Tormek Community Forum

In the Shop => Knife Sharpening => Topic started by: Scotty on April 28, 2020, 04:52:30 PM

Title: Problem steel or crappy grinding
Post by: Scotty on April 28, 2020, 04:52:30 PM
I have been sharpening knives for friends and family for a while, consistently producing sub100 BESS blades.
I have encountered a set of cheap "Stainless China" steak knives that are making me crazy.
They had blades that were semi serrated on one side. Complaint was that they were tearing the meat, not slicing it.
I have encountered similar blade before and taken the "serrations" off with a belt then sharpened them per usual on the Tormek with very good results.
On these "blades from hell" I cannot get any sort of edge.
I have tried different angles, honing at a slightly greater and lesser angles
I have been using Wootz's angle control and a T4 220/1000, leather wheel and paper wheel with diamond paste
I believe I have encountered the only known set of knives made from unobtanium.
Open to any suggestions.
Thanks
Title: Re: Problem steel or crappy grinding
Post by: John_B on April 28, 2020, 06:02:37 PM
In Vadim's book on deburring he briefly discusses knives like this. What is happening is that because of the steel's properties you are not able to properly hone the burr. Instead of honing it away it in eseence flops to the other side. This is extremely frustrating and there is little you can do. The best thing I have found is to minimize the burr when you are sharpening. Not the best solution but it will help some.
Title: Re: Problem steel or crappy grinding
Post by: wootz on April 28, 2020, 11:52:39 PM
"made from unobtanium" ;D

Approach to low carbon and low hardness knife steel is to NOT to use fine grinding wheel and polishing, and NOT to put an acute angle, as explained in our video https://youtu.be/t4df0tWH4kY (https://youtu.be/t4df0tWH4kY)

Scotty, your mistake is that you did this knife on the #1000 grinding wheel, and honed it on the fine paper wheel. This produces weak apex and that flimsy burr that is next to impossible to get rid of.
You  can try sharpening it on your coarse wheel #220 at 15 dps, and deburring at 17.5 degree on Tormek leather wheel with the Tormek honing paste. This should give you a reasonably stable apex of <= 150 BESS.
Title: Re: Problem steel or crappy grinding
Post by: Scotty on April 29, 2020, 11:38:40 AM
Thanks to all