Topic: Edge angle on thin blades

[BradGE]

I’ve been sharpening a few Victorianox blades recently that are very thin (0.6mm behind the edge).  I would normally use 15 or 20dps but I’ve been disappointed with the sharpness I’ve been achieving.  It could be that I need to optimise my honing more, but I was wondering also if such a thin blade would be better suited to a narrower edge (10-12 dps)?  Maybe there isn’t enough ‘room’ for 20dps?

Thanks in advance for any advice...

[john.jcb]

My favorite knife for breaking down large pieces of meat is the one from Victorinox. I use 13° for grinding and 14.5° per side for honing on the leather wheel. It maintains an edge quite well in my kitchen.

https://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Boning-Straight-Narrow-Rosewood/dp/B000MF0Y1I/ref=sr_1_10?dchild=1&keywords=victorinox+wood+handle+filet&qid=1599744007&sr=8-10

[cbwx34]

I’ve been sharpening a few Victorianox blades recently that are very thin (0.6mm behind the edge).  I would normally use 15 or 20dps but I’ve been disappointed with the sharpness I’ve been achieving.  It could be that I need to optimise my honing more, but I was wondering also if such a thin blade would be better suited to a narrower edge (10-12 dps)?  Maybe there isn’t enough ‘room’ for 20dps?

Thanks in advance for any advice...

My answer is... why not try it on one, and see if it works for you?  That's the beauty of sharpening your own knives.  If it fails, you can always add a higher bevel back, with little issue.

It will also help tell if it's the angle or a honing issue you need to work on.

I say, give it a try!

[john.jcb]

Brad, I agree with cbwx34 that trying alternate angles is a good experiment.

How are you assessing your knife's sharpness?

Honing technique can lead to knives that are not as sharp as we like. If you are honing freehand your skill and technique will impact the final sharpness. At 15° or 20° per side you should be able to achieve extremely sharp edges. Reducing the angle won't on its own make a knife sharper if your honing technique has not been perfected. For most of my customers I sharpen at the manufacturer's angle. Knife handling is not most people's strong point so more material behind the apex helps reduce chipping. If you go down to 10° you will need to be extremely careful as chipping will be a problem. I only use guided honing and it produces far more consistently sharp edges.

[kwakster]

0.6 mm isn't exactly thin behind the edge, and this might even be part of the problem.
If you're not overly attached to your knives current appearance you might consider a slightly convex regrind (this can also be done by hand using wet & dry SiC paper on glass), and then use a microbevel for the actual edge at ~30 inclusive/ 15 degrees per side, for instance on Spyderco medium or fine sticks.
Not only will the difference in cutting performance be dramatic, touch-ups will also be very fast & easy.

Most of my kitchen knives & peelers in softer steel are done this way, and the ones who still have a standard edge are ~0.2 mm behind the edge.

[BradGE]

Thank you all - some good advice and tips here.