Knife Sharpener (Full Version)

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iluvatar -> Knife Sharpener (6/6/2008 10:40:40 PM)

I need a sharpener for my kitchen knives and I was wondering what sort you'd folks would recommend. From what I've seen, there are three basic varieties: a stone, something that looks like a round sword, and a device that holds two overlapping metal wheels through which you drag the knife. From asking around, I'm getting the impression that stones are best, but I'd appreciate your thoughts (and where to buy whatever it is you recommend).

-Dan.



Miss Giggles -> RE: Knife Sharpener (6/6/2008 10:44:36 PM)

When i was looking at the Wusthof knives they recommended the sharpening steel thing. Or you could send them out , but it takes a long time for them to be worn down enough to get them dull.

They did not recommend an electric sharpener, because you want to keep the shape.

So do you have good knives or cheap ones? I guess it would depend on the type of knife.



Brandy -> RE: Knife Sharpener (6/6/2008 11:13:33 PM)

The steel (sword) doesn't sharpen, it only refines the edge.

Best bet would professionally sharpen them, get a steel and keep the edges nice.

I have yet to see anyone at home be able to sharpen effectively with a whetting stone and not ruin the blade.

I get my Henkels sharpened yearly and keep edge nice with the steel.



uncabeeil -> RE: Knife Sharpener (6/6/2008 11:50:41 PM)

What Brandy said.

Hi Brandy! [sm=wave.gif]



iluvatar -> RE: Knife Sharpener (6/7/2008 12:52:55 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Miss Giggles

When i was looking at the Wusthof knives they recommended the sharpening steel thing. Or you could send them out , but it takes a long time for them to be worn down enough to get them dull.

They did not recommend an electric sharpener, because you want to keep the shape.

So do you have good knives or cheap ones? I guess it would depend on the type of knife.


I've got a Wusthof and Tupperware 8" chef knives and a couple other cheaper ones. The Wustof is only a few months old; when brand new, you could essentially put it on the counter next to a tomato and the tomato would just separate itself into paper-thin sheets. Where the blade used to just fall through food, it now takes a bit of sawing (not a lot, just enough to notice that it's not new). The Tupperware is pretty dull. the others are somewhere in between - sharp enough to get by, but not great.

I don't have enough money invested in these to get them professionally done.

-Dan.



Brandy -> RE: Knife Sharpener (6/7/2008 1:25:13 AM)

Hi Mr. Bill!!

It costs me a few dollars a knife to have them sharpened.

My large chef's knife is around $8 due to the length/size of blade. The rest are under 5 each. Once a year for 4-5 knives is worth the money I paid for the knives.

You could get the steel and see if you can rehone the edge yourself since it's only a few months old. It probably has a bur or fallen edge that the steel can work out.

Check out this small clip by Alton Brown on edges of knives.



uncabeeil -> RE: Knife Sharpener (6/7/2008 8:44:05 AM)

From what I've read, this type of sharpener is the only one worth spending your money on.



agapetos -> RE: Knife Sharpener (6/7/2008 6:27:11 PM)

I've got a weird kinda gadget that's essentially a steel, but it sharpens both sides at the same time, couldn't find an image though. It wasn't expensive and really works. If I lost it, I'd get a steel.

Just remember, you don't need to spend hours sharpening a knife ~ it gets to a point where it will stop getting sharper and start getting blunter.

I love it when I have just sharpened my knives after they go blunt. My knives are good, but not worth my having them sent to be sharpened.



mayfly -> RE: Knife Sharpener (6/8/2008 11:22:35 PM)

I'm a pastry chef, and I sharpen my knives myself. It really isn't that difficult, but it's definitely intimidating at first. When I first started, I practiced on a couple of really beat up old Henkels that were full of dents--I figured I couldn't make them any worse, right? Personally, I wouldn't waste the time sharpening lower end knives (like the Wustof and Tupperware in the OP). I find that it just isn't time or cost effective, long term, to use poor quality kitchen equipment. If you are interested in sharpening your own knives though, it would really be worth your while to buy a good whet stone (the 250/800 grit ones are good all purpose stones for home use) that will last you years and figure out how to do it yourself.

Electric sharpeners and any other sort of contraption that is not a stone or a steel is a complete waste of money, and they will take years off the life of your knives. I lost two great knives to a top of the line electric sharpener.

If you're interested in buying different knives, I recommend Hattori, Kasumi, and Global. The pro line Wustofs are okay, but I don't really like European made knives even for home use, since they dull a lot quicker than Japanese steel. Generally speaking, European steel is softer and easier to sharpen, but requires sharpening more often. Japanese steel, on the other hand, is usually harder to sharpen, but stays sharp much longer. For comparison, I've used my Hattori HD Santoku 4-5 hours straight every day for almost two years and only sharpened it once, whereas with my old Wustof classic went dull every 3-4 months with the same amount of use.

LOL sorry, knife geek here.



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