D & R Sharpening

This is the best (well only really) book like this on the market. Yes there's knife skills books but no "knife books" out there that cover in such detail the great subject of kitchen knives. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who uses knives in a kitchen (and who doesn't, right?). --Dave--

Ceramic knives are a bit of a pain to sharpen. It's best to use a fine (or extra fine) diamond plate like those sold by DMT to this this work. I say to use fine because if you use too coarse of a diamond plate you will fracture out the edge. --Dave--

I have many knives but these three are my treasures/favorites.... Top - Watanabe 270mm WaGyuto w/ custom "Fish made" California Buckeye Burl handle w/buffalo horn bolster Middle - Takeda Western Deba (210mm?) Bottom - Suien VC Cleaver w/custom "Fish made" Rosewood handle --Dave--

So true. --Dave--

I've sharpened one or two of those Sanetu (sp?) santokus before and don't recall it being a problem to do. --Dave--

That's a beauty of a knife. Congrats on scoring it! --Dave--

Hi there and "Thanks"! Yes, that's no problem at all to fix up your knife, well I guess I'd have to know a bit more about it first, but it's usually no problem. I can offer two solutions... 1. Depending on your exact location, and how many knives/scissors you need sharpening, I could come to you and sharpen right at your place. OR 2. You could send the knife to us using our hand dandy mail order program. We generally turn all work around within 24 hours of receipt. Many of our Center City customers use this service and usually have their knives back within days of sending them out. This may be your best option. See http://drsharpening.com/9.html for pricing & instructions. Either way it works out I want to thank you for considering us for your sharpening needs. Regards, Dave Martell

I'm generally not the bragging type but I'm so damn proud of this I just have to share. I somehow managed to get listed in the Best of Philly 2007 and I'm beaming from ear to ear as a result. --Dave--

That is exactly how a santoku's use differs from Euro chef & Japanese gyuto use. On a side note for all, don't judge Japanese knives by santokus alone. Not only are they the least used knives in Japan they do nothing really well. Also, 99% of santokus sold in the US are not Japanese at all and are Euro made from thick stock weak in the knees steel. They just can't compare to their Japanese counterparts on any level besides overall shape. --Dave--

If the stone is a waterstone (like Globals' are) then water is what should be used. I can't say that oil will do any harm or not but the stone has been formulated to work with water, and since water is (almost free) and certainly less messy it sure seems to be the way to go. As for Norton stones it all depends on what type of stone you have as they make both oil and water stones. Something worth noting is that you can't use water after you used oil as the stone will reject the water. If you've already done this you either have to stick with the oil or toss the stone and get another to use with water. --Dave--

I've seen a lot of knives with the tips poked right through knife rolls so I'm adding my vote for getting and using them in conjunction with your knife roll. Any type is better than none. --Dave--

I'm going to second Bob's (Octaveman) recommendations/opinions. I too feel that good stones are a small investment when using good knives. My personal feeling is that Shapton's stones are king. I have a lot of experience with their Pro stones but understand their new Glasstones to be of very high quality as well. Norton's waterstones would rate 2nd. They give a decent edge and are priced right for the begineer. These stones should be a first consideration. Spyderco's Sharpmaker is not really a sharpening system. It's more of a touch up tool or hone. It really won't sharpen a dull edge and it definitely won't repair chips/nicks, or broken tips. It's very slow to use and really is nothing more han a ceramic "steel". I'd not recommend spending money on this unless you want a great touch up tool. --Dave--

I want to thank everyone who posted here. I really appreciate your honest answers and great information. Thanks for your time.... Dave Martell

Hi everyone, I was wondering if you folks could help me out with some research I'm doing. If you would be so kind, could you answer the following questions? 1. How often do you sharpen your knives? 2. What method do you use to do so? I'm looking for information from anyone and everyone. There is no right or wrong answer here, I just want the facts. Thanks for helping.... Dave Martell

I both agree and disagree with this statement. I agree that these are fantastic products. I own both the glass smooth and ceramic steels from HandAmerican. I disagree that price is no factor, however. Fortunately, this consideration seals the deal in HandAmerican's favor. $35 for a smooth steel by HandAmerican? A smooth steel by F. Dick will cost close to a hundred bucks! Everyone should have the glass smooth and ceramic steels from HandAmerican. ← Hi slkinsey, I should've been more clear with my statement as I agree 100% with yours. --Dave--

Hi wattacetti, May I suggest looking at "HandAmerican's Glass Smooth & Ceramic Steels". Price is no factor as you won't find better products of this kind anywhere. Oh, and on your single beveled (chisel ground) knives, be sure to steel only the beveled side. The reverse side (flat side) must be layed down flat on a polishing stone (just like sharpening) even when steeling. --Dave-- PS - Hi there Bob (octaveman) - Nice to see you.

Another satisfied Sweet Lucy customer here!! We've been driving by this place since the day they parked their trailer curbside but we didn't manage to get our butts over there until today. Great food - the pork sandwich is almost perfect (I say almost as nothing is ever perfect) and the beans and coleslaw met with our approval. The only downside was the wait, but, I'm sure this is just a sign of growing pains as is evident by their extraordiary growth rate. I wish them all the luck and I think it's safe to say that we're sure to become regulars!! --Dave M.--

Thanks for the replies and for the link Jason. I've been using Lodge longer than I can recall and only two weeks ago I stumbled across Lodge Logic . Now I find out that it's been out for over two years!?!? Well, at least I know what I'm going to get next. --Dave M.--

Reading all the cast iron posts has me wondering about Lodge's "Logic" line. Does anyone here have any of these pieces, and if so, what are your opinions of them? I'm curious as to a comparison between the newer "Logic" and the older "Original Finish" from someone who owns, and uses, both. Thanks... --Dave M.--

Hi folks, I'm a huge cast iron fan. I spent years cooking with Lodge prior to finding out about LeCreuset. I still use my Lodge fry pans all the time but their ovens have been put aside for my LeCreuset. Reasons? The same as so many others have alreay stated here. I wanted to let everyone know that I've bought all of my LeCreuset pieces from their factory (outlet) store in Flemington, NJ. I've picked up about one piece a year for the last ten years or so. All were seconds and not one single piece was ever defective in anyway whatsoever. Their seconds are all cosmetic. Any piece that comes out (of the manufacturing process) as defective is destroyed. The worst piece I have is a dutch oven (I forget the size) that has a thin coat on the inside bottom. This hasn't caused any problems for me and it's got about 8 years of (home) use on it. I've got quite a few deals from this factory store and I'd recommend anyone who is interested in LeCreuset to first check out a factory store before shelling out the bucks for either online (or forgive me for saying this - retail store) purchase. Here's a link to LeCreuset's site (USA) where you can select your state and search for a factory store. near you. Also, I've used the LeCreuset cleaner for a couple of years and find it to be a great product for cleaning the stains from inside the ovens. I find it similar to "soft scrub" but yet different. Here's a link for caring and use of LeCreuset enamled cast iron cookware. Anyway, thanks to all you for your information, especially regarding Lodge's enamled cast iron as I had no idea. More toys to buy... --Dave M.--

Hello, this is my first post/reponse here at eGullet. I've been reading these forums for a couple of years now (lurker mode) and I finally took the plunge. I decided to start with this thread mostly because of the above request. I'm a professional sharpener who faces these same ideas every day. Try convincing a chef, or hairstylist, to hand over their expensive tools for sharpening when they've been burnt on the last 10 sharpening jobs they got. It's not easy.... trust me. These pro sharpeners (I refer to them as "grinders" rather than sharpeners) have really put a sour taste in so many people's mouths. Sad, but true, most pro sharpeners ("grinders") are just plain no good. Many don't have the knowledge, the tools, the motivation, the skills, or desire to put quality edges on knife blades. Even when a pro has all the "right stuff" he most likely will still fall short because he's chasing the buck rather than the burr. For most pros the biggest issue to overcome is time. The idea is to sharpen as many knives in a day that one can handle regardless of the results. I really don't understand this. This type of thinking, at least in the short term. will work fine but what about long term? When trying to attract clients you are not only trying to get today's business but build a relationship for the future. One that both customer and sharpener can enjoy. Wouldn't the best thing be to take your time, use the best equipment available, and sharpen his/her knife as if it were you're own? I think so but so many "grinders" don't. Anyway, I'm personally an advocate of learning to sharpen your own knives. It's a great thing to know how to do. This is part of the reason why I finally signed up here. I'm hoping to be able to share some of what I know (about sharpening) in the hopes that people here will share what they know about cooking. Sharing is the best part about forums. I look forward to future conversations and I'm glad to finally be here at eGullet. --Dave M.--