Which Knife Sharpener?

[Speedo66]

My daughter wants to buy me a holiday present, usually I would say “I don’t need anything”.

But this time I thought, I could use a knife sharpener. I looked in the sharpener sticky above, but most of the posts are pretty old.

Any recommendations for a system in the $50-75 range?

 

[nettlle]

I've had a Gatco for 35 years and it still works with the original diamond stones. I have sharpened my D2 deer knife with it many dozens of times and my D2 deer knife has dressed two deer without sharpening and would still shave hair off my arm more than once. It's a super knife sharpener for the price. I have a high dollar Edge Pro now and it won't do anything my Gatco can't do. The Edge Pro works a little easier on large kitchen knives but the Gatco can do large kitchen knives also. It's just a little slower process on the Gatco.

Buy the Easy Grip Clamp Mount. Makes the process much easier.

https://www.sharpeningsupplies.com/GATCO-Edgemate-Professional-Knife-Sharpening-System-P274C95.aspx

https://www.sharpeningsupplies.com/GATCO-Easy-Grip-Clamp-Mount-P442C95.aspx

 

[troy fairweather]

I've wanted to try this one, about the same price as the lansky which guys like

https://www.amazon.com/Work-Sharp-P...cphy=9004281&hvtargid=pla-1016208247869&psc=1

 

[LaneP]

I've wanted to try this one, about the same price as the lansky which guys like

https://www.amazon.com/Work-Sharp-P...cphy=9004281&hvtargid=pla-1016208247869&psc=1

I bought one of those for the brother in law for Christmas. Their kitchen drawers are full of dull knives. Got the idea for the gift from trying to find one sharp enough to carve the turkey with on Thanksgiving.

 

[SteadyD]

I have the Worksharp ($50), Sharpmaker $70) and KME kit ($320). I would go with a Spyderco sharpmaker in your range. You can add CBN or Diamond stones and Ultrafine down the line if you want. The base model is great for touch ups and refining edges.

 

[rust collector]

It is easy to lose your mind on knife sharpeners. Felix Immler likes the Russian TSProf Kadet, but I am reluctant to invest $350 in a single purpose device. The Gatco or Lansky probably makes the most sense for most users. I recommend a dealer who specializes in these, such as the links frogfurr provided, as counterfeits abound.

I am a fan of frequent steeling, occasional crock stick touch up, and a belt grinder judiciously applied once or twice a year. I did recently pick up a diamond bench hone and will be working on my technique for that and a leather strop.

 

[hso]

There isn't really anything revolutionary in sharpening that is worth the money. A good "V" ceramic stick system or a Lansky type from a trusted source will do in your price range. Toss in a quality steel and a strop and you should be good to go.

 

[mistermills357]

Rescinded.

 

[Speedo66]

I decided to go with the Work Sharp Precision Adjust.

Looks like it would be the hardest for me to screw up, and it’s in the right price range.

I’m fine with ceramic sticks, but hopefully this will be a little more precise.

Will post review after use.

Thanks to all for their input!

 

[nettlle]

I have used ceramic rods and they do work very well. I've found that the more precise the blade angles are held the longer the edge will last.

 

[hso]

the more precise the blade angles

Essential to get a good consistent edge along the length of the blade otherwise the edge wanders back and forth. This is why guided systems were developed to help folks that can't accomplish that.

 

[nettlle]

Essential to get a good consistent edge along the length of the blade otherwise the edge wanders back and forth. This is why guided systems were developed to help folks that can't accomplish that.

Guilty as charged. Once I started controlling the blade angle and the burr the blade life on my edges greatly increased. It was a remarkable difference.

 

[hso]

I decided to go with the Work Sharp Precision Adjust.

Let us know how it performs for you. I played with one at Blade, but only experience will tell you if you get a consistent angle along the full length of the edge.

 

[nettlle]

For small knives, 3"-4" there are a lot of good sharpeners. When you get into the bigger knives like Chef knives, bread knives, or brisket knives one size doesn't fit all. That's why I went to the Edge Pro over the Gatco. The edge Pro is easier to use on larger kitchen knives. It's hard to maintain a consistent edge on larger knives with the smaller sharpeners.

 

[The Glockodile]

Spyderco Sharpmaker for run of the mill jobs.

Shapton Waterstones for the meditative process and enjoyment, as well as creating a mirror finish cutting edge.

 

[CapnMac]

Project Farm revisits this topic on a regular basis.
Recently:

April 2020:

January 2020:

Lanskey gets a lot of praise here.

 

[Line Dawg]

I've used Arkansas stones since I started sharpening. The steel has been in the family for many years, it's just used for edge touch up. My knives see the steel far more than they see stone.

 

[rust collector]

There are about 500,000 old butcher steels out there, and about 500 who know how to use them, when to use them and why they are so useful. Of course, there are many 6" steels with a piece of fake antler that came with grandpa and grandma's prize carving set that they got from the local grain elevator, too.

 

[troy fairweather]

@Speedo66 did you get the work sharp yet, I'm really thinking I'll get one with my $50 bass pro gift card. Waiting to see if you like it or not.

 

[hso]

Get the Lansky

 

[crestoncowboy]

Lol. I found two steels in a house I inherited. Wasnt even 100% sure that is what they were until I asked someone. They were in the hand tool corner of the basement of the old home place.

I never could sharpen a knife for crap. Id carry them till they got dull and throw them in a drawer. One time I'd get them sharp the next id only dull them. I tried several systems. I bought the Ken onion work sharp and I can get mine shaving sharp in a minute. Takes all my human error and lack of patience out of it.

Good for the knife? Nope. But I'm in the "as long as it's shaving/ paper slicing sharp" I really don't care camp.

I can file piston rings down perfect. Ive spent many hours with pencil and paper and a vernier caliper. Set valve lash down to the .001 all day long. I get precision. But I absolutely can not sharpen a knife the correct way and I'll never care enough to try again. And after years of working with hand tools I certainly don't need any more tedious holding of anything. My hands hurt enough. So it's motorized work sharp for me.

 

[JohnKSa]

I never could sharpen a knife for crap. Id carry them till they got dull and throw them in a drawer. One time I'd get them sharp the next id only dull them.

The key to hand sharpening is being able to feel a burr. If you can learn to feel a burr, you can sharpen by hand.

Getting a knife shaving sharp when sharpening by hand requires being able to consistently hold the blade at the same angle to the stone and understanding that the pressure against the stone needs to get lighter as the process gets closer to the end. The last few strokes (done alternating sides for each stroke) should be done with very light pressure--not really pressing against the stone at all other than what you need to keep the blade in contact.

 

[troy fairweather]

Get the Lansky

Bps don't have them

 

[Speedo66]

@Speedo66 did you get the work sharp yet, I'm really thinking I'll get one with my $50 bass pro gift card. Waiting to see if you like it or not.

Got it late today, will try it out tomorrow and post my impressions.

 

[Speedo66]

OK, here’s my impression:
Comes nicely packed, easy to assemble. Instructions are easy to follow, except they don’t really tell you how to clamp the knife in the holder, but eventually you see a thumb screw and figure it out.

I chose a 20deg. angle and started with the medium abrasive, 600 level, and worked the rod with the stone up and down over the edge while slowly working my way across. The boning knife was somewhat sharp to begin with, but I could feel, and eventually see, it cutting a new edge.

They say you should be able to feel a burr on the other side, but I never did. After flipping it over and doing the other side, I switched to the honing (ceramic) stone, and continued again with both sides.

The knife feels considerably sharper, and was able to slice easily through a piece of paper with almost no pressure.

I think I spent less than 15 minutes total using both stones.

Opinion: I like it and will work my way through my kitchen knives with it, doing one or two a day.

Edit: I told my wife I was going to sharpen all the the knives and I was given a cease and desist order not to touch her favorite knife, a 6” Wusthof chef’s knife, “it’s sharp enough”. Explanation about how it would be better was futile. So I’m going to be sharpening almost all our knives.

Further edit: Picked it up again, did three more knives, gets faster each time. Did one very dull paring knife, started with coarsest stone, 320 grit, and got the burr on the other side as mentioned in the instructions. Did the other 2 grits, knife is like a razor.