How sharp could it be?

Kalach,

There's an awful lot of "it depends" inherent in your questions. We could nail it down a little bit with more specifics, but general answers are probably good enough.

The knife came out of the box sharpened at around a 20* edge angle on both sides (40* included) with 50/50 symmetry. For light use, it can be sharpened to a 15* edge angle on both sides, and hold it pretty well. The best part about a Forschner chef's is its thinness, and a 15* bevel enhances that tremendously.

But for working the line, 15* might collapse a little too easily -- even if you're working on wood boards. If you're sharpening with some system that gives you fine control of angles, I'd try 17*; but if you're a freehand sharpener like me, shoot for 15* and see how it goes. If you're working on poly or some other form of synthetic board just stay with 20*.

There's a limit to how much polish the blade alloy (X50CrMo15) will hold, and it's not much higher than an "ideal" meat cutting grit level. I'd say a typical 5000# JIS is a little on the high side, but 2000# is a little low. But anywhere in that range should work pretty well. If you've got a 1K/6K combination stone, don't bother throwing it away. 6K is nice, but it won't last long.

On the other hand, using something like a Norton fine India as your finest stone will be okay if you like a knife with a lot of bite.

Grooves or no grooves, you don't want to take the knife to an aggressive rod-hone (aka "steel'). But you should have a steel in your kit since the Forschner's biggest edge flaw is its tendency to go out of true. Fine, extra-fine, ultra-fine, smooth are okay; and in your situation, I'd probably go for a fine ceramic (I like the Idahone hugely, but don't know about finding it in Oz) or a Forschner "fine". Forget medium, "diamond hone" or anything at all aggressive. You're right about them eating up the knife.

So will bad steeling technique. If you hear the knife "clang" on the steel, you're doing it wrong; same angle as the one you sharpen at; four or five strokes per side, max.

If you get more than two years on the line with a Forschner Chef's you're probably not sharpening frequently enough. If you're carrying a typical work load you should be steeling at least three or four times a night, and hitting the stones twice or thrice a week at minimum.

Good luck,
BDL

Improved sharpening skills is a great answer to almost every knife question. Heaven knows most of us have plenty of room.

Out of idle curiousity, what sort of sharpening techniques and kit do you use?

BDL

The bowing/misshaping is cused by bad technique (only "sharpening' the middle of the blade), enhanced by very coarse stones, compounded by suing a "dished" or "hollowed" stone and probably using power equipent can be factored in as well.

For some, sharpeining is a Zen, others a slippery slope that has no end, and for others, a task that should only be done when neccesary and only as long as required. Basically, there are as many opinions on sharpening as people.....

For many people (myself included) the best way to start is with a "jig" or device that either holds the knife at the required bevel or the stone at the required bevel. This ensures a consistant bevel.


"Freehand" sharpening requires experience, and the best way to start is with a p.o.s. (piece of...) knife. For workhorse knives a 22-25 bevel is perfectly acceptable. For fine, delicate work 12-18 degrees is great, BUT this knife should ONLY be reserved for fine delicate work--no chickens or squashes.


One of the few rules that everyone can agree on, is that the finer the abrasive you use, the longer your edge will last. (provided it isn't abused)

Coarse grits (from 250 to 800) are ONLY used to reshape the knife (broken tip, big chips, etc). Ranges from 1000-3000 grit are perfect for re-establishing the bevel, and ranges from 4000 to 30,000 are for polishing.

The finer the grit, the shallower and fewer scratches the abrasive leaves on the blade, and therfore the edge lasts longer.

Your choice on abrasives, each type has it's pros and cons.

Hope this helps

I currently use the Forschners both Fibrox and Rosewood. BDL is spot on about the frequency of steeling, types of steels as well as trips to the stone for a busy kitchen. I carry a combo soft-hard Arkansas 8" stone in my knife roll for work so when I am slow I can touch up my most used edges while getting
paid for it. The stone you have sounds like one that would be good for profiling and repair but you can still take this soft steel up to a finer edge.
I use the Norton synthetic stones Course- Fine Crystolon (Carborundum) and there India stone (Aluminum Oxide) in course-fine for re-profiling and repair work
with the India fine giving you a toothy but very workable edge for the kitchen.
I myself like a little more polish so I go to a soft-hard Arky or a soft-surgical black one for my finisher. There are many types of stones out there which will get you more polish than your current one with a lot of people here who are very up to date on them.
Stay sharp, Doug...........

Chefboy -- Dayum! Do we look like one another too? Or just brothers from other mothers? The only thing we come close to disagreeing about is that with my synthetic Nortons I stay away from Crystolon (silicon carbide) and stick with India (aluminum oxide), entirely. If, for some reason, I wanted SiC, I'd spend the stupid extra money (more than double!) for Razor Edge "hones." But IMO, the Indias are better and four oilstones are enough. Know when to say when, as they say.

I don't have a "hard" Ark, but feel the soft takes a Forschner up to a near optimum finish, while a good surgical black (Hall's) is more than it can hold. Hard should be about perfect.
_________________________

Kalach -- No. Or at least mostly no. If, like me, you use a different stroke and pressure for polishing than you do for profiling and sharpening -- then you can get some benefit out of polishing your current knives in the form of practice. Otherwise, it's not worth the trouble.

You didn't say whether your combi was an oilstone, diamond stone, ceramic, or waterstone. Let us know. Whatever it is, we may be able to help you make it more efficient. Also, which grit levels if you please.

FWIW, I use what I call a "W" stroke for profiling, repairing and sharpening, but not polishing. It's a slightly modified version of Murray Carter's up and down sectioning stroke; and the "W" should be enough for you to figure out how the knife moves up and down the stone.

For repairing, profiling and sharpening, try to work at a sufficiently slow rate where you can be very sure of controlling your angles. Use a light to moderate pressure just the tiniest bit more forceful than "letting the weight of the blade do the work."

In the interests of full disclosure: With the "W" I also use far more speed and a lot more pressure than you should.

BDL

Kalach, if your in Sydney, you could always sign up for the sharpening workshop that they do at Chefs Armoury. These guys will take you through the japanese sharpening techniques. Also as a Aus chef, the cost is a tax deduction.

This is their website: Japanese food, Japanese knives, Knife Sharpening - from Chef's Armoury

worth a look.

Kal,

I'm a huge fan of the MAC Pro as you probably already know. There are several knives in more or less the same value group when you consider performance and US prices. However, I don't know enough about prices in Oz to make meaningful comparisons.

Anyway, staying with stainless, in alphabetical order you might want to consider: Masamoto VG, Sakai Takayuki Grand Cheff, and Togiharu G-1. You might want to think about the value leading JCK Kakayugi VG-10 (which I know only by reputation).
There's lots to like about all of them. We can talk about whatever fits within your budget and needs.

The thing I like most about the MAC Pro is that the recommendation has never come back to haunt me -- at least not permanently. More than twenty people have bought, at least partly because of conversations with me and all but two have been delighted from the get go. The other two had problems with ill fitting handle scales -- probably caused by humidity and temperature extremes during storage and handling; and MAC USA (not the retailers) took care of that for them. MAC USA even took care of a customer in Denmark who ordered his from an English e-tailer.

That may or may not be the case in Oz; and that's something you'll have to find about.

That out of the way, let's talk performance. Just ask.

BDL

Hi all.

Kalach, with your permission I'll use your thread to ask a similar question about a different knife. thanks ! :thumb:

So, just like Kalach, my sharpening set is not going to improve in the short term, and I also was wondering what kind of optimum edge I could get on my Global G5.
Just as a reminder, I've got a #1500 grit stone ( the one from JCK ), and few sharpening skills.

After a year or so without seeing a stone ( I didn't have one), the knife got less efficient than it was ootb . I actually managed to improve that situation with the new stone I received lately, but to the point where the knife is better , or less bad, than it was before I sharpen it. By no mean I find it impressive anyway.
So I was wondering if it could get -really- sharp with a #1500 stone ( whenever I got skilled at sharpenig it ) , or if I necessarily need a finer stone in order to get better results.

Thanks in advance,
GK

Kalach -- Some Japanese knives are too hard or too asymmetric to benefit from honing on a steel. MAC Pro are not among them. A Pro shouldn't need honing as frequently as a Wusthof or Forschner (or carbon Sabatier for that matter), but will need and benefit from a rod-hone now and then.

You want something which is pretty fine and won't scuff up the edge too much. An Idahone fine ceramic is a very good choice. The MAC black is too, but at a significantly higher price.

Goku -- A Global can be polished to good effect up to about 6000#. Neither the alloy Global uses ("CroMoVa"), nor its construction makes a Global particularly good at keeping an edge. Still it will hold it long enough to make it worth taking all the way up to 6000#, unless the knife is reserved for uses which go better with a toothier edge. IIRC, your G5 is a "vegetable knife," a nakiri but with an arced edge, and should get the full polish.

A Takenoko (also called Arashiyama, but it's the same stone) would be an exceptionally good choice as the final stone. Depending on who's selling it, they'll have it listed variously as 6K, 7K or 8K -- but it's 6K right enough. A regular old King 6K would do almost as good a job for a lot less money. There are quite a few good choices in the high-medium 4K - 6K range. Offhand, I forget what Koki (JCK) has.

Learning to use a polishing stone (or an almost-polishing stone) takes some practice. It's not quite as bad as starting from scratch; but you'll be dulling more than sharpening when you first step up to the higher grit as a result of inconsistent angle holding on a less forgiving stone. Make sure you're coming off your 1500# with a very flat bevel, and "practice, practice, practice." If you do dull your knife as you polish -- stop polishing and go back down to the 1500. There are few problems which can be fixed on a high grit stone.

Good luck,
BDL

Hey Kal,

You wrote I'm not a fan of diamond rod hones. No matter how fine the diamonds are, they're too aggressive for the task -- at least to my taste. "2200# mesh," refers to the size of the diamond particles. Darn small.

Overall, used with a light touch, not my choice but OK.

Different stuff in Oz and the US. I'm afraid I not only don't know what's available in Oz, but also don't know who will ship from Japan or the US at a reasonable price.

For your Forschner, a Forschner fine "steel" would be an excellent choice. Probably less harmful and certainly less expensive than the DMT, and a lot easier to find than an Idahone.

I think it's a lot of jump. Just a lot or too much is an open question. For the way I like to sharpen, it's too much. For a kit going up to 5000# or higher, I strongly favor a three or four stones (or surfaces). On the other hand, I have a couple of friends who are fantastic sharpeners and wouldn't have any problems recommending the 800/6000 combi as a two-surface, single stone, overall solution. Not a very definite answer, is it?

Remember that you're not really sharpening with the 6000, you're polishing out the scratches left by the 800. Use a light touch. Also, you'll want to thoroughly deburr after the 800 and raise as little burr as possible on the 6000.

You're going to use up the 800 side pretty quickly while you're learning to sharpen. Don't worry too much about better and best equipment for now. Once you've learned to sharpen well enough that you're confident about getting a sharp, reasonably well polished edge, every time you approach the stone, it will be time to revisit the question -- and the 800 will be about gone, too.

Is this your oilstone? BEAR SILICON CARBIDE COMBINATION STONE - MODEL KS108 - CUTLERY - SHARPENING - The Best - Camping Gear | Tactical Equipment | Police Gear Security | Military | Survival | Combat Clothing | Backpacks | Navigation | Army Surplus | Boots | Knives | Austr. Well, it seems to be a good day for "Stump BDL," because I don't know enough about your stone to guess how fine the "fine side" is. It may not be any finer than your 800# waterstone surface.

More generally, if you use oil or even soap when sharpening on an oilstone, it's not a good idea to move to a waterstone, as contaminants carried to the waterstone can clog it, and/or shorten its life considerably.

BDL

The DMT rod you linked me to certainly looks good; and the description says all the right things. I like the "unbreakable" part a lot. Worth a try, I guess.

Whether or not it's the right grit, and whether or not you sharpen dry (as I do too when using oilstones) your SiC stone is probably too slow to be worthwhile on the MAC. Try it of course; but I'd be surprised if it's much of a help. Let me know.

6K is probably too sharp to touch up anything other than an already sharp edge. It doesn't cut fast enough to put a fresh edge on a dulling blade with light pressure -- but increase the pressure even a little bit and you'll create a burr. What you want for touching up is a mid-grit stone in the 3K area, or a fine steel.

The stone will reveal fresh metal when used with a light touch, and is also a good grit to pull a fresh wire, chase it, then deburr it.

The steel will scuff up the blade a little and create micro-serrations. The knife will cut effectively, but with more "bite." The edge won't actually be sharper, just act that way -- which is usually enough. That DMT description reads like it should be just the ticket.

Also, you can use a few strokes on a fine honing-rod like the Idahone (and presumably the DMT) between the 800 as a sort of transition, and to make sure the wire is well and truly chased (flips easily from side to side) before deburring. If I were using an 800/6000 combi, I'd completely deburr with a steel and wine cork, steel and endgrain, or steel and felt block, between the 800 and 6000 surfaces. Then, try not to pull a burr on the 6000; but deburr anyway, this time either without the honing rod.

For the little it's worth, I use two honing rods. One is a HandAmerican (ultra fine) borosilcate rod for deburring and for truing a sharp, polished edge. It's an incredibly good tool. But it's too expensive, and at the moment seems impossible to find even in the US. The other is a very old Henckels which started "fine," and has worn down since to extra-fine. I use it for edges which have worn enough that a simple truing is insufficient.

BDL

The DMT CS2 is a terrific hone! I've used one for quite a while. Funny, I recently sold mine, though. My work kit contained a glass hone and two ceramics (don't ask...:lol:)- one day I used it to demonstrate the proper method of honing a coworkers Shun and he offered to buy it on the spot. It really wasn't for sale, but then again everything is for sale at a price. I'd been thinking of swapping out it out for an Idahone anyway, just to save space (I mean the little 8" one with the plastic sleeve).

The DMT does need "broken in" or whatever you want to call it. The instructions allude to this. You get a bit of "smoke" looking residue until it's been used a bit. I simply used some fine grit sandpaper on it. It's ceramic-over-aluminum, making it really sturdy- you're not gonna hurt it by dropping it. Probably can't say that about my Hand America Glass Hone.

BDL, as it happens, Keith at HandAmerican is manufacturing the glass rods again, as of last week. Current price w/ the black acrylic handle and leather sheath is $75. I'd link to the site, but don't yet have the requisite five posts; but handamerican.com main page has a link to the order page.

I've been using it to maintain the factory edges on newly-acquired Hattori forum FH gyuto and an akifusa petty ... and to practice deburring etc on older German knives I'm using to learn the edge pro system. Works beautifully ...

Evan,

Glad to hear Keith is up and running again. Thanks for the heads up. $75 is a good deal compared to how expensive the glass rod used to be. But $95 for the borosilicate + the Idahone is "such a deal."

Keith and I have corresponded on a "two hone" kit and both of us feel it's the way to go for knives which are amenable to steeling -- if you can afford it. His second hone is an Idahone, mine a worn down Henckels fine -- and we both use them when our edges can use a little scuffing to go a little longer between sharpening on the stones.

I'm glad to hear you're using your rod to deburr; and would like to think I had something to do with popularizing the steel for the purpose. Where did you first get the idea?

I must have at least five posts by now, so let me post HA's rod-hone link for you: HandAmerican borosilicate & Idahone honing rods

PM me your email addy, and I'll send you a .pdf of a review of the borosilicate posted on Fred's Cutlery Forum awhile ago.

BDL

BDL,

Yes indeed, your posts here and at Fred's were indispensable ... I'd literally never have known about the benefits of the glass rod otherwise. I didn't order the Idahone from Keith, since the Edge Pro Apex already includes an 8" version ... but Keith did send along one of his 1" hard felt blocks for deburring use as well.

So let me just echo what many here have already expressed: your knowledge, time and patience in sharing your insights are invaluable to those of us just entering the wonderful world of sharpness. Thanks.

I know some are of the opinion that a ceramic hone isn't appropriate for deburring, that you're essentially just standing the burr up as opposed to removing it. I don't share that opinion, however. IMO the Idahone is a tremendous weapon in the war against the burr. I often use it in conjunction with rock hard felt (and wine corks and/or a brass rod when things get really hairy).

Hi all !

Kalach, I'll use your thread again, you 've just been too kind last time :thumb: !

I've been happy enough to put a hand on the Korin video ( Korin_-_The_Chefs_Edge_-_Japanese_Knife_Sharpening) yesterday and I'd like to ask a few questions about a technique they use in the vid.

You all know that to help a beginner keep the right angle when sharpening on the stone, a common tip is to use 2 small coins and put them under the spine of the knife. This should give a rough 15° angle to the blade.

Well, in the documentary, they sharpen an asymmetric edge on a guyto (western style japanese knife ). And to respect the 2 different angles of the knife, the recommandation is to use 2 coins for the top ( front ) of the knife, and 3 for the back.
This, I guess, is a way to have a 15° angle on one side, and 20° on the other or something like that.
BDL, in an other thread, recommended this for a Sabatier :
Now here are my questions:
@BDL: is this asymmetry you mention the same concept than the one they show in the video ?

@everybody ( BDL included) : assuming the answer to the previous question is yes: on a 50/50 angle knife ( my global for instance, and later on the sabatier when it arrives ), what kind of stone is to be used to create a 40/60 asymmetric edge ? Could the #1500 grit stone I own do the job, or are we already in some kind of reshaping task that would requiere a rougher stone, and /or great skills ?

Also, and totally out of subject: can I smash garlic/ginger with the global G5 I own ?

by advance, many thanks to all of you who would take some time to answer.

regards,
GK

Hey GK!

In your post, you asked Sort of.

The guy who did Korin's video is a great sharpener, almost legendary as those things go. Even so, I don't think most chef's knives (including gyutos) do very well with two different angles. In the video, he's sharpening at around 10* on one side, and 15* on the other. That makes for a very sharp edge, but not one that will last very long or is easy to maintain. Especially if there's a rod hone (aka "steel") involved in the maintenance.

I suggest the same edge angle on each side.

When sharpeners talk about 50/50, 60/40, 70/30 asymmetry, they could be referring in part to different angles. Usually though, they're just referring to how far off center the apex of the edge is, relative to the center of the knife's vertical axis; and how far up the bevel shoulders extend relative to one another.

As matters of mathematics, definition and tautological necessity those things are the same. As a practical matter, you see the different widths of the bevels, and feel the effects of the off-centeredness.

Also, I don't favor the "coin" method. Unless you can do a little trig, and have the spine of your knife marked at places along it's length that are signficant for the blade's width at that point -- it's inconsistent. I also don't like edge guide clamps for the same reason. Rather, I suggest making pictures and cutouts of the angle you want to use and placing them along your sharpening so you can visually check as you go. Admittedly it's not very exact, but (a) it doesn't pretend to be; and (b) you get very consistent with practice.

You also asked, I'm sorry if I gave the impression that 60/40 would be a lot better than 50/50. It's a subtle difference. But it's the best kind of subtle differences. That is, a 60/40 right handed bias will make things a little better for a righty, but won't hurt a lefty much at all. For instance, Linda's a righty, I'm a lefty, and I sharpen our chef's knife 60/40 righty. And even though I do nearly all the cutting in our house, I don't notice the bias as a handicap.

The easiest way to create a little asymmetry is to sharpen one side more than the other every time you sharpen. After a few sessions, you'll be at 60/40.

More generally though, if it's something you do often and/or something you want to do all at once, it's a good idea to have a coarse stone. You don't want to do much work on one stone for two reasons. First, it dishes the stone which requires a lot of flattening to control. Second, it's fatiguing and holding a constant angle becomes impossible.

A 1500 is not really a standalone considering which knives you're planning to use. You'll want both a coarser stone and something finer. A coarse stone is more likely to be the one you'd actually NEED next. But, while you don't absolutely need them, you'll get immediate benefits out of a finer stone -- at least as soon as you learn how to polish and not dull (takes some practice.) Something in the 5K to 6K range would be ideal. Better to add the coarse stone after the fine one teaches you consistent angle holding.

The current "state of the art," seems to be pointing towards moderately coarse stones in the 400# to 500# range, rather than very coarse. There are a lot of reasons why -- worth a separate post if you have a burning desire to know about them -- otherwise just take it on faith.

We can't meaningfully discuss specific stones without knowing your price range and enough about your country to figure out how much it will cost to put them in your hands.

More Ja. Mais biensur. Da. Por supuesto. Sim. Hai. No problem.

BDL

Hi BDL, and thank you for the quick and extensive answer !

Yes, he looks serious at the task. I may use this video as a reference for my sharpening learning path .

Does that mean that you avoid honing steels for honing, but just use them to clear off the burr of the blade after sharpening, as you mentionned earlier in the thread ?
Also in the Korin vodeo, no reference is made to honing steel. They don't use them in Japan ?
If so, how do they tru the edge ?

This is ok for me, but then ...

...
...yes, this seems a subtle material to work on, and gives sharpening a little spice :lol: .
But may I ask WHY it cuts better ? I quite understand why using different angles allow to decrease the global angle of the edge, keeping it relatively tough ( am I right in thinking so btw ?) . But what 'physical' improvement in sharpness do you get moving off the edge from the vertical center of the knife ? (if I'm a pain in the a.., please don't hesitate to let me know :D )

Yes, I guess I'll save some steel of my knifes :) .

If she had any doubts left, I think my wife will really think I'm crazy after that :lol: !
More seriously, I tried the coins trick las time, and didn't scratch my knife. Actually, I just laid the knife on the coins to get the angle, and then try to keep the image in mind so I could respect the angle all along the stone. Not that easy though to have a stable and fixed wrist !

Ahah, I don't wanna torture you more than I already do :smoking: ! I'll take it on faith then, even though I was more thinking that #800 was the coarse standard .

I'm actually in France, and the german site you linked me to has, for what I 've seen so far, the best prices for stones. I'll certainly end up buying there when I get some extra €€ to spend in knives and knives care tools . But I was thinking the next real thing I need was a paring knife, as I use my table knives to get the job done. So if I'm happy with the sabatier chef's knife, I might aswell get the 10cm paring one from the oldy carbon steel serie.

Might look like a silly question, but I saw the Henkels video (chef Jim Shiebler demonstrating ) , and he really 'punches' the chef knife and wathever is unlucky enough to be underneath ! As I didn't know this technic , I was curious to know if it could apply to a knife like mine.

So, did I say thank you already ?
Please let me know what you think about all this ,

regards,
GK

Hey GK,

Ideally, one reference of many. There are a lot of ways to sharpen. Copy, experiment, mix, match, and develop the one(s) which work best for you.

No. I have two steels, one ultrafine borosilicate glass, and the other a very-fine stee rod; and use both for honing. I use the ultrafine until the knife has worn enough to need a little "scuff" to create some micro-serration, then switch to the other.

[quote} Also in the Korin vodeo, no reference is made to honing steel. They don't use them in Japan ? [/quote] Depends on the type of knife, and (of course) its user. Some knives are too hard or too asymmetrically sharpened to be steeled. Neither of those things are likely to ever be an issue with you unless you become a hobbyist and start collecting traditional, "chisel" edged, Japanese knives.

Ordinary sharpening. If all the knife needs is truing and to have the edge slightly refreshed (which happens more often than it needs serious sharpening), the "touch up" is usually begun on a middle grit-level stone such as an aoto or 3K, or even finer.

The relatively narrower width at the short side's bevel shoulder makes for (a) less wedging, and (b) thinner acts sharper.

By "global angle" I presume you mean the cumulative angle of both sides. FWIW, it's called the "included angle," while the angle of a given side is called the "edge angle."

Narrower cuts better; but only a little better at the degree of asymmetry we're talking about here.

It becomes second nature.

Unless you keep and use a LOT of stones, every grit is something of a compromise. 800# is a fast and useful as a first sharpening stone; but a little on the slow side for heavy duty profile and/or repair; also, it leaves a fairly coarse finish which really wants an intermediate stone to both refine the sharpening and start the polishing processes.

Paranthetically, I'm ambivalent about an 800#/6000# combination stone as a single solution. It's usable, but also one of those things where difficult equipment goes to beginners because they're relatively inexpensive. 800 -> 2500 -> (and ultimately) 8000 or 10000 would suit you and your knives better. My water stone kit's progression is 500 -> 1200 -> 3000 -> 8000 (all my old Sabs can handle). The grit jumps are a near ideal compromise for efficient sharpening, polishing, and economical number of stones. By the time you get the hang of the 6K, you'll have money saved and be ready to add some stones.

One of best sharpeners, if not the single best sharpener, I know uses a Bester 700 as his primary "coarse" stone. I use a Beston 500 water stone, or a Coarse India oilstone (about 125#, tricky to use without scratching, and very slow for the grit) as my coarse stones -- reserved for profile/repair; a Bester 1200 as my first sharpening water stone; and a Fine India or soft Arkansas as my first sharpening oilstones (don't use oil, though).

Yes. Dieter Schmid has a good rep. There's another guy in Holland who's supposed to be good too, but I forget the name.

The modern trend is towards "petty knives" ("petty naifu" in Japanese, truly), between 12 and 18cm in length, regular "couteau office" shape. If you're looking at the Nogent at The Best Things, the 6" slicer is an excellent example. I use one myself.

FWIW, the short Nogent paring knives, like that 10cm, are incredibly nice -- their handles are large enough to actually be comfortable. That said, short paring knives get used up quickly on the stones. Forschners, to name one brand, come in a multitude of useful shapes besides couteau office; get very sharp very easily; and are cheap enough to throw away without regret when they get whittled down. The disposable, serrated Forschners are also pretty good. A box should last you a lifetime.

Yes. Within reason. Be very sure you're holding the knife in such a way that the flat comes down flat on the board. You don't want to put extra pressure on the tip because it will bend, as would a Henckels'.

De rien,
BDL

It amazes me that when I see all the cooks where I am sharpen their knives. All of them hold the knive almost flat to the stone. I was always taught you had to establish a pitch or angle. Anyway mine are 5 times sharper then theirs and some of mine are over 30 to 40 years old.(the old carbon steel Forschners and sabatiers) Some of these kids spend $ 125 to 180 per blade, to me, thats insanity.

Bonsoir BDL, and thanks for the answer.

Things are more clear now on what kind of set I should get for the maintenance of my knives, and how different angle settings work.

Now, and as I figured out that the Global G5 I use has a convex edge, I saw there ( Knife Maintenance and Sharpening - eG Forums ) that there was a trick ( the mousepad one you certainly know ) that would help keeping the convex form.
How does this convex shape compares with the straight 15° angle you recomand?
Is the mousepad trick a good way to get this particular shape ( or any other shape )?
Are there other ways to go the convex way ?

@Ed B.
Give those guys this forum link ! Their life will change :)

Thanks in advance,
GK