(01-12-2019, 05:00 PM)Ken S Wrote: Luis,
As a chef, I am sure you realize the importance of not having your very sharp knives skate over things tomatoes and onions without cutting them. (the concept of "toothiness", perhaps the knife sharpener's version of "al dente").
The concept of using very fine grit stones, like 8000, seems to fit better with woodworking tools like chisels, using a push cut, rather than a slicing cut. I am not a chef. Do you encounter push cuts in cooking?
Tengo curiosidad.
Ken
Ken!. 8000 grit is still great on food, that kind of edge slices and chops great, I have heard of that phenomenon of knives that skate on tomatoes and bell peppers as you mention, but I have never experienced it, 8000 turns your knife into a very productive tool that cuts food great. Some high end Japanese knives come OOTB with edges on the 6000-8000... or that's what they claim, some others come with a factory edge that leaves a lot to be desired and that are supposed to be sharpened by the owner. (Happened to me with the Masamoto HC or the most affordable lines of Tojiro, which are great knives, very very affordable and rustic like).
I'm a push cutter, some cooks and chefs are rock cutters (they use the knife a bit as if it were a guillotine, and that technique is favored by German knives that have a "belly" or very round edges like Wustoff or Henkels, but Japanese knives AKA "Gyutos" and some French knives have a more straight profile that favors push cuts), and also the balance of the knives is different and each one favors an specific technique.
The Germans have the tang from the tip to the very end of the grip , which makes them handle great when you rock it BC you have that extra weight on the handle, also they are thicker on the spine, and with the belly or round profile, they "guillotine" great with the tip always touching the cutting surface, but I feel that the technique sometimes "crushes", specially if the blade is not sharp enough, but anyway due to the design and weight, the knife will cut.
Japs on the other side have a shorter tang (traditional Japs, AKA "Wa gyuto" with wooden octogonal or "D" shaped handles) and the whole knife was created with the push cutters in mind, now, we have western style Japanese knives ("Yo Gyuto") that emulate the tang and handle of German knives but the profile is still way more straight and with no belly (or very little) and they still favor push cut above rock cut.
For me the rock cut is my favorite, that way you feel and enjoy more the blade because the cutting is the effect of the blade pushing, and thats where a sharp edge REALLY shines and performs like a champ... or a chump if it's dull. In that matter, German style are more forgiving, they can cut/crush even when dull.
I don't know if you have seen this video, I just discovered it two weeks ago and I think that is a gem. In a very easy and friendly way teaches you the many differences between the knives, here it goes, I hope that you enjoy it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LO35cdWL1MQ
Muchas gracias, best regards and I'll keep you posted in my advances with the Tormek as soon as I get it.
Luis!