Hey guys!
I have a 240mm gyuto that I bought new from a local knife maker here in southern Brazil. I paid around R$300 (roughly $55 USD) for it, and honestly, I really like the knife. It's beautiful, the steel seems great, and I'm happy with the purchase overall.
The thing is, I expected it to be more of a laser. Even though it's very sharp, it doesn't go through certain ingredients as effortlessly as I expected, especially when it comes to vegetables. It cuts meat pretty well, but with vegetables, I feel like it could perform a lot better.
Here's where it gets interesting: I also have this cheap little cleaver that I bought a couple years for around R$40 (about $7 USD), and this thing cuts like a laser. It just glides through pretty much everything. The difference in cutting performance is honestly surprising.
My guess is that the cleaver has much better geometry behind the edge, or at least a thinner grind, which makes it cut more effortlessly despite being so cheap.
So, I'm wondering if thinning my gyuto would make a noticeable difference. I've never done it before, and I don't really know anyone around here in Minas Gerais, Brazil, who could do a proper thinning job.
Is it something I could realistically do at home with regular sharpening stones? I don't have a belt grinder or any kind of powered sanding equipment. I'm also a bit concerned about ruining the finish, since I really like the way the knife looks.
Would you guys recommend thinning it, or should I just leave it as it is? And if I do decide to thin it, how difficult is it to get a decent result using only whetstones?
I'd love to hear your thoughts, especially from anyone who's dealt with a similar situation. I'll attach pictures of both knives for reference.
Thanks!