Electric blade sharpening?????

[Rogelio]

Hi guys!

I was reading some posts about knife sharpening lately..you all have great methods for getting a razor sharp blade..but there is this one thing that has kept me thinking..why is it that you don´t like electric sharpeners??Is it because they are not good enough or just because you guys think that all sharpening must be done by hand??I am asking because there is one selling for a great price at a local restaurant (which is closing and selling most of it´s stuff)..I have seen it sharpen a completely dull kitchen knife in just a few seconds and then I cut raw meat with it very easily..I guess that if I can slash raw meat I can slas an attacker, right??
Oh, btw, I don´t own any of those expensive knifes you guys can buy in the US (no such great things as super hard steel knifes here) I just own a couple of chinese folders, an argentinian butterfly knife and a taiwanese fixed blade, and none of them says what steel they are made of...)so i guess that the metal being too hard for the sharpeners is not an issue here..

Any opinions or answers?? Please be gentle because I know very little about knifes!

 

[hso]

Nothing wrong with a good electric sharpener. I've been toying with getting the Chef's Choice trihone model for a couple years, but a few passes on a fine stick and a dress up on the steel keeps my knives functional. If I want "scarry sharp" I have my buddy John take care of it for me (even with the ribbing he's cheaper than the machine). The problem comes from folks overusing them and grinding the blade away on knives. Use it sparingly and briefly and you shouldn't have a problem.

 

[XLMiguel]

What hso said - overuse of the electric sharpener is problem. My neighbor is a chef and he has some very expensive kitchen knives that he is very jealous of, and he uses the Chef's Choice at home and at work, but maybe 2-3x/year. He also uses the steel before every use, and maybe a little touch up with a crockstik occasionally. His stuff is very sharp, always.

 

[TrapperReady]

I use one of the Chef's Choice electric models for my kitchen knives. They work very quickly and put a good, usable edge on the blade. I've also used it on some cheapo Swiss-Army type pocket knives and it works well for them as well.

For whatever reason, I'm leary of using it on my good knives (either fixed blade hunting knives or folders). For those, I use a DMT diamond stone to clean things up and get it sharp, then refine the edge an Arkansas stone. It only takes a few minutes, and gets the blades really, really sharp. If I know that I'm going to be cutting rope in the near future (which happens a couple times a year), then I skip the Arkansas stone and leave the edge just a bit rough.

 

[ClarkEMyers]

I like the Chef's Choice so much I bought 2

But I don't use them on hard to replace knives or on show piece knives. For me my Randle carving set (stag and stainless) is a showpiece. Yours may be somebody's high art cinquecento dagger style.

For my money the Chef's Choice do as good or better a job on the standard shaped kitchen knives as anything. They save me from the one accessory I can't sharpen a knife without - a TV on in the background so I don't get impatient and rush the job.

I've learned the value of good knives in the kitchen and more over also the value of using a field knife regularly - it should be a good knife in the kitchen or why think it will be better in the field? I do use much bigger knives in the kitchen (than in the game fields) - typically the biggest chef's knife is the one I reach for first - so power sharpening is a real help. If I were doing more with boning knives or trout and bird size I'd probably settle for sticks and stones.

On the other hand anything polished or hand rubbed isn't going close to power tools. (exception for polishing an edge on if I had the space and the tooling)

 

[pendentive]

the electric sharpeners are usually either rods or stones set at a specific angle. that angle may or may not jibe with your cutting task, or desired edge holding.

If that's the best thing around, the by all means, do it. You'll learn much by sharpening it frequently and studying the edge upclose.


Personally, I only ever strop my knives because I don't like the idea of removing so much material (via stones) every time I sharpen.


Keep in mind that the first time you sharpen on it your electric sharpener, it may take longer than regular resharpening will. The stones/rods will have to grind at your knife until it's the same angle they are set at.

You'll get "working sharp" but not scary sharp. For that, get a leather strop.

 

[Rogelio]

now Im kind of confused...

working sharp?? what is a leather strop and how should I use it to get "scary sharp"?

Thanks