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Results Oriented - Not Equipment Nor Protocol Specific

The report shows (with the caveat below) good Cutting Edge Retention ("CER") is not equipment dependent - good CER values was achieved with three different pieces of equipment. Also, KnifeGrinder's protocols are not the only way to achieve good CER. That's why on page 25, under Conclusions, I stated, "Experiment"!

The caveat is that guided sharpening (knife clamped + guide bar) achieved much higher CER values than those that did not (sharpeners PB, WK, OA, and KH). In KGA Variation #1 (page 14), half a degree angle made a noticeable difference to CER values.

I posted somewhere else last week that I helped a commercial fisherman get his knives from around 265 BESS to around 95 BESS by deburring at .5 degree higher than the 15º angle.

Assuming a 2"/50.8mm tall knife blade (from knife edge to the spine), 15º means the spine is .518" / 13.15mm above the cutting board. 15.5º means the spine is .534" / 13.58 mm above the cutting board.

Can a human accurately and repeatedly shift from 15º to 15.5º, even with years of training one's muscle memory? I don't know. I know that I can't. After all, the difference above the cutting board is only .016" / .43mm, or 1/64".

With the fisherman's skinny Frost fillet knives (only .625" / 16mm high), I would argue the height difference between 15º and 15.5º is humanly imperceptible.

Using knife clamps and guide bars, such as on a Tormek T3, T4, T7 or T8, takes longer. But it's safer and easier to learn.  Plus, better CER values means you can justify charging more. In the end, what market do you want to be? The lower-end market, or the premium sharpening (term coined by Paul at Alexandria Knife Sharpening - go check out his YouTube Channel) market?

Next Week: What is the K-Shaped Economy?

In 2025 I sent 25 knives (Mercer, Victorinox, and Global) to the Cutlery and Allied Trades Research Association ("CATRA") in Sheffield, England for Initial Cutting Performance ("ICP") and Cutting Edge Retention ("CER") testing under International Standards Organisation ("ISO") BS EN 8442-5, or, "Specification for sharpness and edge retention test of cutlery".

This was Knife Grinders of Australia ("KGA") Vadim Kraichuk's next project, according to his web site.

Sharpening and deburring were done either by me (BeSharp Sharpening) using KGA protocols (or variations thereof), or by four commercial sharpeners using their own protocols.

Higher CER values indicates longer edge retention. Using KGA's recommended protocols resulted in CER averaging 2.45 times longer than those four commercial sharpeners. It is also 2.66 times longer than the ISO 8442-5 mandated minimum CER. This is outstanding, considering three out of four knives sharpened and deburred by two of the four commercial sharpeners failed ISO 8442-5.

CER also depends on the steel used. Using KGA's recommended protocols, Mercer knives (X30Cr13 steel) lasted 19% less than Victorinox knives with X38CrMo14 steel. Global knives (CroMoVa18 steel) lasted 23% longer than Victorinox. Put another way, Globals lasted 46% longer than Mercers.

The KGA protocol was successfully varied in two ways to be faster and be cheaper. CER did not depend so much on the type of machine, but on the deburring method. One method that gave very good CER was with a Tormek T8, then deburring with the CW-220 Composite Honing Wheel with the guide bar height set for honing with the KS-123 Knife Angle Setter.

Download the 36-page report at my blog on my website: https://be-sharp.io/2026/01/09/catra-testing-cutting-edge-retention-bess-knife-grinders-australia/

Eric Ho
BeSharp Sharpening
Richmond, B.C., Canada
www.be-sharp.ioYou cannot view this attachment.

Does anyone know of Magnacut chef knives ? Ideally a japanese yo-gyutou or the like... I couldn't find any, only pocket knives...

North Arm Knives here in Vancouver, BC, Canada makes kitchen knives out of Magnacut. Stumbled across them from sharpening some for a customer.

https://northarmknives.com/product/alder-8-inch-chefs-knife/#description

Anyone contemplating a 1 x 30 Harbour Freight (or equivalent) with a sewing machine motor - very popular on YouTube these days - consider this instead. IMHO, it's superior because the Viel accessory mount allows you to attach Viel accessories for sharpening kitchen & garden scissors, etc. It's also more compact.

Fun fact: Viel was a high school shop teacher in Quebec. After a few years, he did so well that he retired from teaching.

As I am in Canada, when I built mine, Viel sent me the modified pulley via Canada Post.

Ken, you are terrific too. All that work as a volunteer .., for that, I am thankful.

The updated Tormek Hand Tool Kit has only the new KJ-45 and KJ-140. Looks like they have discontinued the old jigs...

https://tormek.com/en/products/kits/htk-806-hand-tool-kit

Good morning dear members,

Mr. Vadim of Knifegrinders in his excellent book, gives examples of grinding routines. Among these, he assumes "paper wheels with autosol'.
But if you only have a Tormek, can you assume a 'leather wheel with Tormek paste'?

If not, what is the best alternative, if you don't work with paper wheels?

Wim

The main assett to paper wheels is speed, not better sharpness.

As I recall, he recommended:

- for low quality steel (no 1,000 grit wheel): green rouge (5-10 microns)
- for medium quality steel: (1,000 grit wheel use): Autosol (3-5 microns)
- for high quality steel & supersteels: diamond pastes, 10 microns to .5 microns

Great. Fast shipping, good communications, cheap prices. I've ordered 4 times from them, I think.

I'm 5'6" and my bench height is 24.5" for a T-7 and 25.75" for a T-7 set up for edge trailing with a FVB.

Thanks, Rich! I will also add it to my drill bit jig.

Tormek recommends using the narrower jig unless the blade flexes.

John, good for you!

It seems like bolsters on kitchen knives are a design fault which discourages repeat sharpening.

It's a safety feature to prevent the fingers from touching the blade. Probably invented by the Germans? (HYenckels, Wusthof...)

Tighten the bolt and nut so that the jaws stop from just gravity about halfway.

I recall from somewhere Tormek saying a 500 Watt inverter should do the job.