Should you sharpen your new knife out of the box?

[CosmoKramer]

Makoto AS Gyuto

I've used it several times for veges.

Should I have sharpened it out of the box? I know honing rods seem a bit frowned upon here (ceramic seems an OK option, but using a high grit stone for practice is encouraged). What should I do?

Also, how do I need to soak an Imanishi 1k/6k stone before using?

Thanks!

[Ourorboros]

I don't know about the Imanishi specifically, but the general rule is to soak until the bubbles stop. If it hasn't been used in a while, it will take longer.
I like to use a knife a few times to get an opinion about the edge and take it from there.

[ckcow923]

Don't overthink this. It should be pretty intuitive. When you get a new j-knife from a reliable source like CKTG, you should generally be impressed by the edge OOTB. If not... get it sharpened.

Stropping with a high grit stone is a good idea if you're just trying to 'hone' your blade. If you aren't that experienced with sharpening, practice on cheaper knives before you take your new knife to the stones!

[rayl1234]

Practically speaking, I avoid sharpening until I know I won’t be reselling the knife in short order bec something doesn’t feel right. Other than that, if it feels like it needs sharpening, then I sharpen it.

[Robstreperous]

Strop it on something less aggressive. OOTB I use horse butt and balsa.

Don't have those? Use the back of an old leather belt, a brown paper bag, a pari of jeans or even some newspaper.

It's not a big deal really but it'll take any of the loose finishing debris from the process off the edge and help make sure it's straight.

As far as sharpening? It depends.

I've had some great knives (Shibata, Takeda) that have needed a basic sharpening due to some microchipping at the edge --- can be caused by heat from the finishing process --- that have been great ever since. It takes the stressed metal off and then you're good to go.

I've had other knives --- like my Shiro R2 -- that I've been using the OOTB edge for the last 2 months. Just haven't gotten around to that first initial pass but am enjoying the initial OOTB edge and grind.

[Jeff B]

Makoto AS Gyuto...Should I have sharpened it out of the box?...

Some people do some people don't, there is no right or wrong here. Sharpen it when you feel it is needed.

I use a ceramic rod for touch ups at times. If you have good technique and use caution nothing wrong with this. No GROOVED steel rods!

[Cigarguy]

I treat a new knife like any other knife. If the edge needs sharpening then I'll sharpen it. If not then I'll use it until it no longer is sufficiently sharp for me then do something about it. Sufficiently sharp for me is sharp for my friends who never sharpen and suffer dull knives.

[cliff]

I like to put my own edge on new knives and get past the sometimes fragile initial edges. I have that Imanishi stone -- I like to soak it for thirty to forty minutes before getting started. There is no harm if you didn't sharpen it right away, though.

[CosmoKramer]

Thanks for the feedback, all.

[Organic]

I like to use the knife for a little while just to see how it performs from the maker before I give it a fresh edge. New knives often have very rough looking edges on them, but they still cut reasonably well.

[Carlo]

I know Makoto is supposed to be a reputed sharpener (or at least a reputed grinder) but when I got my 210 White #2 it appeared to have no finished edge to speak of; it looked like the bevels just met and the final edge was left to the end user.

[Jeff B]

I know Makoto is supposed to be a reputed sharpener (or at least a reputed grinder) but when I got my 210 White #2 it appeared to have no finished edge to speak of; it looked like the bevels just met and the final edge was left to the end user.

When I got my Makoto 240 White #2 it had one of the best OOTB edges on it that I ever received. "No finished edge to speak of" is not a complaint you tend to hear about Makoto knives. Maybe yours snuck by unnoticed somehow when it came time for sharpening.

[ken123]

This depends on the knife. For Nubatama knives, I recommend using the knife the sword polisher applied as this typically outlasts many synthetic edges. Once you have used it, I go to a 15k or strop past 1 micron.

For most knives, I look over the edge with some magnification and do some cutting tests. If it isnt satisfactory or there are obvious flaws or stray scratches, its time for a tuneup or repair.
---
Ken

[ChefKnivesToGo]

I know Makoto is supposed to be a reputed sharpener (or at least a reputed grinder) but when I got my 210 White #2 it appeared to have no finished edge to speak of; it looked like the bevels just met and the final edge was left to the end user.

I’ve finish sharpened a bunch of his knives and I’ve seen some that were excellent and some that were ok and a few that had edge issues. It’s fun to test out so many edges from different makers. The worst out of the box edges are the Yamashins (I highly recommend you have me sharpen these) and one of the consistently best sharpeners are the Takamura brothers. Their out of the box edges are usually excellent.