Is there a Fast, Portable way to get a consistent edge?

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mjninc

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Jan 14, 2020
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Hi, thanks for all the help for those who post on this forum.

Goal: Looking for a fast, portable way to get a fairly consistent 20 degree edge on knives. I don't want to rely on skill with a whetstone or free handing anything. For this particular purpose, it's about spending the least amount of time and getting a fairly consistent edge. Just trying to keep various kitchen knives sharp. This is for a business use, that's why time is important. It's not a professional sharpening business,.

Would there be anything you recommend?

Thanks for your help.
 
The fastest way will take the longest to learn. But in the end it will save you the most time and money. And that is freehand. But there's a million ways to do the same thing. Everything has a learning curve and everything will improve as you get used to and proficient with anything you decide to do.
 
Couple questions: do you mean 20 included or 20 each side? That makes a big difference.

Do you only use these knives, or are they used by others who don’t bear the burden of sharpening them? Reason I ask is, although the Sharpmaker is a useful tool, it isn’t at its best repairing chips, nicks, and other damage, or reprofiling an edge. It’s good at keeping a sharp knife sharp.

Absent the likelihood of abuse, I’d think a Sharpmaker and a smooth burnishing steel would get you a long way toward your goal.

Parker
 
catspa said:
Couple questions: do you mean 20 included or 20 each side? That makes a big difference.

Do you only use these knives, or are they used by others who don’t bear the burden of sharpening them? Reason I ask is, although the Sharpmaker is a useful tool, it isn’t at its best repairing chips, nicks, and other damage, or reprofiling an edge. It’s good at keeping a sharp knife sharp.

Absent the likelihood of abuse, I’d think a Sharpmaker and a smooth burnishing steel would get you a long way toward your goal.

Parker
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I will likely not be the primary user and I would expect them to be abused pretty regularly. The edge of 20 degrees is not super important to me. My main goal is to have a really sharp knife for cooking, consistently sharpened to the same angle so I can provide a repetitive experience for the end user.
 
You could get a guided system and do ok. Not the fastest or cheapest. Nor is it my “go to” for kitchen knifes.

My preference for Kitchen knifes would be stones and learning freehand. I know this is not what you want to do but maybe you could get a guided system (WE or sharpmaker) or Tormek T-8 and a couple stones and slowly work your freehand skills up over time.

A guided system actually helped me to learn freehand sharpening. Less variables so I could see what was happening and not happening. Then I would swap to free hand and again “see” the scratch pattern more clearly and recognize what I was or was not doing correct
 
catspa said:
Couple questions: do you mean 20 included or 20 each side? That makes a big difference.

Do you only use these knives, or are they used by others who don’t bear the burden of sharpening them? Reason I ask is, although the Sharpmaker is a useful tool, it isn’t at its best repairing chips, nicks, and other damage, or reprofiling an edge. It’s good at keeping a sharp knife sharp.

Absent the likelihood of abuse, I’d think a Sharpmaker and a smooth burnishing steel would get you a long way toward your goal.

Parker
Click to expand...
I think this is a commonly repeated fallacy. I have taken butter knife dull knives to screaming sharp using nothing but a Sharpmaker and have seen plenty of others do it as well. Sure it won’t sharpen out huge chips and dings easily, but what non-power implement does short of freehanding on a diamond stone? It will sharpen a completely dull (and semi abused) blade handily. The Sharpmaker is a lot more competent system than most people give it credit for.

Freehand with DMTs would be my choice, but I’m assuming OP just wants to grip and rip without thinking about things too much. This particular application screams Sharpmaker to me. I’m no expert, but I’ve been trying quite a while.
 
I've never used one, but a Sharpmaker sounds like the fastest, easiest way to do what you are describing as others have mentioned above.

Any guided system will be a lot more time consuming to set up clamps and angles properly(up to you whether this is fast enough for what you are thinking), and most of the cheaper guided options will struggle with blades larger than say 6". That really only leaves some sort of freehand set up which you have ruled out.
 
AntDog said:
I think this is a commonly repeated fallacy. I have taken butter knife dull knives to screaming sharp using nothing but a Sharpmaker and have seen plenty of others do it as well. Sure it won’t sharpen out huge chips and dings easily, but what non-power implement does short of freehanding on a diamond stone? It will sharpen a completely dull (and semi abused) blade handily. The Sharpmaker is a lot more competent system than most people give it credit for.

Freehand with DMTs would be my choice, but I’m assuming OP just wants to grip and rip without thinking about things too much. This particular application screams Sharpmaker to me. I’m no expert, but I’ve been trying quite a while.
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Thanks AntDog AntDog you for your well formed replys. Yes, grip and rip is what's desired in this scenario.

1. For re-beveling, (or taking a butter-knife to sharp), what is your process with the Sharpmaker? It seems like you have some helpful wisdom and experience there.
2. Is there a Youtube video that shows what you do or you would recommend to take a butter knife to sharp with the Sharpmaker?
3. How long would butter knife to sharp take with the Sharpmaker?

Thanks again for your help.
 
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My Sharpmaker experience was with an old one I got used with only one set of rods. The new ones may well work much better. That said, I don’t regret my decision to develop skill at freehanding.

Different strokes for different folks (literally).

Parker
 
why portable?

the Smith's or Worksharp pullthrough sharpeners are made for this quick sharpening purpose
 
AntDog said:
I think this is a commonly repeated fallacy. I have taken butter knife dull knives to screaming sharp using nothing but a Sharpmaker and have seen plenty of others do it as well.
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With diamond or cBN rods I presume?
 
I use this stone holder I made, gave one to a non-knife friend for his kitchen knives and he loves it
 

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Worksharp Field Sharpener. It’s portable, can fix serious damage if absolutely needed, great for nicks and rolls as well as touch ups. Pre set 20 degree angle.
 
mjninc said:
Thanks AntDog AntDog you for your well formed replys. Yes, grip and rip is what's desired in this scenario.

1. For re-beveling, (or taking a butter-knife to sharp), what is your process with the Sharpmaker? It seems like you have some helpful wisdom and experience there.
2. Is there a Youtube video that shows what you do or you would recommend to take a butter knife to sharp with the Sharpmaker?
3. How long would butter knife to sharp take with the Sharpmaker?

Thanks again for your help.
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No problem. I just use the corners on the grey rods until the bevel is established and the edge is cleaned up, then proceed as normal. Pretty quick and painless. They do sell diamond rods for it as well if the ceramics are too slow.
Mr.Wizard said:
With diamond or cBN rods I presume?
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Nah, strictly ceramics in my set up. But I don’t have a bunch of Maxamet and S110V and such. I do have a large set of DMTs if something proves to be stubborn.
 
I get a consistent edge with a clever sharp pull through and a steel.

But your knives won't last as long or something.
 
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