Thinking I got a way too sharp an edge on this one? Actually, I intended to give this thick blade a shaving sharp edge. I may even shave with it tomorrow. This is how a properly worked blade should look for duty.
Thanks for the detail. I always put micro bevels on my plane blades. Never thought of putting them on my knife.
I don't think a knife can be too sharp, but it can have the wrong edge.
If it's going to be used for slicing, a larger grit size will leave microserrations on the edge, which will help performance, and could well lead to it "feeling" sharper for longer. A finer grit edge would work better for push cutting tasks, but it might not slice as well, leading to a feeling that the knife is duller than it actually is.
As to the apex angle, this can easily be too acute, irrespective of steel hardness. A softer steels edge might roll, and a harder edged steel might chip. A rolled edge may be straightened (steeled), whereas a chipped edge will always need time on the stones. Modest blade harnesses work just fine for me, so I don't tend to have chipping issues. If an edge seems to dull too quickly, whetting the edge with a teeny extra bevel might help longevity.
I can't comment on precise edge angles, as I hand sharpen, and just give blades the edge they need to perform how I want them to. It doesn't take long to figure out if I need to lift the edge a little more when sharpening, or leave it a little more toothy than last time. I don't try and put a polished edge on anything, as a bit of tooth works better for me on pretty much everything, but different steels can leave the same stones with different scratch depths.
My understanding is that the maximum sharpness of a knife is related to the hardness of the steel.
If you are preparing sushi, you want your knife to be super hard
For example just sharpened my yanagiba today (sushi knife) and a big question in my mind was where to stop on grit progression. I ended up stopping with a hard (not true hard) Ark.
My understanding is that the maximum sharpness of a knife is related to the hardness of the steel. Japanese knives, for example, can take on sharper (thinner) edges and retain them.
It will likely be a conservative choice. If you're doing aggressive things, things that might chip a knife at a lower angle, it may be about right. If you're doing more slicey things, you may want a more acute angle. I usually make the angle a bit lower.Very interesting comments.
Re the angle: Can one assume that the factory angle that the knife comes with is a good EDC knife angle? (Thinking of Benchmade Knives, mini's)
It will likely be a conservative choice. If you're doing aggressive things, things that might chip a knife at a lower angle, it may be about right. If you're doing more slicey things, you may want a more acute angle. I usually make the angle a bit lower.
May i ask how you like the Tormek? I have a T1 coming as I'm tired of sending out my kitchen knives for sharpening.I hollow grind plane irons and my better woodworking chisels on a water cooled Tormek, then dress them as needed until they need to be hollow ground again.