Sharpening & Maintaining Global Knives

[Cephalopunk]

I just got a couple new Global knives, (8 inch Chef's, 5.5 Vegetable, 4 inch paring). I saw this sharpener at JB Prince, but I'm wary of hand-held sharpeners. However, Globals are asymetrical, and I'm afraid that I would have trouble achieving the proper edge with a waterstone, like this one.

Any advice?

[Samhill]

Asymetrical?

Flat on one side, beveled on the other?

Get the stone, just remember you have to sharpen the flat side held flat on the stone.

You'll be fine.

You may want to consider a hard white arkansas stone, instead, less messy, but hard to find, now.

Edited March 16, 2004 by Samhill (log)

[Schielke]

A basic procedure for sharpening a single bevel blade on a waterstone is 20 strokes on the angled side to 1 on the flat side.

[Joobu]

In previous knife threads, much praise has been heaped on the Shinkansen Sharpener available from amazon. It is made specifically for Global knives, other manufacturers have different angles.

[Suzanne F]

I was probably one of those praising it. I find it excellent for a touch-up. It's also very good with Messermeister blades.

[Steve Ramsey]

The last word in sharpening systems:

EdgePro Sharpening system

I'm saving my pennies.

[Moopheus]

The last word in sharpening systems:

EdgePro Sharpening system

I just got one of those. It totally rocks. I bought mine from this guy to get the extra stone. Definitely worth all the pennies.

[winesonoma]

The last word in sharpening systems:

EdgePro Sharpening system

I just got one of those. It totally rocks. I bought mine from this guy to get the extra stone. Definitely worth all the pennies.

Just did all my knives on this system. Wish I could do my Chisel's and planes. It is the best, scary sharp. Don't know if you cut you're self till ya see the blood. Right through a tomato with my Chef's knife.

[Steve Ramsey]

The last word in sharpening systems:

EdgePro Sharpening system

I just got one of those. It totally rocks. I bought mine from this guy to get the extra stone. Definitely worth all the pennies.

Just did all my knives on this system. Wish I could do my Chisel's and planes. It is the best, scary sharp. Don't know if you cut you're self till ya see the blood. Right through a tomato with my Chef's knife.

The pro model has an optional extra attachment for planes, chisels and scissors.

[Parx]

In previous knife threads, much praise has been heaped on the Shinkansen Sharpener available from amazon. It is made specifically for Global knives, other manufacturers have different angles.

I own several Global knives, as well as the Shinkansen sharpener. Note that the instructions for the Shinkansen specifically state that "it cannot be used for the G-11, G-7 GS-4, etc. which have the Japanese style one-sided cutting edges."

I would recommend the Edgepro sharpener, as others have already stated in this thread. It does a better job than the Shinkansen (which is a decent little sharpener, witin its limitations) and will handle all of your knives.

[theakston]

In previous knife threads, much praise has been heaped on the Shinkansen Sharpener available from amazon. It is made specifically for Global knives, other manufacturers have different angles.

I own several Global knives, as well as the Shinkansen sharpener. Note that the instructions for the Shinkansen specifically state that "it cannot be used for the G-11, G-7 GS-4, etc. which have the Japanese style one-sided cutting edges."

I would recommend the Edgepro sharpener, as others have already stated in this thread. It does a better job than the Shinkansen (which is a decent little sharpener, witin its limitations) and will handle all of your knives.

I assume that you have used the edgepro on globals : what settings do you use? I presume that it would differ from the instructions given in Chad's EGCI, as the angles are finer.

I'd appreciate the help, I've got lots of Globals, and the Shinkanshen thingie, but they are getting to the point where they need a more serious sharpening. The local Sur La Table refuses to sharpen Global ( A little odd as they do sell them! )

[ghost]

I just got a my first Global knife. It's really nice and the only knives I've had that were nearly as sharp out of the box were my Shuns. The little booklet that came with the knife suggests you don't use a metal steel to hone it, and they recommend their ceramic one. This poses some interesting questions. I use the Shun steel I bought a while ago on all my knives. Aren't the globals and the shuns made out of the same vg-10 steel? If so... can I use my shun metal steel on the globals? Or will I hurt my globals by using the shun metal steel on them? The other thing that I was curious about is that the little booklet recommends a 10 degree angle when honing and sharpening. I've always been told that a 17-22 degree angle is ideal. What do you all suggest? What angle would you suggest for the Shuns as well, because I've always used a 17-19 degree angle when honing with them, do they have a really low angle as well? I was pretty sure of what I was doing, but now I'm confused. Oh the fun!

[Chris Amirault]

Check out the eGCI knife sharpening and maintenance course.

[Ling]

I just got a my first Global knife.  It's really nice and the only knives I've had that were nearly as sharp out of the box were my Shuns.  The little booklet that came with the knife suggests you don't use a metal steel to hone it, and they recommend their ceramic one. 

←

I don't know about the Shun knives, but I use a ceramic sharpener for my Global.

[Jeebus]

I have always used a diamond steel on my globals and they have been doing good for 7 years now. I have never had a problem.

[andiesenji]

The Global knives I have are ground only on one side, a "chisel" edge. I have had them for three years and have never used a steel. I use a ceramic hone the same way I would use a steel on my regular knives and use a diamond hone on just the ground side if they feel as if they are dragging. I take them to my knife man once a year for sharpening and dressing.

[PCL]

A timely question...

I've just sharpened everything in my kitchen... well, not everything, just the knives I use and I treat the Globals in the same way.

I use a fine grain oil stone, for sharpening and 10 - 15 degrees is fine for the Global. I don't use a guide, but Global sell them however you can get cheaper.

The ceramic 'steel' is a lot finer than steel of course, and the VG10 recipe global and others use produces a softer steel for the knife. The ceramic steel is supposed to make it easier to hone to the blade and also allow for greater margin for error. I don't have a problem with using a regular steel for honing my Globals. I have a chef's and a meat slicer, both ground on both sides.

[scubadoo97]

I haven't had much experience with Globals except the one I sharpened for a friend when she came up to visit. It was full of chips but a short stint on a coarse stone to grind them out and then refining on finer stones did the trick. I'm no Dave Martel but the knife left my kitchen sharper than it arrived

[paulraphael]

You can get it sharp. Ish. The trouble is that the steel is gummy and produces a wire edge that's very difficult to get rid of. This means that you're left with a very fragile false edge that will be prone to rolling or chipping.

[scubadoo97]

You can get it sharp. Ish. The trouble is that the steel is gummy and produces a wire edge that's very difficult to get rid of. This means that you're left with a very fragile false edge that will be prone to rolling or chipping.

What's the best method to remove the wire edge? I used a hard felt block followed by a basal wood strop charged with .25 micron diamond spray

[paulraphael]

What's the best method to remove the wire edge? I used a hard felt block followed by a basal wood strop charged with .25 micron diamond spray

 

I do basically the same thing. Felt does a pretty good job on my knives. Some people use a soft piece of wood or heavy cardboard. The sharpener / co-owner at Korin uses newspaper or a circular motion on the finest stone.

 

But I don't know what might work on Globals. If you shoot an email to Dave Martel, he's usually generous with advice. His giving up doesn't mean it's impossible on globals; just that he finds it too time consuming to be profitable.

[rotuts]

the globals I have, as mentioned, sharpened OK by hand on water stones, but not great

 

they sharpen superbly on the EdgePro if you take your time. the EP changed my view of the globals I have.

[paulraphael]

Edgepro just takes the manual skill out of the equation, but it doesn't do anything about the wire edge issue. It can't. You're knives could actually retain their edges a lot longer than they do now. It's just no picnic getting there. Plenty of other knives are easier to sharpen, will get sharper, and will stay sharp longer.

[rotuts]

""  takes the manual skill out of the equation ""

 

not really.  there is still manual skill, but of a simpler kind

 

and yes, the do get that edge, but a very light touch with the last pass of each grit takes care of it.

 

Im sure there are plenty of other knives that are easier to sharpen, but I have these.

 

Night turns into Day

 

and once you understand that the knife's edge best friend is your cutting board, these :

 

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/oxo-good-grips-reg-10-1-2-x-14-1-2-utility-cutting-board/112876?Keyword=cutting+boards

 

they last as long as your good technique allows.

 

so you are correct in that globals are difficult to sharpen, but incorrect saying that its difficult to get them as shape as you want, with the EP

 

the EP wasn't free, but its a joy to use if your plan is a ( very ) sharp knife, and you no longer can use your "Stones" the way you used to.

 

would get these again, at twice the price ? not as long as these are not stolen .

Edited May 5, 2015 by rotuts (log)

[paulraphael]

I'm only saying the the EP can't remove the wire edge.* If you believe that it's doing so, then I'm betting you you've just grown accustomed to cutting with a wire edge.

 

Which is pretty common, even on much easier to sharpen knives. All my knives are easier than Globals, and still, the removal of the wire is the hardest part of the job to do reliably. I'd been sharpening with a reasonable sense of proficiency for about five years before this was pointed out to me. When I realized there was this other frontier to cross, I was fairly quickly able to create knife edges that performed better and that lasted about four times as long.

 

Waterstones don't do a good job of removing it either, but they allow for some steps with a slightly steeper angle that can help a bit.

Edited May 6, 2015 by paulraphael (log)