Best edges for a chef's knife and slicer?

[uyotg]

I was thinking of putting convex edges on a chef's knife and a slicer a friend has. I've read that convex edges are good for slicing because there are no corners from secondary grinds that can slow down slicing, but I'm not sure how much to believe that... any experience?

I'd like something that helps prevent food from sticking to the blade, something those "air pockets" have never helped me with, along with all the usual qualities of ease of honing, durability, sharpness... To me, convex seems to be just right, but that's my go-to edge for hard use knives and I'm having a hard time believing that one edge is the best for everything... but the blades are already so thin that I wonder if the advantages of a convex edge would even make a difference.

... maybe a convex-flat bevel asymmetrical? For right-handed cutters, the convex would be on the right side of the blade, right?

 

[Jason B.]

I was thinking of putting convex edges on a chef's knife and a slicer a friend has. I've read that convex edges are good for slicing because there are no corners from secondary grinds that can slow down slicing, but I'm not sure how much to believe that... any experience?

I'd like something that helps prevent food from sticking to the blade, something those "air pockets" have never helped me with, along with all the usual qualities of ease of honing, durability, sharpness... To me, convex seems to be just right, but that's my go-to edge for hard use knives and I'm having a hard time believing that one edge is the best for everything... but the blades are already so thin that I wonder if the advantages of a convex edge would even make a difference.

... maybe a convex-flat bevel asymmetrical? For right-handed cutters, the convex would be on the right side of the blade, right?

What type/brand knives?

How do you sharpen them now?

As you are thinking the convex bevel on such a thin blade would have little advantage if done in the typical method with a soft backing. Breaking the shoulder with your stones and putting a little angle variation in your technique usually adds enough convex to the bevel to give the smoothness in cutting you are probably looking for.

Preventing food from sticking to the blade has more to do with overall design than just the edge. You would also need a very high convex to get that type of effect, with a thin blade you just wouldn't be able to get the curvature needed out of the convex to get the performance you want.

 

[richard j]

you might try a coarser edge to keep stuff from sticking. a slick smooth surface will allow stuff to stick easier. you can also thin the blade more just as if you were convexing the edge with a soft backing. you might find this thread interesting also. a member found out a coarse edge cut a lot better and had stuff stick a lot less. http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9207988&postcount=710

i make knives and i put convex edges on almost all of them. i even make a kitchen knife for cjpgeyer and it has a convex egde on it and it cuts like crazy. if you want some help send me an email. rje196021@gmail.com

 

[foxx]

After 12 years in the culinary industry, and owning many knives, I thought convexing an edge would be great. What I have found, in my case, is that my Chef knife is too sharp. The edge used to glide across my Boos block cutting board, but now even with very slight pressure it drags. It's as if the edge is so thin it's bitting in and slowing me down.
Maybe a slicer, pairing knife, and others not used on a cutting board can be convexed with greater success. But, I'm still trying to get used to my new edge, it's a bit of a drag even on plastic cutting boards.

 

[richard j]

have you tried making the edge not so thin? hold the spine a little higher and dont go so fine a grit.

 

[richard j]

i was sent a cutting board made from recycled cardboard and it seemed to be a little harder than wood and not as soft as plastic. i gave it to a friend since she was using a granite sink cutout which i got on her about since i'm the one who sharpens her knives. i'll have to see how it acts with a convexed edge chefs knife.

 

[foxx]

have you tried making the edge not so thin? hold the spine a little higher and dont go so fine a grit.

I will probably do that. At the time I convexed it, I was in a certain phase of sharpening. I'm still learning, sometimes the edge can be too thin for the intended purpose.
I've relaxed quite a bit on how fine my edges have to be, and a coarser grit would be better for my Chef's knife.

 

[Jason B.]

Japanese chefs use the term "running" when a knife glides on food. The sticking from a high polish can also be a issue but that's why you often find natural Japanese waterstone used for the final "polishing"

The difference in polish from a natural to synthetic abrasive is a synthetic tends to close the pores of the steel creating a bright shiny surface. A natural stone tends to open the pores of the steel which will allow better release of foods that like to suction to the edge. The dull surface finish from a natural has a surprisingly slick feel like a teflon pan. Another advantage with natural finishing stones are a increase in edge hardness which was proven by a Japanese blade smith with a hardness tester.

Grit finished to will be a factor of cutting skill, knife type and use, and personal preference. Not one edge fits all in the kitchen.

 

[richard j]

I will probably do that. At the time I convexed it, I was in a certain phase of sharpening. I'm still learning, sometimes the edge can be too thin for the intended purpose.
I've relaxed quite a bit on how fine my edges have to be, and a coarser grit would be better for my Chef's knife.

i never go over 400 grit since i think its not really necessary. did you read the post by stevenkelby in my paper wheel thread i posted above? that is something you might want to check into for sharpening all of your knives and forget the stones. you can get different grits to apply to the wheels to suit your needs but this is just for a v edge. if you are going to stick with convex edges, you can use the slotted wheel to remove the burr which works better than a strop and much faster. you can also maintain an edge or touch up an edge in a few seconds.

 

[olpappy]

As far as I am concerned a knife is rarely too sharp except for specific tasks like removing fascia/silverskin when you don't want it to cut through the connective tissue. Getting used to using a sharper knife means using less pressure and less board contact. Kitchen knives are so thin that convexing won't make a huge difference, but it will be a slight improvement. Not all convex edges are alike. You will want to use a relatively hard surface like a stone or balsa strop, as opposed to a leather strop.

As far as the sticking issue there are many surface treatments which claim to reduce sticking but mostly aren't particularly effective. The slick kurouchi surface on the Tosagata knives at Japan Woodworker has been the most effective I've seen. Chefs will actually tell you that preventing food from sticking has more to do with the cutting techniques than the knife. Try searching on Foodie Forums and you might be able find some threads about this topic.