Kitchen knife sharpener

Hi,
What are the sharpeners that you use in your kitchen? And how to choose them wisely? I mean, what are the criteria that you consider while choosing it?

We got knife blocks with built in sharpeners, they work fine.  Every time I pull a knife out I run it through the sharpener a couple times.

This is similar to what we have:


The black rectangular bit on the right side is the sharpener.  Or you could just get a simple sharpener and mount it on or near your existing knife block. The point is to have it handy every time you use the knife.  It's easier to keep a knife sharp than it is to sharpen a dull knife.
If you always keep it sharp, you don't need anything special.  Any of the common sharpeners that have two stones mounted at the right angle, and you just pull the knife through it, will work fine.

That looks awesome!

I keep one of these behind the sink. It gets almost daily use. Red = fine grit.

I normally use the sharpener that came with the set.  I do have a set of serious stones that I sit down with once or twice a year and go over e er knife with.  I do have a grinding wheel that I use very rarely if a knife is exceptionally dull.

Danny Matteo wrote:Hi,
What are the sharpeners that you use in your kitchen? And how to choose them wisely? I mean, what are the criteria that you consider while choosing it?

The first criteria is whether I'll lose a thumb or finger in the process!

Have two butchers steels that get used infrequently ever since I got the gizmo below - three slots the knife is drawn through: 1st one roughly shapes the blade, 2nd slot gives it a course sharpen, 3rd slot makes it bloody sharp.

However, I inherited from my parents an old steel cleaver and a homemade knife blade made from an industrial hacksaw - as in navy ship building to cut thick sheet metal. So, in those instances I simply and effectively (and CAREFULLY) use an angle grinder.

A carbide scraper for rough touch up, and a 300 grit sanding belt for a keen edge.

The one you use and that will be there whenever you want it.

Four or five swipes on a finishing steel gives me an edge on old knives that goes through tomato skins without any pressure at all. That's the test. Works as long as your brother in law hasn't tried to "sharpen" the knife. In that horrid event, it's diamond stones or worst to worst, the bastard file.

Steels can live in the drawer with all the other victims of ongoing kitchen abuse and not be bothered by a little dirt and grime and close contact. Always there for you and it takes about 30 seconds to fix an edge. Find them at garage sales for $1 or so.

In the kitchens I frequent... The first job of a tool is to survive and be there for you in usable condition.


Regards,
Rufus

I have an Edge Pro. It changed the whole kitchen-knife game.

After a time of using it on the kitchen knives, my wife I were talking about cutting potatoes. It seemed like they were soft and, maybe, we left them sitting in the bin too long. It, finally, dawned on us it all boiled down to no longer having to use knives that you had to throw all your weight on, and rock back and forth, until the potato split, making all the difference.

I've come to enjoy sharp blades so much I invested in a couple high end pocket knives with steels that hold the edges better. The first had SV30 steel and I notice a significant difference between the life of an edge using it versus my old bucks and such.  That impressed me enough I bought a Spyderco Paramilitary with the 110 steel. It makes the SV30 look like a toy. Long after the SV30 would have been dull from cutting cardboard or something, the 110 steel blade will still shave hairs off your arm.

While I was down the "better knives an better sharpeners" rabbit hole, Wicked Edge had a special on a new sharpener. All the other Wicked Edge sharpeners would have cost somewhere between $600.00 and $1,200.00 (or more) to get in. This one, the WE40, was on special for $200.00 and came with two sets of stones.  After a two month wait, it came. It was worth the money. It's quick and effective.

I like the Edge Pro, Wicked Edge and other non-electrical sharpeners because they insure you don't change the angle, which, during sharpening, can set you back or leave you with a less than sharp blade. Too, I like them because they don't eat a lot of valuable metal.

What we tend to forget is, that blade gets thicker, as it goes up to the back. So using the same angle gives a different angle than it would if the blade were, say, 1/4" wider when new.  For this reason, blades, eventually, have to be re-profiled, to thin them back down.

The importance of blade thickness can show in something as simple as cutting cardboard. I have a good knife with a back that is a bit over 1/8" thick. If I stab cardboard straight down and pull the knife through, I get a LOT of drag. If I tip the knife so only a bit of the blade is going through, it's like the knife had just been sharpened.

All that aside, one of the other very important tools for a knife is, caring for it. Don't throw it in a drawer full of edge eating silverware, other knives, or what have you. Use a knife holder, whether a block or magnet. This applies to washing them too. Don't throw them in a sink with other kitchen utensils.  

If you can, use wood cutting boards. NEVER a glass one, and a plastic one only until you can get good wood ones.

If you avoid abusing them, your knives will need far less frequent sharpenings.

I'm still using the same two welding rods that I posted about seven plus months ago.  I can say that I use my kitchen knives every day, more like at least one is being used every other day.

The welding rods look a little worse for wear, but still seem to bring the edge back just like using the steel.

And the price was really good - FREE - just like Permies like!

Peace