I use an old fashion butcher’s swinging arms kitchen knife sharpener that has served me well for several years, however I’ve recently noticed that it’s no longer setting an edge and I have to run the knife through many times to get it sharpened. The below link is of a similar design, but seems a bit more updated.
All of my kitchen knives are Japanese and have either a wedge blade design or traditional single edge. I want something easy to use and effective. I saw this sharpener advertised on Facebook and wondered what you knife experts think of it.
Tungsten carbide is brittle and does not flex and contour. Not sure what they are trying to say. This is old, 30+ years, but I use it when my knives just won’t come back with a few seconds on a steel. Get’s me back to where I can hone a nice sharp edge in again.
Ughhh I’m cringing. Use stones to sharpen your knife or give them to someone that will sharpen them properly for you. All of the things listed above damage most hard/japanese knives and aren’t particularly good for French/German ones either.
Using that device on a Japanese steel blade would be like polishing your Rolex with a hacksaw blade. If youve invested in good Japanese steel they buy a sharpening stone you can get a good starter stone for $35. Those V shaped devices should all be rounded up and melted.
Plus i just read again and saw you have single bevel blades, the only way i know of to sharpen these correctly is by hand, none of those V shaped contraptions can ever deal with a single bevel
This was recommended to me by Chris Freemott. I really like it. Certainly labor intensive but allows you to select the proper stone(s) for your knife also helps set a fixed angle between stone and blade.
Amazon said I bought one of those 10 years ago. Wonder what I did with it. I use a ceramic hone, occasionally a Chef’s Choice on my European blades, and a professional service once I’m a great while if the edge needs regrinding
Might be good for an Axe, should be nowhere near japanese steel
Alan, expand on that for me please. I have whetstones w/ grit from 1000-8000 and when I have the time and want to get a good edge on mine I use them…but the Lansky feels to me like the same material in a smaller package…Or are you more focused on the angles and feel a stone gives you a better finished product?
While we’ve got all the knife experts in one place… is it appropriate to use a honing steel on a Japanese blade? I’ve seen lots of conflicting evidence online.
Here are some good sets. Would last a lifetime. It depends on the current state of the knives and how you use them which one you’d go for. If you are fairly rough and have chips the 400 set might be a good start… I’d recommend doing a sharpening course as well if you can find one local.
I have an EdgePro and am really happy with it. I use it for my Japanese knives with great results. I don’t have any single bevel knives, though, but I don’t see why that should be a problem.
Waterstones are the best. It’s easier to sharpen with them than you think and with just a bit of practice you can get great results. You can get two sided stones, 1000/6000 grit, on Amazon for less than $25. These are a great place to start and I’m sure there are videos all over youtube on the correct way to use them.
Rob, or anyone else routinely using stones, how do you get the right angle and maintain it across the whole blade on both sides? I’ve always felt it was crazy that someone could accurately know how they should be sharpening an 11° or 14° angle. Much less maintaining that throughout the stroke on both sides.
I don’t doubt you get great results, but I would think that accurately getting the angles correct would better be done with tools.
When you are sharpening with stones you can feel when the edge “locks in” with the surface of the stone. It’s just off the bevel on the edge of the knife. It doesn’t take much practice to get great results but the more you do it the more you look at those pricier stones. I wouldn’t worry so much about the angles at first, go slow and feel if you are getting the knife more sharp, it will be. After that it’s all about polishing for a smoother cut, but that is a different topic.
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