Frustrated with a knife set ... Help needed

A

albertjr

Joined
Mar 28, 2021
Messages
5
Hi All,

Given that i couldn't find the right home for my issue I post here it in a general discussion. I will apologies in advance because of my long post.

A little bit of introduction. My better half asked me to purchase a knife set for her. I did my research and based on this kitchen knife Set, I ended up purchasing 3 knifes and scissors with a wooden holder. Japanese option were excluded because of the price.

I purchased brand Mundial. It is made in Brazil and it is stainless steel 5110-8 (NSF). Not sure what the numbers means though.

She was very happy with it until one day, she said the knife is no longer cutting as it should.

I went online and purchase a sharpener.
images

Once it arrived, I took a black marker and marked the edge of the knife and set the sharpener to that angle.
I've used high grade first to sharpen it, then switched to polishing stone. I was hopping, it will turn out ok, but it didn't.
I still can't cut a tomato with it. Knife squashing it. No matter how much i sharpen the knife i still can't make it sharp. My high grade sand stone is almost gone. I even tried a send paper by gluing it to the base. Still no luck.
I also purchase another sharpener 2 Stage Japanese MinoSharp Ceramic Water Sharpener, still no luck.

Can someone come up with a suggestion or idea PLEASE!!!! I will understand if you say just through it out but the whole idea is to learn how to sharpen it properly.
 
I only use waterstones now so I have no idea about your sharpener. Or your type of steel. But there is no steel type used in cutlery that can not be sharpened. Some more difficult than others, but never impossible.
And while I do not know your sharpener, the basic fundamentals of sharpening are the same.
If you have sharpened your knife and it still can't slice through a tomato, then there are only 2 possibilities;

1) You are not sharpening your knife, by improper use or sequence.
2) You are sharpening properly but not removing the burr.

When you say "high grade stone" I suspect you are talking about a "high grit stone".
You do not begin sharpening with that.
Knife sharpening starts with a Low Grit stone. It is here that most of the sharpening is
accomplished as the most steel is removed. Both sides need to be done to ensure that the
burr is removed.
Then you move up to a "Medium grit" then to a "High grit". At the high grit point you are already
starting to "polish" rather than sharpen.
You do not mention any grit numbers, but are they not marked on each stone/element?

As for the Global Minosharp sharpener, while it likely is nowhere near as effective as waterstones, it's basically foolproof in that it removes the burr automatically. Following this simple video, I do not see how a knife could not get sharpened.

How to use the Global MinoSharp Ceramic Water Sharpener - YouTube
 
Your post has my interest.

No offense but, there is a good chance that your problem is nothing more than operator error.

Of course, it could be a problem with the knives themselves.

Somethings to take into consideration after you get them sharp again:

1) Do not put the knives in the dishwasher. A dishwasher is murder on a knife edge. Wash the knives by hand separately from everything else.

You will find that your edge will last longer between sharpening sessions.

2) Use a kitchen steel to help maintain your knives. Your knives will last longer and so will your stones.

3) Use a proper cutting board.
UC Davis did a study about cutting boards back in about 2006. The results are online and a real eye opener.

The Food Network show “Good Eats” did an episode about knives and knife maintenance a few years ago.

All though I personally don’t agree with everything in the episode, it is a fun show and worth watching. Make some popcorn, grab your GF for an evening in front of the tube and enjoy.

Please let us know how this turns out.

BTW, My kitchen knives were taking a beating by my wife (now ex-wife). One day I found her cutting things in a cast iron skillet!
 
Last edited:
sabre cat said:
Your post has my interest.

No offense but, there is a good chance that your problem is nothing more than operator error.

Of course, it could be a problem with the knives themselves.

Somethings to take into consideration after you get them sharp again:

1) Do not put the knives in the dishwasher. A dishwasher is murder on a knife edge. Wash the knives by hand separately from everything else.

You will find that your edge will last longer between sharpening sessions.

2) Use a kitchen steel to help maintain your knives. Your knives will last longer and so will your stones.

3) Use a proper cutting board.
UC Davis did a study about cutting boards back in about 2006. The results are online and a real eye opener.

The Food Network show “Good Eats” did an episode about knives and knife maintenance a few years ago.

All though I personally don’t agree with everything in the episode, it is a fun show and worth watching. Make some popcorn, grab your GF for an evening in front of the tube and enjoy.

Please let us know how this turns out.

BTW, My kitchen knives were taking a beating by my wife (now ex-wife). One day I found her cutting things in a cast iron skillet!
Click to expand...

Sure sabre cat sabre cat This is why i'm raising it. it drives me crazy i can't make it sharp. I'm using bamboo board. I don't have a dish washer. i always hand wash it.
 
KenHash said:
I only use waterstones now so I have no idea about your sharpener. Or your type of steel. But there is no steel type used in cutlery that can not be sharpened. Some more difficult than others, but never impossible.
And while I do not know your sharpener, the basic fundamentals of sharpening are the same.
If you have sharpened your knife and it still can't slice through a tomato, then there are only 2 possibilities;

1) You are not sharpening your knife, by improper use or sequence.
2) You are sharpening properly but not removing the burr.

When you say "high grade stone" I suspect you are talking about a "high grit stone".
You do not begin sharpening with that.
Knife sharpening starts with a Low Grit stone. It is here that most of the sharpening is
accomplished as the most steel is removed. Both sides need to be done to ensure that the
burr is removed.
Then you move up to a "Medium grit" then to a "High grit". At the high grit point you are already
starting to "polish" rather than sharpen.
You do not mention any grit numbers, but are they not marked on each stone/element?

As for the Global Minosharp sharpener, while it likely is nowhere near as effective as waterstones, it's basically foolproof in that it removes the burr automatically. Following this simple video, I do not see how a knife could not get sharpened.

How to use the Global MinoSharp Ceramic Water Sharpener - YouTube
Click to expand...

Hi KenHash,

Thanks for pointing out. My sharpener as per image in my post. I just checked the bar and it says that it is 120 grit.
I use it as the first step of the process then i move to 400 grit.

I will check video you sent to me. thanks
 
albertjr said:
Hi KenHash,

Thanks for pointing out. My sharpener as per image in my post. I just checked the bar and it says that it is 120 grit.
I use it as the first step of the process then i move to 400 grit.

I will check video you sent to me. thanks
Click to expand...

Albert,
I can not tell what sharpener you have from the small photo. What is the brand/name?
You should not start at 120grit. That is only for repairs the the edge.
Start at the 400 grit then move upwards. But when you have completed at 400 grit, both sides,
you should already be able to cut paper (or tomato). Not smoothly, but cut.
You should also invest in a leather strop. When used with compound it will remove any remaining burrs and
give you a very fine edge.

Otherwise try that Global sharpener after the video.
 
albertjr said:
K KenHash Ok, I will give another go. What should be the highest grit?
I never heard of Leather strop. Thanks for direction.
Click to expand...

Most household kitchen knives can be sharpened with 400 grit then 1000 grit. And they are used that way.
If a person sharpens their knife regularly, they can get away with just the 1000 alone.
If you want to go higher, you can go 400/1000/1500-2000. There is really no upper limit, it is a matter of
personal preference.
I personally go 400/1000/3000/8000/10000 but really anything over 1000 is "polishing" more than "sharpening".

If you get a leather strop, also get black and green compound. Do black first, then finish with green.[/QUOTE]
 
I have a Mundial boning knife for fishing that doesn't hold an edge worth beans. It will take one but doesn't hold up.
 
Go back to the lower grits. Most likely you have not hit the apex and formed a bur??


Your edge should be sharp enough to easily slice tomatoes straight from the 120 grit, before moving on to finer stones.

Low pressure, feel both directions of the edge. Checking to see if you have a burr. Then focus on light strokes, alternating to remove that bur.

When I go back down to low grits to reset the bevel, I don't move on until the edge feels sticky sharp and bites immediately if I try to run three fingers lightly along the edge, not perpendicular.

When I use a guided sharpening system, if I move on too soon, this is what happens. It won't cut.
 
Thank you all for direction.
I will start with 400 and finish it with 1500 grit.
I need to figure out this skill set.
 
Mundial are basic steel, they should sharpen in seconds. Even my Shun sharpens in minutes on basic sharpmaker at 15.

That sharpening system is overkill! It'll definitely work. Take pictures of the edge, both sides and one straight at the edge if possible. If you post them here I think the pros here can easily diagnose your issue.

Good luck
 
How proficient are you at sharpening knives? Are you making sure to raise a bur with the first, coarse grit stone before you move on to the next finer grit stone?
 
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