Convex edge on kitchen knife?

[KenHash]

Has anyone put a convex edge on a kitchen knife? If so, was there any change/improvemet in cutting performance?
Thanks.

 

[Taz]

I do a convex grind to a near zero edge on the blade itself and then use water stones to do the final sharpening followed up by stropping. This will give a very slightly convexing to the edge bevel itself since I free hand the stones and cannot keep a perfect angle. A convex edge bevel will typically help a thicker knife to cut better since it will thin out the shoulder where the blade grind meets the edge bevel typically.

 

[Nick-D]

Has anyone put a convex edge on a kitchen knife? If so, was there any change/improvemet in cutting performance?
Thanks.

There isn't many use cases where a true convex edge offers improvements for a kitchen knife. Your really want as little behind the edge as possible, and a true convex edge creates the opposite effect.

You will see many "convex" ground kitchen knives. These are typically a short flat grind convexed into a secondary bevel. This is done primarily to aid food release.

You see true convex grinds in some hard use knives (Western deba for example) but they are typically for specialist tasks.

 

[Ourorboros]

You will see many "convex" ground kitchen knives. These are typically a short flat grind convexed into a secondary bevel. This is done primarily to aid food release.

I believe you see this sometimes on lasers, like the Konosukes. Knives that are very thin to begin with.

 

[Saxman25]

Maximizing Edge Retention - What CATRA Reveals about the Optimum Edge - Knife Steel Nerds

Thanks to Ed Schempp, Matus Kalisky, and Chin Lim for becoming Knife Steel Nerds Patreon supporters! Your support allows us to fund CATRA studies. CATRA Update 1/6/2020: I have since written more articles about CATRA looking at the effect of steel type: Part 1 and Part 2 Cutlery and Allied...

knifesteelnerds.com

Here is a very good article on a relevant (although not identical) topic. In this study, it was shown that, in general, edges with a lower/more acute angle to edge would have significantly improved edge retention over more obtuse edges. Although this study focused on flat edges, I would suspect that convex edges may have a similar unwanted effect on edge retention. For hard work chopping knives like the deba mentioned above, convexity can help with edge stability, but I don't think I would recommend it on most general use kitchen knives.

 

[KenHash]

Thanks all. I may just have to test it myself if for nothing more than shtz n giggles.
About 20 year old Heckels carving knife, typically thick.

 

[3D Anvil]

Generally with a convex edge I think you expect the edge to dull a little quicker, but be more resistant to chipping.

 

[kwackster]

Both on my own kitchen knives as well as on various higher quality knives used by professional Chefs.
Think Takamura's and Shibata's in R2/SG2 steel (ubiquitous in my area), Kohetsu's in HAP40 steel, etc.

A crisp ~20 degree inclusive convex edge has only very low cutting resistance and also sticks just a tiny bit less in various foods, something that is nice to have in my own kitchen but becomes increasingly more important when you need to cut 8 or 9 hours straight in a commercial kitchen.
RSI is very real to these guys.

I also get reports that these convex edges last longer for them, something i think might be related to the decreased cutting forces needed, due to which the edges land softer on the cutting boards.
Some Chefs told me that their knives initially got stuck in the cutting boards with their new convex edges when using the same force as before, but that stopped once they adapted to this and decreased their hand power.