A set of worn Victorinox carving knives from a local butcher.
Edge angles on the really narrow ones were in the 50 to 60 degrees inclusive range, and the request was to see if i could at least make them useful again.
Weapon of choice was my cheap variable speed Parkside belt grinder (345-645 rpm, used at the lowest speed, while the machine is held upside down in a vise), which i modified a bit to have a slack belt section.
The belts themselves are also cheap but reasonable quality aluminium oxide ones made by German company Bosch, and i coat each belt with one or more layers of also cheap spray wax, normally used to make your car shine.
While these waxed belts will not keep heat away at the same level as a fully water cooled setup, they do provide me with noticeably more "dwell time" while doing passes on the belt, and after each pass i also dunk the blades in water.
Most of the regrind is done on an 80 grit belt, while refining & apexing is done on a 120 grit belt.
Burrs normally get stropped off on the Tormek's leather wheel, but can also be removed on an oiled DMT Diafold (thereby creating a microbevel)
Used this way i have not experienced burnt edges or points, and i test each edge afterwards by cutting into wood or HDPE, then shave a few hairs from the back of my hand or cut up a piece of paper.
I've been using this simple & cheap setup for quite some time now, and from feedback from restaurants i've learned that the edges perform well and the chefs that use these knives are satisfied.
Example of one of the knives before regrinding/sharpening:
Afterwards (burr is still partly on the new edge, which measures between 25 and 30 degrees inclusive)
Notice that i not only convexed the edge but also the back of the blade to a degree, which allows for a much easier slicing through various meats, together with noticeably improved twisting & turning.
The trick here is to not thin the blade too much, as it needs to remain rigid and not flexible like a filleting knife.
Thought i'd share this method for people having to regrind/sharpen (a lot of) cheap kitchen knives for friends & family, or maybe to use for a side job.
Donations
Community Links
