# MAC knives -- sharpen on both sides?



## chefboyarg (Oct 28, 2008)

Hey all. I have had this knife for a while, but have been hesitant about sharpening it. The last chef I worked is for told me since it is a single edged knife it only get sharpened on one side. He showed me the shinogi line which is miniscule; not at all like a sushi knife. So just wondering how I can tell if this knife should only be sharpened on one edge or both?

Cheers.


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

Which MAC is it exactly?


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## chefboyarg (Oct 28, 2008)

http://www.chefknivestogo.com/macprmichkn8.html


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

I have the MTH-80, which is the 8" chef with dimples in the same line. I bought it in person from Harold, who is the head of MAC knives in America. He recommended using the rollsharp, which is a dual sided sharpener, to keep it sharp, although I actually use water stones on mine.

If you have any questions. I wouldn't hesitate to email or call Harold. I found him to be extremely helpful and informative. When I bought my knife, he spent over an hour with me talking and letting me try out different knives, in all the different lines, cutting vegetables so I could choose the one that best suited me. Simply put, a great guy and no, I am not related to nor do I receive any compensation from MAC, other than satisfaction with my selection. LOL!


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## petemccracken (Sep 18, 2008)

Um, it *is* beveled on both sides, albeit probably a single bevel, not double (two bevels on each side).

It is not a chisel edged knife (single sided)


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## chefboyarg (Oct 28, 2008)

OK. This may come off as a silly question but...what is the difference between a single and double bevel? I really just need to know if it will damage the knife/make it less effective if I sharpen it on both sides?

Thanks all!


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

Western style MAC knives (such as yours) have a double bevel. They are double beveled on both sides of the blade and so you sharpen both sides

example of double bevel

.example of single bevel


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## jbroida (Nov 13, 2011)

i'm pretty sure now days when most people talk about single bevel vs double bevel they are talking about chisel grind vs "V" or convex grinds (like both of the ones you have pictured). In general, the "double bevel" you have listed would be called a compound bevel. People also refer to them as primary and secondary bevels.


cheflayne said:


> Western style MAC knives (such as yours) have a double bevel. They are double beveled on both sides of the blade and so you sharpen both sides
> 
> example of double bevel
> 
> .example of single bevel


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

As to the term, double bevel, I am going by what I was told by the folks at MAC knives. That was the term they used when describing their product to me. The pictures came from http://sharpeningtechniques.blogspot.com/2008/04/sharpening-basics-definitions.html


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## jbroida (Nov 13, 2011)

well, your explanation made sense.  I may be jaded on this as i spend most of my time around japanese knives


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

I think one of the more important lessons here is that sharpening terms vary from user to user and it's important to make sure you know what the heck the other person is talking about before you embark on a new tack for your sharpening voyage. 

Jon is of course right, as far as the general run of knife enthusiasts who have contact with traditional Japanese knife shapes.  They (the knives, not the enthusisasts) are the new "single bevels."  Jon uses their language because that's the sea in which he swims.

It's not as easy for me though, mostly because I'm old and was around when a "double bevel" meant part of a two-stage, multi-bevel on each side of the blade, and that's what I got used to.  I don't fight for the old definition, and for the same reasons don't go to the shore to order the tide in and out.  As is so frequent with linguistic issues, there's no right or wrong just prevalence; and -- worth reiterating -- the most important thing is to get on the same page as the person to whom you speak. 

Since MAC entered the conversation:  It's not MAC dogma, but MAC Pros are one of the knives which really do benefit from a "double bevel" (in my old sense), with the double allowing a really nice balance between absolute sharpness, durability and simplicity of maintenance.  If you have something which allows really fine angle control, like an Edge Pro, the angles should be something like 10/15*, with only mild assymetry.  If you're freehanding, sharpen a little more acute than 15*, going all the way through your stone progression, except for the finest stone.  Then tilt the knife up just a little bit for a micro bevel on your second finest and finest stone.  If you deburr after the first angle, you might or might not get away without deburring on the second.

Just when you thought it was safe... There's no agreement on the names of the two stages of the bevels.  Some people call the edge angle the "primary" bevel, and others call the angle behind it and up the face of the blade the "secondary."  Some people use the terms the other way around.  Again, check before you start arguing.

Keep your hands inside the ride at all times, and for God's sake don't throw food to the grips.

BDL


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

So back to the original question that started this thread. Yes, sharpen both sides.


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## jbroida (Nov 13, 2011)

yes... that 



cheflayne said:


> So back to the original question that started this thread. Yes, sharpen both sides.


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## racineboxer (Dec 12, 2010)

Haha! Yes to the original poster, sharpen both sides.



cheflayne said:


> So back to the original question that started this thread. Yes, sharpen both sides.


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## surfnsfari (Jun 7, 2015)

Can you tell me the difference between the Mac mth80 and the Mac professional hollow edge (both with dimples)?  Are they the same knife?


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## mistertimster (Apr 13, 2016)

This came with my MTH-80 purchased in Asia. The edge is known as a "clamshell" edge. I note from the comments above that US distributed versions may have a double bevel vs. the clamshell.





  








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