Thread: Japanese knives.

While I think any woodworker should or would have some sharpening stones, there are alternatives about.

My partner needs a simpler solution for her garden variety knives and my son wants to look at options so I got in one of these to evaluate. A diamond version is also available. Will let you know how it goes.

I think it worth the time and effort to learn how to sharpen a knife or any other fine cutting implement on a stone by hand. You just cannot get the same level of sharpness (for lack of a better word) on a machine. I think you need to be able to feel the knife and know exactly what is going on. If you just use a machine and know that 30 sec on this side and 30 sec on that side will give me a good edge then you will never understand exactly what you are doing and you will never achieve that fine edge.
When I was working in the meat industry I sharpened my knives by hand every night and I always had a sharp knife at work. I could and still can feel a knife and know how sharp it is and how much abuse it has had.

Sorry but this is the way I was taught and believe but I guess what ever works for you.

I agree, but you need to get a start.

I wasn't advocating a machine and as posted, found the Tormek treacherous but that was just my ham-fistedness I reckon.

For years I used a dual grit oilstone and that worked for me. Till I got the Nakiri and Shun Santoku and discovered what a sharp knife could be

My oilstone technique wasn't going to work with the Nakiri and it was and is such a beautiful knife I didn't want to muck it up with further ham-fistedness. But as Neil says, it pays just to have a go; it can always be fixed up. Pays to have someone beside you when you have that go.

Thank you very much for the replies and encouragment. I am not rpelying to everything as I haven't anything to add just yet, but I am reading and appreciate the help.

These knives have been growing on me and I just scored a 160mm 'petty' knife on ebay from 330_mate again. Same maker as my Nakiri it looks like. Tanaka Miki Japan. VG10 steel, horn collar, wood handle.

Last night I had a go with the Lansky sharpening system on a 6" French cooks knife. Irritating and fiddly so I dropped the guide system and just used the stones freehand. OK, I was impatient and will find more time to approach it as a novice might. Whatever the case, the coarsest stone did a good job of removing steel.

Hi Ern,

Well done. You're starting to get a collection. I am still happy with freehand sharpening for my knives also.

Cheers
Pops

Yeah, as earlier posts showed, I didn't have much confidence in freehanding but have been learning.

Using the Japanese knives alongside the Western set really shows the difference. OK, the included bevel angles are rather different so perhaps it's not a fair test.

But I'm learning to appreciate what Neil has said in this thread.

Maybe a Sushi knife in due course.

Originally Posted by rsser

.... just scored a 160mm 'petty' knife on ebay from 330_mate again.

Those Kuro-uchi petite knives are a handy size. My wife prefers that size for most tasks and I use ours for some tasks like trimming fat from meat.

Originally Posted by rsser

Maybe a Sushi knife in due course.

Perhaps blue steel for your next knife, Ern. Requires just a bit more care and time to sharpen but once sharp it will stay that way for many times more than VG10. White steel is a fraction cheaper and will sharpen more readily to an even sharper edge, but not hold the edge as long. And the other thing with white steel is that it has to be made by a top blacksmith, the tempering process requiring far more precision.

I can recommend blacksmith Wantanabe. His knives are expensive, but cheaper than comparable quality Japanese knives.

A series of YouTube video on sharpening a Japanese knife starts here [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dajmdorSSjA&NR=1"]here[/ame]. I had to strain to pick up his English but his technique is clear from just watching.

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Thanks Neil. That's very helpful.

So is it right to say he's shaping a rounded 'bevel' there?

(PS by Sushi I meant Shashimi. Really only out of interest. I have a flexible Western filleting knife that I use to bone a roast leg of lamb before carving and it does well at that. A bit tricky to sharpen though with its S shaped edge.)

Guys ,
Robin Wood has just returned from a two week work trip in Japan , and had posted some good info on tools on his Blog site.

His wife Nicola has the background to the event on her site

Originally Posted by Manuka Jock

Robin Wood .... on his Blog site.

Found it:

http://greenwood-carving.blogspot.com/

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Originally Posted by NeilS

Found it:

Robin Wood

.

Very interesting read, thanks Jock

Seeing all those chouna, mibiki and axes together makes my tool envy quite elevated.

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Ain't that the truth

The gentleman from ebay never replied to any of my emails so I never got my knife.

I continue to read this thread with interest.