sharpening kitchen knives

[devonwoody]

Our kitchen knives are going dull mainly kitchen devils.
What methods do you use to sharpen these days?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Diamond plate, or if they need grinding an MDF disc on the lathe with abrasive glued to it.

I didn't mean this was the best, just my way.

 

[John15]

I use a gizmo that my mother bought off the KleenEazy man who used to call every 2 or 3 months - I'm talking 40 years ago!! It has 2 small wheels and you draw the knife through the middle. Still produces very sharp edges but doubtful if it's available today. So I would guess waterstones or as phil.p suggests a diamond plate.

John

 

[LancsRick]

For kitchen knives I love my lansky system, would never use anything else now. I'm assuming you don't have a wet grinder?

 

[sunnybob]

https://www.johnlewis.com/chantry-knife ... mcampid=48

 

[Beau]

Got a workshop with water stones, grinders etc etc but just use a diamond steel like this for the kitchen knives https://www.amazon.co.uk/SMTENG-sharpen ... DV6YRJGT3C

On old fashioned steel did little more than a light hone but one of these seems to be aggressive enough to never need to regrind the knives.

 

[Racers]

I use what ever I use to sharpen my tools, but not one of those wheel sharpeners that just rip metal off the edge.
The Ikea ceramic steel is good for reforming the edge between sharpening.

Pete

 

[Marineboy]

I also don’t like the twin wheel thing, which also leaves razor sharp slivers of steel over the worktop. I use a steel to tickle the edge every time I use the knife and credit card sized DMT diamond (I think 400 grit) every now and then.

 

[Tasky]

It has 2 small wheels and you draw the knife through the middle. Still produces very sharp edges but doubtful if it's available today.

They are. We bought one not so long ago, with a mini whetstone on the back, but they're hideously cruel on blades. Now that Her Ladyship has decent kitchen knives, I'm looking to upgrade...

For kitchen knives I love my lansky system, would never use anything else now.

I'm angling for one of them for Christmas, myself!
I did a knife-making course run by a host of pretty well-respected knifesmiths and, despite many being woodworkers and the like, for their knives they all used something along the same lines:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000B8IEA4/ ... 7ZOU&psc=0

 

[sunnybob]

Remember he said they were Kitchen devils, not exactly high end folded steel (hammer) (hammer)

 

[devonwoody]

Thanks guys, my old domestic sharpening tools are very old and not much use these days, but I did dig out some diamond plates purchased at Matlock ? Somerset some years ago and they have worked and they cut vegetables nicely today.

 

[sunnybob]

Martock Somerset
Matlock Derbyshire.

 

[pcolbeck]

I use a Wusthof 2 Stage sharpener which has diamond and ceramic rods for course and fine sharpening in conjunction with a decent butchers steel for honing.

https://www.steamer.co.uk/brands/wustho ... pener.html

The Wusthof is brilliant. Makes any knife razor sharp (how long it holds an edge is down to the knife steel) and worth the extra cost over cheaper sharpeners. I really cant be bothered taking the cooking knives out to the shed and using a whet stone, especially as I am always sharpening them as my wife likes throwing them all in a draw rather than using the knife block to store them.

 

[MusicMan]

I use a SharpEdge Kitchen Knife Sharpener system, crossed carbide slips on pivoting base. I got it because it claims to work also on serrated blades, of which I have a set, and it does do a pretty good job.

 

[woodbloke66]

Spyderco ceramic rods for my Japanese kitchen knives; dead easy to use and they produce a wicked edge - Rob

 

[Eric The Viking]

Diamond plate, or if they need grinding an MDF disc on the lathe with abrasive glued to it.

I didn't mean this was the best, just my way.

Diamond plates are my way, too. Fast and consistent.

I still use a steel, but very lightly and only for bigger knives.

 

[Jacob]

Me no expert but tend to believe that a steel is best - it doesn't remove much metal if any but instead reshapes the edge. Even more critical with a thin razor where grinding of any sort would destroy it very quickly so only stropping is viable.
Grinding is just for remedying damaged or neglected blades which need re shaping beyond what a steel can do.
Pros who use knives a lot all seem to steel only. I talked to a butcher recently and he said he'd never had a knife ground in his life - always just the steel.

 

[Eric The Viking]

I have a better half who likes one of those 1970s "carving dishes" made of stainless, with spikes on it to hold the joint (or bird). This year "the dish" wrecked the entire length of the carving knife, so comprehensively it was hard to imagine how the knife had been used. Sadly, no butchers' steel can repair that.

I have two diamond plates that live in the kitchen: a medium-fine one for nasty issues such as the carving knife, and a worn-out fine plate which is almost a strop now but slightly more aggressive. I keep one knife fairly "decent" for me - if she wants to blunt the others within hours of being sharpened, they go on the to-do-whenever list.

It's taken 35 years (almost), but the value of sharp knives is beginning to be appreciated. I remain slightly optimistic, and will (on Rafezetter's recommendation yesterday), find a cheap plastic cutting board, to act as a cushion for the carving dish.

 

[Lons]

I have a better half who likes one of those 1970s "carving dishes" made of stainless, with spikes on it to hold the joint (or bird). This year "the dish" wrecked the entire length of the carving knife, so comprehensively it was hard to imagine how the knife had been used. Sadly, no butchers' steel can repair that.

I have two diamond plates that live in the kitchen: a medium-fine one for nasty issues such as the carving knife, and a worn-out fine plate which is almost a strop now but slightly more aggressive. I keep one knife fairly "decent" for me - if she wants to blunt the others within hours of being sharpened, they go on the to-do-whenever list.

It's taken 35 years (almost), but the value of sharp knives is beginning to be appreciated. I remain slightly optimistic, and will (on Rafezetter's recommendation yesterday), find a cheap plastic cutting board, to act as a cushion for the carving dish.

I have one of those living with me E and they never change, at least mine hasn't in 46 years :roll:

Only 2 options. Change the missus ( divorce is too expensive although I'm sure the knife issue is valid grounds :wink: ) or take over carving duties which is probably why they do it anyway.

 

[Eric The Viking]

I have one of those living with me E and they never change, at least mine hasn't in 46 years :roll:

Only 2 options. Change the missus ( divorce is too expensive although I'm sure the knife issue is valid grounds :wink: ) or take over carving duties which is probably why they do it anyway.