Wire edge?

[Severance]

In another post i inquired about sharpening issues with a particular knife and some of the replies mentioned that i might be creating a "wire edge" or "leaving a bit of a wire" as a result of my particular sharpening method. I assume this refers to the creation of too thin an edge that would be more prone to deformation or premature dulling??

 

[sodak]

Yes, some call it a burr. I didn't see the original post, but try a few searches, and you'll see how many of us deal with burr removal. Good luck!

 

[MassMatt]

It's not about the edge being too thin, really a burr would make the edge thicker. It happens in particular if you sharpen by drawing the knife across the stone (or whatever you're using to sharpen) from spine to edge, like stropping a razor. Many people like to sharpen this way, but there is often a tiny remnant of steel left on the edge like a, well, burr, which should then be removed by drawing from edge to spine. I never heard the term "wire edge" but imagine if you sharpened extensively with a stropping motion you could end up with basically a wire along the edge--not good for cutting.

 

[yablanowitz]

Yes, some steels (notably S30V among them) tend to form a tough burr or wire edge. It is a very thin strip of usually fatigued steel sticking out from where the edge really should be. It can make a very sharp edge for things like shaving hair off your arm or push cutting paper, but it will roll, chip or tear when used for harder cutting. The easiest way to remove one is usually a couple of very light passes on each side at a high angle (two or three times your normal sharpening angle).

In my experience, the most common cause is using too much pressure on the stone when sharpening (been there, done that )

 

[Cougar Allen]

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