mpr86

Hi everyone, I have been reading numerous post’s on the forum and specifically like Chad’s Knife Maintenance and Sharpening post. I did have some questions and concerns and would be delighted if anyone could give me any input regarding a few things… Let me first start with my background story, and go from there… I purchased a 3-piece set of Kershaw Shun Chef’s Knives from a local retailer. When I got home, the knives cut amazing, but there was a slight problem aesthetically with the set. I took them back and had them exchanged for the same ones. When I got home, the knives were less than perfect in the sharpness department. I contacted Kershaw Shun and they were very nice to replace the set once again with a new one. Now, I received this final set, but there were some differences in how the knives were sharpened. Originally with the first two sets, the Back Bevel and Primary Edge Bevel of the knives were fully polished as depicted by the image below. (Higher resolution image available and/or I could take new pictures if needed. In addition, I am referring to the polished portion of the knife in newbie terms) When I received the final set from Kershaw Shun, the Primary Edge Bevel was not polished, but instead seemed to be much coarser as seen in the photo below. I called Kershaw Shun asking what the difference was between the two, and they explained that one of their sharpeners opened a set, and sharpened the knives for me to make certain that they are properly sharp. I still was wondering a few things though which is why I decided to ask here. Please pardon the fact that I am not that knowledgeable with sharpening and maintenance and just overly paranoid on some aspects. Let’s assume both bevels were polished from the factory on my final set as in the first image, and I used the knives for a few months. After they became slightly dull, I decided to either sharpen them myself with the Sypderco product, or send them in for sharpening. After the sharpening, would the knives polished bevel appear the same as the second image, or would it remain polished? Also are there any negative side effects to the way this final set came compared to if they were never sharpened again by a sharpener? I recall speaking to Kershaw Shun regarding sharpening prior to this incident and they explained that these knives need an angle between 16-18 degree’s. I am assuming this is what my final set was sharpened at, but I have read elsewhere that 15 degrees is the general angle at which Japanese knives are sharpened at. I am mainly concerned that they way they sharpened my knives may have been somewhat out of the ordinary and just wanted to see what you experts might think regarding this. Then again, I may be completely wrong, regardless I enjoy very much using these knives and appreciate the awesome customer service at Kershaw Shun. If you guys needed any other information, photos or details, let me know as I would be glad to add anything necessary. Thanks! My set: Chefs Set DMS300 - 3.5-in. Paring Knife - 6-in. Utility Knife - 8-in. Chef's Knife (Photo from http://www.CutleryandMore.com)