Knife Sharpeners Article

[Porthos]

In the July-August CI there is a review of knife sharpeners. I was a bit disappointed that the article didn't really comment on the fact that there are other sharpening systems out there beyond the two categories they tested. I figure one sentence mentioning that and saying that for the purposes of their comparison they were limiting the testing to a couple of basic types would have been nice. Readers of CI who may be ready to take the next step in knife sharpening may not know that other choices exist. Just my 2 cents worth ...

Edited June 23, 2015 by Porthos (log)

[weinoo]

Yep, good old lazy testing and reporting.

[Syzygies]

Getting cooking advice from CI is like buying food at TJ's. One could do far worse. And those who do better don't need to read how on CI.

 

Synthetic water stones are great, one doesn't need a natural stone that comes with its own island legend. But do get some sort of diamond stone for regularly flattening the water stones. Google "Atoma" for example.

 

If we're going to suffer angst over other people's sharpening choices, feel bad for the people who have never reflattened their water stones. This isn't however the target audience of a CI article.

[dcarch]

------------------------- If we're going to suffer angst over other people's sharpening choices, feel bad for the people who have never reflattened their water stones. This isn't however the target audience of a CI article.

 

I have not been able to find reasons for the need to flatten sharpening stones. I know everyone says you have to, but why?

 

dcarch

[mgaretz]

I have not been able to find reasons for the need to flatten sharpening stones. I know everyone says you have to, but why?

 

dcarch

 

My guess is that if you have a scoop, you're changing the sharpening angle as you move the blade, unless you pivot the blade to match the scoop.

Edited June 24, 2015 by mgaretz (log)

[daveb]

I have not been able to find reasons for the need to flatten sharpening stones. I know everyone says you have to, but why?

 

dcarch

 

Asked and answered in a previous thread.

 

I did a lot of T&E in a previous life.  Setting up a meaningful test has always been a weakness of CI. 

[dcarch]

My guess is that if you have a scoop, you're changing the sharpening angle as you move the blade, unless you pivot the blade to match the scoop.

 

But If you look at the geometry of the angle of the knife's edge and the curvature of the dished stone, the worst that can happen to your edge is a slight convex edge, which can be very desirable. 

 

dcarch

[rotuts]

""  Getting cooking advice from CI is like buying food at TJ's ""

 

nice

 

""  target audience """

 

exactly.   they market a product to a specific audience, and have no interest or desire to disturb that audience.  its their golden egg.

 

that's not necessarily a bad thing, but just how they choose to be economically very very successful.

 

they showed the SousVide "Box"  but chose not to do a Rx with it as the audience they serve is not about to go out and get one,

 

that must have been their thinking.

 

re: flat stones  ;  they give you a straighter edge, that all

 

you can get a stunning edge w/o doing this, so its up to you.

 

the goal is a sharp knife with not too much fuss fuss.

 

I look forward to seeing this article once my library gets the issue.

[rotuts]

I went to the library and saw this review.

 

i look forward to its inclusion at some point in America's test kitchen or Cooks country.

 

I found it interesting that each item was a jig  :  several electric, and several manual.

 

all easy to use.

 

thats their demographic.    and id bet that demographic  over all doesnt have very sharp knives 50 % or more

 

now they might.

 

I bet the video of this has some more expensive stuff they choose not to recommend.

Edited June 24, 2015 by rotuts (log)

[daveb]

I'm not their demographic.  Why do they barrage me with crap - real mail, email, pop-ups?   I did subscribe once before I knew any better.  Now they follow me everywhere...

 

Rant off. 

 

Rotus,  I'll suggest that  less than 5% of their target audience even knows what a sharp knife is.  But they do like to buy gadgets - that largely sit unused in the back of the pantry..

[Shel_B]

I went to the library and saw this review.

 

i look forward to its inclusion at some point in America's test kitchen or Cooks country.

 

I found it interesting that each item was a jig  :  several electric, and several manual.

 

all easy to use.

 

thats their demographic.    and id bet that demographic  over all doesnt have very sharp knives 50 % or more

 

now they might.

 

I bet the video of this has some more expensive stuff they choose not to recommend.

 

I read the review and saw the video at the CI website.  Based on the review, and other comments, I bought this sharpener and thus far have been quite pleased with it.  I use it for my Victorinox knives, which have a 15-degree blade angle.  The results with this sharpener, according to CI, are better than new.  I don't know, but my 6- and 8-inch Victorinox knives easily cut through paper and do a very respectable job on tomatoes.

[rotuts]

that YouKnowWho   ( initials might be C.K. ) has 'money issues'  or not

 

and has set up a business that's chosen the direction that daveb suggests ,

 

misses the fact that its foundation is  1 ) No Ads  ( except theirs ) 2) a trial and error system to develop Rx's for its demographic that actually are easy and

 

work better than before perhaps.  

 

the knife sharpening article probably helps a lot of its readers w a simple way to improve a key piece of kitchen equipment

 

witness   Shel_B.

 

nothing wrong with useful, if not necessarily encyclopedic, information.

Edited June 24, 2015 by rotuts (log)

[daveb]

 Well said.

[Shel_B]

the knife sharpening article probably helps a lot of its readers w a simple way to improve a key piece of kitchen equipment

 

witness   Shel_B.

 

nothing wrong with useful, if not necessarily encyclopedic, information.

 

Just a point of clarification.  I was already familiar with some Chef's Choice sharpeners, and also consulted with a knife expert I know.  So it wasn't just CI that drove me to the decision.

 

In the past, I've had a number of disappointments with CI recommendations, as have a number of other people.  I cautiously consider their recommendations.

[rotuts]

i got the issue in question from my library

 

go here :

 

http://www.cooksillustrated.com/magazines/201-july-slash-august-2015/recipes?utm_source=ja15&utm_medium=magazine&utm_campaign=issue

 

and on the Left go down to videos and you can watch their video review

 

for free

 

 in the issues they sometimes add a little box that tells you how to do this :

 

"" video available free for 4 months at Cooksillustrated.com/aug15"

Edited June 26, 2015 by rotuts (log)