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Truth be told - Knife Sharpening


BBQ Brian

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I speculate, hopefully, that there are many like me... I have a knife collection (more than one pairing knife too! Ha) that I really have come accustomed to using however, I really feel like they need more attention from me.

Yes the edges seem lost here and there then I do pull out the steel and attempt to use it - and frankly, I am not too sure that I know what I am doing. Yes, eGullet has a great course

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=ST&F=108&t=26036&

however, I'm still doing the minimum with my precious resource. How about you? Are you like me and sharpen only here and then or are you an astute knife person? And if you are, how did you learn to sharpen knives? Do you, as a point of maintaining your knives, take them for "professional" sharpening?

Share with me how to be a sharp guy - pun intended. :biggrin:

Brian

Edited by BBQ Brian (log)

Brian Misko

House of Q - Competition BBQ

www.houseofq.com

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After reading that article by the eGCI I realized that I was not doing my knives justice by sliding them through my Chef’s Choice sharpener. I am now the proud owner of the Edge Pro Apex sharpening system. A purchase for which I have no buyers remorse. My knives are so much sharper now and I plan to keep them that way and learn to do an even a better job of getting a great edge. My knives are a joy to use and it ups your skills a notch when your tools are preforming at their best.

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Share with me how to be a sharp guy - pun intended.  :biggrin:

Brian

:: thank you, I'll be here all week! :: :laugh:

My knives ... sigh. I love to keep them maintained, and I edge them myself. I had a chef at school who insisted that we do our knives a certain way, which I never got the hang of. And, at school, they trained us using oil stones. But in the kitchen where I learned most everything, water stones were used and I like that method best.

For the most part, maintenance depends on the knife. I have an 8-chef that I really like, that needs lots of attention; a santoku that needs almost none. My top of the line paring knife dulls easily; the cheapos I got 3/$15 work for hours without steeling. Go figger.

"Oh, tuna. Tuna, tuna, tuna." -Andy Bernard, The Office
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I read the eGCI knife sharpening course but didn't bother to try the exercises myself.

I did go down to Fante's in search of a sharpening steel. On the salesman's recommendation, I purchased a Henckels Twinsharp sharpener ($20) for honing my chef's knife.

I do not hone religiously, though--I pass the knife through the sharpener about every third time I use it. The Twinsharp does a good job of maintaining the edge.

Once a year, I take the knife down to Fante's to have them sharpen it. They don't charge much for the job--about $2.50 last time I had it sharpened.

Sandy Smith, Exile on Oxford Circle, Philadelphia

"95% of success in life is showing up." --Woody Allen

My foodblogs: 1 | 2 | 3

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Just bought a diamond steel; I believe the brand is Diamonox. When you're in a hurry and can't take it your stone, for example (mine suggests soaking in water for a period of time before using), it seems great. I was advised by where I bought it (Warren Cutlery, Rhinebeck, NY- frequented by many from CIA), to be careful- it can remove metal aggressively. Then, of course, follow with a honing steel to true the edges. So far, so good. I had looked at a Global (have lots of their knives), but was told this was just as good, half the price.

Mark A. Bauman

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The diamond approach is a good compromise solution. I have a diamond steel, and a portable pocket diamond stone that I can carry to other kitchens with dull blades. There is a selection available at Lee Valley Tools.

At home I use the portable stone, just a few strokes, in front of the TV.

Later when in the kitchen I use the diamond steel every third use or so, and lightly, so it won't be too aggressive.

This saves lengthy sessions with the water stone, and I don't have to bother with a complicated expensive jig.

edited to plug Lee Valley!

Edited by jayt90 (log)
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The diamond approach is a good compromise solution.  I have a diamond steel, and a portable pocket  diamond stone that I can carry to  other kitchens with dull blades. There is a selection available at Lee Valley Tools.

At home I use the portable stone, just a few strokes, in front of the TV.

Later when in the kitchen I use the diamond steel every third use or so, and lightly, so it won't be too aggressive.

This saves lengthy sessions  with the water stone, and I don't have to bother with a complicated expensive jig.

edited to plug Lee Valley!

i've used a DMT diamond steel extra fine grit, for several years now. i wonder if i'm trashing my knives. anyone?

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Almost all my knives are from Seki-Cut (now it's http://www.japanesechefsknife.com), so they tend to stay sharp for long.

Nevetheless, even they had to be sharpened once in a while, and I really didn't want to ruin the edge of the expensive knives by improper sharpening.

Thus I've got Edge Pro Apex, and their ceramic steel... and I never had a problem since then.

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One thing to remember is that a steel does not sharpen it straightens the edge and aligns it.

I made my first knife in 1958 and have made a few since (more than I can count) and all are carbon steel and require upkeep, but are far superior in performance to the gourmet store variety no matter how much you pay. I touch up the edge on any knife prior to use for about 5 seconds on a piece of hard cardboard and sharpen them maybe once every two months. They remain scary sharp at all times.

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Ok so after visiting my knife supplier and staring at the wall of sharpeners, I feel a bit more knowledgable now. I can see and understand the difference between one steel over another and I can also see the utility of a more "advanced" sharpening system for the periodic thorough-going-over sharpening.

Even though the eGullet article was a foundation in education, one pressing element still remains... how many people are actually sharpening to particular angle? for example a 15/20 degree angle? Or is it simply sharpening to get an edge alone?

Maybe I'm thinking about this too much... but I do appreciate a nice knife edge when slicing a brisket!

Thanks

Brian

Brian Misko

House of Q - Competition BBQ

www.houseofq.com

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I just broke down and ordered a spyderco sharpmaker after spending most of yesterday reading reviews. Had 100 bucks to spend, so 50 for that and 50 for 2 Oxo knives.. can't find a single review of an oxo blade on the net, but I love how the handles feel (santoku and fileting knife) and I can practice my sharpening skills on them before I start on my good Tojiro-DP

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Even though the eGullet article was a foundation in education, one pressing element still remains...  how many people are actually sharpening to particular angle? for example a 15/20 degree angle?  Or is it simply sharpening to get an edge alone?

If you sharpen a knife, you are sharpening to some particular angle. The question is, are you sharpening it to a useful one or leaving it to chance.

You may not be any more motivated to take care of your knives by sharpening them ocassionally and steeling them as frequently as each time you use them, as you were previously. Although it makes a big differences, many people are not.

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Even though the eGullet article was a foundation in education, one pressing element still remains...  how many people are actually sharpening to particular angle? for example a 15/20 degree angle?  Or is it simply sharpening to get an edge alone?

Well, Apex's instructional video offers an easy way to find the angle the edge is currently sharped to, and then to decide whether you want to maintain it, or change. I prefer 17-18 degrees, but if a knife has a different angle, I usually stay with it.

RE: steel - many knife dedicated forums recommend to avoid diamond steels for many reasons, one is that in blades with hardness 59-60 diamonds tend to chip and stuck in the edge. Steel steels are usually too soft for Japanese knives, so ceramic ones remain the only option, also one has to check their grit - you don't want steel to sharpen (read damage) your blade too much, but rather just to straighten the edge.

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