Knife sharpeners

[Englander]

Hi all,

my grandparents are currently using this style of knife sharpener: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Richardson-S...870093&sr=8-17

It's pretty old now and qwuite worn out so I suggested I get them a new one for xmas and they thought that was a pretty good idea. So, 2 minutes after starting my search, I am here asking for advice on what sort of brands are good/any recommendations? I want to stick with that manual sort of style (rather than the more mechanical looking ones that an Amazon search throws up).

So, in summary:
Can anyone recommend a decent knife sharpener?

Thanks

[MadduckUK]

http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/57145296

i have this it is cheap and works

[Saracen]

Budget?

My (totally unqualified) opinion is as follows :-

1) Wetstone. Cheap, but is a bit awkward and requires some skill to use.

2) The "steel" of the type you showed. Cheap ones can be real rubbish, and good ones can be quite pricey. Capable of very good results indeed if used well. Get a good one not a cheap one.

3) Ceramic "steel". As per 2) but ceramic. Harder and less likely to wear. Can do a very good job indeed, but again, requires a bit of skill to use well. Don't drop it.

4) Minosharp-type devices. Like this. Very effective, relatively easy to use with minimal skill. Not cheap. There are cheaper implementations but how individual ones are, I've no idea.


How ....erm .... dexterous are your grandparents? If they can cope with the steel, have used one and got good results and are happy with it, maybe sticking with the familiar would be good. If they're having trouble using it as they get old, maybe a 4) would be a good bet. Personally, I'd probably go 4) (for me), but there are several options.

[Zak33]

Originally Posted by Saracen

2) The "steel" of the type you showed. Cheap ones can be real rubbish, and good ones can be quite pricey. Capable of very good results indeed if used well. Get a good one not a cheap one.
.

And if you get a good steel, never let ANYONE else ever sharpen your knives with it. The angle YOU hold it and the knives will become part of the shape of the edge... if someone else does it you'll lose the edge for ages.

[Bugbait]

I use a version of this: http://www.cookware-online.co.uk/sho...al-255166.html

Works very well, simple, and hard to get wrong. If you have decent knives, do not ruin them with a cheap sharpener.

[Englander]

Budget is around £20, could be pushed to £30 - I knew I forgot to mention something important in my haste to post this thread before a program started last night

I'm leaning towards steel as that's what my grandfather uses every Sunday before chopping up the joint of meat (and, to Saracen, there won't be any dexterity issues, it's quite alright!). So are there any good steels I can get for my budget?

[0iD]

I normally use a steel, but got my in-laws one of these, which I was really impressed with tbh.

[Fornowagain]

Spyderco Tri Angle is supposed to be really good. Bit expensive though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yVN9...eature=related

[scaryjim]

As I underastand it, a steel won't actually *sharpen* a knife - they are used for keeping the edge. You need a good whetstone to actually get the knife properly sharp.

For many purposes just keeping a decent edge will do, but personally I hate cutting with anything other than a properly sharp knife. I got my stone from a chinese supermarket where they are very cheap - look for one like this. The two sides are usually slightly different grains, and I tend to do several strokes on each side to really sharpen my knives. Although from that site you could afford a steel and a whetstone with a bit of change, so why not get them both?

[mightymouse]

just in case if you wanna go cheapo student style actually you can use the rough part under ceramic bowls for instance the ikea £1 but you have to be careful with your angle and i wont recomend if your knives cost a bomb. works for me tho cuz my knives are from argos hehe

[Mutley]

Originally Posted by scaryjim

As I underastand it, a steel won't actually *sharpen* a knife - they are used for keeping the edge. You need a good whetstone to actually get the knife properly sharp.

I was going to add the same comment. I decent carving knife for example is made from fairly soft steel. The blade edge bends over with use, given the impression of the edge being blunt. A steel, when correctly used, straightens the blade edge, returning the knife's apparent sharpness.

Sharpening is a different process.

[shaithis]

Minosharp one here for £30

[McPhee]

There's a fantastic thread on this somewhere in the forum (i'm sure it was this forum anyway). I'll try and dig it up.

A steel will not sharpen a knife. All it actually does it keep the edge straight. Over time the edge wears down and you need to use a whetstone to put a new one on it. Sharpening and keeping a knife sharp is (ideally) a three stage process. You have your coarse whetstone for grinding a new edge, a fine whetstone for polishing that edge and a steel for keeping it straight. This is the case for general kitchen tasks, but it's best to have one knife that hasn't been near the fine whetstone. This is because some tasks benefit from a toothier blade, like cutting raw meat or going through soft centred fruits (like tomatoes).

With your budget I don't think you'll be able to afford whetstones, they're quite expensive. I'd buy either a new steel (which is the most important of the three anyway) or a 2 or 3 stage sharpening unit (like the Minosharp one linked above). Just make sure they understand that the first two stages aren't needed often (once every 6-months or so with home use).

[BigFatCat]

I have something like this

http://gearpatrol.com/blog/2009/10/1...ing-steel-rod/

but not branded, picked up from a cheapy cookshop outlet in Tennessee for about a tenner. A few quick drags makes for a decent edge on the bog standard knives. I use a dual grit stone for sharpening my Japanese knives.

[scaryjim]

Originally Posted by McPhee

With your budget I don't think you'll be able to afford whetstones, they're quite expensive.

Mine was only a few quid and has both coarse and fine sides. Shouldn't be a problem picking one up if you have a decent cutlery / cookware shop anywhere nearby...

[Million]

diamond sharpeners can be picked up from hardware stores for about £5, and you can use them to sharpen anything with a blade (including scissors)