Japanese knives with their sharpness are renowned globally. Their main motto is to make a sharp knife that provides all the strength while serving. And to attain sharpness Japanese craftsmanship of knife has to know the perfect angle of sharpening it. Otherwise, the sharpness will not assist you in your work. But at what angle are Japanese knives be sharpened?
This is a question most people want to learn about. Japanese are so efficient in making knives that different types of Japanese knives ask for different angles to be sharpened. And as a user, if you learn what angle your knife prefers to be sharpened, it will be more long-lasting and offer you great service with time. A right angle and sharpening following the angle can enhance and increase the lifespan of your desired Japanese knife. Let’s talk in-depth.
What is the Correct Angle to Sharpen A Japanese Knife?
Not all Japanese knives require sharpening only one side of a blade. Japanese are also skilled in handcrafting double-beveled knives as well. In the case of a double-beveled knife, you are asked to sharpen both sides of the blade. However, for a standard knife, the optimum angle for sharpening it is 10-15 degrees. And if it is double-beveled then sharpen the blade targeting the same angle on both sides. Thus a total of 20-30 degree angle is required for knives with a double bevel.
But we notice different sizes and shapes of knives for different tasks – difficult or easy. In cases like this, the correct angle is important to learn for your own benefit.
For Chef’s Knives
You have already learned the fact that different types of knives come in different angles. If we talk about a standard Japanese chef knife, then there is a common angle that almost every Japanese craftsman provides. This angle remains between 30-40 degrees. For this angle, you need to sharpen both sides of the blade of a knife for some come with a double bevel feature.
For Western-Inspired Knives
Many Japanese knives are modeled after some Western knives. These knives are built with a slight difference formula. But for angles, there is not that much change in a Western-inspired knife. As it comes with an edge of V-shape, it can be sharpened in 15 degrees on one side of the blade. But for a double-beveled knife, you need to sharpen it on both sides angling overall in 30 degrees for a seamless edge.
Traditional Japanese knives
As the trend of making knives in Japan is not a new discovery, you will find a lot of traditional knives in the country. These traditional Japanese knives have great consistency. One thing is that most of the traditional Japanese knives are built with a single bevel. Therefore, sharpening just a side in the accurate angle is all that you should do. And for this, choose the 15-degree angle to get an ineffable result.
4 Ways to Sharpen Angled Japanese knives
Knives that come with a serious angle feature require an uptight sharpening method. It might be an easy process for the professionals who have been playing with knives for years, but for amateurs, finding out sharp 15 degrees angle is not an easy task. For this situation, you can adopt the following ideas.
- Vertically Positioned Knife – If your knife is positioned vertically, then to sharpen it, find an angle of 90 degrees. But sharpening a knife at this angle is quite difficult and unnecessarily time-wasting.
- Angled Knife – As sharpening is tough when you attempt to sharpen the blade at an angle of 90 degrees, you need to tilt it a little. Try to assume the angle of 45 degrees and then start sharpening it.
- Whetstone – Another way to find the perfect 15-degree angle to sharpen a Japanese knife
- is to buy a whetstone that comes with a fixed angle feature. Using it, you can sharpen your knife with great efficiency and without making the mistake of sharpening it wrongly.
- Using Two Coins – If you want some complex method to sharpen your knife then use two coins. First, stack them on top of each other and then set the coins on the back of a knife. This will provide you with an accurate angle of 15 degrees. Yet, this method is for experts and scholars as they can assume angles properly and correctly.
Wrap Up
As we can see Japanese knives are of various in categories, experts know in which angle the knives should be constructed. Therefore we find most of the knives requiring for sharpening in almost the same angle. The question “what angle are Japanese knife be sharpened” has finally given a convincing answer.
If you just follow the guidance of your knife and see if it is single or double-beveled, half of your job is done. Now you just need to keep in mind that the majority asks for a 30-40 degrees sharpening angle.