knife sharpening

[jaymar]

I want to sharpen my kitchen knives . I know the best way is with a water stone but I have no skill at all with this method (at my age I have no inclination to put the time in to acquire such skill)
I have looked at various gadgets for sharpening , I even tried one machine and although it did give an edge it seemed a bit rough to me, I have seen a devise on ebay called a "Fixed angle sharpener which uses stones to rub over a knife and I wondered if anybody had any experience of this tool.

Thanks in anticipation
Alan

 

[Jacob]

I want to sharpen my kitchen knives . I know the best way is with a water stone

No it isn't

but I have no skill at all with this method (at my age I have no inclination to put the time in to acquire such skill)

Typical woodwork sharpening dilemma - wants to do it but, er, doesn't want to do it! Why bother if you are so reluctant?

I have looked at various gadgets for sharpening , ...

The steel is first and foremost and any idiot can use one. Second is oil stone if you are really keen, but for ordinary kitchen purposes the steel will do all you need, indefinitely.

A cheap one will do but if you want to spend this could be good

 

[paulm]

These are cheap and effective and easy to use if your knives are everyday cheapies rather than anything exotic or special. http://www.amazon.co.uk/AnySharp-Global ... +sharpener

Works by the carbide cutters scraping away metal to create a sharp edge. Not a refined sharp edge and wouldn't use on more expensive knives, but has it's uses.

This is a bit more refined, takes more time to use though if your knives are very blunt to start with, but okay for frequent touch ups. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Plus-3-Black-Re ... +sharpener

I tend to use a diamond "steel" and a fine ceramic "steel" mostly nowadays, fast, clean and easy, but the fancy knives still get sharpened on the waterstone, doesn't take that much skill really just a bit of time.

Cheers, Paul

 

[bugbear]

I want to sharpen my kitchen knives . I know the best way is with a water stone but I have no skill at all with this method (at my age I have no inclination to put the time in to acquire such skill)
I have looked at various gadgets for sharpening , I even tried one machine and although it did give an edge it seemed a bit rough to me, I have seen a devise on ebay called a "Fixed angle sharpener which uses stones to rub over a knife and I wondered if anybody had any experience of this tool.

Thanks in anticipation
Alan

That's the cheap knock offs of the "pro Edge", (which is a widely esteemed device).

And yours (if I may say so) is an excellent question:

http://www.knifeforums.com/forums/showt ... id/930087/

If you search further, you will find the same (loud) arguments between the jig users and the freehanders that woodworkers "enjoy" so much, over in the world of knife sharpening, so crash hat on.

BugBear

 

[Graham Orm]

I want to sharpen my kitchen knives . I know the best way is with a water stone but I have no skill at all with this method (at my age I have no inclination to put the time in to acquire such skill)
I have looked at various gadgets for sharpening , I even tried one machine and although it did give an edge it seemed a bit rough to me, I have seen a devise on ebay called a "Fixed angle sharpener which uses stones to rub over a knife and I wondered if anybody had any experience of this tool.

Thanks in anticipation
Alan

That's the cheap knock offs of the "pro Edge", (which is a widely esteemed device).

And yours (if I may say so) is an excellent question:

http://www.knifeforums.com/forums/showt ... id/930087/

By coincidence I watched this the other day, a visit to the edge pro manufacturers and a LOT of waffle about angles for knife sharpening.

If you search further, you will find the same (loud) arguments between the jig users and the freehanders that woodworkers "enjoy" so much, over in the world of knife sharpening, so crash hat on.

BugBear

By coincidence I watched this the other day, a visit to the edge pro manufacturers and a LOT of waffle about angles for knife sharpening. Worth a watch though. A good tutorial on how the thing works. Probably what Jaymar is looking for.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liJKYgO_P3I This guy (Wranglerstar) Has a great channel on YouTube, his videos are better than a lot of TV shows.

 

[Roxie]

Alan
Know what you mean about using a steel, I can't get on with them. I bought a Wusthof (sorry haven't got a link) two stage knife sharpener and in my opinion they are the dogs dangly bits. You can re-sharpen with the coarse wheels and then hone with the ceramic wheels. It is so good I bought one for my daughter (a trained caterer who can't get on with a steel either) for Christmas, cost about £16.
Hope this helps

John

 

[jaymar]

Jacob, water stone/ oil stone , the action is the same. A steel will not sharpen a blade ,only re-establish an edge, any fool can indeed use a steel, and ruin an edge at the same time. I know your disparaging remarks may make you feel superior but they don't help anyone else.
I realise the ebay offer is a knock off but "Edge Pro " doesn't seem to be available in the UK. The videos were very informative and I will look into the subject further.
Thanks Alan

 

[Dee J]

Our knives tend to get so blunt that, as my dear papa would say, "you could ride to market on them". At which point I wander down to the forge and give them a quick freehand grind on the old Heyden vertical shaft treadle grinder, followed by a lick of the oilstone. Then issue a warning to anyone in the house - just in case they weren't expecting knives that would actually cut....

Dee

 

[Jacob]

Jacob, water stone/ oil stone , the action is the same. A steel will not sharpen a blade ,only re-establish an edge, any fool can indeed use a steel, and ruin an edge at the same time. I know your disparaging remarks may make you feel superior but they don't help anyone else......

My family have been using a steel for 3 generations on the same carving knife. It's very sharp. "Re-establishing an edge" is the same as "sharpening". Worn out a couple of steels perhaps. It's all you need and it's very easy.

 

[jpt]

Despite what others may say using a steel properly to give a sharp edge of a concistent angle is a skill that can take years to aquire, ask any butcher or chef.

I use one of these http://www.ebay.co.uk/bhp/ceramic-knife-sharpener and it does a beautiful job just use every time you use the knife and you will have a scary sharp knife at all times.

john

 

[Mark-numbers]

Coming from a family of butchers I was taught how to use a steel from a young age - however it's a skill which not everyone has the inclination to learn.

Would this do the trick although dispatch times are a little ominous haha

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00G ... _i=3147491

 

[Harbo]

I have a genuine EdgePro Apex kit that I bought many years ago, very cheaply on the bay.
An excellent bit of kit which will sharpen all types of knives and small blades - the more expensive one will sharpen chisels and plane blades too.
Comes with an assortment of stones (you can get diamond plates too) which are showing no signs of wear after several years use?

Rod

 

[Jacob]

Jacob, water stone/ oil stone , the action is the same. A steel will not sharpen a blade ,only re-establish an edge, any fool can indeed use a steel, and ruin an edge at the same time. I know your disparaging remarks may make you feel superior but they don't help anyone else.......

Not superior just normal. A lot of us don't subscribe to the automatic notion that everything is difficult and I don't think it helps beginners either. Beginners - just do it - head down brain off is the way!

 

[Graham Orm]

I have a genuine EdgePro Apex kit that I bought many years ago, very cheaply on the bay.
An excellent bit of kit which will sharpen all types of knives and small blades - the more expensive one will sharpen chisels and plane blades too.
Comes with an assortment of stones (you can get diamond plates too) which are showing no signs of wear after several years use?

Rod

Hi Rod, if you scroll up to one of my earlier posts you'll see a link to a tour of the manufacturer's shop. The guy who invented it makes an interesting observation, says he doesn't recommend diamond plates as softer steel soon plucks the diamond fragments out and renders them useless.

 

[whiskywill]

These are cheap and effective and easy to use if your knives are everyday cheapies rather than anything exotic or special. http://www.amazon.co.uk/AnySharp-

Don't waste your money on Amazon. This one is exactly the same. I have one and it arrived in 9 days from Hong Kong. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kitchen-Chef- ... 617wt_1386

 

[RossJarvis]

I sharpen my knifes on a stone (mine are the water variety, but oily ones are fine) it doesn't seem too difficult to do, just hold the knife at the rightish angle and move it back and fore, follow down the blade and round any corners. It doesn't seem to take much skill or learning. You probably need a flat stone though. A heck of a lot easier than sharpening a chisel or plane iron. I've used several different kinds of knife sharpeners and a steel and never got nowhere with 'em :mrgreen: .

 

[bugbear]

You probably need a flat stone though.

I don't think that's true for knives - I occasionally see stones with massive 3d curves, with a diagonal bias, quite unlike the simple wear pattern (long central hollow) from chisel and plane blade sharpening. I think it's the results of knife sharpening, and the user was clearly capable of using a much more curvacious surface that even a camber loving maniac could tolerate.

BugBear

 

[Harbo]

If you are going to use the knives for fine cutting like herbs it's essential to keep the blade flat.
Trying to chop leaves with a concave blade is hopeless?

Rod

 

[Kalimna]

And there the nakiri and santoku are very useful indeed.

Adam

 

[Jacob]

If you are going to use the knives for fine cutting like herbs it's essential to keep the blade flat.
Trying to chop leaves with a concave blade is hopeless?

Rod

Really? Now you tell me. :roll: I've been chopping herbs all my life (today mostly home grown parsley) but my knife is hopeless? Should I send my parsley away to be chopped professionally, or is there some sort of parsley chopping jig?