Knife sharpeners

[DTJ]

Could anyone or everyone give me their opinons on the knife sharpeners they might have.  I have tried using a steel without much sucess and I know you have to have a decent edge on a knife for a steel to work.  I have been doing belly bacon latley and am able to get a good price if I buy a whole belly with the skin on.  My knives are getting dull and that makes it a lot harder todo.  To add to that I am not looking at spending a fortune on one but also want a decent one.

Thanks for any insight


daryl

[easyridinole]

I have and use a Lansky and love it. It may take a while to get an edge on your knife, but once you do it's easy to keep an edge on it.

Ole

[Caneyscud]

To get an edge on a pretty dull knife I use a motorized low rpm horizontal ceramic wheel.  Then I take to my quachita whetstones including a black one for a surgical edge.  You could start on a coarser whetstone of some type rather than the wheel, but the wheel is quicker for me on something really dull.  Then polish or strop with rouge being careful not to round over the edge.  Once that is done a steel can be used for maintenance or what I like is one of the fine grade credit card sized diamond impregnated sharpening cards - just swipe it lightly a couple of times each side of the edge and it is back to where it was.  Once sharp, typically good steel only needs a "polishing" with rouge, stropping, or the use of a steel to keep sharp.  No need to grind or hone any more metal off your knife than is necessary.  Sounds "old school" and it is, but it is still the best way.  I don't keep most of my kitchen knives that sharp because my wife is afraid of them.  But my chisels are another thing.  Once I get that good edge on them, I can maintain it quite awhile before having to grind or hone again. 


Shakespeare
The Bard of Hot Aire
Threadkiller Extraordinaire'

[drano]

I have the Chef's Choice model 120
http://www.edgecraft.com/page2a.html#120
I feel it puts a great edge on in about a minute. 
3 wheels
- course diamond for only really dull blades
- normal diamond for resharpening
- strop to take the edge off

I'd imagine the stone type sharpeners (Lansky and others) can put a better edge on, but I can sharpen 5 knives in less than 5 minutes that will cut a few hairs off my arm--can't shave w/ it, but it will cut hair.  I don't know how much more metal the Chef's Choice removes from a blade while sharpening than Lansky and others, but I'd guess it is more.  But I still like the Chef's Choice because it is quick, and the results are great for me.   My wife says they are too sharp. 
drano

[canadiansmoker]

I also have the chef's choice model 120 and love it. I don't think it is quite as good it some of the other ways (wheel, lansky) but it sure is easy to do, fast, and it puts quite a good edge on those knives!

As Caneyscud said, once you have a good edge on them, it usually doesn't take much to keep them that way (providing you have good steel to begin with).

Stephen

[Kummok]

Several years ago, I would take my knives to an old pro and pay for professional sharpening. He died and no one else could seem to do as well. Fortunately I've been able to keep a super sharp edge on them with regular use of my Dad's almost 70 year old Wusthof extra long butcher's steel...however NOBODY else is allowed to touch them for fear of getting a nick and then having to search for a LIVE old pro again!  :-\

[DTJ]

Thanks for the input, I was kind of thinking of electric because of ease of use.  Has anyone used the $35 wal mart electric sharpener, I forget who makes it vs the $100 dollor chef's choice.  I am guessing you get what you pay for but thought I woud ask.
Any pointers on how to properly use a steel.  I don't know if I am not using it correctly or my knives are just that dull.

thanks again
Daryl

[love the smoke]

Lanskey Diamond here

Medium First then the fine then the ultra fine stone then the ruby

Shave anyone

LTS

[Gizmo]

Thanks for the input, I was kind of thinking of electric because of ease of use.  Has anyone used the $35 wal mart electric sharpener, I forget who makes it vs the $100 dollor chef's choice.  I am guessing you get what you pay for but thought I woud ask.
Any pointers on how to properly use a steel.  I don't know if I am not using it correctly or my knives are just that dull.

thanks again
Daryl

Steels are really not for sharpening but for maintaining a sharp edge.  You need to hold the knife at the proper angle as you draw the knife across the steel as in slicing.  Depending on the nationality of the knife, the angle will be different.  Asian is 15 deg, European and American are 20 deg.

The best are the ones you are comfortable using and will use every time you use your knife.
I have used many sharpening stones and devices over the years.  Regular whetstones to moon stones which were really just ceramic.  Absent from my list is diamond impregnated stones.  Haven't used one of them.

Some of my favorites over the years were:
Japanese water stones for chisels
Crock Sticks (round medium grit and ceramic)
Tri-Angle Sharpmaker from Spyderco (triangular medium grit and ceramic)

I have (or had) an electric chefs choice as well but didn't use it much.  You can easily ruin the tempering of the blade with the electric rotating grinding stones.  Not good on an expensive knife.  The Crock Sticks and Tri-Angle Sharpmaker both have 2 disadvantages.  The sharpening sticks are easily broken especially if dropped and my wife was not comfortable using them.  The angle is predetermined by the block that the sticks are held so getting the angle correct was not difficult.

I now have a Furi and it gets used almost daily.  Just a few swipes through the fingers after each use and you are done.  There are 3 sharpening pieces.  An angle adjustable sharpening attachment that uses 2 triangular pieces that will remove small strips of metal from extremely dull knives or damaged knives.  This is rarely ever used.  I had to reshape the tip on an old spyderco pearing knife that broke off.  Worked great.  There is also has a medium grit diamond dust coated set of fingers and some maintenance fingers.  The medium grit only gets used if a lot of heavy usage occurs and the person gets lazy and doesn't do the maintenance fingers after use.  I like this system because the wife actually uses them so all the knives stay razor sharp.  Yes, these will keep the edge sharp enough to shave with.

I also have used the sharpening steels.  I think I can get a slightly sharper edge with the steel, but when you are already splitting hares, what is the difference in being able to split it three ways instead of just in half.   :D

Bottom line:  The best system is the one that gets used the most and keeps great edges on the knife.  If it is easy enough for other family members to use, that is a great bonus. 

[Habanero Smoker]

Hi Daryl;

As Gizmo has pointed out, a steel is not for sharpening, they are used to realign and straighten the edge, and you should steel the knife several times while you are using the knife. When I use a steel regularly while I am cutting. I hold the knife at a 14° - 18° angle; then start with 5 strokes on one side and then 5 strokes on the other side; then 4 strokes each side and continue to 1 stork per side.

Here is an example of how to use a steel.
Using a steel

[drano]

Anyone used or seen an Edge Pro?

I stumbled onto their website a few years ago.  I don't have one, never seen one, but from the video on their page, they sure look nice.

http://edgeproinc.com/default.htm

The Apex models start at $155, and the pro models at $320, so on the higher price end. 

Drano

[Gizmo]

Looks way more complicated than it needs to be and at the price, I'll stick with the Furi.  ;)  From the demo, I can have 3 knifes sharpened by the time that guy finds the right angle to just get started on the first one. 

[Buck36]

Gizmo,

Thanks for posting the information on the Furi. I was going to buy a $138 chefs choice but after reading your post and Furi's reviews on other sites I've changed my mind. Amazon has the Furi for $20 and looks fool proof. You have saved me quite a bit of cash!

[DTJ]

Thanks for all of the information and input.  Now I just have to make a decision and do a little comparison. 

Daryl

[Gizmo]

Gizmo,

Thanks for posting the information on the Furi. I was going to buy a $138 chefs choice but after reading your post and Furi's reviews on other sites I've changed my mind. Amazon has the Furi for $20 and looks fool proof. You have saved me quite a bit of cash!

Be advised that the one for $20 isn't the full set.  Here is the set I have with the 3 different sharpening inserts.  $89 dollars is a great price.  I paid $99 for mine from a local house wares store.

http://www.amazon.com/Rachael-Ray-TechEdge-Sharpening-System/dp/B00066MAQA/ref=pd_bbs_sr_7?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1233374188&sr=8-7