How to Sharpen Kitchen Knives?

J

jugg2

Joined
Nov 15, 2007
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Hey guys, I ran into a problem last night, and wondered if anyone else has experienced the same thing.

I was trying to sharpen a few of our kitchen knives (cheap crap), and the wire edge would obviously be reasonably sharp. After a stropping with polishing compound the edge is really dull. I might could cut myself with it, but even that is doubtful.

I don't doubt my sharpening skills, because I can put a hair splitting edge on just about any knife I can get a hold of. If I look at the edge on the kitchen knife it looks like it is just rolled over. Even after more and more stropping (slowly using lighter and lighter strokes) the edge still looks rolled.

Is it possible that the steel is so soft it won't hold a fine edge, or am I doing something wrong?

Thanks in advance, jugg2
 
I wonder whether your stropping is merely pushing the wire edge back and forth without cutting it off. I use a stone to remove a wire edge.

So, I would try a benchstone, ceramic crock stick, or Spyderco Sharpmaker to cut the wire edge off. The trick is to use this final step at a greater angle than the bevel you just created. So, for instance, if you've created an edge bevel of 30 degrees inclusive, go ahead and give the blade a couple of light swipes on the Sharpmaker with the rods set at 40 degrees inclusive.

I do kitchen knives using the same principle -- I set the bevel at about 15 degrees per side using a belt sander. I then run the blade lightly down a ceramic crock stick at about 20 degrees per side -- about 2 light strokes per side. It works for me on all different kinds of kitchen cutlery -- more expensive forged stainless, cheaper non-forged stainless, and plain carbon steel.
 
It is easy to dull a knife by over-stropping. It may be that your kitchen knives are softer than the other knives that you are getting better results with, so you are getting to the point of over-stropping very quickly. I would skip the stropping or do much less of it on your kitchen knives.
 
If you're getting a wire edge, you're almost there. In fact, you've probably gone too far. I wouldn't bother stropping, as it won't do anything but make a weak wire edge even weaker.

Get rid of it by running the blade vertically on your stone, lightly, two or three passes. The idea is to give you a fresh dull edge to work with. Once done, grind both sides at a low angle. Try not to grind so much or aggressively that it forms another floppy burr. Just barely a burr. Once done, then use a clean, unloaded stone and make a much smaller bevel at a slightly larger angle. Just a few degrees more per side. Don't press hard against the stone, let the abrasives do the work. The idea is to grind the burr away, not bend it, which just weakens the steel.

Once the burr is ground off, you should have a sharp, if somewhat toothy edge. Now you can strop, if you feel it's necessary. The point of which is to polish the edge bevel, not remove a burr.
 
Your problem is most likely the steel my mom has a few kitchen knives made of cheap steel and the best thing for them is a medium to fine diamond stone. The steel is to soft to take a good polished edge...some steel just does not get sharp.
 
Try this...even works with cheap steel....after you finish sharpening.... use a steel,see what happens !You just may be suprised!
Jim;:)
 
Try use a steel to fix the burr, i don't bother stropping with kitchen knives, i use my kitchen knives very very often and i can't be bothered stropping soo often, i just shapen them with lansky crock sticks with 20degrees a side with fine ceramic rods once or twice a week.
 
Get a rock hard felt pad here. With a few trailing edge passes it will literally rip the burr off any knife. The best thing I've found to date.
 
Go buy decent knives!! I would guess that of all knives, the ones in the kitchen get the most use. Yet, these are the ones that everyone skimps on.
 
If the previous suggestions have not removed the burr, try this. Take a couple of passes on a grooved steel using a stroping stroke (edge trailing) at an angle equal to the bevel. Check to see that the burr is gone. Return to your finishing stone and finish the edge with very light strokes.
 
Kukri4302, i have had a cheap steel experience, i dunno if it is the way i use it, but i think the low quality honing steel makes my knife dull.,
 
WyoNonSmith said:
Go buy decent knives!! I would guess that of all knives, the ones in the kitchen get the most use. Yet, these are the ones that everyone skimps on.
Click to expand...


AMEN!

For the Wally-World stainless steel junk, a "pull through" sharpener works best. Get decent knives, and sharpen them, the way you would any other quality knife.
 
To sharpen cheap kitchen knives, I pull them across a coarse (120 grit) whetstone, followed by a semi-coarse (240 grit), followed by a Spyderco white/fine stone. I do not push the edge on any of them like I'd sharpen a nice knife, instead I pull the edge across the stone rapidly with a bit of force (like drawing from a sheath). It takes about 4 minutes to take a kitchen knife from dented edge to razor sharp with no burr.


P.S. a honing steel does work good on kitchen knives to keep them in decent shape.
 
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