5929a219   
   From: wrat@panix.com   
      
   In article <12da87d1-f74f-40f2-9946-0b23d2a26796@p38g2000vbn.googlegroups.com>,   
   RichD   wrote:   
   >   
   >I don't understand the angle adjustment thing - why would   
   >you want to play with that?  Isn't the idea to get as sharp   
   >as possible?   
   >   
      
   	Different tasks and different steels require a different angle (and   
   grind) on the blade.  A knife meant to cut thin slices of tough but soft things   
   like meat will have a very narrow grind (small angle on the edge) and a flat   
   grind (the edge will be "smooth" more part of the blade than the kind where   
   the blade has a backbone and the edge is on a "hollowed out" part.  (That's   
   called a sabre grind BTW, because they used it on sabres to let them cut well   
   but not break)   
      
   	Look a a stockman knife:  I keep the spey blade ground very thin, the   
   main blade thicker (more angle and more metal behind the edge), and the sheeps-   
   foot thicker still so I can bear down on it if I need to.   
      
   	Or a kitchen knife.  The edge on the ham slicer is thin and very sharp   
   but the edge on the cleaver is thicker more like an axe and needs some power   
   to make a good cut.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)