How to Sharpen Kitchen Knives

wintermute

wintermute

Joined
Oct 18, 2007
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What's the best way to sharpen kitchen knives. My old school ways using Arkansas stones just won't do anything to sharpen the somewhat abused (my wife grew up in the restaurant business) Henckel's 4 stars. What gadget does everyone recommend for this task? Can a sharpmaker handle 8" chef's knives? Now she wants a nice santoku. Poor knife, it doesn't even know what's coming.
 
wintermute said:
What's the best way to sharpen kitchen knives. My old school ways using Arkansas stones just won't do anything to sharpen the somewhat abused (my wife grew up in the restaurant business) Henckel's 4 stars. What gadget does everyone recommend for this task? Can a sharpmaker handle 8" chef's knives? Now she wants a nice santoku. Poor knife, it doesn't even know what's coming.
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It sounds like you need a more course stone. You could use the sharpmaker (15 degrees) but you could be at it a while depending on what angle the edges are currently set at. If you already know how to sharpen freehand....go grab a cheap course/medium stone.
 
First get your knives sharp with whatever you use stones etc. I go to the belt sander once in awhile to bring the kitchen knives up when they get dull. The rest of the time I use a good long butcher's steel each time I am going to use the knife. Just a few strokes down each side everyday does the job, and I can go a long time before I have to bring the primary edges back up on the stone/grinder.
 
I sharpen my 8" and other kitchen knives with sharpmaker. It does great job. If knives really dull, consider to get coarse rods, I got ruby in 150 and 320 grit from congress. they are only 6" long, but do good job.
 
bh49 said:
I sharpen my 8" and other kitchen knives with sharpmaker. It does great job. If knives really dull, consider to get coarse rods, I got ruby in 150 and 320 grit from congress. they are only 6" long, but do good job.
Click to expand...

the stones from congress fit right into the sharpmaker?
 
If you're already using Arkansas stones, adding a coarse, silicon carbide stone will speed up the job of forming an edge you can further hone with your Arkansas stones or Sharpmaker and you don't have to spend more than $16 (often much less) to get a good one. Ultimately, a cheap belt-sander and some good belts will put and keep a very respectable edge on those knives.
 
The sharpmaker stones are 1/2 in on each side of the triangle. So I'm gessing 1/2 Tri x 6? Meaning triangle base, 1/2 in on each side, 6 in long?
 
Sharpmaker works for me in keeping my kitchen knives sharp. Flat part of the white stones once a week does the job.

Getting them sharp...the Sharpmaker works but it takes forever...though it might take less time if one had and used the coarse Sharpmaker rods.
 
Let’s see if we can find the right forum …
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Call me peculiar, fellows, but since I got my HF 1x30:
1) Initially set up the knives with a blended bevel, blade body to edge, power-stropped to a high polish.
2) After significant use, power strop on 1/2 micron diamond-charged leather, just 2 quick passes on each side ... about as fast as a steel, but leaves a much finer edge.
3) For worn edges, I first try 1 or 2 micron-charged leather, then if necessary, go to the 3M belts.

This is a home kitchen, not a restaurant, and I like hair-popping sharp every time out of the block.
 
Okay, so here's the plan...

Coarse India (previously missing step)
Fine India (previously missing step)
Soft Arkansas (which will be grateful for the India)
Hard Arkansas
Steel (as usual)
 
I'm pretty new here, I didn't even know what was being said in half those posts.


I go to walmart's automotive section
By some wet-dry sandpaper (800 or 1000grit and then the finest, usually 2000)
Get everything going with the course paper. WITH the paper on a hard flat surface. We have a marble-top table so that part's easy for me. Then use the 2000. (Pretty standard operation) But after I've done all the real work with the paper on marble I'll put it on a notebook/bible/telephone book. I find the mousepads TOO soft and round things off too much for my tastes.

It's not revolutionary, but I was able to bring my parents Henckels back to life this way.

If the knives are really far gone you might try something else, but hey, this a $5 proposition:D
 
I've heard of people swearing truthfulness on a Bible, but sharpening? :eek: Guess those knives are wicked sharp.
 
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