OT Kitchen Knives Revisited & Sharpeners

[keno]

After a bit of experimentation and purchasing, I found that the Shun Kershaw Classic DM 0702 Santoku is my "go to: knife. The heft and balance work well for me. I love using it.

Now to sharpening. I do not trust myself to getting the correct angles by using a whetstone let alone keeping my digits intact. Kershaw makes an electric sharpener and I expect that it is designed to sharpen at the correct angle. If there are other electric sharpeners out there I should be aware of, please let know me know about them and the Kershaw if you know it.

Thanks,

keno

[Kevan]

Keno,

I'm certainly no expert on the finest of fine cutlery, but isn't the regular use of a sharping steel sufficient? They take a little pracitce and I'd recommend using a lesser knife to "hone" one's skills, but honestly...

I hope someone can give you the advise you requested. Sorry for interrupting.

[H.Frank Beshear]

Keno, check out the chef's Choice (http://www.chefschoice.com/) line of sharpeners. I've had one for years and you can get a very nice edge with one. Some asian style knives are only sharpened on one side so watch for that, steels are great to reset an edge but once a knife has been dulled it needs a sharpener. You could also use a local sharpener but get some referrals or you could get back a ruined knife. I like the santoku style knives as well. Hope this helps. Frank

[keno]

I am happy to report that I am able to use a steel, although I am reluctant to use it with my new baby. BTW, a steel is what is used when real sharpening, only done occasionally, is not necessary. It brings to mind the use of the steel to make the tubes on my bike more aero.

Hope all is well in the top-end bottled water capital of the world. BTW, a great read is "The Black Swan" for consideration in your thinking about various predictions.

Best,

keno

[Ozz]

I've been using a Henckels steel on my shun for awhile and it works just fine. Shun makes a steel they say is developed specificly for their blades. You should use a steel every time you use the knife. I didn't with my Shun for the first couple months cuz it was so freakin' sharp...I do now and it works great.

The Chef's Choice sharpeners are probably the best home electric sharpeners. You can also take them to a pro....my Mom takes her knives to the butcher dept at her grocery store and they sharpen them for her. Once year is fine unless you are really hard on your knives...(not using a cutting board, running them thru the dishwasher, cutting bone, etc).

[92degrees]

Spyderco Sharpmaker. Easy/foolproof and you can put any type of edge you like on a knife.

[JohnS]

Lansky.

[Too Tall]

KenBaby, the old guy who USE to drive thru my hood sharpened knives so I never used to worry about that. That was than and all my knives are dull :( Last week I popped for the new Chefs Choice sharpener. Nice nice nice. It is overpriced for sure however it really does a wonderful job. Me likey.

[Hardlyrob]

I still use oil or water stones - it's easy to set the angle - put two quarters on the outside of the stone, lean the knife up against them and follow the edge - this is about the right angle for a 6-10" chef's knife. For a narrower blade use one. I'll go to the stones about twice a year, and blow through all the knives in about an hour.

Yes - use the steel every time you use the knife - but be careful to hold it the right way. Don't just grab it with your thumb wrapped around it - particularly with longer knives like slicers. If you miss the guard, you can cut the tendon that holds your thumb to your hand. Instead, grab the steel with your thumb on the same side as the rest of your fingers - then when you miss, you only hit the bony part of your thumb. Learned that in my favorite college class - meat cutting.

Cheers!

Rob

[Ken Robb]

I saw Chef's Choice two-angle machine at Costco for < $70 yesterday. I use a device that is a block of wood with holes bored to support two abrasive rods at just the right angle to sharpen knives. I hold the wood on a counter and draw the blade vertically down either rod like I was taking a slice out of the rod. It's much easier to see when I have the blade verticle than it would be to get the perfect angle on a whet stone. I collect knives so I use stones too. The 2 rod devices are sold in most knife shops.

I have a Chef's Choice. I think it's fine for sharpening a neglected, dull blade but it takes off too much steel for regular use IMHO.

[dave thompson]

Ha, you call those knives? Now this is a knife!

[djg]

I use the steel for regular maintenance and the chef's choice machine (got mine at costco) for periodic sharpening (and often just the finishing slot is enough).

[fierte_poser]

I don't have much experience in this area, but I can pass along the advice of expert Alton Brown:

o Don't sharpen at home.

o Using a sharpening steel to bring the edge back, but do it correctly and don't over do it.

o Go to a professional for actual sharpening.

WWAD? (What Would Alton Do?)

Why is this Chef's Choice home sharpener an acceptable way to sharpen expensive knives?

[Bittersweet]

Cooks Illustrated, like all their articles, hammered the issue to death and came to the conclusion that a Chef's Choice is the way to go. Over the last four years or so we've been very happy with ours. I'm perfectly comfortable using various stones but find this very effective, quick and easy. They also have models specifically for Asian style knives as I understand it.

[DRZRM]

I have a Shun 10" chef and the Santoku (and a tomato slicer, but that is a whole other story). You know that the blades are sharpened to 15 deg instead of the 21 you will find on the German knives. I'll echo the argument that you should use the steel regularly to keep an edge (just about every time I use it), but I don't trust electric sharpeners. I use the Shun steel, its guard is beveled to the 15 deg angle that knife wants, so it is pretty foolproof. When I hone one of my German knives--which I actually don't use much anymore since the Shuns arrived I just increase the angle a bit. Once or twice a year--as needed--I drop the knives off at the sharpeners. There is a great place here in Boston, give a shout it anyone needs a recommendation.

If you care, here is a piece on from Alton Brown's show on knife maintenance.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=8hKXQHGwzAw

For what it is worth, he likes the Shuns too.

http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=-2611989298700188336&hl=en

[Bittersweet]

Chef's Choice 316 Asian sharpens at 15deg


I have a Shun 10" chef and the Santoku (and a tomato slicer, but that is a whole other story). You know that the blades are sharpened to 15 deg instead of the 21 you will find on the German knives. I'll echo the argument that you should use the steel regularly to keep an edge (just about every time I use it), but I don't trust electric sharpeners. I use the Shun steel, its guard is beveled to the 15 deg angle that knife wants, so it is pretty foolproof. When I hone one of my German knives--which I actually don't use much anymore since the Shuns arrived I just increase the angle a bit. Once or twice a year--as needed--I drop the knives off at the sharpeners. There is a great place here in Boston, give a shout it anyone needs a recommendation.

If you care, here is a piece on from Alton Brown's show on knife maintenance.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=8hKXQHGwzAw

For what it is worth, he likes the Shuns too.

http://www.altonbrown.com/shun/shun_flv_sm.html