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New Kikuichi Carw

2K views 8 replies 5 participants last post by  mike9 
#1 ·
I just bought a Kikuichi tsuchime Damascus gyuto 8.25". I have never owned a single bevel blade like this one before and the store I bought it in wasn't very helpful. I'm hoping someone here can tell me the basics of single bevel care in so far as whether or not to use a honing steel and sharpen on a whetstone. I know how to use a whetstone on double bevel knives but I want to be sure of the process on this new one.

Also, does anyone know off hand what the bevel angle is on the Kikuichi, I can't figure it out exactly.
 
#8 · (Edited)
@RobertZhain what you probably want to know is that I sharpen about 12 degrees on the right side and 15 on the left side as a right handed person (this is a guess only never measured..). That's all asymmetric sharpening is. The exact numbers you use don't matter as long as they fit the grind of the knife and you are consistent in holding the angle.

Your question about maintenance- honing rod NO unless it is ceramic and then only very light pressure. I know chefs who use ceramic rods and swear by them. In my experience anything over 60HRC hardness I end up chipping so I don't bother. I sharpen at home and I have a backup knife in my kit.

Whetstones - yes. Japanese waterstones is preferred for harder steels. Keep in mind grit numbers for japanese synthetics follow a different system and the numbers quoted are higher than american.

In japanese water stones

200-400 coarse stone for repairs, faster bevel setting, thinning

1000-2000 medium grit -normal sharpening

5000+ finishing grits

There is a lot of crap info out on the internet. I recommend this playlist from japanese knife imports https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEBF55079F53216AB

You can go as deep as you want into this stuff, but the first couple videos are enough to put an edge on a double bevel.
 
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