burrs on different steels

[HeavyHanded]

Really enjoyed the links and videos!
I used to grumble about serrated blades, since I have yet to have it proved that a serrated does anything better than a really sharp edge, but "Here in the Real World," as Alan Jackson would say, it's an extremely practical solution.
My Great Grandma's bread knife is about a .050 carbon steel and slices bread just fine without serrations, it's got a heck of a rrown from being whetted for over a hundred years.
So I'll take your advice to heart, I was a bit unsure whether just because I CAN take em up to 5u and finish em on a paper wheel, I should.
320-600 with no burr should be a better real-world compromise. It'll make it that much more fun when a customer brings in an occasional fine knife.

I'll throw one other thought out there.
Recently reconditioned some older Sabatier-type knives for my Mother in Law. The steel was so soft I stopped using my oilstone after the first one and just used some black emery compound followed by plain paper on one of the early prototype washboards. Was able to clean up the blade faces to a satin finish, grind a new apex using only black compound - stropped with the plain paper they were wicked sharp and just a little toothy. Had to use a stone on her Calphalon chef's knife circa 2000. Whatever the "German steel" (assembled in China) is, was much tougher than the old French made set - circa early 60's. Also took a much nicer fine edge, and much nicer than my cheap Chicago Cutlery pieces that I sharpen on a coffee cup.
I have to wonder if some of the older knives weren't softer for easier maintenance, especially on the carbon blades. I'll bet if I'd run a smooth steel over those old French knives they would have turned out frightfully sharp (it didn't even occur to me). Edge wouldn't last long, but if you knew what you were doing with a steel, the softer metal would resist work-hardening and brittle failure better than a harder stainless. Edge probably wouldn't turn out very well above that 600 grit margin in terms of grinding and polishing, but in terms of burnishing with a steel...

 

[David Martin]

In the knives from the 60's not much if any companies were using a cryogenic cycle in heat treating. Especially with kitchen cutlery. Buck pioneered a cryogenic cycle during heat-treating their blade back in the early 60's. This holds true today even with their kitchen cutlery. This makes a huge difference in sharpening and burrs. DM