Cross-section of a typical European/American edge, 20°
Cross-section of a typical Asian edge, 15°
Single beveled traditional Asian blades are thinner and sharpened primarily on one side
Single beveled traditional Asian blades are thinner and sharpened primarily on one side
Cross-section of the tip of a typical factory sharpened traditional Asian knife edge, magnified 50x (right-handed)
Newest Trends of European Knives
An interesting, recent phenomenon is the broad adoption of the 15 degree edge by the leading European knife manufacturers for their traditional European knife lines. In part, it is a recognition that consumers prefer the smaller 15 degree edge angles which they perceive as being sharper. Although both, a 20 degree edge and 15 degree edge can be made with equal perfection. It is true that the 15 degree edge exhibits less friction while cutting, particularly when accompanied by a thinner blade geometry. Thus, the user perceives it to be “sharper.”
Anticipating a growing consumer preference for the 15 degree edge, Chef’sChoice introduced, over the past few years, a number of professional electric and manual sharpeners for Asian* style knives, including sharpeners specifically designed to convert knives with traditional 20 degree edges into 15 degree edges.
These sharpeners go one step further, and actually improve the 15 degree factory edge by addressing one of its key disadvantages; its lack of durability. Since knife edges typically fail by the edge folding over, the amount of metal supporting the edge is a key factor in determining its durability. Since, by definition, a 15 degree edge will have less metal supporting it than a 20 degree edge, it will fail more quickly. The multi-stage, Chef’sChoice sharpeners however are designed to create the 15 degree edge with a multi-bevel gothic arch geometry which provides more metal support for the edge, therefore making it more durable. Now, the consumer can have both a 15 degree edge that is sharper than a 20 degree edge and an edge that is also more durable.
* Chef’sChoice®Diamond Hone®AngleSelect®Model 1520,Trizor XV®EdgeSelect®Model 15,Diamond Sharpener for Asian Knives Model 315XV,Diamond Hone®Sharpener Model 4623,Pronto™Diamond Hone®for Santoku/Asian Knives Model 463andDiamond Hone®for Santoku/Asian Knives Model 435.
Note: Model 15XV(15 degree) is designed to develop better than factory quality edges at 15 degrees and to convert 20 degree edges quickly to 15 degrees.
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A. Absolutely not, if those knives have served your needs well in the past, they will continue to do so in the future. These knives can continue to be maintained with Chef’sChoice sharpeners specifically designed for them such as the Model 120 or Model 320. However, if you would like to convert some of those knives to a 15 degree edge, Chef’sChoice offers the ideal solution with the Trizor XV Model 15 sharpener. The company also offers other models suitable for this purpose (see Footnote above).
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A. In part, it is a recognition that consumers prefer the smaller 15 degree angle edges which they perceive as being sharper. Although both, a 20 degree edge and 15 degree edge can be made with equal sharpness, it is true that the 15 degree edge exhibits less friction while cutting, particularly when accompanied by a thinner blade geometry. Thus, the user perceives it to be “sharper.”
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A. If you are using a given knife for heavier cutting or chopping if probably is best sharpened at 20 degrees. If you use a small or medium size knife only for light work such as paring, peeling, or light slicing you may prefer to sharpen it at 15 degrees in order to take advantage of its increased sharpness.
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A. No, Chef’sChoice offers professional electric (Model 1520) and manual (Model 4623) knife sharpeners that can be used to resharpen both kinds of edges. However, if you already own a Chef’sChoice sharpener designed for 20 degree edges, you may want to add a manual sharpener, such as the Chef’sChoice® Pronto Model 463 to sharpen your 15 degree edge knives.
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A. Because the 20 degree edge has more metal supporting the edge than a 15 degree edge, it resists dulling (the edge folding over on itself) longer. However, by sharpening your 15 degree edge knives with Chef’sChoice® multi-stage sharpeners, the durability of the 15 degree edge is significantly enhanced. Chef’sChoice sharpeners create a multi-bevel “gothic arch” shaped edge that resists the edge folding over and is therefore more durable. The consumer can have the best of both worlds, a sharper and a more durable edge.
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A. No, some Santoku style knives are manufactured with a 20 degree edge.
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A. The best way to tell is by asking the manufacturer of the knife. As a general guide, European/American knives manufactured before 2010 have 20 degree edges while Asian style knives have 15 degree edges. However, there are exceptions to this rule of thumb. It is important to remember that the original factory edge is lost after the first few uses of any knife. Subsequently the edge of the knife is determined by the type of sharpener that is used. Chef’sChoice electric sharpeners provide better than factory sharp edges for both 15 degree and 20 degree edged knives.
