Flattening a Tandy round knife

[toxo]

2 hours ago, Klara said:

The diameter of steel I have is bigger than the diameter of the teeth. My bread knife doesn't have one edge but many - in a book on kitchen knives I've read that bread knives are probably not worth sharpening, one should buy a new one when they no longer cut at all. They do saw pretty well for a pretty well for a pretty long time, after all. But I was struck how well my new knife cut, and I believe it has lost that edge (pun intended. Interesting how many everyday expressions are knife-related, isn't it? )

 

Wrap some fine emery paper around the right size rod for the size of the teeth. You could even use a wooden dowel with some of the honing compound on it. Nothing to lose.

[chuck123wapati]

6 hours ago, Klara said:

The diameter of steel I have is bigger than the diameter of the teeth. My bread knife doesn't have one edge but many - in a book on kitchen knives I've read that bread knives are probably not worth sharpening, one should buy a new one when they no longer cut at all. They do saw pretty well for a pretty well for a pretty long time, after all. But I was struck how well my new knife cut, and I believe it has lost that edge (pun intended. Interesting how many everyday expressions are knife-related, isn't it? )

 

i'm sorry i use a straight bladed bread knife lol because i hate serrated blades for just this reason. You can still use the steel on the flat side of the blade or get a small round diamond stone or even regular round stone, your dowel would work also.

 

[Klara]

7 hours ago, chuck123wapati said:

i'm sorry i use a straight bladed bread knife lol because i hate serrated blades for just this reason. You can still use the steel on the flat side of the blade or get a small round diamond stone or even regular round stone, your dowel would work also.

 

Out of curiosity: What makes a straight-bladed bread knife a bread knife instead of just another kitchen knife? This afternoon I attacked mine with a dowel rod, sandpaper and honing compound, but I couldn't say whether it's now better than it was.

But I discovered that IKEA does identify the steel: X50CrMoV15. Whatever that means...

[chuck123wapati]

1 hour ago, Klara said:

Out of curiosity: What makes a straight-bladed bread knife a bread knife instead of just another kitchen knife? This afternoon I attacked mine with a dowel rod, sandpaper and honing compound, but I couldn't say whether it's now better than it was.

But I discovered that IKEA does identify the steel: X50CrMoV15. Whatever that means...

Mine are really long very slender knives with a blunt tip and straight cutting edge other than that really nothing, they work awesome for cutting tomatoes paper thin also ham or roasts. Mine are pretty old, probably made in the 50s, before they mostly went to serrated blades, i have the complete set of Maxam kitchen knives they were made in Japan and are really nice tools. they have to be kept razor sharp to get through the crust but when they are you can cut very straight with them

X50crmov15 is stainless steel made in Germany. It's somewhere between mid- and high-range quality-wise. This is the go-to option for people who want a great knife they can rely on for the right price. This steel has little to no flaws and great reviews all around.X50CrMoV15 Steel is synonymous with kitchen knives. If you're shopping for a new kitchen or chef knife today, chances are high you'll get a knife from a popular brand with the X50CrMoV15 Steel blade

Edited June 6, 2021 by chuck123wapati

[Klara]

Thanks for the info! I was struck by how well my first Vörda knife cut when new (I admit I find them hard to sharpen and am not as diligent as I should be) - I picked it up for 5 € in the returns section. The regular price isn't much higher...

[chuck123wapati]

On 6/7/2021 at 1:20 AM, Klara said:

Thanks for the info! I was struck by how well my first Vörda knife cut when new (I admit I find them hard to sharpen and am not as diligent as I should be) - I picked it up for 5 € in the returns section. The regular price isn't much higher...

your very welcome, that was a good buy indeed i buy many knives from our local thrift store and yard sales etc. You have to know what your looking at however.

[scrapyarddog]

On 6/3/2021 at 6:58 AM, chuck123wapati said:

it would be interesting to know. Keep me posted. I doubt it too however its way to hard to work and more for pocket knives and such. A round knife would cost hundreds and really again the average leather worker just doesn't need it, now maybe if you were cutting all day on a much larger scale.

D2. It’s not 430 or M390. Chemistry does not match.

[chuck123wapati]

42 minutes ago, scrapyarddog said:

D2. It’s not 430 or M390. Chemistry does not match.

d2 has been used for years in knife making and is pretty good quality steel, that would lead me to believe the problems are associated with the hardening and tempering processes. Quality control issue IMO as we can see from the posts some folks get good knives and some don't. 

[scrapyarddog]

2 hours ago, chuck123wapati said:

d2 has been used for years in knife making and is pretty good quality steel, that would lead me to believe the problems are associated with the hardening and tempering processes. Quality control issue IMO as we can see from the posts some folks get good knives and some don't. 

Hmmm… D2 is not shabby by any means but is probably not on the same tier as M390 or the like. However, I think you are right about the hardening or lack of on the Tandy is probably a good reason why it underperforms. My experience with other blades made of D2, while just ok, isn’t this underwhelming.

I was thinking it might be 400 stainless but it wasn’t that abysmal.

[chuck123wapati]

15 hours ago, scrapyarddog said:

Hmmm… D2 is not shabby by any means but is probably not on the same tier as M390 or the like. However, I think you are right about the hardening or lack of on the Tandy is probably a good reason why it underperforms. My experience with other blades made of D2, while just ok, isn’t this underwhelming.

I was thinking it might be 400 stainless but it wasn’t that abysmal.

Its a good choice for lower price decent knives, alot of customs are made from it and really a round knife doesn't necessarily need to cost 200 bucks or be the toughest steel in the world to be good we need to remember Tandy sells to hobbyists mostly so they may only use the thing a couple times a day or less where a pro may want and can afford a better steel that holds up for serious daily cutting. 62 Rockwell hardness is plenty and it will do that if treated right.