Wusthof Knife Sharpening Angle

[Jabiru]

What angle do you sharpen yours at which works for General Kitchen duties?

My Father has given me a 3 Wusthof Knives to sharpen which are around 20-25 years Old. They do not appear to be the forged type. There is no original factory edge left to work from.

The markings which I can just read with magnifying glass say it is the X50 Cr Mo 15.

I have read on the Wusthof website that they aim for an angle of 14 Degrees each side, but, that appears to be for their modern knives, would it suit these older ones?

From their FAQ:

Q: What is X50 Cr Mo 15? A: This is our steel formula. All WÜSTHOF knives are created using a special alloy of high-carbon stain-free steel.

Our sharpening angle for standard blades is 14˚ per side, and for Asian-style blades (Santokus, Nakiris) is 10˚ per side.

I am leaning towards 18 Degrees each side to provide a more durable edge..... 14 Degrees just seems to low to me.... As my father wont Steel these every time he wants to use them.

 

[thirdeye]

What style of knives are they? Chef, slicer, boning, fillet?

I could see a Chef's knife at 18° or even 20°, but I like to have some scary sharp slicers or boning knives on hand. Most people using a steel or ceramic rod fly by the seat of their pants when touching up their knives. Consider buying a set of SHARPENING GUIDES along with a ceramic stone, and giving them to your father. It really only takes 2 passes once a week when you are dialed in to the angle.

 

[indaswamp]

Chef's knife- 20*
utility, basic kitchen knives- 25*
boning, fillet knife- 30*

 

[indaswamp]

Meat cleaver - 15*

 

[Jabiru]

Thanks guys, My father is 80 years old.

The knives are Chefs Knife, Cooks knife and utility knife. The sharpening is not an issue its just the best angle to suit the knife and the user.

I usually do Kitchen knives at 20 Degrees and works well as a sharp durable edge. I just thought with the Steel combination they are built from I could go lower to say 18 Degrees and still have durability.

 

[thirdeye]

Thanks guys, My father is 80 years old.

The knives are Chefs Knife, Cooks knife and utility knife. The sharpening is not an issue its just the best angle to suit the knife and the user.

I usually do Kitchen knives at 20 Degrees and works well as a sharp durable edge. I just thought with the Steel combination they are built from I could go lower to say 18 Degrees and still have durability.

I'm guessing the "cooks knife" and "chef's knife" are similar (is the cooks knife a bit shorter?) and will be used for chopping, dicing and the like? If so, yes, 20° will be durable and have a longer span between sharpening and restoring. With the utility knife being narrower and lighter duty, it's still good for slicing, I would go with a lower angle just so your Dad has the option. Maybe not 15° like a scary sharp fillet knife, but split the difference in case he wants to slice something like tomatoes or roast beef very thin.

One other option is sharpening all three knives at 18°, then doing a micro-bevel on the cooks or utility. This compound style bevel still has a low profile but improves durability. Here is a VIDEO that explains it way better than I can, but I do this on two knives that Mrs ~t~ uses most often, and I've showed her how to re-touch and restore that edge, so it's a win-win situation.

 

[Fueling Around]

Chef's knife- 20°
utility, basic kitchen knives- 25°
boning, fillet knife- 30°
Meat cleaver - 15°

Hard (true) Japanese steel is usually done at 15° edge.
I've never heard of cleaver at that angle. I thought they were the largest angle to withstand the punishment of heavy chopping.
I also thought filet knifes had an 18° edge.
I got a Wusthof Santoku last year. The instructions call for a 20° edge. Thus German steel is not as hard as Japanese and they used their standard steel to construct a Japanese style blade.
You can sharpen an edge under 20°, but if the steel isn't hard you will be re-sharpening (not simply honing) frequently.

If you want a ° symbol, it requires a simple technique.
Hold down the "Alt" key and use the keypad to type "0176". °

 

[indaswamp]

I've never heard of cleaver at that angle. I thought they were the largest angle to withstand the punishment of heavy chopping.

I thought 15* was the largest angle...or do I have them backwards?

 

[chilerelleno]

Scary sharp knives with decent edge retention for their uses.
Filet or Slicer 12°-18°
Chefs 20°-25°
Basic, steak, paring, boning, pocket, 20°-30°
Machete 30°-40°
Cleaver 40°-50°

 

[thirdeye]

I thought 15* was the largest angle...or do I have them backwards?

Imagine your countertop, it's horizontal and you can call that 0° for your reference angle. So, 5° (from reference) is a gentle angle, 30° is steeper and a more durable angle (bevel) and 90° would be vertical and a square edge.

 

[chilerelleno]

I thought 15* was the largest angle...or do I have them backwards?

You're backwards.

 

[indaswamp]

Thanks thirdeye and chilerelleno

 

[daveomak]

Help me out here....
Are those angles per side or total angle of the cutting edge....
15 deg. per side is a total angle of 30 deg....

 

[Fueling Around]

indaswamp
Yep reverse.
chilerelleno hit it with a 40° or more angle

Anything under a 20° goes from D--- sharp to scary sharp.
Problem is that narrow angle requires a lot of maintenance unless a Japanese hard steel.
Thin flexible knives are from from relatively soft steel.
Hmm, so that's why many filet knives came with a built in sharpener

 

[Fueling Around]

Help me out here....
Are those angles per side or total angle of the cutting edge....
15 deg. per side is a total angle of 30 deg....

Per side.

 

[thirdeye]

Per side.

Help me out here....
Are those angles per side or total angle of the cutting edge....
15 deg. per side is a total angle of 30 deg....

Hey Dave, I think the secret word is "inclusive". The inclusive angle is just the sum of the two sides. 30° = 15° on each side.

 

[sawhorseray]

Thanks guys, My father is 80 years old.
The knives are Chefs Knife, Cooks knife and utility knife. The sharpening is not an issue its just the best angle to suit the knife and the user. I usually do Kitchen knives at 20 Degrees and works well as a sharp durable edge. I just thought with the Steel combination they are built from I could go lower to say 18 Degrees and still have durability.

Jabiru, I have Wusthof Classic blades and a Wusthof sharpener, 14º per side, don't overdue, use the steel.

The Santoku is 10º, just steel it. RAY

 

[pops6927]

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[Jabiru]

Thanks again for the great input and info fellow smf members.

thirdeye thanks for that video, might try the micro bevel on a couple of test knives..

seems like 20 degrees is consencous, yet I am now torn as sawhorseray has these knives (and boy that is an awesome set) and runs 14 degrees. Decisions decisions.

 

[sawhorseray]

From the Wusthof site:









Hand-held and Electric Sharpeners
Hand-held and electric sharpeners are an easy alternative to sharpening a knife compared to using a steel or a whetstone. Hand-held and electric sharpeners have pre-set angles and perform the same task as a steel.
To sharpen a knife using a hand-held sharpener, simply drag the knife through the notch, pulling gently towards you with light pressure – even the weight of the blade should be enough. WÜSTHOF offers hand-held knife sharpeners that have two stages: fine (honing) and coarse (sharpening). The fine stage has ceramic slats that can be used for regular maintenance. The coarse stage has diamond-coated abrasive wheels that will reset a dull blade. The coarse (sharpening) notch should be used 1-2 times per year when the blade is dull, while the fine (honing) notch can be used more regularly for knife maintenance. In addition, WÜSTHOF offers hand-held sharpeners that feature two Asian style stages. The Asian style knives are sharpened at 10 degrees rather than 14 degrees.
To use an electric sharpener, gently drag the blade through each stage 2 or 3 times, starting with the coarse grit (sharpening), followed by the fine grit (honing), and finishing the edge with the stropping wheels at the end.

It is always recommended to use the same brand sharpener as the knives you are sharpening, because the steel hardness varies from one manufacturer to another. In order to properly sharpen your knives, you have to use a steel that is tempered at a higher Rockwell degree than the knife. WÜSTHOF forged knives are tempered to 58⁰ Rockwell.

Care & Sharpening

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