Relief — Industry Glossary Entry

Relief is the surface behind the cutting edge that prevents the body of the knife from rubbing on the freshly cut substrate. The relief is the combination of the hone, the primary bevel, the secondary bevel (if any), the land (if any), and the main clearance face of the knife.

Insufficient relief — what happens

• The substrate drags on the knife body, increasing cutting force
• Friction heats the cut, softening the edge
• The cut surface scratches and tears instead of shearing
• Burr grows because the substrate cannot separate cleanly

How to check

Run a cut and inspect the cut surface under 10× magnification. If the surface has scratches parallel to the cut direction, the relief is insufficient. The fix is more clearance angle or a wider chamfer.

See also.