I just went to an America's Test Kitchen show in which they demonstrated sharpening knives. Apparently, it's the serrated knives that should be sharpened less frequently because you apparently can end up wearing down the teeth until the serration is gone.

All the time, or at least whenever I need a razor edge. I have cheap knives (forschner/victorinox), they all go in the dishwasher, and are used daily.

I usethis knife sharpener. Originally, I bought it at Aldi's years ago for 15, but I gave my sil this one from amazon at Christmas at it's identical. Awesome sharpener.

Not often enough! All mine are carbon steel and I should have them done professionally at least twice a year.

I sharpen my knives with a Chefs Choice (only model 120) every year, and use a steel any time inbetween. My skills are not good enough for a whetstone. Haven't sharpened my one Japanese knife -- do you think its ok to put that through the Chef'sChoice? I wondered if it had a different angle on it. And yes, much quicker to use a knife and wash it than a food processor.

I only have German knives. I don't know if I'd get the 15° edge of a Japanese knife right. They're also so thin! I'm sure they're excellent for chopping, but I actually prefer a heavier knife that isn't quite as deadly sharp.

A steel is for straightening the edge. While it will make a knife that's out of true cut butter, it doesn't actually sharpen.

I was taught that a machine takes too much off a blade. I'm wondering, however, if that's not preferable to avoiding the whetstone. :) I'm erratic on my sharpening schedule. Generally, when I feel peppy enough to bother (and think of it).

Lars, I agree with you about washing the FP, but my new Breville Peel & Dice is worth it! I usually do it all by hand, but I can easily sacrifice control for getting it done already when cooking for the masses. Cooking for four or fewer isn't worth bothering with the FP. I'll even do little things with my chef's knife because my hand knows it so well and don't want to bother washing a paring knife. :)

When I get resistance slicing a tomato.

The sharpener that we have is good for Japanese knives. They have their own separate sharpening "groove".

I take my knives to the pros at least once a year, generally before the holidays. A mix of German knives to re-purposed restaurant knives that I love. None ever see the inside of the dishwasher, are washed in very hot water and rinsed in cold water

I do use a steel regularly, as that is quite simple, but all it does is straighten the edge, and that is not enough. The Chef's Choice 1520 has separate grooves for 15° blades for Japanese knives, and it removes very little from the knives - no more than the whetstones. My vegetable cleaver is a MAC, and it has quite a wide blade; therefore I am not all that concerned with losing a bit of its width. I also have a 10" Shun Chef's knife, which I use only when I need the extra length, and it has not needed sharpening so far. It makes chopping very quick, however, because of its sharpness.

I would not have gotten my electric sharpener if it did not have grooves for Japanese knives, and I think I need to sharpen my MAC knife three or four times a year. I don't think the German knives need to be sharpened as often, since they are thicker and have a wider angle.

I very seldom cook for masses of people - usually just the two of us, and I use the FP mainly for making hummus and bean dip, although I have used it for potatoes and onions for latkes - partly because it keeps the onions away from my eyes. I use a mini FP for chopping pickled vegetables for salads.

H B, you should not use the Chef's Choice 120 for Japanese knives, as it will change the angle to 20°; you should use a whetstone or the model #1520, which has grooves for 15° as well as 20° knives.

I tried whetstones once... researched them, paid too much for 3 successive, and rubbed my fingertips raw (literally) attempting to get a good sharp edge. I now take them twice a year to be professionally sharpened, but Lars, after seeing reviews and demos of the Chef's Choice 1520, I'm giving it strong consideration. I'd previously shied away from 'home knife sharpeners', but this appears to be whetstones and honing with the angles built in!

I keep getting an error message from GW that says refresh the page, anyone else gotten that?? Anyway, I let Hubby sharpen mine, he uses a whetstone. I have never been able to figure out the steel, didn't know that it doesn't really sharpen. I have a couple of knives that I use all the time - especially the paring knife, they are German. There are some in the set I've probably never used.

no, not getting that ritaweeda, but posted a pic today and it's got a link to my ideabook under it for some strange reason, and I can't get rid of it. GW must be glitchen' again : - )

Now that I think of it, we also have the Chef's Choice. My DH is in charge of the knives so I guess I forgot..lol. He got it after reading a review about it in the NYT.

I watched a video on knife sharpening and the chef said they should only be sharpened once or twice/year. I was sharpening mine far more often than that.

I have a small honing blade, so I asked for one on Freecycle, and got given 2 full-sized ones. I find that honing is all they need, regularly. We should also hone them every time we use them, or once or twice if we're using them a lot in a session.

I sharpen mine when it feels dull, perhaps a couple of times a month, using a sharpening stone, often running a finger along the edge to check it before I start a job where it will get a lot of use. I'm not scientific about the process, but it works. The knife is a modestly priced, decent Ikea French knife that I've used most days for almost eighteen years, and cut up a huge amount of vegetables with in that time. It has been professionally sharpened twice (done incorrectly the first time). Nothing fancy, but a culinary success story.

I'm glad you started this thread, Lars.

I have a variety of different knives and like them *very* sharp. (Notice Jacques Pepin make quick work of an onion, not always using the rocking or pull through, but just downward force with his very sharp knife.)

I've had several knives professionally sharpened (guy has an Apex Edge-Pro sytem), diamond DMT stones; diamond, ceramic and metal honing rods; and Japanese water stones.

I don't yet have any good Japanese knives (more on this).

The DMT diamon 'stone' sharpener worked really well, but after a few years, it wore out.

The professional sharpening was good and lasted a while, but I still needed to realign the edges with a hone, of course. I do this regularly. However, I was surprised that the sharpening of my Vittorinox Fibrox (Am Test Kitchen touted) knife didn't get it as sharp as it was when straight out of the package new.

Using water stones has a learning curve to it and there are some excellent videos to help people get started. I bought some combination stones (opposite sides have different grits) and some sing stones and a fixer or flattening stone. I also bought a stone holder (not stainless, so I dry it very well after use). The finest waterstone I have (so far) is a 6000, but I want a finer one.

I have to finish the sharpening with a hone or strop otherwise, I can't get it to slice paper prettily. I aim for a 15 deg angle (30 deg total), but despite practicing, it's a challenge to know if I am keeping the proper angle and doing it consistently.

A few weeks ago, I spent about two hours sharpening about 7 to 8 knives. My back was killing me just from standing.

I may cave and buy something quick like the 1520 or edge select. I'd probably pretty much just use the 15 deg slots and mostly honing. However, these sharpeners by Chef's Choice have limitations (only two slots for 15 deg) and do wear out. And they are not cheap.

❗️ One of my best, go to options? An inexpensive, fine diamond dust coated "sharpening" steel. A little dab will do ya. I lucked onto one at an odd lots store for $6. The only one. I've had it for 3 years and it's now very worn.

H B -- I'd be wary of putting a good Japanese knife into a sharpener like the CC 1520. Diamond can quickly remove a lot of material. Also, after reading and reviewing various Japanese knives, many of them are not 15 degrees bevel (each side). Some are 12 deg. They can vary. You might end up with a duller knife.

There are Japanese knives (made in Japan, often with very good steel and techniques. And there are Japanese style knives that are often made in China. Some are not all that bad and they can be very affordable. I recently got a comfortable 8" Japanese STYLE vegetable knife (so so steel) for only $7.

I spent weeks of hours watching videos, reading cooking and knife forums, reading about and coveting certain Japanese knives. I watched sharp ing videos, read reviews of sharpeners....

There are some sharpening systems that can give a wider angle selection.

Since I already have collected a slew of knives over the years, and because I'd rather cook and eat instead of sharpening, I'm thinking that I might just pick up a couple new diamond steels.

If someone (Lars?) can attest that the 1520 will get my knives near razor sharp, I might go for one.

PS Sometimes after Waterstone sharpening, Iget out my very hard (fine) white Arkansas OIL stone and put a keener edge on my knives. Getting out the 'oil' is a whole other adventure in newspaper and cleanup. And it still increases my back pain. It does put a better edge on my knives, however.

I'm enjoying reading people's views and learning.

It is too bad that knife hobbyists have made sharpening knives such a high art.

Here are my opinions:

1. There is no need for razor sharp knife in a home kitchen unless you are a sushi chef. A sharp (not dull) knife is all you need.

2. Good materials for making good knives are dirt cheap. Don't waste your money for exotic magic steels.

3. Great chefs may know nothing about knives and sharpening knives. Commercial kitchens mostly have their knives sharpens by outside shops.

4. Sharpening is simple, anyone can do a good job. Here is how: Hold a knife at a steady angle, push up and push down on a sharpening stone. Repeat if necessary. But what angle? Simple, do a youtube search on "Sharpie method".. Don't worry if you can't hold the knife at a steady angle. You will end up with a very desirable "convex" edge.

dcarch

It doesn't matter whether there is a need for a razor sharp knife - it makes chopping much easier and faster for me. The 1520 sharpener did return my knife to razor sharp, and it will shave hair. The sharpener is a bit expensive, and you may prefer to have your knives done by a professional instead, but I like the convenience of not have to go to a professional, and I have gotten the results that I want. I have a lot of things that some people think I do not need (such as too many skimmers), but I still like having them and use them.

BTW, I do prepare sushi on a regular basis.

Uh, the cheapo knife sharpener I linked to takes knives to razor sharp. I know what razor sharp is I have used x-acto blades for decades ( in my profession) and change them out after a few cuts.

This same sharpness is what is beloved in a knife.

"albert_135 Sunset 2b

We bought ceramic knives in 2014."

I think the 1520 can sharpen a ceramic knife.

Bumblebeez SC Zone 7

---- I know what razor sharp is I have used x-acto blades for decades ( in my profession) and change them out after a few cuts."

I don't use x-acto. It's cheaper to buy surgical scalpel blades on eBay. $5.00 for 100. Rust proof and sharper too.

dcarch

Of course, dc.

If I used one knife for everything, if I used it every day, if it were a standard knife (not a hard Japanese knife) and if I steeled it after every use, the knife would need resharpening about monthly.

I have a lot of knives (3 large chef, 3 long slicers, 2 serrated, 3 short slicers, 2 cleavers, etc) so instead I spend an evening sharpening all those knives, about 2X year.

I use three stones of different grits and sharpen everything to about 20-25 degrees. I don't have a Japanese knife. I use a smooth steel, not a grooved steel. I hand wash knives and replace them in the block.

My wife puts her knife (yes, she has a favorite knife) in the sink, which makes it dull in a week. And then she complains that I'm not keeping her knife sharp.

I used to be borderline obsessive about getting a sharp edge, would strop edges on leather straps loaded with jewelers rouge, did all these tests like if you drop a cherry tomato on the knife edge will it be cut cleanly in half etc. Now I just aim for "good enough".

Interestingly, nothing seems to dull a knife faster than overripe tomatoes. The edge isn't really getting that dull, it's just that overripe tomatoes need a really sharp edge to cut without squashing.

I have also learned, I think, to use knives without cutting myself. I haven't cut the tip of my thumb off in a few years now.

LOL! John, that's an interesting standard, and I hope your streak endures!

I was purposefully using a not so sharp (as in needed sharpening) knife through December. I was constantly exhausted, and while I didn't lose focus on safety while actually cutting, I found myself doing boneheaded distracted things like raising my hand near my face with the knife still in it. Bad. So I left it at hard to cut skin. :)

Lars, with your recommendation I might just try that sharpener.

Or not. Just when I'm starting to think it could be a good idea, I think yeah, but if you screw up your knife on a machine, it's toast! And I love my knife. And it was a present, so it's irreplaceable. But the sharpener does sound good...

Elery and I have a LOT of knives, Elery has a "thing" about them, he loves them. However, we do have our favorites and he sharpens them regularly, every couple of months.

There are no professional sharpeners anywhere near here, and Dad always sharpened my knives. Now he's gone, and Elery uses Dad's sharpener on my knives. It looks kind of like this one, and the rods store inside the wooden box.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/NICE-Vintage-Crock-Stick-2-Rod-Knife-Scissor-Sharpener-Kit/162835367149?_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D49923%26meid%3Db4cbe8541c3641068f8be3ba13f600e0%26pid%3D100011%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D12%26sd%3D182496878044%26itm%3D162835367149&_trksid=p2047675.c100011.m1850

Annie

Alas, not often enough!

Thanks for the feedback on the 1520, Lars. In your looking over the CC models, did you notice if they had a model just for ~15 (30deg overall)?

I prefer most of my knives at a keen edge (~15 deg), so am looking more toward a convenient quick sharpener, honer for those knives. I've got a few of the older Western style knives (22 to 25 bevels, 40 to ~ 50 deg total), but I can use flat stones for these German knives.

Dcarch, you bring up some good points (pun unintended). Grown up, our household probably only had aisle 7 knives, maybe a couple of Chicago Cultlery carbon steel ones. But then, I don't think that there was a lot of fine, uniform slicing and chopping going on in those days.

dcarch -- I remember seeing photos of your hand made knives and wonder if you (and others) can give me some direction. I have one of those inexpensive Chinese market cleavers. Looks a bit like this:

Sorry this is long. Any thoughts?

Looking to order that 1520... I have a nice Japanese knife I hardly use because I fear ruining it when it comes time to sharpen.

We use an older model Chef's Choice we've had for years. Maybe twice a year randomly. Too many knives seems just about right. Our favorite 'dozen', 4 chef, 6-8 parings, are on two magnetic strips hanging. All the rest less used are in the knife drawer just under the prep zone. With all the scissors, bread knife, tomato knife, etc.

The diamond honing rod is in that drawer. We use that free-hand just about every other day, 5-7 light strokes. Especially before a big chop/prep.

All the weirdo odd knives bought stupidly are in the garden shed, barn, garage, seed starting bench/basement...out of house/kitchen.

A newly purchased 'stocking stuffer' has kept at least one bandaid at all times on various fingers. Left and Right hand. I always think of 'cyber monday' for suckers, but I saw prices so low I got an itchy 'buy' finger. Two full sets of Wustof years old are getting cracks on the handles and some bits breaking off. (just when you think nothing else is needed for life....something breaks.....). And yes, we have the skills to replace handles, but zero time. Sending off to be replaced is yet another hassle.

Razor sharp it is! And the slightly different style has me nipped/bit all the time. Where the tape is I ended up grinding down that razor point.

Just not used to 'razor' sharp. The thing was actually sticking to the cutting board like a hatchet.

So that puts me in the 'good 'nuff' camp. Tomato skin sharp is great, but razor sharp is painful.

sleevendog, I have a couple of knives that have handles chipping just like the one on the left. I have considered having them repaired, but we have so many knives that I just end up grabbing something else.

We have cleavers and filet knives, paring knives and steak knives and serrated bread knives and knives used for the slaughter of chickens and the packaging of venison, boning knives and skinning knives and hunting knives and machetes. I have two knife blocks full on the pantry shelf, one of AnnT's magnetic knive holders on the wall, another knife block in the kitchen drawer and another drawer full of lesser knives. We have Chicago Cutlery, J.A. Henckels, Wusthof, Gerber, Victorinox, KitchenAid, Calphalon, others I don't even know and some are unmarked. Elery really, really likes knives, LOL, and there's a dresser drawer full of pocket knives, whittling knives, who knows what. The knife that gets the most use is the folding Gerber knife that I use to cut the net wrap on hay bales, that needs sharpening after nearly every use, the hay dulls it.

With all those knives, though, I only use a couple. I have small hands and the cleavers are all unwieldy. I seldom skin or filet fish or bone poultry, Elery does that. The chef's knives are mostly too big, so I have a small 5 inch santuko that I use for vegetables, a long slender carving knife for slicing meat and a favorite paring knife that was very cheap and will need to be replaced eventually. I also use the serrated bread knife, but those 4 knives are the ones that I use regularly.

Annie

I have a Victorinox 7" Cleaver that I like, if you want to replace your cleaver. I like this cleaver much more than my old Forgecraft cleaver that I've had for decades (and still have). The Victorinox cleaver is very sharp and cuts more efficiently than my old cleaver, even though I have kept my old one sharp.

Thanks, Lars. That's a fine looking cleaver. Nice that it's got a hole in the blade.

BTW, in looking at the Chef's Choice 1520 / Trizor (spelling) at Amazon, it's looks like there are some price differences, but I haven't yet figured out what that's about. Anyone know? Housing? White (?) plastic vs. metallic looking? Monogrammed? Comes with supply of band aids?

There is no reason why a good knife cannot last a very very very long time without sharpening. Good steel is made to cut other steel. Normal food should not be able to dull a good knife, if you are careful not to abuse your knife.

petalique, knife making is not that difficult or expensive. You do need a few tools, especially an angle grinder ($15 from HarborFreight).

Here is what I have done to make a 330 mm yanagiba. I bought a D-2 steel blank on ebay, $20. D-2 is a tool steel made to cut other metals. I shaped the blank using an angle grinder in the shape of a yanagiba and sent to a place to have it hardened and tempered for $20.

After the tempered blade, I assembled it with a handle, engraved some symbols and sharpened it.

For less than $50, I have a blade that works the same as a $1,000 yanagiba.

dcarch

Am I the only one that sharpens serrated knives by simply running a round honing steel down each of the individual grooves? It takes about 15 minutes per bread knife-sized blade, but it does not wear down the teeth, and those knives stay sharp for a long time. I even used to sharpen serrated steak knives that way, even though those grooves were a bit small for the honing steel.

When they need it. I have a run through jobby for every day and an electric that i use once or twice a year.

dcarch -- thank you! Beautiful looking knives.

I'm pretty sure I have an angle grinder. Maybe I'll try knife making sometime. Right now I have plenty of knives, but wouldn't mind fixing new handles on to some. Most are inexpensive things, so I can feel free to experiment. We have woods, so perhaps I can find something to use for a handle. It's probably easier to buy handles. There is a 5" or more sassafras tree that had to be taken down. After two years the wood may be too hard (brittle) to use. We've got a few saws, maybe planes, sanders, and a draw knife, so maybe I can figure something out. It's the lack of a good workbench, time and details that help slow things down. I can snap a few photos sometime.

I've had knife handles chip, crack or break. Some I have hastily glued back together with epoxy (Marine-Tex), but didn't scuff up or prepare the surface enough. We heat with wood and don't have any boiler or furnace to warm up the 45 deg. cellar in winter.

Did you buy those handles? How did you match the opening to your tang size? And do you use adhesive or epoxy to hold the tang into the handle?

Here's a mess I made using _old_ (a tad too dry) Marine-Tex to try to repair a broken knive handle. I should have used newer epoxy, should have prepped the area. If I sand the hardened epoxy off, I'm sure the handle 'mend' will come apart.

I like your wood slab. How did you get such an even slice and keep it from checking? Do you have a planer?

"----Did you buy those handles? How did you match the opening to your tang size? And do you use adhesive or epoxy to hold the tang into the handle?---"

I made all parts, and whatever I could find in my shop. Handles are from scrap pile, and collar from a plumbing brass connector.

" ----- I like your wood slab. How did you get such an even slice and keep it from checking? Do you have a planer?"

That cutting board is from a tree I chopped down. I have a few planers, but the surface was sanded down using my belt sander.

dcarch

Thanks, dcarch. I believe we have a belt sander, but I think I'd first need to have the log sectioned sliced a bit. Maybe I can give some of that a try. I like the handle you put on one side. You creations are always so inspiring.

gyr - I had been thinking of tweaking on of my serrated knives and when I saw your post, it jogged my memory. I used a fine diamond tapered cylindrical sharpener designed for fishing knives and hooks and made a few passes along each groove, then each point.

I used the Chef's Choice brand for years but was never really happy with it. The original, 3-wheel design was superior to the newer 2-wheel design. Most of my knives are Wusthof Classic. I have one 10-inch MAC with a special manual sharpener for it that seems to work quite well.

Years ago I sorted out my knives and winnowed it down to 7 total. A couple more have sneaked into the drawer, but I keep it to 7 in the knife rack that's on the counter. They get 99% of the daily use.

Except for the MAC, I've switched to the Mcgowan Firestone electric knife sharpener. It does a hollow-ground edge that is much sharper and the knives hold that edge 2-3x longer than the 2-step Chef's Choice. Had it for a year now and very happy with it. Twice a year seems to work just fine for sharpening, and I cook quite a lot.

Lars, thank you for this thread! Just ordered a chef's 1520, so hopefully no more 3 hour round trip drives to the knife sharpener I prefer, no more waiting while my dull knives squash my prep!