Paper cutting knife is indeed more than sharp enough for kitchen use.
Please research more about correct use of steel. Steels are meant to straighten a folding edge. Yes, it will rip off a burr too, but you do not want it to do that, because you want to thin out the burr during the sharpening process first. A large burr will rip off an edge with it.
Not all steels are created equal. Modern manufacturers of steels try to make an all in one tool and make them somewhat abrasive. The finish, which these abrasive steels leave is very rough and will dull very fast.
I have cut through paper with a knife straight off of 220 grit DMT plate, because the edge is very toothy and teeth themselves have very sharp edges. But guess what? Using a knife with an edge off 220 DMT plate will dull it in 10 minutes.
Look here at how edge properly develops: Sharpening Process
and look here for example of burr: Wire edge formed on a stainless
Steel would basically do what ācutting into woodā did on the pictures, but of course size of burr depends on final grit.
Thanks for not being offended, and sharing your knowledge, now back to cars. As a side note we sharpened blades differently if being used for cutting vegatables or meat. A slimmer profile for vegetables and a shorter profile for meats. Never folded an edge but did loose a chunk out of a chinese cleaver pounding it through frozen crab legs. Used meat saws for the bones
@Barkydog
Sharpening blades differentlyā¦ ahhhā¦ you had to go thereā¦ OK, iāll indulge and then back to cars.
Basically a thinner edge feels sharper but is also weaker. For a high quality japnese steel you can get an 18 degree bevel to last reasonably long, for a general purpose chiefs knife a 22 degree is pretty good, while something like a chopper needs as wide as 25 degrees. For reference, the straight razors are around 13 degrees. And then you can have asymmetric angles for RH and LH knives to prevent them from turning inward. So for example for RH knife the left bevel is at a more blunt angle, say 14 degrees from vertical, and RHS bevel is at sharper angle, say 8 degrees from vertical, to give you a 22 degree bevel. On my Shun knives i use 18 degree symmetrical bevel. I used to use 22-25 degree bevel on cheap us stainless steel knives.
Also, consider hardness of material being cut for angle. Thawed meat or fish is soft, so 18 degree bevel is fine. Vegetables will dull 18 degree bevel faster than say 22 degree bevel. For frozen meat or chopping you need ~25 degree.
For using slicing cuts (say thawed fish) rather than push cutting you may find a rougher edge, (lower grit value, say 1K-3K) working better, because its like a saw with bigger teeth. But it will also get blunt faster.
No sorry. I donāt make knives. I am just a nerd with a ton of hobbies (knife sharpening one of them) in a townhouse with such a cluttered garage that canāt even fit my car in there. Would love to play a black smith, but it aināt happening in a town house with neighbors across a wallā¦
FYI, high carbon steel rusts and is hard to maintain. Look at Shun knives, great quality. I like Japanese knives vs french, US or German. Japanese knife designs seem thinner, resulting in easier/smoother cutā¦
One of my favorite carving knives is from the 1800s I think, sure it tarnishes and rusts, but you can skip the iron in your vitamins. it is always razor sharp, sure it aint pretty, but been through henkel and other top brands and nothing compares. Friedr Herder abr.sohn solingen- germany
My hunting knife that I bought in Canada in 1958 as a ten year old was made in Sheffield, Eng. by the JW Thompson Cutlery company. Sabre 100-5. Been sitting around for years but finally got it back in shape. I had broken the tip off of it throwing it at trees the first day I bought it for $3.50 US, but got it back in shape. It at least cuts paper now. Drove there in the black and yellow 57 Ford Fairlane 500. I didnāt get to drive though.
As far as sharp cutting instruments: from an old Crusaders movie, Saladin demonstrates the sharpness of his sword by letting a piece of silk fall across the blade cutting the silk by its own weight.
Cutting silk scarves with swords is silly. The edge that is thin enough to cut a scarf is not well suited for a sword. Too weak. It will fold, or be otherwise damaged too quickly. Japanese tested high end katana swords by how many limbs it can go through in 1 strike. Condemned prisoners were the test subjects. That is where the rolled up mats for testing swords today methodology came fromā¦
