David Lock

So what's the best method for sharpening carving and kitchen knives generally?

I've got a little hand-held gizmo that you pull the knife through and this is fine for knives with fairly soft metal but it won't touch most of my carvers as they are pretty tough stainless.

I end up using an electric knife which I have always thought is a bit chavvy (goes with the hostess!) so what's the answer?

Any chefs or butchers to give a professional insight?? dl

stevem2k

I use the shinkansen water sharpener for the globals, but it may not be up to hard stainless

richiewong

Wet stone to sharpen, steel to keep an edge.

David Lock

So that's a carborundum with oil or water on?

richiewong

My mother just used water and had some of the shapest knives going!

David Lock

Can't argue with that then

Thanks, I'll give it a go. d

Simon C

I use a japanese water stone for all my blades, kitchen and field.

Leslie

I think a lot of the commercial places use one of those machines with a loop of fine emery cloth. My butcher does and says it works very well. I have forgotten the name of the machine-it might be a linisher. I'm sure someone here will know.

Les

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

I use a double sided oilstone. Any I have that get REALLY blunt get an edge put on first with a 4 1/2" angle grinder.

Alcazar

BlkKnight

I use a steel. . . .

OllyK

Tormek

ex-webby

Just get proficient at using a standard hand held knife sharpening rod thingy!

Get used to giving your knives a quick sharpen for 10 seconds or so beore each time you use them, and you'll end up keeping them spot on.

If you go for some kind of labour intensive sharpening system like a stone, you'll only do it every now and then so you'll have blunt knives most of the time.. and if you go for an automated thing like the device you pull the knives through your knives will wear down to nothing in about 3 weeks!

Its also quite satisfying to do!

David Lock

I'd love to have a play with one of those. The leather bit reminded me of the time when the leather window strops were always being cut out of train carriages for sharpening old fashioned cut-throat razors.

There must be shops that offer a knife sharpening service surely? I wonder about those key cutting franchises? Anyone know?

OllyK

I remember a guy with a hand cart visiting to sharpen knives

While a steel will hone a sharp knife, it will not sharpen one that has lost it's edge. In essence when you sharpen your blade you are creating a very thin bit of metal. Use causes it to curl over and a steel can hone this curl back to straight, but sooner or later you will start to get very small chips in the blade where it has become fatigued and snapped. This is the point where you need to re-cut the edge and a waterstone with strop is, IMO, the best way to do this as it prevents the blade overheating and losing its temper. Ask any woodworker about keeping tools sharp - the same principles apply to knives.

Brendan Hughes

Is it only me that sees the irony (?!) of webbie offering advice about sharpening his knives?

Nicks VR4

Ex Butcher here

I always use a Steel and works fine

Scooby-kid

I can't remember where I saw this, it might have been "the gadget show" but I'm not sure. They sharpened a blunt knife on the top edge of a car window (i.e the exposed bit when you wind it down a little). it worked a treet. something to do with it being toughened???!!

Scott.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

I've seen it done on a wine bottle top.

Alcazar

speedymonkey

Double sided oilstone for me too, few drops of oil, then rub the blade into the stone at about a 25 degree angle. Do this a number of times on both sides of the blade, and it should slice through paper with no problems at all, this is when i know mine are done anyway

Simon C

17 degrees is about right for a kitchen knife, the more obtuse angles are better suited to utility / field blades.

Bubba po

Sharpening technique is an intensely personal thing. When I sharpen a chisel or plane blade with an oilstone, you can actually shave hairs from your forearm with it; the chap I work with still maintains that I don't do it right.

David Lock

So is it oil or water, or doesn't it matter? Or are the stones different?

I have what I think is a double sided carborundum stone and have always used thin oil. It seems to work but takes a long time.

My ideal would be to have an edge that looks like, and is as sharp as, a new Stanley knife blade.

I am going to find an electric wheel somewhere and experiment with a couple of old knives. Need some mower blades touching up anyway dl

2000 sport

iTrader: (1)

It's Ray Mears who strops a blade on a belt then gets the edge by running it along the top of a car window..

I just use a steel each time, and have never had a problem.. But my knifes are not mega expensive ones, just some Stellar ones..

Brendan Hughes

Dad swears that his water wheel is one of the best investments ever for his woodworking stuff. He did have an Arkansas stone with oil, but I don't think he uses it now.

David Lock

When I was a kid I had access to a large workshop area where they had an old millstone type thing outside the smithy. Circular and about 3 ft across and must have weighed 1/2 a ton. It had a large handle for turning with a water bath under so it was wet when turned. This was used to sharpen up axes, picks and I used for fine tuning my collection of lethal sheath knives when I was in the boy sprouts. Then they discovered electricity and grinding wheels