Meat Plant Research

[KnifeGrinders]

We are lucky that the meat plant has allowed to publish part of our research we did for them.
Meat plants are secretive about everything that gives them a competitive advantage, and as soon as they realize benefits of BESS sharpness testers, they become reluctant to share, especially about the savings.

The article published in the Australian Meat News has about 1/4 of our findings, due to the magazine format and restrictions imposed by the meat company.

The company runs 2 meat plants, an abattoir and training in meat processing, website www.becampbell.com.au

The meat plant in Sydney, Australia processes 2300-2500 pigs a day, from the carcass to ready retail products, portioned and packed.
Knives are used in 3 operations:
- boning;
- dividing cuts; and
- portioning slicing.
This research was on boning knives.

PDF spread >>

[EOU]

Well, another massive coup for KnifeGrinders and we all get to go along for the ride. Thanks so much to Australian Meat News and B.E. Campbell for their assistance and participation. Like we've said before "You're the Man!" KG.

[eddosedge]

Mr. KG,

I sharpen for a local butcher in my area.  He is old school in that he only uses Forschner/Victorinox knives with 20DPS bevels.  I told him about your testing and he agreed to try a 12DPS angle on one of his boning knives.

Using the Wicked Edge, I couldn't get down to 12DPS even with the high angle adapter.  13.5 was the best I could do with a BESS score of 83 (lowest I've ever achieved.)  I dropped it off this morning and I'll post again in a week or two.

Thanks for your detailed testing!

Ed K.

[Mark Reich]

Welcome to the Forum, Mr. Ed, it's great to have you here!

I knew the WEPS had limitations for thin geometry, but I didn't realize it was That limiting...

What grit are you finishing with?

[KnifeGrinders]

Mr. KG,

I sharpen for a local butcher in my area.  He is old school in that he only uses Forschner/Victorinox knives with 20DPS bevels.  I told him about your testing and he agreed to try a 12DPS angle on one of his boning knives.

Using the Wicked Edge, I couldn't get down to 12DPS even with the high angle adapter.  13.5 was the best I could do with a BESS score of 83 (lowest I've ever achieved.)  I dropped it off this morning and I'll post again in a week or two.

Thanks for your detailed testing!

Ed K.

Much appreciated, Ed.

Similar story with the meat plants - the TruHone and Cozzini volume sharpening stations they use, though allow for some grinding angle adjustment, not that low.
Even so, the closer is the edge angle to that of 12 dps, the better will be performance.

BTW hadn't you mentioned Forschner, I wouldn't learn that Victorinox had acquired them as well.

I have started one of our local butchers boning with 12 dps knives, Victorinox FIBROX and SWIBO; will be getting his feedback this Wednesday. (To be safe, he's got 2 kits of 4 knives each: one kit sharpened by me at 24 degrees included, and the 2nd sharpened by him freehand in his favorite way which as I could tell by the laser protractor is somewhere between 30 and 40 degrees included.)
Would be very interesting to know what they say.
Please do let us know, I will share as well.

PS
Ed, such a pleasure to see an individual using the PT50A Industrial in the strive for accuracy.

[grepper]

I will be interested in hearing the Victorinox FIBROX results. I have three sizes of those knives. While light weight, they seem to take and hold an edge well while being reasonably priced. I sharpen them to 15 dps.

[eddosedge]

Welcome to the Forum, Mr. Ed, it's great to have you here!  

I knew the WEPS had limitations for thin geometry, but I didn't realize it was That limiting...

What grit are you finishing with?

Mark,

For this knife, I used the diamonds WEPS stones to 800 grit.  Then I switched to the Chosera stones 800, 1000, 2000, 3000.  I have 5000 and 10000 stones but I'd already spent about 3 hours on this knife so I called it a night.

The slim profile spine->edge and the pronounced curve to the tip make these knives challenging for the WEPS.

Ed K

[KnifeGrinders]

The butcher who tried the 12 dps boning knives commended them, says a well cutting and lasting edge - has lasted for 2 days, through 7 beef carcasses.

Interesting was his comment on the edge profile - the edge we get on wheels has "shoulders" as in the 2nd edge below, and this somewhat hinders the cut; while his sharpening on flat stones creates a thinned V-profile which he prefers.

[grepper]

Interesting he can actually tell the difference with a 12 dps blade.

[KnifeGrinders]

Interesting he can actually tell the difference with a 12 dps blade.

If you have a chance to talk to a private boner/butcher you'll be surprised how picky and exacting they are about the cutting edge on their knives.
No wonder, considering they use three 5" or 6" boning knives, and one 9" or 10" carving knife to bone and divide 5-6 beef carcasses at a speed of 1 body per hour - these knives must last sharp.

They will never cut with a factory edge, no matter how sharp it is, because they know it won't last over the first minute of cutting.
They won't accept a belt sharpened knife because as they say after the belt it takes 5-6 sharpenings on the bench stone to get the edge lasting again - they know they would have to grind away the metal which temper had been changed by the overheating belt.
They will know without microscope where the edge hasn't been deburred completely, as it will stop cutting in a minute and they aren't able to steel it back into the sharp cutting edge.
And as the above butcher told, they feel tiny difference in the edge profile.

These guys are the most demanding customers of ours... and the least paying tight arses.
Want to master sharpening? - make one butcher pay for it and stay happy.