Knife Sharpening

I have a growing collection of knives, mainly kitchen but others as well, and am tired of shipping them out the have them sharpened. I am looking at maybe getting a knife sharpening system.

I do not want to do anything freehand on a whetstone or use an electric sharpener since I have heard many bad things about them. I am looking at both the edge pro apex and the wicked edge system and those both seem really good but are both really damn expensive.

I know there have to be some knife nuts on here so what do you all do for sharpening?

I also need something highly adjustable for blade angle since I have a wide range of knives.

I'm glad you decided to stop sending your knives away to someone else to sharpen, I don't think I could trust someone else to properly care for my knives. A good steel is something you should consider if you don't already have one, I can completely get behind this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Dick-Multicut-Steel-Fine-Flat/dp/B000YQHXU0

If you have a large collection you probably already have one but this one is great.
As far as an electric sharpener goes I can't reccomend one because I personally despise them. I have seen them mar otherwise great knives because of malfunction or misuse. The only proper way to sharpen a good knife is with a stone and a steel or with a grinder and an extremely light touch.

but since I want to answer your question I have a friend that tells me that the Chef’sChoice M130 electric sharpener is the best option if you want to go automated. Its not cheap, $130 I think, but compared to a few knife service jobs it will pay for itself quickly.

I spent years as a butcher/meat cutter and restaurant kitchen pirate so I learned how to steel and sharpen knives properly by hand. It is a skill well worth learning and will save you quite a bit of money over the long term.

Do you have a favorite knife for kitchen work? I absolutely love my Global knives - they hold a great edge.
sorry I couldn't be more helpful

I'm planning to get something like this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Lansky-4-rod-Crock-Sharpener-LCD5D/dp/B000B8FW0E/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS?ie=UTF8&coliid=I1M4O2RPBY7DC0&colid=2UYN3QF0BKZAT

if anyone wants to go cheap but effective, I would go with one of these http://www.amazon.com/Lansky-Quick-Pocket-Knife-Sharpener/dp/B001MZ5XMC/ref=sr_1_15?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1336663797&sr=1-15

no joke. I sent my mom a good chefs knife a few years back(mostly so when my family visits her I don't have to suffer through using crap knives to cook). She doesn't know how to use a sharpening stone or steel so I sent her this lansky tool. it puts a great edge on knives and is super simple to use.

runningweird said:

I'm glad you decided to stop sending your knives away to someone else to sharpen, I don't think I could trust someone else to properly care for my knives. A good steel is something you should consider if you don't already have one, I can completely get behind this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Dick-Multicut-Steel-Fine-Flat/dp/B000YQHXU0

If you have a large collection you probably already have one but this one is great.
As far as an electric sharpener goes I can't reccomend one because I personally despise them. I have seen them mar otherwise great knives because of malfunction or misuse. The only proper way to sharpen a good knife is with a stone and a steel or with a grinder and an extremely light touch.

but since I want to answer your question I have a friend that tells me that the Chef’sChoice M130 electric sharpener is the best option if you want to go automated. Its not cheap, $130 I think, but compared to a few knife service jobs it will pay for itself quickly.

I spent years as a butcher/meat cutter and restaurant kitchen pirate so I learned how to steel and sharpen knives properly by hand. It is a skill well worth learning and will save you quite a bit of money over the long term.

Do you have a favorite knife for kitchen work? I absolutely love my Global knives - they hold a great edge.
sorry I couldn't be more helpful

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Thanks, but I am specifically NOT looking for an electric one.

I have a decent hone. It is the Shun one. It isn't great but gets the job done just fine and right now I don't see a need in purchasing another one.

I have a set of Shuns in addition to some other random pieces and am looking at getting some high qualiy japanese knives in the future, hense the need to angle versatility.

I just don't trust myself with freehand and a stone on my expensive knives. I know it is the best route normally, but I just really can't trust myself yet. That is why I am looking into one of the systems that are out there.

sorry, spaced that out.

I have been eyeing a shun 8 inch chef's knife for a while but can't justify the cost while blowing money on beer stuff.

any manual pull through/electric sharpener will put an edge on your knives, they aren't the best for your knife though. It sounds like you have some nice knives and it really doesn't take long to learn how to sharpen them properly.

runningweird said:

sorry, spaced that out.

I have been eyeing a shun 8 inch chef's knife for a while but can't justify the cost while blowing money on beer stuff.

any manual pull through/electric sharpener will put an edge on your knives, they aren't the best for your knife though. It sounds like you have some nice knives and it really doesn't take long to learn how to sharpen them properly.

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I love my 8" shun. Just used it this morning before work actually. I am really pissed off that they have all of a sudden stopped their free lifetime sharpening though. That is complete BS.


And just to clarify, by sharpening system I am refering to something along the lines of these.

http://www.edgeproinc.com/

and

http://www.wickededgeusa.com/

I stand corrected. Hear that INTERNET! I WAS WRONG!

those both look very nice, and are not that much different from a three sided stone and a steel - they just appear to be from the future. looking at them I would probably prefer the wicked edge model if you are set on something like this because it looks more user friendly.

watching the wicked edge demo I noticed that the guy is still doing a lot of work by hand so there is still some skill involved. for that price though i would get a high quality stone, a shaving strop, and another good knife.

Tri-Angle Sharpener by Spyderco has good reviews.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000Q9C4AE/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I use a three stone system by smith's, works just fine. It's really not that difficult to maintain an angle.

runningweird said:

I stand corrected. Hear that INTERNET! I WAS WRONG!

those both look very nice, and are not that much different from a three sided stone and a steel - they just appear to be from the future. looking at them I would probably prefer the wicked edge model if you are set on something like this because it looks more user friendly.

watching the wicked edge demo I noticed that the guy is still doing a lot of work by hand so there is still some skill involved. for that price though i would get a high quality stone, a shaving strop, and another good knife.

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For a while now I have been reading reviews and what not about both systems and people seem to be pretty much split between the two. The both have pretty big pros and cons so I was just looking to see if anyone knew of something along those lines or had any experience with either of them.

The difference between a system like that and 100% by hand is that the system hold and keeps the angle and everything exactly right for you, which is what I don't trust myself with on a stone. There is very little to no learning curve on those two systems at least.

medusa1066 said:

Tri-Angle Sharpener by Spyderco has good reviews.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000Q9C4AE/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I use a three stone system by smith's, works just fine. It's really not that difficult to maintain an angle.

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I have read many great things about the spiderco but unfortunatly I need something that will handle a wider range of angles.

great, now you have me looking at japanese sharpening stones...

runningweird said:

great, now you have me looking at japanese sharpening stones...

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I use diamond stones with water or a set of three grit Arkansas stones and oil for all my knives (I make knives from scratch for a hobby). After a bit of practice you can get just the edge geometry that you want when using a stone free hand. That is the nice thing about free hand; for my heavy duty knives I have a higher angle behind the final edge and for fine work I use a much lower angle and then on both of them I put a low angle micro bevel on with the last few passes of the final stone.
The stones in that Edge Pro are way too coarse to put on a good edge; I would say that for a water stone you want at least an 8000 grit for a finishing stone.
I would also add in a wood backed leather strop loaded with some aluminum oxide polishing powder. A few passes away from the edge using that and you end up shaving sharp.

runningweird said:

great, now you have me looking at japanese sharpening stones...

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TBH -- this is the only way to go. Standard steel is hard to handle and you can really hurt the blade by honing at the wrong angle which isn't exactly easy to do if you've never done it before. Mess that up and you definitely need to send it out to get fixed. I like the flat stones because the angle is easier to hit properly and it is harder to damage the knife with it.

I can completely get behind this one:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000YQHXU0/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
If you have a large collection you probably already have one but this one is great.

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I'd pay $130 for an 11" dick...

/thread

mattmcl said:

I'd pay $130 for an 11" dick...

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:fro:

I was a meat cutter for ages. The only thing I will sharpen my knives with is a three-sided stone. I know you don't want to use one, but it is the best thing for the job. You just have to take your time.

Bernie Brewer said:

I was a meat cutter for ages. The only thing I will sharpen my knives with is a three-sided stone. I know you don't want to use one, but it is the best thing for the job. You just have to take your time.

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meat cutters unite!

None metioned the coticule yet
A stone and a guide/jig probably is the easyest, but all my other stones have been retiered(down to 1000grit atleast)

For ease of use lansky kit isnt bad, but i wouldnt want to shave off it

Dataz, what did you end up getting?

I know a few people with edgepros. No one with a Wickededge but I know both get the job done.

Santa arranged for some Shapton stones to be dropped off at my house for some freehand stuff. I'm pretty excited.

When I sharpen my knives, I use a 3 sided stone.
I set the edge with the gray carborundum or the medium hard arkansas stone, depending on how dull the knife is. I then sharpen the edge on the medium hard arkansas or the white hard arkansas stone.
After that, sometimes I hone the edge on a surgical black arkansas stone. When I'm done with whatever stone I finished with, I'll strop the edge on a scrap piece of leather impregnated with white rouge, knocking off the false edge.

I was at a show years ago when a ******* picked up one of my knives and asked if it were sharp, and then proceded to run his thumb up the blade.
Opened it right up.
I just stared at him like the idiot he was.

I use a two sided wet stone & leather strap. all the guys at the steel yard used to have me sharpen their knives for hunting season. $5 a knife & they were happy to pay. I have shaved my head with some of them to prove their worth. I should get back into that.

Ive used a Smith Tri-hone for a long time. I also have a hard arkansas white stone that have worked well for hunting and skinning but I know my japanese chef knife can be smoother. Hence the higher grit glass stones!

Also, for a quick edge touch up if you're in your car and don't have a stone with you, you can roll your window down to about an inch of being closed and hone the edge on top of the window.

The three stone set up or a two sided stone with fine and finer sides works for me. So long as your knife has a half decent edge on it, the coarse stone will go unused. They don't have to be expensive and made from rare materials. Just don't get one that looks like a pumice stone on one side and brick mortar on the other.

I like water better than oil. It's all around cleaner. Oil tends to hold grit and just tear up the edge, imo.

Since getting into straight razor shaving, I've finally got a method that works the best, every time. I was a big fan of little circles until I started using a stone the same as a strop, and then finishing with a strop. Denim is a good strop for knives. I draw the knife with the back side toward me, cutting edge away, in as much a fluid and continuous motion along as much of the blade as possible on each pass. Light pressure.

Another thing I learned, and stopped screwing up knives since, is to look closely at the edge already there. I mean, get a magnifying glass. Follow that geometry and grain as best you can.

Blademaker said:

Also, for a quick edge touch up if you're in your car and don't have a stone with you, you can roll your window down to about an inch of being closed and hone the edge on top of the window.

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I've finished off an edge with this method. works quite nicely until you wear out the tops of your windows. hahaha!

Did the OP ever get either item? I'm looking to get something that won't make my hand cramp like the Lansky kit does. Also, does anyone know how these stay in position while in use? Suction cups? Sticky logic? Eleven inch dicks? I did see a lower cost version listed on the Wicked Edge site ($275) but it doesn't come with the same range of stones as the Apex kit.

I mostly have Gerber, Kershaw, and Benchmade knives. I'm also lucky enough to live near each of these manufacturers, so I just take my knives to them to be sharpened. Works out great, they also inspect them and fix or replace if needed for free.

I will say that the Shapton 1k and 4k glass did not disappoint! Santa did good.

Holding the angle is pretty easy. My gyuoto, petty and french knife were relatively easy to do. My scimitar was a little tricky but not impossible. Granted I've had a bit of practice on oil stones and holding a 25-30 degree angle instead of the 10-15 on the Japanese knives. All the same thing really.

Looking forward to saving up for a 8k and 13k glasses

Golddiggie said:

Did the OP ever get either item? I'm looking to get something that won't make my hand cramp like the Lansky kit does. Also, does anyone know how these stay in position while in use? Suction cups? Sticky logic? Eleven inch dicks? I did see a lower cost version listed on the Wicked Edge site ($275) but it doesn't come with the same range of stones as the Apex kit.

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Golddiggie
I have used the Lansky myself, to much time invested to do it right.. Got rid of it and bought the Spyderco system for all my high end knives. My system has the diamond sleeves that slid over the ceramic stones. I have been using it for ohhh maybe 20 years.. I love it man. Quick, easy and the perfect edge every time!

Cheers
Jay

Jaybird said:

Golddiggie
I have used the Lansky myself, to much time invested to do it right.. Got rid of it and bought the Spyderco system for all my high end knives. My system has the diamond sleeves that slid over the ceramic stones. I have been using it for ohhh maybe 20 years.. I love it man. Quick, easy and the perfect edge every time!

Cheers
Jay

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Got a link for the one you have (or modern equivalent )?? I have good Shun knives, which have a different edge angle on them than others. These are still pretty sharp to me (after 10+ years just using a steel) but I'd like them like razors again. Easier to get rid of intruders that way. j/k

Golddiggie said:

Got a link for the one you have (or modern equivalent )?? I have good Shun knives, which have a different edge angle on them than others. These are still pretty sharp to me (after 10+ years just using a steel) but I'd like them like razors again. Easier to get rid of intruders that way. j/k

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Damn bro Shun is about as good as they get!

http://www.thespydercostore.com/Spyderco-Tri-Angle-Sharpmaker-Sharpening-Set-p/204mf.htm

Mine has the diamond sleeves that I dont see anywhere. But as you can see, this system you cannot change the cut angle.

Jaybird said:

Damn bro Shun is about as good as they get!

http://www.thespydercostore.com/Spyderco-Tri-Angle-Sharpmaker-Sharpening-Set-p/204mf.htm

Mine has the diamond sleeves that I dont see anywhere. But as you can see, this system you cannot change the cut angle.

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Don't see any way to actually guide the blade to maintain the correct angle on the edge. Maybe I'm just not seeing it...

I really love my Shun knives. Next best are the Calphalon Katana line of knives. Same steel and such, just different handles and design. Still, I go for the Shun more often.

As I mentioned, I've had one of them for over 10 years and the thing still cuts really well. I should sharpen it, just to get it back to like a razor though.