I have been trying out water stones. This guy has some good videos
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I've played with a few gadgets over the years but I've ended going back to the stone. I religiously use the steel every time, the family have learned which knives they can and can't use hahaComment
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I've been using a Chefs Choice like this one for years, and I'm very happy with it. I also second, third, or fourth the opinion that it really comes down to what you are used to and comfortable with.Comment
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My father in law used to work in a meat processing plant for many years. He had a slow moving whet stone on a base with a motor. Moves very slow. When he passed, I inherited. I use Old Hickory knives and really dont want to use anything else. They have a carbon steel and really hold an edge. I also have several honing steels that I use. Regardless of what you use I would recommend sharpening and learning to sharpen yourself.Comment
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Sharpening can be an obsessive hobby unto itself, and certain was for me, especially when I got into straight razors. I purchased several systems, but only kept the Edge Pro, which can produce amazing edges, but takes more time to setup and use than I generally want to spend these days.
What works for me now is waterstones. I keep a 1000, 2000, and 5000 stone under the kitchen sink, with a 1 x 4 wood plank I can use as a bridge to hold a stone under the kitchen faucet, and a diamond flattening plate. What I like about this system is I can touch up an edge in minutes, even in the course of preparing a meal if I'm not happy with the knife I want to use. The convenience, including quick cleanup, is a major plus.
Waterstones do take some practice. The key tool for me in learning was using a 10x magnifier (e.g., a loupe) to examine the edge and see what was happening: where I was working the bevel, whether I was getting to the edge apex, if there were micro chips I needed to work out, etc. Marking the bevel with a Sharpie is also a good aid when learning--makes evaluation of the process even easier. You can spend an hour working on a blade and never get it sharp if you can't evaluate what you're doing. But once you know your knives' angles and have developed a relaxed, consistent technique, it only takes a few minutes to get most knives back to scary sharp, as long as they've not been abused or allowed to get really dull. It can also be a relaxing, meditative experience, as long as you're not under deadline to a get meal on the table.
I have dozens more stones, plus strops, diamond pastes, the Edge Pro, etc. And I do occasionally break those out for an extended sharpening session on multiple knives.
I used to offer to sharpen for friends and coworkers. I'd always tape a band-aid to one of the sharpened blades with "Be Careful!" written on its wrapper. But even with the warning a colleague's boyfriend cut himself pretty badly with a I knife I'd sharpened, and so I'm no longer extending offers. I'd guess that most home kitchens don't have a single sharp blade, so a lot of people never learn how to use a knife safely.Comment
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I use the Ken onion myself with great results.Comment
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Bought a WorkSharp E5 earlier this year and haven't looked back since.Comment
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I use the Ken Onion. Use to use Lansky and ceramic sticks. These worked well but the Onion, at the time, seemed to do a better job. However, as stated before, with different knife hardness of different manufactures has been noticeable lately. Some just do not stay as sharp and I end up sharpening them more often. I am considering some Japanese knives and will only sharpen those with stones. The KO leaves marks on the blades that I do not want on Japanese knives.
The other issue is understanding the bevel that your knife will work at optimally. I have been sharpening my Victorinox and Wusthof at 15-17°. I am seeing that these just are not made to stay sharp at that extreme angle. I am in the process of changing them to 20°.
I do like the KO, but also miss the Lansky and good ceramic sticks.Comment
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It just depends how hands on you wish to get. I’m not a device/machine/ gadget kind of guy. It was mentioned of 1000 & 5000 grit stones which I have, is what I use. Burrfection on YouTube knows his stuff. Doing it by hand, you do really get a feel for your knives. Whatever fits. I must say it is satisfying. 🕶Last edited by FireMan; October 2, 2020, 05:37 PM.Comment
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I have so many knives, with so many different alloys and angles, and an aversion to motorized metal eaters. I went with an overseas buy:
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Late to the party.
I bought a KME set a while ago. Did a good job but very time consuming and have to change out stones.
Then I took the advice of fzxdoc, which went along the lines of it is a kitchen tool. It should be easy to use and fast. Got a Chef’s Choice. Small footprint, pretty much idiot proof and does a good job for me. Also does cerrated knives.
Fast, simple and easy.Comment
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