The one I have is two sided, 2000 and 6000 - do you think I need one that has a coarser grit?
I sharpen my knives once or twice a year, usually using three different grits of whetstones. It takes about 5 minutes per knife. My experience has been softer steels hone better than harder ones, letting me get a feel-able burr, and then removing it with another stroke or two on the other side.
Again, the angle you sharpen (or hone) is important, and has to match the design and material of the edge.
First of all, I am not an expert here. My four stones run from 400 to 5000. I usually start with the 800 (unless they’re really dull, which is very rare), and finish with the 1200 and 5000. While folks like Bob Kramer recommend 400, 1000, 5000, I have rarely felt the need for 400-500 grit.
I’d suggest getting another stone in the 600-800 range to start them at, and then finish with your 2000/6000. But again , note the angle is as important as the grit.
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A combination of a 300 and a 1000 is great for working kitchen sharpness. When you get up in the 3000 range and above you are mainly polishing an already sharp edge.
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I have to agree… while I sometimes use the 5000, the 800 and 1200 usually do the job just fine.
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First, I think it depends what scale we are talking about. Most likely you are referring to the JIS
I do think you need at least a coarser grit to be more effective. Usually speaking a 1000 is a very standard stone. However, given that you have a 2000 already, it may not be bad to have a 800 grit so. A little more coarse and give you more grinding power, and still able to finished to the 2000.
There are many reasons why your knives do not feel as sharp – assuming nothing wrong with your knife itself. One possibility is that you have changed your cutting board. Some cutting boards can make your knife edge wear out much faster. I have experienced this first hand. Second, probably your knife is as actually as sharp, but “feel” less sharp. This is because over the years, the edge retreat back, so while your edge is as sharp, the blade behind the edge is thicker.
So what you may need to do is thinning behind your edge.
Third is that… your honing rod is actually hurting the knives more than helping.
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That’s me! And my collection of, well, knives and a lot of stuff.
Will a polished butcher steel hurt anything?
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It comes down to technique and angle. At the wrong angle, and with excessive force, even a polish honing steel can hurt a knife edge. That being said, that is the great thing about a polished honing steel, it is more forgiving than a grooved honing steel.
You can always do this test if you like. Freshly sharpening your knife and test it (one foods or one paper or your arm hair. 
) And then immediate hone your freshly sharpening knife 2-3X as long as usual, and then test the knife edge again.
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I have santokus, a nakiri, a gyuto, a usuba, a fabulously sharp French bread knife, filleting knives of various flexibilities, and many other experimental purchases over the years from many different knife makers. I enjoy reading about the exotica of knife making; I’d probably take the precious specimens and display them. Pristine, in a glass cabinet. I probably have 70 knives in various stages of accessibility - not difficult after decades of acquiring … stuff. But here’s what I use most frequently:
Nothing exotic. They’re sharp and at hand. I love the little trimming knife. You can pry it from my cold, dead hands, as they say.
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That is sage advice. I used minimal pressure figuring I only want to realign things that were thin and soft enough to fold in the first place.
;0)
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Hi Meekah,
I started American with a Bowie hunting knife and an Old Hickory butcher knife, and never really made the transition to Victorinox. I still have a Chicago cutlery fillet knife, and became an enthusiastic supporter of Ken Onion and Bob Kramer. The one distraction was the Seki Magoroku nakiri I was given in Japan.
I tried to Europeanize myself–bought a Wusthof Chef knife and small 3 1/2" Wusthof precision–also a Victorinox 7" butcher knife w/rosewood handle–and it worked for awhile.
but
the upkeep was a grind (no pun intended) and I was getting more involved with Japanese culture . . . .
Maybe you can show us some more?
Hi SP,
I maintain as I go, with two strops, pullthroughs, and honing rods next to my computer. My green compound and 400 strokes keeps 'em sharp with additional refinement possible–and raw stropping to polish.
The only ones requiring extra attention are my softer steel Wusthofs that get occasional honing sessions and extra strokes.
I’ve been developing backup sharpening capability with diamond plates and shopton for friends, but doubt I’ll need it.
Here’s Chef Panko’s suggestions:
These grits are 'way too fine. 600 is probably too fine, but an OK place to start to touch up. If you put a dull edge on a 1000 at the wrong angle, you will be spending a lot of time with scant results.
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Cool thanks.
And thanks to all the knowledgeable knife folks at HO for the tips!
Charlie,
I continue to hope you will share your personal “batterie” for your family home cooking–and compare it to those you used professionally.
I’ve always admired European traditions for cooking excellence, but my early American experiences were with mostly different knives for different purposes.
Now, in my SOCAL world, I think in terms of cultural fusion–highly influenced by Japanese and Chinese prep work: different strokes.
I just wonder how much you’ve moved on.
Ray
I’ve reorganized and made all my knives listed above grabbable in three groups:
- The hard steel knives I use the most:
- My debas, cleavers, and birchwood:
- My softer steel, together with honing rod
My knives are now all grabbably close.
Ray
You are headed in a good direction, but being grabbable is more than proximity. I think it is worthwhile for any cook to have a set of knives that will fit in a block, handles facing outward, situated near where the knives are most used.
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That’s how my most-used knives live. Decades ago. When the only knife blocks I could buy were completely vertical, the same rule applied.
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