Thread: Sharpness potential of lesser steel

Originally Posted by Tiger

Is it possible to sharpen lower grades of steel to razor sharpness? Now I know they won't hold an edge but can they be sharpened so they can make just one cut? I am primarily thinking of some kitchen stainless knives and cheap Chinese chisels. I've had reasonable success with better quality chisels but just wondering whether you can do anything at all with cheap tools/knives, maybe there's a different technique that can be used with them.

Nope - the metal grain sizes on cheaper and softer steels are usually too large and or the metal is too soft so that a fine edge does not even form - as soon as the edge gets close to being sharp bits of metal just tear away in shards rather than tiny crystals leaving a ragged edge (especially so for most stainless) it might even cut a few slices of tomato or bread but then the ragged edges round over and it's blunt. On some metals where you can get a fine edge the razor edge usually breaks within the first half mm of the cut and then it's gone.

I doubt that you could do anything with the SS knives, but you could try re-tempering the chisels. The latter may either be too hard (= chipping) or too soft (= folding). Yell out if you need help with the re-hardening.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Gad, Bob, we posted at exactly the same time!

It's worth a try with the chisels - nothing to lose (the factory may just have skimped on quality control when tempering) - but I fear you are right.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Originally Posted by derekcohen

Gad, Bob, we posted at exactly the same time!

G'day Derek, Funny how that happens!

It's worth a try with the chisels - nothing to lose (the factory may just have skimped on quality control when tempering) - but I fear you are right.

Nothing to lose except the steel might not even be able to be heat treated in a conventional manner.

Thanks, Bob and Derek. All my wives knives are stainless, with time and care I can get some of them to shaving sharpness but others are just an exercise in frustration.

I'll tell the wife that she should get better knives, any recommendations?

Originally Posted by Tiger

Thanks, Bob and Derek. All my wives knives are stainless, with time and care I can get some of them to shaving sharpness but others are just an exercise in frustration.

I'll tell the wife that she should get better knives, any recommendations?

Are you a Mormon?

Originally Posted by Tiger

I'll tell the wife that she should get better knives, any recommendations?

Take up knife making, good quality blanks are available in Australia and there is a certain satisfaction in putting a well balanced knife together. Google knife making supplies.

Originally Posted by Woodwould

Are you a Mormon?

Took me a while. Very good.

Originally Posted by Woodwould

Are you a Mormon?

Not last time I looked.

Tiger look here AKC's Australian Knifemaking Supplies

Or wait for a sale and buy a block of Mundial knives. Around $160.

They're made in Brazil and are none the worse for that.

We have a his and hers set ... I can't abide the way the +1 treats knives so I bought my own.