Electric Knife Sharpener...

[colt45]

While I know many of you are skilled in the ancient art of knife sharpening, using steel, rock, paper, scissors, whatever to sharpen your knives... or you take them to some master knife sharpener... there is another cult out there... that use electric knife sharpeners... anyone have one they would recommend that doesnt "seem" to destroy your knives (vendor and model please)... I would use a grinding wheel... but that doesnt seem right, since I sharpen axes and lawnmower blades with it :)

thanks for the help

josh

[parrothead]

Ok, I am actually gonna talk about something I know a little bit about here. All on topic. So, here goes.

I have always been tought, that it' not as important how you sharpen your knife, but that you always do it the same way. We did a lot of butchering, and I watched my dad run a blade acrossed a steel more times than I can count. There are various methods of hand sharpening, but like I said, as long as you use the same stroke to sharpen you will ba able to put a fine edge on your blade in about a dozen strokes. If you go a different way than normal you will end up dulling it more before it gets sharp.

Main point being, only you should sharpen your knives. Doesn't matter how trained or proficient with a blade some one is, they are not going to use the same angle as you do no matter how they try. So tell the wifey right off the bat not to sharpen your blades. Not cause she is a woman or any of that crap, just explain the physics and ****, and say Greg said so.

Now, as far as an electric sharpener goes, I would not touch one if my life depended on it. The set of henckels I bought actually had a knife sharpening video. Watch a few people that know what they are doing, combine those methods into a motion that is comfortable to you, and stick with that.

Now, when you first start sharpening your new knife you may end up dulling it a little before it gets sharper. Don't worry, as long as you keep sharpening in the same manner and the same angle, you will have a fine cutting tool that will be with you for the rest of your life. My dad's butcher knives are 1/2 inch wide and you can tell that they used to be an inch and a half or so.

That is the 2 cents worth from a guy that grew up helping to kill and dress most every bite of meat that was eaten in the house. My dad tought me well and I learned even more since.

If I can still find that video, and someone would like to burn some copies for brethren that want it, I would be more than happy to send it out. It also teaches technique for handling your fantastic blades if I remember right. I will look for it.

[colt45]

I could put it into a Divx Format and people could watch it on thier PC... or Pocket PC... or whatever...

josh

[buckarmadillo]

I have a cleaver for vegetables that has been sharpened so much that it is actually concave in the middle just a bit. It is real soft steel but Oh Man does it take an edge quick. Celery doesn't dull an edge too quick anyway....LOL

[BBQchef33]

i use a steel 99% of the time. But I have a 2 electric Sharpners.. A Chefs choice 2000 which is a 2 stage commercial and a chefs choice pro 120 whcih is a 3 stage sharpner. I only use them when I'v lost the edge on a knife, or if its hard to recover with a steel. My henckles have only seen a professional sharpner, but the cheaper knives I will use the chef choice on. The 3 stage has diamond abrasives in stages 1 and 2 and the third sage is for stropping and polishing. The knife is set onto a guide to guarentee the correct angle and you just run it thru each stage for a few seconds. Knives come out so you can split a hair on them.

[parrothead]

stages 1 and 2 and the third sage is for stropping and polishing.

What the fark is stropping?

[cheez]

Hey Colt,
Grerg's right when he says that keeping the same angle when you sharpen is the key. To take out the guess work but still avoid the damaging heat that an electric sharpener or grinder can create, I use a Lansky sharpening kit. With this I can put a great edge on anything from a small pocketknife to my 10-inch chef's knife. It has a clamp that holds the knife and the clamp has four holes in it to determine the angle at which you want to sharpen. Simply put the tail of the handle for the stone in the chosen hole, and hone the blade. Start with the coarse stone, then the medium, then the fine, and you'll have a great edge in no time. Then when you need to do it again, all you need to know is the angle you used last time. I haven't yet found the will to spend the money on really good knives (man, I drool over those Henckels knives), but with this system I can put a very good edge on the so-so knives I've owned for almost 20 years, and if you use a steel every time (of course, no one else in this house will bother to do that) you get the knife out the edge will stay good a very long time. I do pretty well with a knife, and am the type to complain when I have to use other people's knives and they are not sharp, and this thing keeps me happy. They have them at most sporting goods stores (Dick's, etc).

The standard system is the one I have. I don't really see the need for more stones. Scroll down, I think it's the 6th one down:
http://store.lansky.com/iwwida.pvx?;products_no_tree?cat=100?comp=002

[BBQchef33]

stages 1 and 2 and the third sage is for stropping and polishing.

What the fark is stropping?

A strop is that long strip of leather our dads used to use to sharpen a razor. You still see them hooked next to barber chairs. Stropping blades is just using the finest grind you can get next to polishing.

[brdbbq]

A strop is what they use to use to beat your ASS with. Ditto to Greg and Cheez on sharpning knives all good and correct advice. IMHO

[Solidkick]

I just send my Ginzu back and get a new one, never need to worry about sharpening. 8)

[brdbbq]

That sounds like a returnable Oriental Hooker.

[parrothead]

A strop is that long strip of leather our dads used to use to sharpen a razor. You still see them hooked next to barber chairs. Stropping blades is just using the finest grind you can get next to polishing.

Thanks! Ya can learn something every day here.

[Solidkick]

That sounds like a returnable Oriental Hooker.

I've never met a hooker I wanted to keep.................... :twisted:

[MikeG]

I don't own an electic sharpener and don't want one. Most people who use them tend to do two things(both bad)with them. That would be oversharpening and overheating. Oversharpening a knife will cause the edge to roll under moderate pressure and is difficult to correct. To fine an edge will also chip or gap. Overheating will change the temper of the steel and cause it to be discolored and brittle. I will sharpen a knife almost after every use. By doing this I keep my knifes sharp and don't face a major project of sharpening a drawer full of dull knifes. Develope your own routine using the same number of strokes on each side. I like to use oil on all my stones even when it is not required. 3in1 works
just as good as the expensive honing oils. I have the old fasion sand stone all the way to the high tech stuff, but my favorite is the natural stones from Arkansas i.e. Arkansas Oil Stone. No one should sharpen your knives but you or use them for that matter. My knives are "holy ground" at my house. I have found that a 30 degree sharpening angle gives me a good working edge. My knifes are cheap my todays standards except for three. I have my dad's mess kit knife from WWll that I use occasionally for pearing, and two that were hand made for me be a fraternity brother that lost the battle with liver cancer 22 years ago Christmas Eve.
MikeG :lol:

[Bigdog]

My CHAD method of sharpening knives is to run it through one of those plastic dealies that has two stones (one on each side) and is set at a perfect bevel. Several draws through it and I'm good to go.

Bigdog

[brdbbq]

That sounds like a returnable Oriental Hooker.

I've never met a hooker I wanted to keep.................... :twisted:

I have not meet Julia Roberts either.

[brdbbq]

Cheez,
Based on your post I take it your happy with the Lansky. Is it the standard kit qith regular stone or Arkansas ?

[hobo_pie]

The guys over on the BBQ Porch swear by the Accusharp.. it's the plastic thingy that someone else mentioned.. and these guys cook a LOT of Q. they are about $10 and if you go to www.accusharp.com they have a dealer locator. As far as hand sharpening goes.. there are optimum angles to sharpen too so I agree that you must never let anyone else run a steel across your knives.. but I don't agree that the angls doesn't matter...

Just my opinion,

Ray

[colt45]

I like the picture on the website... like you would actually sharpen a box cutter blade :) good stuff...

[brdbbq]

The guys over on the BBQ Porch swear by the Accusharp.. it's the plastic thingy that someone else mentioned.. and these guys cook a LOT of Q. they are about $10 and if you go to www.accusharp.com they have a dealer locator. As far as hand sharpening goes.. there are optimum angles to sharpen too so I agree that you must never let anyone else run a steel across your knives.. but I don't agree that the angls doesn't matter...

Just my opinion,

Ray
I have used those in the past. But a guy who knows how to use a stone by hand swear that the Accusharp farks up a good edge. Let the debate begin. Ted Nugent uses it can't be wrong. :lol:

[badger]

I like the picture on the website... like you would actually sharpen a box cutter blade :) good stuff...

Yeah, and I like how the scissor's are standing on there own while sharpening!

I wonder if the sharpener teaches your knife how to sit and roll over too. :twisted:

[Heath]

I have a whole set of Henkles Professional"S" and extra Chef's knives. I also have 7 Maxam 10" Chef's knives. I use the plastic sharpener that came with the Henkles and it keeps them really sharp.

As far as the Lansky's, love it. Especially if someone gives you a decent knife and tells you it will never sharpen. It'll put a good edge on it. Spent 20 years on Submarines in the Navy and I used to take my knives to sea with me to sharpen them on the midwatch. I had a dive knife I sharpened to the point of shaving and it was a durable edge. You can impress anyone shaving with a 14" 5# blade on a big ol knife.

[cheez]

Yeah, I am very happy with the Lansky. The kit I have is just the regular stone, not the Arkansas stone. The Arkansas one might do a better job, though I don't think I am missing anything.
I'm sure we've all heard some oldtimer tell us that sharpening a knife properly is almost an art. Well, screw art. The Lansky gives me a great edge every time, even on cheap steel. Of course, a better-made knife will hold that edge a lot longer. I even take the kit on vacations, like trips to the Outer Banks, to sharpen the knives in the rental beach house. I figure what the hell - if I'm gonna be here for a week, I'm gonna make the knives usable for that week.
As Heath said, the Lansky will put an edge on any decent knife and will surprise the guy who said it never sharpens right. Whenever I get the kit out while on a campout, I am soon overwhelmed with requests to sharpen other people's knives, both Scouts and adults. They are always pleased with the results.
As far as the Accusharp, I have never used one. It seems to me that the only drawback there is that you are limited to just one angle. If the knife you want to sharpen wasn't originally honed to that angle, you will be changing that angle to suit the accusharp. Only after the angle is changed will you get a decent edge. If you want the edges to all be the same on your pocket knife, your paring knife, your chef's knife, your cleaver, etc., then it would probably be the only sharpener you need. With the Lansky, I can usually eyeball the angle on the knife I'm going to sharpen (assuming I haven't done that knife before) and it will sharpen quickly. I don't doubt that the Accusharp works though. Any of you guys who are fishermen may be familiar with the small plastic tool with two ceramic rods in it that comes with Rapala filet knives. That tool works great! Of course, it is made to match the angle of the edge on their filet knife.....

[cabo]

Has anybody tried the ceramic stones??
I’ve been using them for the past few years with
success. The stones don’t wear, and depending on
the hardness of the steel and the coarseness of the
stone, they will cut an edge relatively quickly.
There is a very fine grade that will almost eliminate
stropping. (Not really needed for kitchen knives anyway)

[cabo]

Colt,
Check out this site.
I’ve been using this sharpener for
years and have been more than satisfied
with it’s performance. It’s a bit pricey, but in
my opinion well worth it.

http://www.spyderco.com/online_product_info.asp?sts=1%2F17%2F2004+8%3A20%3 A34+PM&pfid=204MF&deptId=1030&mscssid=K9W776W2NKRD9GE6LBB57FWFL4V98LB1

[rusold]

I got a cheepy version of those ceramic dealies and sharpened what was basicly a butter knife where it would cut the hair of my arm neatly. My Henckles(chef knife, boning knife - XMAS from wife several years ago) do fine with just using the steel. I saw a cooking show many years ago that said that at some point you had change the way you steeled the blade - in essence cut a new angle - but I haven't found anything on that on line and I haven't had any problem keeping them sharp

R

[Mark]

Here's a Gerber ceramic knife sharpener for only $2.99. About the size of a book of matches.
http://www.budkww.com/partsview.asp?action=lookup&partno=G2&subject=U6&catpos=10

I haven't used one but would be interested to know if anyone else has.

Also check out the machete for $6.99
http://www.budkww.com/partsview.asp?action=lookup&partno=BK229&subject=H&catpos=99999

[cheez]

Mark,
I would assume that Gerber sharpener would work well, it's just like the Rapala one I mentioned above. My caveat regarding angles would still apply though.
Here's the Rapala one. Actually, my knife came with just the single-stage one; the double-stage would repair a bad edge faster. Of course, if you need more than a fine stone to put an edge back on your filet knife, someone needs to teach you how to filet fish.............
http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=977218

[Heath]

I use a ceramic insulator out of an oxygen generator from a sub I was on. Every once in a while they had to replace some and I had my name on the list. I made a rod to go through it and i ude it with my lansky kit also. Your right about not having to use the strop on the knife, the ceramic puts a super sharp finish edge on it.