Sugguestions on knife sharpening systems

[T.G]

My old Chef's Choice 100 is wearing out so I'm looking for some suggestions on knife sharpening systems.

It will be mainly used for kitchen knives but an occasional Swiss army knife (full size all the way down to the minis) isn't out of the question.

While another Chefs Choice sharpener is an option, they don't work well certain types of blades as you can't get the blade into the sharpener, so I'm leaning towards a manual sharpener. I tried a Lansky system, and while it can yield a good edge, it's a bit clumsy and the stones are so narrow that they can flip on their side or corner and mar the edge. Wicked Edge is out as I'm not paying $600 for a sharpener.

Looking for any suggestions on other systems that people might be familiar with. Thanks.

[Ogre]

I tried a number of systems for my wifes knives. It was easier and cheaper to have them professionally done.

[czerbe]

IMHO a good kitchen steel or a stone is the best I grew up I a kitchen using a Steel and it has always been the best. for Soft Blades like Asian knives a wet stone has always worked wonders. Best of luck

[Bill86]

http://www.edgeproinc.com/Apex-Model...Pro-System-c3/

[DrDubzz]

$55-ish on Amazon will get you a Spyderco Sharpmaker system. Easy to use, very very effective and compact when not in use. I would highly recommend it

[T.G]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions, the Apex system is definitely looking like a possibility. My problem with steels and stones is that I can't seem to get the angles right or consistent, seems like I do more damage with them than good. Dunno, maybe it's just a matter of practice.

[Blak Smyth]

The best knife sharpener you can get is a Wicked Edge. Use it with a digital angle gauge to ensure consistency.
It is too rich for my blood however.

[shilala]

Lansky makes the best knife sharpening kit in the world for hand lapping.
I have a crazy expensive electric glass wheel deal for my chisels and stuff, but I don't touch knives to it. That's what the Lansky is for.
It's a time consuming thing, perfect for while you're watching a movie or whatever.

[Blak Smyth]

Originally Posted by shilala

Lansky makes the best knife sharpening kit in the world for hand lapping.
I have a crazy expensive electric glass wheel deal for my chisels and stuff, but I don't touch knives to it. That's what the Lansky is for.
It's a time consuming thing, perfect for while you're watching a movie or whatever.

Gonna have to politely dissagree with you here Scott.
Lansky is very entry level, it is what I use but it is not well built and doesn't have much room for adjustment. If you intend to achieve a mirror edge you must reprofile every blade in the beggining to make the edge match the system instead of the other way around. It takes hours to go from reprofile to mirror finish but it can be done. The Wicked Edge is 10x faster, better built and more adjustable and accurate. Just costs many times more than the Lansky so it comes down to a personal choice of quality & effeciency vs cost.

*Note the WE sharpens both edges at the same time, meaning an edge burr can't form.

[replicant_argent]

I have owned an Edge Pro Apex for about a year and have been VERY happy. It is extremely easy to get a consistent, repeatable angle. I sharpen many different types of pocket, work, hunting, several sizes of filet knives and larger multi-use knives, a plethora of kitchen knives (appx 20, from 12-14" slicers and scimitars to boning, chefs, santoku and paring knives) Let me know if you have any questions.

I have tried an Edgemaker, a Lansky, Smiths "jig system" styled units. I have done it by hand, used a Chefs Choice electric, rocks, cement. The Edge Pro is the way to go for the value for the money. You can also get some very nice replacement stones, mix and match according to your needs and desires. You "could" get a digital angle meter for ~really anal retentive~ sharpening, but quite frankly, I think it's overkill and overthink, unless you have ADD.

[mosesbotbol]

Lansky is the "go to" brand for that style of sharpener. My knives get dull too quick from the flexible plastic cutting boards. No matter if I get the pro done or whatever. I have given up on trying to get them super sharp.

I find the Lanksy a bit too involved for simple sharpening.

[bonjing]

For basic knife sharpening, cheap knives i just use this thing:

http://www.amazon.com/Work-Sharp-WSK...nife+sharpener

Kind of big and bulky but it gets the job done. Anything more I take to a professional

[shilala]

You're allowed to disagree, Shane.
I have to disagree with "isn't built well". My set is at least 25 years old and you couldn't tell it from new. Never a problem one. What more could a guy ask for? Heck, the case hinge isn't even broke yet.
I do one knife at a time. I seldom have to change the angle, I match the original. Then I grind until I can shave with whatever I'm sharpening. Yes, it takes time. I can do a whole set of knives while I'm watching football on Sunday. That's a zero loss of time, I wasn't gonna do anything else anyway.
I can do all that for 10x's less than the wicked edge, too.
To me, that's a pretty fine endorsement.
I'm not at all saying Wicked Edge isn't good stuff. It looks nice. But for that kind of money I can buy a glass lapper that is quicker yet and does an excellent job. Or buy attachments to go on my wood tool sharpener that'll take care of knives.
To me, Wicked Edge lies somewhere between the best value and the best machine, but I don't see it as either.
If I was going to take the Lansky up a notch, I'd buy a nice set of ceramic rods with a big base to touch up the blades after they're done on the Lansky.
Neither work for Adam, so it's kinda moot.

I have a Wixey angle gauge like that one you showed. I use it to set angles on my machines. Awesome tool!!!!

Originally Posted by Blak Smyth

Gonna have to politely dissagree with you here Scott.
Lansky is very entry level, it is what I use but it is not well built and doesn't have much room for adjustment. If you intend to achieve a mirror edge you must reprofile every blade in the beggining to make the edge match the system instead of the other way around. It takes hours to go from reprofile to mirror finish but it can be done. The Wicked Edge is 10x faster, better built and more adjustable and accurate. Just costs many times more than the Lansky so it comes down to a personal choice of quality & effeciency vs cost.

*Note the WE sharpens both edges at the same time, meaning an edge burr can't form.

[T.G]

I'm sure the Lansky is a great system, the design has remained virtually unchanged for many decades. The problem with it is me, the whole setup is clumsy to me. I rolled the stones a few times and marred the edge each time. Not a big deal for an old "nothing special" kitchen knife, but annoying none the less. Then I almost jammed my hand into the blade a few times. It just doesn't work for me.

Wicked Edge is great, but $650? Heck, I don't know if I even have that much invested in all of my cooking utensils, pots and pans combined. For what I would use it for, I think I'd have to be nuts to drop that kind of coin.

Thanks for all the comments so far.

[shilala]

What kind of knives are you sharpening, Adam?
Maybe one of those two-slot electric deals is more than good enough?
We have some old, old, carbon steel Chicago Cutlery that doesn't hold and edge for dick, and I've often thought a knife sharpener like they used to put on the back of the electric can opener was more than good enough for them as fast as they get dull.
I just looked and they still make can openers with sharpeners. Huh. I haven't had an electric can opener around since I was a kid. I figured that was long gone.
Anyways...
Where I was going with that is that they used to have a two-slot sharpener with two different sets rotating of stones. There were also two slot deals that had two carbide sharpened edges in each slot that straightened the waves and crap on the blade and "peeled" an edge onto it.
Something in that wheelhouse might be workable, then polish with a super fine stone and oil? You might need to get inventive and find something that suits you.

The Lansky will roll on me sometimes, too. I've thought I was gonna cut my fingers off a few times, I never have, though.

[T.G]

Scott, my kitchen knives, much like everything else in my kitchen, are an eclectic combination of stuff/brands I've built up over the years. I'd put most of them in the mid range somewhere, but there are a few that are probably below that, which, thankfully, I don't use very often. One problem with an electric like that is the lack of adjustable edge angle. My three most used knives are all different angles. I have a Gyuto and a Nakiri which are 20 and 17 (which I think is actually supposed to be 15, at least traditionally) respectively and then some wonky old heavy bladed American made brutalizer from the 60's or 70's that looks like a small machete and at 25 with a bit of constant force will go through almost as much as my custom made cleaver that's lost somewhere in a box of crap out in my garage.

LOL at the old Chicago Cutlery, I think I have one or two of those old pieces of crap in the drawer. I could never get an edge on them, or I would think I had one, then use it and it would be dull in minutes. Always figured it was me.

[Ratters]

I've had a bunch of different sharpening tools, but the Speedy Sharp is pretty much all I use now. It's fast and gives a great edge. Not sure if it'll rescue some totally trashed knives, but works great on my pocket knives and my kitchen knives. And it's cheap.

[Steve]

I just go old school...



This is my dad's old stone that I found while working around his place.

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by Steve

I just go old school...



This is my dad's old stone that I found while working around his place.

Lanksy's work great, but are pain to setup and use. I like the old fashioned stone like above. I gave up on making knives super sharp. My plastic flex cutting boards just dull the blade in no time...

[8zeros]

I use a belt sander to make the edge if it's really dulled, a two sided stone to hone the edge, a hard Arkansas to polish it and a high quality steel to touch it up until it needs to be honed up again. I can go for months on a commonly used kitchen knife with just the steel unless someone cuts apples on the granite counter or slices a roast on the platter or ... yes this sh!t does happen.