We aimed to showcase the speed and efficiency of our Jende Ceramic Sharpening Steels, renowned for their tip and handle anti-break technology, alongside their exceptional functionality, as evidenced in the microscope images. We conducted freehand sharpening on a couple of Maestro Wu D-8 Nikiris (RC58) from start to finish on both steels, demonstrating their rapid chip removal capability on a custom Maestro Wu D-9 Damascus (RC60) for a customer. The microscope pictures, captured with a Veho-400 USB Microscope, depict a size of 1 mm wide by 0.75 mm high.
Initially, capturing images of the clean and used sections of both white and black steels proved challenging due to their scaly, reptile-like surface texture.
For the sharpening process, I typically begin with an #80 Grit belt followed by a #240 Grit belt and proceed to a #1,500 Shapton Pro stone. After this routine, the edge displays a jagged finish and a significant burr, which I then refine on the #1,500 Shapton Pro stone. The subsequent microscopic view showcases a micro bevel resulting from consistent stropping strokes.
Moving on to the Jende White Ceramic Sharpening Steel, I conducted ten light, alternating strokes. This action visibly increased the reflection at the edge, enhancing its aggressiveness and efficiency in cutting compared to the edge straight off the #1,500 Shapton Pro stone. A similar procedure was followed for a different D-8 on the belts and stone, then treated with ten strokes on the Black Steel, resulting in a smoothed edge almost identical to that produced by the #1,500 Shapton Stone.
In a chip removal test using a customer’s D-9 Damascus (RC~60), a chip in the edge was gradually reduced with ten, twenty, and thirty aggressive strokes on the White Steel. Eventually, the chip was entirely removed, showcasing the White (Mohs 9) as the aggressive steel, while the Black (Mohs 8) served as the finishing steel. The final result demonstrated a visibly restored edge and micro bevel, retaining the knife’s smooth cutting ability despite not being a 5K edge anymore.
The Jende Ceramic Sharpening Black and White steels exhibit impressive performance in maintaining knives and even handling minor chips. When used together, they extend a knife’s edge longevity before requiring a complete re-sharpening.
