Show us your favourite Jnats for knives and tools

[cotedupy]

This is strapping a piece of buttered toast to the back of a cat and dropping it. The logic just spins and there is never an answer.

Excellent! I'd not heard that before.


(But also... polishing is FUN! There's no problem here.)

 

[PLANofMAN]

What frustrates me about these knives, is that they are meant to be polished on stones. But the iron is so reactive it's meant to build a patina. But you can’t keep the patina if you polish on stones.... But but but...

This is strapping a piece of buttered toast to the back of a cat and dropping it. The logic just spins and there is never an answer.

I only have one high end Japanese knife, and my stone collection doesn't go high enough in grit for me to trust using it on them. I had the original seller (I purchased it new) put an edge on it, which he did, and it cut like a razor blade through silk when I got it.

My wife and I have been using it for about six months now, and the edge is still as keen as the day it arrived, if not more so. I'm ashamed to admit that I treat it more or less like a straight razor, and just strop it daily on one of my cheaper razor strops, which keeps the edge, while allowing a patina to form. Is this a mistake?

The knife is an Itsuo Doi nakiri.

 

[Legion]

I only have one high end Japanese knife, and my stone collection doesn't go high enough in grit for me to trust using it on them. I had the original seller (I purchased it new) put an edge on it, which he did, and it cut like a razor blade through silk when I got it.

My wife and I have been using it for about six months now, and the edge is still as keen as the day it arrived, if not more so. I'm ashamed to admit that I treat it more or less like a straight razor, and just strop it daily on one of my cheaper razor strops, which keeps the edge, while allowing a patina to form. Is this a mistake?

The knife is an Itsuo Doi nakiri.View attachment 1588143

Stropping on plain leather will not cause any harm, and if you have kept it going for six months that way then that is great. Similarly, a patina is a good thing, since it protects against red, active rust. Sounds like you are doing fine.

 

[cotedupy]

I only have one high end Japanese knife, and my stone collection doesn't go high enough in grit for me to trust using it on them. I had the original seller (I purchased it new) put an edge on it, which he did, and it cut like a razor blade through silk when I got it.

My wife and I have been using it for about six months now, and the edge is still as keen as the day it arrived, if not more so. I'm ashamed to admit that I treat it more or less like a straight razor, and just strop it daily on one of my cheaper razor strops, which keeps the edge, while allowing a patina to form. Is this a mistake?

The knife is an Itsuo Doi nakiri.View attachment 1588143

Cool! Seriously interesting profile too; some belly and what looks like a slight reverse tanto tip, almost a bunka x nakiri cross.

And no - certainly not a mistake, do whatever works best for you! And patina is always good to help prevent rust.

Couple of things to note... You don't necessarily need high grit stones to sharpen Japanese knives, again - it's kinda a matter of personal preference, but anything from about 500 up is perfectly acceptable. And when you do sharpen it; you don't need to remove the patina by laying the main bevel flat on the stone, edge sharpening should be done with the knife raised to about 15-20 degrees, otherwise you won't hit the apex.

(I'm sure you knew that second point, but just in case.)