Anyone use a knife sharpening "gadget"?

[aesmith]

Hi,

I get continually frustrated trying to get decent edges on household knives, kitchen knives in particular. I'm now wondering whether I should splash out on one of the various gadgets, like the Lansky system. Does anyone either use anything similar, or have any home-made equivalent? It really goes against the grain to buy something like that but I haven't come up with any sensible way of making one (I don't really do metal work).

Tony S

 

[mickthetree]

what method do you currently use?

 

[mickthetree]

a friend bought us one of these a while back. Your knives need to be in good order to start with, but it keeps a good edge on the knife.

 

[RogerP]

Knives, shears, secateurs etc I just run across a bench grinder using a very fine wheel and a steady hand.

 

[bugbear]

Disclaimer: I now have Japanese knives and sharpen them on waterstones. They're very sharp.

I think there are 3 parts to this;

1) sharpening a very blunt knife; AFAIK any gadget that does a good job of this is quite expensive. A lot of metal needs to be removed, quite accurately.

2) "steeling" gadget, for soft knives only; a lot of professional kitchens use the "captive steel" device invented by Robert Welch, "Chantry", around £20.

3) abrasive gadget; the "cross ceramic stick" type appear quite plausible; Lansky and Gatco do a pocket money version;

http://www.adventurestars.co.uk/Shop/Kn ... uct+Search

http://www.outdoorgb.com/p/gatco_mini_c ... tAodU14AZg

Do these gives the edges I'm currently enjoying? No.

But they're cheaper and easier.

BugBear

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I used to grind knives for loads of chefs that I worked with - I used 80 grit alox stuck to a disc on my lathe. I didn't have any complaints.

 

[Racers]

I use waterstones and a Ikea ceramic steel on stainless and carbon steel knives.


Pete

 

[AndyT]

I use a cheap device with two rows of hardened steel discs. It's not sophisticated but it's clean and easy to use and fits in the kitchen drawer. This means that knife sharpening can be done in a few seconds when needed, not put off for some special session that never really happens.

 

[woodpig]

Nice home made version here:

http://www.britishblades.com/forums/sho ... pening+jig

 

[bugbear]

Nice home made version here:

http://www.britishblades.com/forums/sho ... pening+jig

For those that don't move in knife sharpening circles that's (NOT!) an edge-pro.

http://www.edgeproinc.com/

Mind you, it appears that "xbow" has a fair amount of metalworking facilities and ability (he mentions both a lathe and a milling machine)

BugBear

 

[JohnPW]

I would think sharpening a knife is no different in principle to any other type of blade, ie you have to abrade the cutting edge to form a burr/wire edge.

Knives tend to be made of stainless which I gather is harder than carbon steel so maybe it just takes longer using more strokes on the stone.

 

[bugbear]

I would think sharpening a knife is no different in principle to any other type of blade, ie you have to abrade the cutting edge to form a burr/wire edge.

At that reductionist level, yes. But it's the long edge of the blade, the curve, and short depth of the blade (edge to back) that makes the practice of knife sharpening quite different to common woodworking tools.

BugBear

 

[dazzer]

A quick and very cheap way to sharpen a knife is to use an old plate

No I've not been drinking super strength or been taking illegal substances!

My wife and sons are both chefs and have some very nice and expensive knifes, but neither of them can get a decent edge by using a knife steel, so they ask me.

What you do is to turn the plate upside down so you have the bottom looking up at you.

You then sharpen the knife the same way as if you were using a oil/water stone, the plate acts as a ceramic stone it will give you a fantastic edge!

Hope this helps
Dave

 

[bugbear]

My wife and sons are both chefs and have some very nice and expensive knifes, but neither of them can get a decent edge by using a knife steel, so they ask me.

Interesting - conventional wisdom assumes that professional chefs are the ne plus ultra of sharp knives, both use and creation thereof.

BugBear

 

[aesmith]

what method do you currently use?

All sorts really, which just shows I haven't got it sorted. My pocket knife and my fish knife can be sharpened quite easily on normal bench stones. The latter is a proper commercial utility knife in carbon steel so no special surprise that it's easier to sharpen. I'm not quite sure why I can sharpen the pocket knife OK but the same techniques don't work on kitchen knives. Aside from that I've tried a diamond "steel" which of course isn't a steel at all, but is an abrasive. That was recommended by a shop selling expensive kitchen knives, but I've not found it that great. I don't have a proper steel, but I presume the sort of hard steel rod used for burnishing scrapers would do the trick.

I have tried my hand at a home made gadget, with some success but it's difficult to hold the blade consistently, and I haven't been able to work out a clamp that holds it with the edge as the reference rather than the back ....

 

[aesmith]

By the way, don't knives count as hand tools?

 

[jimi43]

Ceramic stone for me.

Especially the very hard popular knives found today...the global ones come to mind.

My son is a restaurant manager and he brings his knives over for "sorting" but since using a ceramic touch up wand...he's very happy.

He favours the Global ones (Sabatier for me!)....and it works fine on both.

Gadgets are just that...gadgets...not for me I'm afraid.

Jimi

 

[bugbear]

Especially the very hard popular knives found today...the global ones come to mind.

Global are only 56-58 Rockwell C; fairly soft by Japanese standards; the powder steel
knives are up at 65 (!!).

BugBear

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I have a couple of the Tesco Global knock offs - or that's what they look like - they are harder than hell. After about 15 goes on a diamond plate, they're SHARP. I hone lightly every time I put them away. The rest off mine J A Henckels or Wusthofs - they're not so hard as the Tesco ones.

 

[aesmith]

I would think sharpening a knife is no different in principle to any other type of blade, ie you have to abrade the cutting edge to form a burr/wire edge.

At that reductionist level, yes. But it's the long edge of the blade, the curve, and short depth of the blade (edge to back) that makes the practice of knife sharpening quite different to common woodworking tools.

BugBear

Also the blade flexes making consistent pressure and angle more difficult, and finally it all has to be done on the other side as a mirror image, so any technique needs to be ambidextrous.