Best/good method for sharpening kitchen knives?

Cafe Society
1

For most of my adult life I’ve used run-of-the-mill kitchen knives, occasionally sharpening them on a crude device that held the blade at the correct angle against a very coarse sharpening wheel that was rotated by moving the blade fore and aft. The coarseness of the blade was such that over time, several of these knives had the shape of the blade altered so much that parts of cutting edge wouldn’t even contact the cutting board anymore.

So a year ago I bought a plain old diamond-grit sharpening stone, similar to this one. I was able to reshape those blades and then sharpen them to some degree, but at some point I realized those knives were pretty old and beat up and of questionable quality (some came from my mom, some came from old college roommates), so this spring I dropped $300 on a new chef’s knife. It was razor-sharp out of the box, but that extreme sharpness is starting to fade, and so it’s time to tune it up.

A different knife salesperson recommended a sharpener that featured two abrasive fingers arranged in an “X” pattern, similar to this one; you drag the blade across the crotch of that X, and both faces of the blade’s bevel get sharpened to the correct angle. This salesperson said it was easy to use and did a great job, and went on to caution against using traditional flat sharpening stones, since it was easy to screw up a knife unless you really knew what you were doing with them.

OK, I get that flat stones require some skill/technique, holding the blade at the correct angle and such. But can that easy-to-use sharpener deliver adequate results? The knife I bought has been amazing: at first, it was so sharp that it just about fell through tomatoes under its own weight. I want that kind of sharpness again. Can I get that with one of these easy-to-use sharpeners, or should I go to work on my nice new knife with a conventional flat stone?

If I go with the flat stone method, do I need to get something finer than the 1000 grit that I have?

Diamond seems nice, since it won’t lose its flatness over time like conventional whetstones. Is there any disadvantage compared to whetstones made of more conventional material that occasionally need to be re-flattened?

At this point I’ve actually gone as far as making a stropping block, too (leather glued to wood, loaded with polishing compound, for straightening the super-fine edge of the blade). Haven’t tried using it yet though. How do you know when to just strop a blade instead of sharpening it on a stone(s)?

2

Before using any preset sharpening device like the one you described in your 3rd paragraph, make sure that your newest knife edge has the same angles as the sharpener. Some knives (Shun, for example) have a 17 degree edge, which is part of the reason they stay sharp so long. Running them through a standard sharpener will probably ruin the edge. That said, the one you linked to would likely work fine for occasional tuneups on a standard blade edge. A steel works very well for keeping an edge keen on a daily basis.

From what you said, your old blades are pretty chewed up, which means they need to have a new edge put on. For that purpose, this guy works pretty well. It removes a lot of material quickly and creates a new edge. After using that, you would want to go to a finer stone.

Sharpening stones work well for those with patience and some experience using them. I use them for chisels and for plane blades, but not for my knives.

3

You are steeling the blade before each use, right?

I was taught how to sharpen knives on Ouachita stones with oil. I’m terrible at it. Consequently I either did what real chefs do, which is to send the knives out to a sharpening service, or for my ridiculous Japanese SG-10 Henckel, I use a way-too-expensive, rolling waterstones contraption that I pull the blade through. Results are mixed with the last method. I could use Japanese waterstones and free hand it, but see above.

I want to get something like a Cutting Edge or Lansky sharpening system, but can’t justify the expense yet. There’s always ‘scary sharp’—using a fixed angle jig to hold the blade, draw the blade over tacked down finer and finer grades of sandpaper. Sharpening hard steels like SG-10 can be a pain in the ass, even if they then hold the edge for awhile.

But steel the blade before every use, if you’re not already.

4

For handheld knife sharpeners, this is the best one I’ve found, and I’ve tried quite a lot of knife sharpening devices: Amazon.com

If you want powered, this device is not idiot-proof, it does takes some practice to not mess up a knife (you are pretty much guaranteed to round off the tip of the first few knives you run through it), but, combined with a stone for finishing, it by far produces the best edge: Amazon.com

My knives are all scary sharp.

5

Thanks. That’s the first sharpener I’ve seen with a 17 degree slot. I’m ordering one for the Shuns.

6

Cooks Illustrated recommends the Trizor XV. It’s expensive, and it feels a little like cheating since I do know how to sharpen with a stone, but it’s convenient and does a good job, even on badly nicked up edges.

7

The Spyderco sharpener, especially when purchased with the diamond coated stones, isthe best sharpener out there IMO. The initial cost may seem steep, but they last essentially forever. I’ve been using mine since around 1991. It will sharpen very nearly anything that needs sharpened, including serrated knives, scissors, and tools like chisels and awls.

8

I think a lot of it depends on the quality of your knives and how you approach them.

If you have very expensive knives, hand wash them, and look at them as investments, then it probably behooves you to get them professionally sharpened periodically, and learn how to steel them yourself.

If you have inexpensive knives that you buy at big-box discount stores and wash in the dishwasher, then it probably doesn’t make a lot of difference- just get one of those crossed carbide blade gizmos (3 of the gizmos upthread are of this type) and go after it whenever it seems dull. Having a sharp blade is always a better call than babying a cheap knife.

Somewhere in the middle for most people is getting a sharpening stone and learning how to use it properly.

9

I have one of those, but I seem to only use it for scissors and bread knives.

10

I have several knife sharpeners, including a “chef’s choice” that does a very good job, but I’ve found that it’s hard to beat my old “crock stick.”

It will put a razor-sharp edge on any non-serrated knife, as long as it’s not too far gone. Easy to use, too.

11

The best knife sharpener is the one you will use when you need to. That will vary person to person, but the device that will have you sharpen without putting it off is the device you need. Some have mentioned the Trizor, I have the model before that, which only has 2 instead of 3 sharpening steps. I don’t know why one would want 3 when 2 works great. It’s easy and fast and does a good job at restoring the cutting edge.

12

You can get a very respectable edge with a 1000 grit stone. If I were you, I would put away the 300$ knife, dig out one of your old ones that takes a decent edge, and learn how to use the stone. There are tons of videos on youtube.

The key is to find one that is easy to sharpen. Some metals are easy to work on, and some are a pain in the butt. I’ve rescued old no name knives from my mom’s basement that actually sharpen up really nicely. There were others that I couldn’t get sharp with a belt sander.

Another option would be to buy a decent beater knife, like a 45$ Victorinox or Dexter chef’s knife and learn to maintain it.

The “knife salesman” who recommended one of those 10$ pull through sharpeners for your 300$ knife is an idiot and you should never speak with him again.

13

I like my stones, but if I don’t use them often it’s hard to keep a constant angle. I still reach for this guide when I want something really sharp…
https://www.razoredgesystems.com/products/kits/product/16-professional-kit-w-cub-guide-in-styrene-box

I have The Trizor XV and like it. If I had to recommend one system for kitchen knives, this would be it.

The Worksharp is a good tool, but DON’T learn to use it on an expensive blade.
Stay clear of the pull through carbide sharpeners.

14

I’ve never used any abrasive device on my knives, but I use a sharpening steel fairly frequently. It seems to be all I need. I have one of those v-shaped notch sharpeners (several actually, they come free sometimes) but they don’t give me the edge the steel gives me. They should, logically, but they don’t. The point (ha!) is that the steel doesn’t grind the knife, it restores the old edge. The grinding stone will put on a new edge, and that shouldn’t be needed for years.

15

No.