edge bevel angle with a Wixey? I would like to check my gyutos but don't know how to check them accurately.



I use a wixey digital angle finder.You zero it on the stone then place it on the blade.A very useful tool,I would be lost without it.


----------



## tk59 (Dec 16, 2012)

bechler said:


> Right, I wasnt sure if he meant that he sharpened the knife differently to achieve a convex relief bevel.


Sometimes I'll sharpen at less acute angles or put a microbevel on a knife if the edge doesn't hold adequately.


----------



## bieniek (Dec 16, 2012)

I dont microbevel my edges and as a matter of fact i often eat fruits of that. 

Depends whats your preference. 
Some time ago I made thread about the difference in sharpness versus different sharpening angles. Conclusion was it does very little. 

Since then I made up my mind and I think its not the sharpness but how the edge behaves with different angles. Or how you perceive it. 

Just test, test, should not take more than 3 months, and find what angle fits you, or the feedback when cutting you like. 
Some people like sharp but not so sharp, if you know what i mean. 

Why would that be ill in any way?


----------



## stevenStefano (Dec 16, 2012)

I'd say my angle is fairly low, below 15 at least, not quite sure how low. I've tried higher angles but I prefer my own, I prefer the better cutting and I don't think making it higher improves the edge retention enough to make it worthwhile. Everyone has "their own" angle


----------



## Doug8066 (Dec 18, 2012)

Lots of different answers, but the common factor is about 12 - 15 degrees. Myself, I use about 14 - 15 degrees. 
IMHO - it's just NOT crtitical the exact edge angle.
If the edge is really sharp, it will cut beautifully, and you would not know the difference between a 13 degree or 16 degree edge, Edge sharpness is what counts.
Aim for a 0.5 to 1.0 Micron edge. That is a really killer edge that you can get by using a CrO on leather strop, or a 3M PSA 0.3 micron strop. Check Dave Martell's videos for more detail.
Good Luck
Kiwi Doug:biggrin:


----------



## Lefty (Dec 18, 2012)

No idea. Based on some chart that calculated based on your blade height and mm's off the stone, I was something like 12-14, but I honestly don't remember or really care. My angle is that it doesn't matter too much, as long as you have a thin blade BTE and a smooth transition from edge to face.


----------



## andygraybeal (Dec 18, 2012)

Lefty said:


> No idea. Based on some chart that calculated based on your blade height and mm's off the stone, I was something like 12-14, but I honestly don't remember or really care. My angle is that it doesn't matter too much, as long as you have a thin blade BTE and a smooth transition from edge to face.



Lefty, what does BTE mean?


----------



## adletson (Dec 18, 2012)

Behind the edge.


----------



## NO ChoP! (Dec 18, 2012)

Different knives, different angles. A knife used for root veg, squash, etc... 18'ish. A laser used for brunoise...9'ish. An all around prep machine...14'ish. A protein slicer....12'ish.

I have different knives with different angles, that I use for different tasks.

And as far as knowing what angle I'm at. Simply knowing a 15 degree angle, and estimating off that works for me.


----------



## Lefty (Dec 18, 2012)

In my experience, lasers are only I need of tiny bevels, because of how thin they already are. Maybe it's just me, but somewhere along the lines, I developed into a "small bevel sharpener". Jon, is this your doing?


----------



## bechler (Dec 20, 2012)

Do you find that when you sharpen at a lower angle you get a much larger bevel? I've been playing around with trying to minimize bevel size while keeping my angle around 16-18. It seems the lower angle you go the larger the bevel


----------



## NO ChoP! (Dec 20, 2012)

A ten degree angle on a Konosuke is pretty small....

I think I once had steeper than that on a thinned Takeda, it too was a small bevel.


----------



## panda (Dec 21, 2012)

i like 15 deg 50/50


----------



## EdipisReks (Dec 21, 2012)

panda said:


> i like 15 deg 50/50



that's going to mess up the geometry on a lot of gyutos awful quick.


----------



## bechler (Dec 21, 2012)

Interesting. Any tips on getting as small of a bevel as possible?


----------



## Benuser (Dec 21, 2012)

bechler said:


> Interesting. Any tips on getting as small of a bevel as possible?


thinning behind the edge! My bevels are barely visible.


----------



## Benuser (Dec 21, 2012)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twP_05UEHIM&list=PLEBF55079F53216AB


----------



## CompE (Dec 21, 2012)

I don't even keep a consistent angle along the entire edge. I make a couple of inches near the tip slightly more acute than the rest of the blade, and I make the last inch by the heel a little more obtuse. The tip is a little extra sharp and the heel is a little extra sturdy. When I first started that happened by accident and I found that I like it that way.


----------



## Benuser (Dec 22, 2012)

I like some differentiation as well. A dead flat section with a sturdy symmetric edge - à la française - near the heel. Son Allison suggested somewhere to rather strengthen the tip somewhat because it has so much contact with the board.


----------

