Knife sharpeners

[MakoMike]

Originally Posted by ZuluHotel

Two-sided stone and a white-handled Dexter Russell steel. The stone is the last resort, when touch-up work with the steel fails to renew the edge. It's not so much the tool you use to sharpen, but the process. Many cheapo stainless fillet knives have an edge that's tapered on both sides. Once that edge "rolls over" it can be pretty tough to get it back without grinding an 1/8-inch off the blade. Start with a cheap high carbon (non-stainless) blade like a Dexter Russell 1377, and when it goes dull, practice your technique on that. What you really want is an edge that tapers in one direction and is flat on the other (like the blade on a plane), rather than a "v" edge. You can accomplish this by making, say, five or seven swipes on the stone in one direction, then one swipe the other way. Put some pressure on the blade while you swipe the stone. That will give you a rough edge. Then take the burrs off your rough edge using the steel. Few swipes toward you should tune the edge. Every time you use the stone, do it the same way, or you'll be working against yourself, undoing the edge you already made. Then maintain the edge with the steel until you need the stone again. Every time you use the stone, you get to a wider part of the blade, making it increasingly difficult to keep an edge. Use the stone once for every 15 times you use the steel.
Again, practice on a cheapo before you try it on a knife you value.

Just my two cents, worth about one.

Zach Harvey

Thta's the worst advice I have heard about sharpening a knife (nothing personal but its just plain wrong) what you are advocating is basically making another knife out of the one you have, and single edged one at that! Almost all U.S. made knives are double edged, that is the edge is tapered on both sides of the blade. And they are tapered at specific angles, which you should adhere to when resharpening. Using different angles ofrsharpening only one side is nothing more than making a new knife. If that's what you want to, that's fine, but if all you want to do is sharpen your knife, then stick with the original specs on blade angle and double/single sided. It'll make things a lot easier.
BTW- Steels are only for use in straightening the edge, they don't sharpen at all. But it seems like they do, becasue with use, the edge rolls over, and when you straighten the edge with a steel the edge seems to be sharper. Its not really sharper, just straighter.

Maybe you want me write an article on sharpening knives for you?

[ProfessorM]

I prefer to use a fine stone. The steel will not sharpen the blade, he is right. If you want a razor sharp edge after stoning the blade use a strap of leather, like the barber does, and it will take the burr off that is left after stoning it and you will be able to shave with the thing. P.

[basswipe]

Lord god almighty Zach hope you're not in the knife sharpening business.

[Roger]

Originally Posted by MakoMike

And they are tapered at specific angles, which you should adhere to when resharpening.

FWIW, that's not quite accurate either. Most knives come from the manufacturer with a hollow ground edge. It would require a 12" wheel and the experience of freehand sharpening thousands of knives to duplicate. Just like the guy that put it there.

That hollow ground is the reason that so many knives are razor sharp right out of the box. Its delicacy is also why that edge does not last very long.

The first sharpening should be done on a coarser stone than subsequent sharpening in order to establish the appropriate angle. This is true whether you use a chef's choice or freehand. Unless you damage the blade, you never need to go through that step again.

Failure to perform that step will result in a blade that does not keep an edge for very long.


You might want to hold off on that article.

[MakoMike]

Roger,
You sound like you know quite abit about knife sharpening. Do you work for a knife company? If so can we arrange an interview, if and when I'm preparing to write that article? I'm serious, I'll be that a lot of publications ahve readers ineterested in knife sharpening.

[Roger]

Mike,
PM sent