I meant to add, buy yourself a decent magnifying glass or, even better, a jeweller's loupe. You can get a loupe from eBay for next to nothing and you will learn more about what makes a sharp edge by using it that any other method I know of. You will be amazed when you see the bur left on an edge that feel very sharp and can slice paper. That bur will roll the first time it hits anything remotely tough resulting in your supposedly super-sharp edge going dull in no time.
The majority of issues with knives that "don't hold an edge" are actually down to bad sharpening technique. Provided the heat treat and edge geometry are OK then any steel can take and hold a good edge; or not, if you aren't aware of when sharp is actually sharp rather than just a sharp bur.
The majority of issues with knives that "don't hold an edge" are actually down to bad sharpening technique. Provided the heat treat and edge geometry are OK then any steel can take and hold a good edge; or not, if you aren't aware of when sharp is actually sharp rather than just a sharp bur.
