Why Doesn’t My Edge Last?
When a knife loses its edge quickly, it’s easy to assume the sharpening was the problem.
In reality, edge retention is usually determined by factors outside the final sharpening pass.
1. Steel quality sets the ceiling
Some steels simply cannot hold an edge for long.
Common issues include:
- Very low carbon content
- Poor heat treatment
- Large, uneven carbides
These knives can be sharpened very keen — but the edge fatigues quickly and rolls over with use.
Sharpening can’t change metallurgy. It can only work within its limits. That’s why Japanese knives are traditionally prized. Thinner geometry and harder steel means more efficient slicing and longer edge retention. The downside? Less durability, more fragile/brittle, and not suitable for all kitchen tasks.
2. Geometry matters more than sharpness
Two knives can be sharpened to the same edge angle and behave very differently.
Why? Geometry behind the edge.
Many inexpensive, stamped knives have:
- Thick, convex grinds
- Little or no distal taper
- Excess material behind the edge
They feel sharp initially, but resistance builds immediately as the blade enters food. That resistance accelerates edge wear.
The edge isn’t failing — it’s being overloaded.
3. Knives get thicker as they age
This surprises many people.
Every sharpening removes steel. Over time:
- The edge migrates upward toward the spine
- The blade becomes thicker behind the edge
- Cutting performance declines
Even if the edge angle stays the same, the knife cuts worse and loses sharpness faster because the wedge is thicker.
This is not neglect. It’s physics.
4. When sharpening becomes knife making
At a certain point, restoring performance requires more than sharpening.
It requires:
- Thinning behind the edge
- Re-establishing primary grinds
- Removing significant material from the blade face
That work crosses from sharpening into knife making or regrinding.
This is a fundamentally different process.
Why we don’t do knife making work
Sharpening is about:
- Preserving geometry
- Minimizing steel removal
- Extending the usable life of a knife
Knife making work involves:
- Altering the blade’s structure
- Changing heat flow and stresses
- Rebuilding geometry from scratch
That level of intervention permanently changes the knife and requires a different workflow, tooling, and risk profile.
Our role is to maintain knives, not redesign them.
When a knife has reached the point where only major regrinding will restore performance, the limitation is no longer the edge — it’s the blade itself.
What this means in practice
If an edge doesn’t last, it’s usually because of:
- Steel limitations
- Thick geometry
- Accumulated sharpening over time
Not because the knife wasn’t “sharp enough.”
We optimize edges for what the knife is, not what it wishes it were.
Bottom line
A short-lived edge isn’t always a sharpening problem.
Sometimes it’s steel.
Sometimes it’s geometry.
Sometimes it’s age.
Sharpening can do a lot — but it can’t turn a knife into a different knife.
If your knives dull quickly, we’ll tell you why — honestly. Sometimes sharpening helps. Sometimes the knife has reached its limits. Either way, you’ll know.
