Viewing 39 posts - 1 through 39 (of 39 total)
  • Knife sharpeners
  • wolly
    Free Member

    Are they all equal? Any recommendations?

    onandon
    Free Member

    I used a few whet stones for my knives but I now have one of these and it does a great job in moments.
    Perhaps not quite as sharp as using a stone but 70% quicker and more consistent.

    Here

    craigxxl
    Free Member

    I use a minosharp, simple to use, great results and a long lasting edge

    joemarshall
    Free Member

    We have this one:

    http://www.kitchenaria.com/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=867

    When I get round to using it, it works really quite well, is very easy to use, and quick. It is 5 years old now and as good as new. Which it should be for the price, had forgotten quite how expensive it was, ouch.

    tony07
    Free Member

    Depends on your needs and how picky you are. I use a fallkniven dc4. Great stone that can fit in my bag no worries for when I’m out and about. Ideally you want Japanese whet stones but they’ll put you out a fortune. Take a read on some online bushcraft forums for some better advice than you might get here.

    ski
    Free Member

    OK, I know I am going to get flamed for this, but at work we use a blade tech to sharpen our pocket knives, they get battered so we need something quick and simple to keep an edge on things.

    Quick to use, simple and the sharpener takes no space in your pocket.

    No bevel control mind and I don’t think I would use it on my decent bushcraft knife, but it does give a sharp edge with little fuss.

    I have one for my cheap kitchen knives at home, pass it through a couple of times and my knives melt through veg and meat no problem 😉

    muckweed
    Free Member

    Spyderco Tri Angle Sharpmaker for me. Will sharpen recurves and serrated edges as well.

    sunshiner1der
    Free Member

    Other’s posting have obviously spent significantly more money than me on a sharpener and if money was no object I would have spent more as I have some great quality knives from when money was less tight, however I was fed up of them being blunt and was impressed by the reviews for the sharpener I bought, and have been very impressed with what it did (having said that my knives were very blunt, so anything is an improvement). If you want to spend very little and still sharpen blunt knives to an acceptable level I would recommend this.

    Saw it in Asda the other day too!

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/AnySharp-Global-Worlds-Sharpener-Classic/dp/B001DXVL6K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369512884&sr=8-1&keywords=knife+sharpener

    Militant_biker
    Full Member

    Minosharp (watersharp) here too. Had for 8 years now, perfect results. It was the only piece of homeware I took with us when we moved to the USA. Would rather have a cheap knife and this sharpener than an expensive knife and a crappy sharpener…

    sweepy
    Free Member

    lansky

    These work great for me, with an additional diamond extra coarse for reprofiling totally shagged edges

    colournoise
    Full Member

    I have a Japanese waterstone for proper jobs, but for quick and dirty sharpening this is as good as I’ve come across.

    http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/80149318/

    pitchpro2011
    Free Member

    Buy a quality steel from your local butchers, it will last years

    CountZero
    Full Member

    That AnySharp Global jobbie isn’t something you could carry in a pocket, though, is it? I carry a Buck diamond sharpener, like a little spike with a slide-on cover, cost about £14, and I have a couple of Buck diamond sharpening ‘stones’, in little nylon cases as well; one’s several years old, and fairly worn and smooth, the other’s new and coarser. Neither were expensive, and all three go in a pocket easily. I’ve also got a Whitchita stone and Arkansas stone as well, which put a good polish on the edge, and they’re pocket sized, too.

    tinybits
    Free Member

    Not sure that fitting a pocket is the first thing I’d look for in a sharpener. The minosharp global one is very good, especially if you get the 3 stone one, which in addition to having a 3rd, coarse blade, will also fit wider blades in the slots.
    A steel is good, but it’s a blade polisher, and won’t grind an edge onto a truly shagged blade, you’d need a stone as well for that.

    RamseyNeil
    Free Member

    A steel is good, but it’s a blade polisher, and won’t grind an edge onto a truly shagged blade, you’d need a stone as well for that.

    That’s sort of true but if you have a good steel and use it regularly you will never have to deal with a truly shagged blade . Also keeping a knife on a steel will keep it sharp , some of these grinding devices put a rough edge onto a knife that if you looked under a microscope would look like a hacksaw blade and would cut like one too .

    aphex_2k
    Free Member

    Spiderco Sharpmaker.

    cheez0
    Free Member

    You wont find any decent butcher using any of those V gizmos.
    They wear the blade down in no time.
    As has already been said, buy a good steel and learn to use it properly.
    Get a good whetstone once the edge has really gone.

    aphex_2k
    Free Member

    Steel’s take off far too much and the edge doesn’t last. I’ve got a Global knife sharpener which has ceramic wheels in for the kitchen knives but the Sharpmaker puts an amazing edge on kitchen knives and my Spidy, Benchmade and multi-tool knives. Even use the Sharpmaker for serrations too. Best fifty quid you can spend if you really want to look after knives.

    And it really helps if you start with a good knife in the first place. Don’t expect your Ikea block to last!

    RamseyNeil
    Free Member

    Steel’s take off far too much and the edge doesn’t last.

    No they don’t , they take of as much or as little as you want .
    30+ years as a chef and steels are what everybody in professional kitchens use .

    uponthedowns
    Free Member

    After trying various knife sharpeners and being disappointed I figured if anyone new how to sharpen knives its the Japanese so I got a good Japanese water stone (Naniwa 800 grit) and have been really pleased with it. I may get another finer grade to see if I can get to the point where the knives will shave arm hairs off.

    I sharpen our knives about once a month and use a steel in between.
    Steels don’t sharpen knives they just straighten the edge after it gets rolled over in use.

    chewkw
    Free Member

    uponthedowns – Member

    After trying various knife sharpeners and being disappointed I figured if anyone new how to sharpen knives its the Japanese so I got a good Japanese water stone (Naniwa 800 grit) and have been really pleased with it. I may get another finer grade to see if I can get to the point where the knives will shave arm hairs off.

    I sharpen our knives about once a month and use a steel in between.
    Steels don’t sharpen knives they just straighten the edge after it gets rolled over in use.

    Naniwa is good …

    Yes, the higher the grit the finer the edge will be.
    By the time you get to 8000 grit you will have a mirror finished edge.
    I also use leather strop as the final stage to polish it.
    Then you will have razor … to shave your hairs.

    Once you have sharpen it then all you need to do is to maintain it using say 1000 or 2000 or 3000 grit monthly or depending on your usage. Anything less than 1000 grits means it will take the metal off your knife.

    For my cheaper knives when I am lazy I just use steel …

    I will order a Naniwa sink bridge when I have time like this one …

    wolly
    Free Member

    If you’re using a whet stone how do you maintain the angle? And what grit stone/s would you recommend?

    chewkw
    Free Member

    wolly – Member

    If you’re using a whet stone how do you maintain the angle? And what grit stone/s would you recommend?

    Practice, practice, practice … not easy at all.

    Depending on your knife … if it’s very dull then I start with say 800 grits, 1000 grits, so on incrementally …

    For repair less than 800 grits.

    I use Shapton Glass Stones(expensive)but I also have King stones and leather strops. Actually, any stones should be fine so long as you know the grit level.

    Some variation of stones …CKTG or Axminster UK

    Some ideas on how to sharpen your knives. Plenty more on Youtube …

    [video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFhMGJYhYpU[/video]

    [video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRPrswhMdAc[/video]

    [video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUdrRE7W0b4[/video]

    [video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIw5ChGOADE[/video]

    I like the look of this knife … I am a cleaver user by the way.

    [video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_CrnFZaV5k[/video]

    🙂

    crikey
    Free Member

    Big fat LOL….

    You’re cutting tomatoes, not doing surgery so do give over Bob…

    wolly
    Free Member

    Cheers!

    wolly
    Free Member

    That last knife looks a thing of porpoise!

    RamseyNeil
    Free Member

    Steels don’t sharpen knives they just straighten the edge after it gets rolled over in use.

    Thereby sharpening it .

    Have you never had a blunt knife , put in on the steel and found it to be sharp afterwards?

    chewkw
    Free Member

    crikey – Member

    Big fat LOL….

    You’re cutting tomatoes, not doing surgery so do give over Bob…

    A challenge for you … Try cutting onion or tomatoes (or fruits with very shinning skin) with their skin on quickly but don’t blame me if you are missing one finger later on.
    🙂

    wolly – Member

    That last knife looks a thing of porpoise!

    Yes, but try using Chinese Cleaver (not the bone shattering type but slicing cleaver) that will be even more fun. I use small slicing cleaver :mrgreen:

    Ramsey Neil – Member

    Steels don’t sharpen knives they just straighten the edge after it gets rolled over in use.

    Thereby sharpening it .

    Have you never had a blunt knife , put in on the steel and found it to be sharp afterwards?

    If that is your definition then happy cooking.

    Or I can let you try the steel on my cheapo Ikea knife to see if you can bring life back to it.

    No. I tried it with diamond rod, steel rod except ceramic rod (haven’t found one on sale yet). The sharpening rod is there to maintain the edge that’s it. I can sharpening a dull knife with sharpening stone but not with a steel rod because they cannot create the necessary cutting edge. 🙂

    wolly
    Free Member

    I seem to be in a weird area of YouTube there’s an awful lot of Americans shaving the arms with kitchen knifes

    crikey
    Free Member

    Try cutting onion or tomatoes with their skin on quickly but don’t blame me if you are missing one finger later on.

    I’ve been doing this for a large part of the 50 years or so I’ve been alive, and I still have six fingers on each hand… 😉

    chewkw
    Free Member

    wolly – Member

    I seem to be in a weird area of YouTube there’s an awful lot of Americans shaving the arms with kitchen knifes

    Yes, weird behaviour but that’s their hair so shave it as they will … 😆 The paper test is better.

    crikey – Member

    Try cutting onion or tomatoes with their skin on quickly but don’t blame me if you are missing one finger later on.

    I’ve been doing this for a large part of the 50 years or so I’ve been alive, and I still have six fingers on each hand…

    You have sharp knife then but try a dull knife on it see what happen. Yes, six fingers is good so you can afford to loose some … 😆

    wolly
    Free Member

    Are these any good? Link

    RamseyNeil
    Free Member

    No. I tried it with diamond rod, steel rod except ceramic rod (haven’t found one on sale yet). The sharpening rod is there to maintain the edge that’s it. I can sharpening a dull knife with sharpening stone

    The clue is in the wording “sharpening rod”

    Don’t understand this maintaining the edge argument . The edge only deteriorates during use then you put the knife on the steel to restore the edge to what it was before you used it .

    Goodnight , you can have the final word if you like cos we are going round in circles here .

    chewkw
    Free Member

    wolly – Member

    Are these any good? Link

    Was thinking of using that but then I thought I rather train my free hand sharpening. So no is my answer.

    Ramsey Neil – Member

    No. I tried it with diamond rod, steel rod except ceramic rod (haven’t found one on sale yet). The sharpening rod is there to maintain the edge that’s it. I can sharpening a dull knife with sharpening stone

    The clue is in the wording “sharpening rod”

    Don’t understand this maintaining the edge argument . The edge only deteriorates during use then you put the knife on the steel to restore the edge to what it was before you used it .

    Goodnight , you can have the final word if you like cos we are going round in circles here .

    Yes, I know the clue and yes I was puzzled by it … Honing steel is better.

    I think this explains better …

    Honing & Sharpening

    Yes, agree with maintaining edge but how do you sharpen a really dull knife or knife with no edge? I mean to create new angle on the edge that is my question.

    If you are happy with using “sharpening” steel then stay with the method. I prefer other methods to yours. 🙂

    cynic-al
    Free Member

    I N R A T S but anything other than one of these is G A Y.

    pay no more than £10 @ TKMaxx.

    chewkw
    Free Member

    cynic-al – Member

    I N R A T S but anything other than one of these is G A Y.

    pay no more than £10 @ TKMaxx.

    Yes, got that too from TKmaxx … not g a y.

    In fact I got two from TKmaxx, one steel and one diamond but now hunting for a cheap ceramic one … so I am a macho macho man (the music in the background). 😆

    [video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AO43p2Wqc08[/video]

    It also depends on what the blade is made of i.e carbon or stainless. I personaly prefer carbon and sharpen them on the bottom of cups ect where there is no glaze. using this method I keep all my carbon steel knives sharp enouhg for the arm hair trick. Stainless I have found that unless it is a very good grade i.e 440 surgical they are too tough and will only dake an edge with a diamond sharpener.

    jambalaya
    Free Member

    A good quality steel, quick simple effective. Been using them for years and they work and I’ve never found a problem with them, normal domestic use. As @Ramsey_neil says I think professional kitchens use them, that tells me something

Viewing 39 posts - 1 through 39 (of 39 total)

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