Advise to buy a sharpening kit.

[alan0354]

Man - I really see no point of using a guided system to sharpen large/long kitchen knives. To me, free hand with 2 or 3 quality stones and a strop is the way to go. This can be done MUCH faster and can achieve equally sharp edges, if not better (I like a bit convex edges on kitchen knives, which is difficult to get with guided sharpeners).

I want to CREATE the consistent angle. Then I can use the stone. I want to have smaller angle than the knives came with, the guided system is the way to go.

That's the reason I do NOT want to pay a lot as it's likely to use one time and I can use ceramic rods from that onward for a while until I have to redo the edge again.

I think the best is for me to just go buy the guide rods and one fine diamond stone from Lansky and be done with it. I just don't want to keep using my friend's Lansky and wear it out. $30.

 

[scottc3]

70% of knife usage for us.

cleaver sharpening that is... and long reach... such a bummer, that was needed info to suggest a guided system, because all systems have their limits. Just use benchstones you already have? A fine grit bench stone at local hardware store should be very inexpensive if you need it. For training others, you can build a wood trangle at preferred angle, out of scrape, for v-sharpening, simple n fun.
I do not have a cleaver, never had one, and used resaurant bandsaw to get thru bone-in meat. Today I would break out KME Axe sharpener 55 bucks (plus after market stone holder), because it seems to fit task. Maybe WSKO if I was being lazy..

 

[alan0354]

Ha ha, just want to show what I am talking about how Chinese chop the roast duck:

Too bad I cannot find a video they actually put onto a plate.

The cleaver needs to be SHARP.

 

[scottc3]

Love duck, as a pup use to drop em from the sky in the morning and have em for late lunch, yum! If I ever run across a cleaver while garage sale-ing for kitchen knives, I think I'll pick a used on up, thx alan0354!

 

[alan0354]

Love duck, as a pup use to drop em from the sky in the morning and have em for late lunch, yum! If I ever run across a cleaver while garage sale-ing for kitchen knives, I think I'll pick a used on up, thx alan0354!

Give the Chinese cleaver a try. It just fill the gap between all the smaller slicing knives and a big bone chopper. It's small enough we cut all vegetables, even cutting oranges and apples. Just big enough to chop chickens through bones without the need of a baton. In kitchen, that one knife do like 80% of work. I have a complete set of Chicago Cutlery knives, I sharpened them like 30 years ago, the other day when I was working on sharpening stone and pull them out, they are still very sharp from the time I sharpening them like 30 years ago!!! That shows how little I use the set.

Get a cheap one for cheap, if you like it, then you can go fancy. This is one I bought a few months ago after I ruin my other one:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08YYLVC3S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

It does the job for me so far. Sharpen it, it can slice paper easily.

 

[cudgee]

It does the job for me so far. Sharpen it, it can slice paper easily.

Every kitchen should have one. As you say, you can start with a cheap one and get it razor sharp. I have a made in Taiwan stainless steel one that i sharpen at 13 degrees. Will slice through paper with that beautiful sound that a razor sharp blade has. And easy to keep sharp. Will get a good one when i can afford it, but the cheap one will suffice for the time being.

 

[scottc3]

well I get a certain enjoyment when I find quality still useful used knives. It fits my budget, sometimes for dimes on a dollar savings, supports good causes like senior centers, hospice, goodwill, saint vincent's, thrift stores, etc, and reduces the waste stream.

 

[sharp_edge]

Ha ha, just want to show what I am talking about how Chinese chop the roast duck:

Too bad I cannot find a video they actually put onto a plate.

The cleaver needs to be SHARP.

Yes it needs to be sharp, but the weight of the cleaver is equally important, if not more. The guy in the video is mostly chopping, not slicing. Plus, after cooked the duck bones are no longer as hard as uncooked. Cooked meat is also much easier to cut/slice. I guess what I am saying is the cutting/chopping accuracy of the cook in the video is much more impressive than the cleaver (any heavy cleaver with a decent edge is sufficient for that task).

 

[alan0354]

Yes it needs to be sharp, but the weight of the cleaver is equally important, if not more. The guy in the video is mostly chopping, not slicing. Plus, after cooked the duck bones are no longer as hard as uncooked. Cooked meat is also much easier to cut/slice. I guess what I am saying is the cutting/chopping accuracy of the cook in the video is much more impressive than the cleaver (any heavy cleaver with a decent edge is sufficient for that task).

Believe me, get a cheap one and try it. I don't favor the Chinese cleaver to start, I bought the complete set of Chicago Cutley. It's just through natural selection I ended up with the cleaver. It's just fills the gap between the thin slicing knives and the big chopper. I am surprised there is nothing between that in western knives. My wife is the same too, never told her which knife to use(as if I can!!).

 

[DavidABQ]

Now that you have selected a sharpening system all that is left is to practice using it. It is easy to get all wrapped up comparing one type of system to another but in the end the only thing that matters is thatt you have a sharp knife.
Enjoy!

 

[alan0354]

I have to come back and say, the good old bench stone really bring the sharpness to a different dimension. The diamond stone is good for forming the edge, nothing messy like the coarse stone that wears out and leave a mess, all the grinds and all. BUT after forming the edge, you really need something better to finish the edge.

I am not talking about those 800 grid diamond stone, even the diamond rod that is very fine(must be at least 1500 or higher) cannot do it. It's just not there. The really fine bench stone really bring the edge to another dimension. You just need to have a lot of patience, do it slowly, lightly.