I read through the product description on Amazon and it appears your sharpener blades can be reversed! If you've had the sharpener for a number of years, the blades may have dulled, reducing the effectiveness of the tool. Read though the FAQs and see if you can reverse the blade and give it a whirl.

You don't mention what kind of knives you own but I would try reversing the blades first. If they are good quality knives, see if you can find a local butcher and ask them what they use to sharpen their knives. If you only have a couple knives, they may do it for you.....ask!

Why not try getting them professionally sharpened to see if it will return the edge?

I try to take mine once a year to get professionally sharpened and I think it really helps.

I agree get them professionally sharpened, they can probably get the edge back then you can go back to the sharpener at home.

I'd say you have two choices - have them professionally done (a service sometimes free or with nominal cost. Check at the best local meat market in your area) or buy a well regarded sharpener to use at home. Dull knives are dangerous

I use a Chef's Choice machine, it works very well. It's also highly rated by the various testers like Consumers. There's a link below for it.

Chef's Choice Knife Sharpener

I know this may be expensive for some. Having them done professionally once a year or so is probably the more economical way to go. Whichever way you choose, you should stick to it. Sharpening machines all have slightly different angles. If you have them done professionally, stay with that. A professional job isn't a running start on using a machine at home because the angle the sharpener puts on the blade will differ from machine to machine.

Sorry if what I wrote was confusing, Dees, but the sharpener I linked to is brand new; I just started using it after my old one bit the dust.

The only butchers I know of around here are the ones in supermarkets, but there may be one in an out-of-the-way spot. I'll ask around. Yup, your sharpener is out of my budget, Snidely, but it reminds me that my dad used an electric sharpener and was happy with it. He, too, liked sharp knives. I still have the 10" Sabatier chef's knife he gave me a very long time ago.

The damaged knives are a Victorinox chef's knife, a Wusthof 4.5" utility knife, and a 5" Henckels santoku knife.

Thanks, all!

I only use a steel or a stone. My father was a chef .....in the real Hells Kitchen...back in the day. That's "all" he would use.

If I were you...I'd have them professionally sharpened....then get a good steel.

http://www.chefsresource.com/wusthof-9-in-sharpening-steel.html?gclid=CMH2ipW1jccCFQqGaQodbhQGOw

Nicole, my dad used one of those too. I never tried it . . . the stones I used to use were small, rectangular blocks that you rubbed on the edge. The steels look like they take some practice. :-)

Gem, you got me all excited, especially after I Googled "professional knife sharpening" and a bunch of results popped up. But Gander Mt. said no, Michael's said no, A.C. Moore said no, the local kitchen store is out of business, and something is wrong with Jo-Ann's phone. But thanks anyway. Gotta love it!

IMHO- a steel is great for maintaining a blade but over time even the best knives will get dull and need professional sharpening.

Alisande- sorry your search wasn't fruitful. :( keep looking though, professional equipment is expensive so your regular Joe generally doesn't own it and SOMEONE has to be sharpening knives, tools and scissors for pros in your area.

A steel doesn't "sharpen" knives, it only straightens out the cutting edge that develops scallops from use. A knife is "sharper" when the distortions are straightened on the edge, but true sharpening involved grinding down and then smoothing the sides to create a sharper edge. When the edge becomes dull, no amount of pulling across a steel will sharpen it.

alisande, I also have a couple of Victorinox knives - a chef's knife and a slicing knife. Both are top rated by the Cooks Illustrated testers and both also cost like 75% less than their competitors. If you've ruined what you have beyond what a professional sharpener can fix, you can replace the chef's knife and the utility knife for about $50 in total.

Note that for your Santoku knife, the same sharpening tools usually can't be used. The blade angle on Asian style knives is different, and using a sharpener not intended for one would most certainly ruin it.

Susan....your knives are full tang...so as long as there's still a knife left to sharpen...or build a blade on...your in business. Then a steel will maintain that....nothing to it. Using a steel is just drawing the blade across the steels rounded, ribbed bar. A stone is harder to use...yet still girl scout easy. :0)

You of course, being the shopper that you are....may enjoy buying a new set of knives. Perhaps a matched set that display well in your kitchen. FUN!

Nicole, I'm more of a bargain hunter than a shopper--although I always seem to be reporting my finds here at the KT. LOL

But Snidely makes a good point: The Victorinox knives are a bargain. I may well treat myself to a couple of new ones. I forgot about the problematic Santoku edge. Maybe a new one of those as well.

While we were chatting I resurrected my Japanese chef's knife (2" wide with no taper). I haven't used it in quite some time. The carbon steel sure is stained, but I was able to get a lovely edge on it.

Alisande, that replacement sharpener is not the sort of thing you should be using; even on a grocery store knife. You've gotten some good tips and you've got a couple of good knives. I've got a few good ones and like them sharp. Using a stone isn't that big a deal and there are a lot of decent videos to help one learn how to sharpen. I also have a few "steels" for smoothing and maintaining the edge. I have one similar to that in the link. My favorite was from one of those "Job Lots" sort of places. No name, an oddball on the display board. But I spotted right off that it had a light coating of diamond on it. $2.79! So just a few light strokes is all that's required.

All electric sharpeners are not equal. My father used to use a "knife sharpener" on the electric can opener. Yikes! He used that on a 10" high carbon Sabatier (sp) that I 'd given him -- took too much material off that knife. Now I have it and am going to have someone adjust the edge for me.

I've used Chef's Choice before. A step up from my dad's can opener, but IMO, not very good. I even tried the one recommended by Test Kitchen (not cheap), and took it back. Expensive gadget.

There's a lot (perhaps too much) verbiage about knife sharpening online, but it can be daunting and overkill for those cooks with more modest needs. You don't need to shave with a knife, you just want it close to "new sharp." You don't need to use a lot of force to sharpen a knife on either an oil stone or water stone. You don't need to buy a glut of $60 stones. The angle - you'll get that with experience/practice.

If that Victorinox (sp) knife is one of those in rough shape, that's a good one to start practicing with. You can get something like a fine Arkansas (oil) stone, or but a "water stone". Or, since you sound as though you're on a tight budget (ditto here), you can try this: get some sheets of 600 grit and 1200 wet able sand paper from a hardware store or an auto store. Get a smooth, level board (like an inexpensive bamboo 10" cutting board. Tack the non grit side of the (usually blackish) sandpaper to the level board. You can use some dabs of rubber cement, or the spray adhesive sold in craft or fabric stores. For tips on how to hold or move the (say 8" chefs knife), look at some videos on YouTube.

I like about a 15 -20 degree edge, but IIRC, I think a lot of the classic German made chefs knives have about 22 to 24 deg. That Vittorinox probably is a "hybrid" so perhaps it's got a 20 deg bevel. Don't get hung up on any of this. After all, your knives must look like you've been hacking sugar cane with them.

there are tips on finding the desired angle. Ninety degrees is perpendicular to the board(sharpening stone or paper). Forty five deg is half of that. Halve it again for ~23 deg. A bit shallower and you're at 18 or 20.

for the sandpaper, start w 600 grit. Wet the paper w water. Pretend it's a short lived sharpening stone. Cost to play around and get some edge back on your knife is just a few dollars. Not a lot invested. Save your gadget sharpener for a garden hoe.

lots of instructions online. Let us know when you can slice successive strips of printer paper. And remember, most people who cut themselves with a kitchen knife, are trying to cut with a dull knife. Preparing food with a decently sharpened knife is relaxing and fun.

as for getting your knives sharpened, ask around at local farmers' markets. I'm a bit in the boonies and at a local market there was a smart fellow set up with (forgot name) one of these $700 plus angled knife sharpening systems (YouTube shows that too!). He charges $1 an inch. I'm going to have him re profile that 10" Sabattier.

I could give you his name, but I don't think it's worth your shipping your knives (?). Keep looking and asking. Restaurants routinely send knives out. Well, maybe not Pete's Profoundly Perfect Pizza, but most good restaurants.

no one who sharpens a knife is a genius. Just play around ;). If you don't care to mess with that sort of thing, continue to look around, look online, or put a Wanted -- quality knife sharpening or names of --- .

Good luck & happy cooking!

I would take them to a meat market or grocery store that has a meat cutter and see if they can help you. Probably a charge for this. If not watch for a sale.

I love the Swiss Army knife, Susan!

I take my kitchen knives, pruning secateurs, and shears to a sharpening service once a year and maintain them with a steel. I don't remember how I heard about this little place, but they do a variety of blades...including lawn mower blades! They do a big kitchen/chef knife business.

Check with your hairdresser to see where she gets her scissors sharpened. It used to be that someone would come to the salons a couple of times a year to provide that service.

Many thanks to everyone for your thoughtful suggestions. Starsplitter, I appreciate those detailed instructions. I'll give this some more thought and take action one way or another.

A couple of days ago I would've thought this an odd suggestion "local farmers' markets.", but after checking out my hometown for professional blade work, ours is in the Farmer's Market?! Hm.

We have many, many knives and DH is fanatical about keeping an edge on them. He uses a steel, sharpening stones and a sharpening machine depending on what knife he's working with.

Do you have a Kitchen Kapers store near you? Or a JoAn Fabric? Our Kitchen Kapers will send knives out for sharpening and Jo Ann Fabrics has a sharpener come in every few months. You can leave your knives with them and pick them up afterwards. I've never used them but you might want to experiment and give each of them one knife.

No Kitchen Kapers, Maire, but we do have a JoAnn's--and I'm still waiting for them to fix their phone. It's always either busy or rings once and that's it. I contacted the main Jo-Ann's though their website, but they haven't responded yet.

Their web site has a schedule and a price list ....I don't know which one is closest to you.

http://sharpeningatjoanns.com/index.html

Aren't you clever! (I've always known that.) My store isn't listed, but thanks to you I have a phone number for the sharpening service. I'll call them tomorrow. Thank you!

I called and spoke with Bruce himself, who gave me the unwelcome news that they don't do any sharpening at the Scranton store. :-(