roadkill Posted February 8, 2021 Report Share Posted February 8, 2021 I have a few kitchen knives that require sharpening, what kind of stone do I need and also any tips please Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldypigeonpopper Posted February 9, 2021 Report Share Posted February 9, 2021 Hello, what about a carpenters chisel flat sharpening stone, although your need to get the knife blade bevel angle right, what do chefs use, ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GingerCat Posted February 9, 2021 Report Share Posted February 9, 2021 Lanksy sharpening block. Very easy to use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgsontour Posted February 9, 2021 Report Share Posted February 9, 2021 I've tried a few methods and 'sharpening blocks/steels' and sometimes get a nice edge but certainly can't do it constantly for whatever reason Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
243deer Posted February 9, 2021 Report Share Posted February 9, 2021 About 4 years ago I bought a Work Sharp. This has completely revolutionised my knife sharpening as I could never quite get the angle right on both sides using a stone resulting in sharp edges that did not last. Having the angle set is great, then with a bit of practise you realise that a light touch and not many pass throughs gets better results. I am still using the same original belts using a very light coating of fine grinding paste to rejuvinate the polishing belt which is all I use now on my knives as they stay basically sharp. I use a steel during use, again with a very light touch and have found it very worthwhile buying a better quality one. The cheaper one I had before gradually created a sort of serrated edge on my blades. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted February 9, 2021 Report Share Posted February 9, 2021 (edited) My butchers steel is top quality not one of the garbage steels you see for sale in cookery shops which are far too aggressive. In fact My steel is over 50yrs old and the part close the the handle is very fine and the last 2 inches near the tip is slightly more coarse, so I start with a couple of passes at the bottom and work back up to th handle. Four or five pases and the knife is razor sharp. You just have to learn to hold it at the correct angle. Watch a butcher do it in a flash, four or five passes and it is done. Edited February 9, 2021 by Walker570 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulinlincs Posted February 9, 2021 Report Share Posted February 9, 2021 1 hour ago, 243deer said: About 4 years ago I bought a Work Sharp. This has completely revolutionised my knife sharpening as I could never quite get the angle right on both sides using a stone resulting in sharp edges that did not last. Having the angle set is great, then with a bit of practise you realise that a light touch and not many pass throughs gets better results. I am still using the same original belts using a very light coating of fine grinding paste to rejuvinate the polishing belt which is all I use now on my knives as they stay basically sharp. I use a steel during use, again with a very light touch and have found it very worthwhile buying a better quality one. The cheaper one I had before gradually created a sort of serrated edge on my blades. Agreed. A brilliant bit of kit. The Spyderco tri sharp is brilliant if a slightly more traditional sharpening system. You can't really go wrong with either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTaylor91 Posted February 9, 2021 Report Share Posted February 9, 2021 I’ve always used whetstones for our kitchen knives. Like below H&S Whetstone Knife Sharpening Stone 3000/8000 Grit Professional Whetstone Sharpener Rubber Holder Base https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07CHDHCMR/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_CJSDNK2G59JAAPTJ1WFN I only sharpen when they need it usually every few months and use a honer for in between. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave at kelton Posted February 9, 2021 Report Share Posted February 9, 2021 11 hours ago, GingerCat said: Lanksy sharpening block. Very easy to use. +1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
team tractor Posted February 9, 2021 Report Share Posted February 9, 2021 I use my DMT stone that I’ve had for 23 years 😮. It’s a diamond stone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houseplant Posted February 9, 2021 Report Share Posted February 9, 2021 I've tried a few knife sharpening methods and tools and wasn't really happy with anything, in part due to my ineptitude. A couple of years ago, I bought a Warthog sharpener and it's been brilliant. The perfect combination of price, easy of use and effectiveness in my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vampire Posted February 9, 2021 Report Share Posted February 9, 2021 I use same diamond plate I use for my chisels,only difference is with a knife I then run it on the mdf wheel on the bench grinder,couple of passes and it's sharp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saddler Posted February 10, 2021 Report Share Posted February 10, 2021 I use a strop board for my saddlery knives, keeps them razor sharp, with no edge removal that you get with stones. Very easy to restore the edge with a few strokes on the board. Also great for scissors and similar. They are so traditional to the UK leather industry that in the summer months the apprentices at the saddlery firms would use the boards to play cricket Happy to make one up if you get stuck. I need to make one or two every once in a while as they tend to wander once visitors have seen me using mine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
243deer Posted February 10, 2021 Report Share Posted February 10, 2021 5 hours ago, saddler said: I use a strop board for my saddlery knives, keeps them razor sharp, with no edge removal that you get with stones. Very easy to restore the edge with a few strokes on the board. Also great for scissors and similar. They are so traditional to the UK leather industry that in the summer months the apprentices at the saddlery firms would use the boards to play cricket Happy to make one up if you get stuck. I need to make one or two every once in a while as they tend to wander once visitors have seen me using when you use a strop board is it possible to mess up an edge if you get the angle wrong or is it quite forgiving? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted February 10, 2021 Report Share Posted February 10, 2021 (edited) There might be one or two of us on here who remember watching the barber strop his 'blade' before shaving our grandfathers chins.. Yes, for a very fine finish, nothing beats it. Edited February 10, 2021 by Walker570 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted February 10, 2021 Report Share Posted February 10, 2021 a fine flat diamond file with a good handle............ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saddler Posted February 10, 2021 Report Share Posted February 10, 2021 4 hours ago, 243deer said: when you use a strop board is it possible to mess up an edge if you get the angle wrong or is it quite forgiving? The strop board is faced with two strips of leather...one smooth side up, the other rough side up. Jewellers rouge is applied to both, especially the rough side. The end result seems to be a very polished edge, sort of similar to the gradual increase in stone grade used by the Japanese when sharpening katanas. As the strop does a polishing job, it only does this to the existing edge, good or bad. My leather cutting blades rarely see a stone or diamond sharpener aside from maybe a quick once over annually or every couple of years. Strop board aside, another couple of ways to really get an edge: 1. Car window. The top edge of the door glass is tempered & has a round smooth profile. Gets a phenomenal edge on knives if you have nothing else available...but doesn't last too long. 2. Mug. A normal mug usually has a portion of the base that's not glazed, just bare clay from when it was fired in the oven. Turn the mug upside down, once empty, then use this unglazed base area as a sharpening surface. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roadkill Posted February 11, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2021 Cheers all, some great advice. Lots of tools to look at Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OGGIE Posted February 11, 2021 Report Share Posted February 11, 2021 Japanese water stones. Once you've got used to using them they're awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mungler Posted February 12, 2021 Report Share Posted February 12, 2021 Seriously though, who has the time and the patience to put on the bandana with the rising sun picture on it and go all Myagi on each kitchen knife? I get it, if you were going in for some sort of kitchen knife competition then you might want to go to that effort but in my gaff you need speed and ease because as soon as you’ve sharpened a knife: 1. One of the kids has taken in an amazon delivery, chopped up a dozen cardboard boxes or 2. sliced something straight off the work surface or a plate (my absolute top pet hate) 3. Chopped a tomato (and why oh why do tomatoes blunt knives on such an epic, industrial and wholesale scale?) and all of which render the laborious 10 minute 1 knife stone sharpening exercise totally pointless. Get a power sharpener for reforming a super dull blade or for an annual do over and then get one of the ‘clicker’ honing devices like the Warthog or the Dicke to quickly put an edge on the blade each time you use it. Simples. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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