Barmaley's Aggregated Questions Thread

Mr. Wizard,

Using hacksaw blades was my first move. I actually found 3 old hacksaws (all different brands) and I was thinking of using the whole saw (turning the blade in a saw at 90 degrees) in the shredding board since such application of saws could provide tension for the blades to keep them from sagging. I stuck when I figure out that I for some reason can not make the blades sharp. After I finished sharpening the edge cuts paper (to a degree) but does not cut cabbage:mad:. I think my problem was that I did the angle too sharp - about 14 degrees on one side only. No matter how hard I try the apex feels rough for the touch by a finger. I also was surprised how long did it take to sharpen it. First I took off 2/3 of the bevel with a bench grinder (I did not want to go close to the apex not to overheat it) and then I use my self-made machine to finish it up. It took me 15 minute of constant cutting using the cheapest coarse and medium water stone to get to burr. Then Arkansas stone and ceramic honing could not achieve desirable sharpness.
 
What kind of blades did you use? Most hacksaw blades now appear to be bi-metal, where a thin wire of hard cobalt tool steel is welded to the edge of a (mild?) steel strip. After the teeth are cut only the points are made of the cobalt tool steel, and the rest is softer metal.
 
bucketstove, that was the funniest video I ever saw! But Why? Why when need to cut tomatoes with scissors???
Do you know where can I buy those Galaxy knives? And the most important question: will they hold the edge?
 
Mr.Wizard said:
What kind of blades did you use? Most hacksaw blades now appear to be bi-metal, where a thin wire of hard cobalt tool steel is welded to the edge of a (mild?) steel strip. After the teeth are cut only the points are made of the cobalt tool steel, and the rest is softer metal.
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I don't know since the blade was old and paint was off. I know it suppose to be good quality! I may need to try cheaper blade.
 
Barmaley said:
bucketstove, that was the funniest video I ever saw! But Why? Why when need to cut tomatoes with scissors???
Do you know where can I buy those Galaxy knives? And the most important question: will they hold the edge?
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For the same reason as make a knife out of fish or wood? :D

Daiso japan , a dollar store (or $1.50)
What is "hold an edge" to cabbage?

dollar store knife is likely 420 steel
better retention than
304 which is like spoon / butterknife
and according to internet
cheese graters/zesters are made from 304 stainless
see https://knifesteelnerds.com/2019/06/24/h1-steel-how-it-works/
 
420 would work if I could find 4 pieces of 30cm x 30mm x 3mm. Are there any stores which sell them here in the USA?
 
Sonnydaze said:
I really like the Flitz paste...I used it for yrs to polish gun parts...and more recently to polish my finished blade edges.
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I thought Flitz was just a chemical polish and does not contain abrasives. I couldn’t find any reference on the package.
 
eveled said:
First I’ve heard of this practice. What is the benefit to having them soaking?
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In addition to what Blues said some stones just work better when left soaking.
The King 1000 , Suehiro Chemical 320, and my Naniwa Traditional 4K all work better after a long soak and since it doesn’t hurt them I usually keep them in a tub with clean water.
 
Hello guys,

I just received a knife which I bought at Amazon for $14: https://www.amazon.com/Damascus-Kni...child=1&qid=1588907359&sr=8-1&srs=20640497011
They say: 【Japanese 67 Layers VG-10 Stainless Damascus Steel】VG-10 – Made up of Carbon: .95 – 1.05%, Vanadium: .10 - .30%, Chromium: 16.10 – 18.50%, Molybdenum: .90 – 1.20%, Cobalt: 1.30 – 1.50%, Manganese: .50%, Phosphorus: .03% This is the most popular stainless steels amongst Japanese knife makers. While other damascus knifes only have fewer Chromium(14.05-16.50) and No Cobalt.

It looks like it is a $14 knife in terms of hammered finish, handle workmanship and accuracy etc. However, the blade is really sharp for a factory sharpen knife. It cuts paper, shaves etc. I bought it out of curiosity because of the price. I also wanted a knife to practice my sharpen skills. But after testing the knife it is effeminately cuts better than anything that I have, so I feel some reservation to practice on it before it gets dull. Nevertheless, my question is about posibility of it to be VG10. I guess no way it can be VG10 since material should be more then the price if we count the handle, the box it came in, the shipment, fees etc. If you look at the amazon picture at the link above you may see that the lines from suppose layers of steel look too ornamental. Bottom line: does it look like VG10?
 
You really can't tell by looking. You can get just about any finish you want on a steel.
A Shun VG-10, Kato VG-10, & Kurosaki VG-10 don't look that similar. You might find a Blue Super with the same finish as a Kurosaki.
And really a lot comes down to the heat treatment.
 
Hard to tell without buying it and sending it to a lab that can verify it’s makeup.

I recommend purchasing from a reputable knife dealer other than Amazon, and from a known maker: The odds of the knife being what it is advertised as goes up exponentially.
 
MolokaiRider said:
Hard to tell without buying it and sending it to a lab that can verify it’s makeup.

I recommend purchasing from a reputable knife dealer other than Amazon, and from a known maker: The odds of the knife being what it is advertised as goes up exponentially.
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Actually I looked at the venture as a fun project. Considering the close to zero price I had trepidation to see what will happen. I was surprised how well the knife was sharpened. I really enjoy cutting tomatoes and chopping herbs with it.

I got another knife from a no brand USA maker (I personally spoke to the owner over the phone) whose VG10 santoku served well me over the last 2 or 3 years. The pattern there was way different and not as curvy as this knife. Are there signs how to spot real or fake VG10?
 
Mr.Wizard said:
I cannot find this stone. Do you have a product number?
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Sorry it is a 6K in the traditional line but I have soaked my 4K Naniwa Hayabusa and that helped with loading.
The 6K Traditional they have at sharpening supplies.

Also have soaked an old Suehiro 6K with a wooden base which is a peculiar stone as it sometimes works wonderfully and other times I want to toss it.
 
For $14, I'd just assume it's likely not VG10 and use it, sharpen it and make the most of what you've got. As mentioned previously, if the heat treat isn't very good, it renders the steel type essentially moot anyway. There's also the possibility of impurities in the steel (for $14, I'd almost expect the steel to be less pure). And those impurities could also render the heat treat essentially moot as well. Even genuine VG10 shows a lot of variation in performance, depending on how it was hardened and tempered.

Down the road, after you've used it and sharpened it multiple times, you might still be pleasantly surprised with what you got for $14. That's the beauty of an inexpensive knife - there's little to lose and even less to worry about, no matter how it turns out.
 
The Hayabusa is my only finishing bench stone and I have been treating it as a splash-and-go. You haven't seen any cracking/crazing problems on the Hayabusa with extended soaking?
 
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