totally new here with a meat cutting knife question

[rockaroo]

Let me get an apology out of the way first if this post is inappropriate for this board. I did scan some of the threads here and suspect this might be so.

Anyway I cut meat for a living at this point.I need advice on sharpening and maintaining my knives and I haven't met anyone in my field who is significantly better than myself at it, though opportunities to learn have been few and far between.

Most of the knife sharpening information and products I've seen on the internet seem to be geared towards shorter blades, and my daily tool is a 12 inch butcher knife.

So if anyone here has any help to offer or sources of information to reccommend I'd be grateful, especially to those who have had to deal with the problem of keeping a butcher knife that you use all day long properly sharp.

Otherwise I'll go away and y'all have fun

 

[VampyreWolf]

I sharpened knives for the greek kitchen I worked at for 4 months(as everthing but server and host).

I used a benchstone, 800grit, and my ceramics(spyderco doublestuff). I've been sharpening freehand just about 15yrs so far, so thats something to keep in mind.

I was using a table for support, holding it edge up, tip on a cloth on the table, and running the stone down the edge. Took me about 10min to get from butterknife, or about 2min to touchup. REALLY dull I'd hit the grinder for 5min and bring a knife back up that chopped cold mushrooms by weight alone.

I found 800 grit benchstones put a nice edge on for meat cutting, frozen or thawed. about 20deg was good.

I cook with whatever I have on me. I love my spyderco temperance fixed, 4.5" of flatground vg-10. 30 deg with spyderco greys, watch the fingers. Used it for 2 months before sending off for a new sheath. Have it back again.

 

[JDBLADE]

I sharpen the butcher knives around here. It doesn't matter whether it is a short or long blade the principle is the same. You have to eradicate as much of the shoulder as possible - I will attempt to lay down the principles:

1. Lay your blade on your stone and lift a fraction now using a circular motion grind until you raise a burr and then turn over and do the same on the other side.

2. Once you have achieved (1) move to the finer stone and raise your blade to 15 to 20 degrees this time using the slicing motion and alternative strokes decreasing the pressure as you go and you should end up with that fine edge for slicing. You can adapt this method for a belt system - it works just as well.

The first step is the most important as if you dont keep the blade "thinning out" you will end up with "thick shoulders" which will wear out quickly.

I presume you use a steel and know how to use it. Remember the steel is used to re-alighn the edge - not to "sharpen" it. It doesn't matter whether it is a 5" boner or a 12" steak knife the principle is the same.

 

[rockaroo]

Thanks JD. For such a short post there on your part you really hit the things I need to adjust well.

I was just raising a burr on one side and i did not have a theory about sharpening motion or adjusting the angle between stones. The steel part I know.

I must saw I dont know what you are talking about with "thinning out/thick shoulders". If you do get back here please explain. My edges do wear out to quickly, especially once the knife gets older. If I was to shrpen the knife to the best of my ability every day using my old meathod it would be about half size in a month.

I can't wait to get to work today and modify my sharpening. I really enjoy cutting with a sharp edge.

 

[JDBLADE]

Glad I could help. What I mean by "thinning out" is to keep as thin a profile as possible i.e. to keep the profile as it comes from the factory and that way you will not lose as much steel when you sharpen the blade. If you start the sharpening process at 20 degrees or more you will soon find that you have developed thick shoulders that you need to remove and this will involve removing more steel then you would have if you start the process correctly. It all comes back to the first step I mentioned if that is carried out correctly then when you move on to the second step you will find you have to remove minimal steel to get that edge you are looking for. If you miss the first step you will find you have developed a steep or thick bevel which will not last as long which means you go back to the stone more often and take off more steel and the process escalates from there and soon you have a "toothpick". Remember you are using a precise tool for cutting in a normally sterile environment so you can afford to have a thin durable edge and this will make your work easier and decrease the fatigue factor.

I hope I have explained myself sufficiently for you to understand what I am getting at.

 

[AKA Knife Knut]

Originally posted by rockaroo
Anyway I cut meat for a living at this point.I need advice on sharpening and maintaining my knives and I haven't met anyone in my field who is significantly better than myself at it, though opportunities to learn have been few and far between.

Just out of curiousity, what grit/micron do you finish at?

 

[rockaroo]

I really don't know. I'll check when I go back in.

I try not to use the smooth finishing stone too much except to take off the burr. I figure the steel acts as the finishing stone and I find a little roughness or "bite" on the edge sometimes grabs the meat and rips through the seams better.

That practice may be an overall error on my part though as pure sharpness seems preferable.

Thanks again JD. I cut and pasted to my notepad and I'll get this knowledge into practice. IMO you've got some good writing skills too.
My other hobby is cigars and the cigar BBs and this board is somehow similar to my internet BB home.