Advice On Grinding Thin stock

[Randy Lucius]

I managed to to heat treat and temper my first chef's knife over the weekend without warping it. It's .070 AEB-L. Any tips or tricks on doing the final grind other than use sharp belts and keeping it cool? Does anyone use a backer to have something to hold onto? What are your techniques for grinding thin stock?

 

[John Wilson]

A backer is definitely helpful unless the backer gets in your way. I used one the first few times I did fillet knives, but stopped once I got the feel.

The thing about thin AEBL is that it will warp in the direction of the heat. You want to flip the blade a lot more often so that you don’t grind a curve. I dip the blade every couple of passes, and even every pass as it gets thin.