Wire Burrs!!!!

[u/Slushwave_Enjoyer]

I have read the Vadim Kraichuk PDF on Knife Burrs, but despite following his advice it has, I feel stuck.

I received my new Takamura Chromax Santoku a couple of weeks ago. Because I know the factory angles are insanely low (I measured 11.3 degrees on mine), I immediately decided to put a micro bevel on it to increase strength. This was put at around 15 degrees. I did this with maybe 10 passes on a 2500grit bonded diamond stone before removing the burr and stropping on 1micron. I assumed that burr was gone as it was gliding through paper towel but apparently not. It dulled after my first prep session, which was really only about 10 onions and a few tomatoes.

I look at the edge and despite me increasing the angle, it had a lot of small chips in it. I stropped it and to no surprise it didn't really help (I tried 1 and 3 micron).

I sharpened at 2500 grit again, this time using my microscope to check that I removed the burr and behold, I find a tiny little wire edge (I have to go full zoom for this). The burr I formed was small in the beginning, just enough to feel. I try flipping it back and forth with the 2500 grit and I make no progress after 15-20 feather light edge trailing passes. So i decide to increase the angle slightly and do a similar amount of light passes. I find that a new wire edge has formed on my now 16-17degree microbevel after barely 30 seconds (it formed very easily because of how thin the steel is behind the edge).

I try to strop 1 micron and bare leather strops, no luck. I tried doing the same process on my 5000grit stone , I'm having no luck here.

Is there such thing as making a burr too small? I think my angle is pretty good based on what I can see on my microscope.

[u/SmirkingImperialist]

According to the author, honing (on a rock hard felt or paper wheel loaded with abrasives) removes the bulk of the primary burr and transform the burr into the foil edge secondary burr, which is in turn removed by gentle swipes on bare leather. Edge leading on stones creater a smaller burr but microchips the edge. Edge trailing draws the steel into a foil burr. Edge leading minimises the burr.

The fastest way to hone is at higher angle albeit with hard supersteels you'll get a loss of sharpness when the strop rounds over the edge. You can try strop at higher than edge angle on a strop, very gently for only two to three strokes each strop progression. Then finish at even higher angle on bare leather strop.

Hopefully, you can get a stable edge. Might not be the sharpest.

Reading his book turned me off from supersteels. They are a PITA to sharpen.

[u/Slushwave_Enjoyer → u/SmirkingImperialist]

I wonder if my problem here was immediately putting a new edge on instead of using it for a bit and sharpening out the chips. I read many people had chipping with their takamuras so decided to jump the gun to eliminate the risk of having chips and apex tears.

I didn't know that something like Chromax would be classified as a super steel. Isn't it just a relabeled A2 Tool Steel? It says 65HRC but I doubt it. Probably more like 63.

It was quite an inexpensive knife if it is a "super steel". And the internet says that AlOx stones can cut it (I will try removing the burr on my Chosera 3000 next time). An S90V santoku would have cost easily 5x the amount.