Knife Sharpening Day. Any advice?

[Rear_Intruder]

Since I became a house husband in 2016 it is clear that Mrs Intruder did things differently previously. Our knives were less sharp than they are now and she has noticed the improvement! I have a set calendar to do tasks in an organised way. Knife sharpening day is upon me. Below is some of my kit

Left to right -- Hob Goblin IPA-- Knife guide-- whetstone--ceramic sharpener with water-- ceramic sharpener without water--ceramic profiler- metal profiler-- 3 kitchen knives-- My UK legal knife.

Some pointers--
Knife steels/profilers do not sharpen knives they just re-establish an edge,
Some knives should be sharpened with ceramics not steel. (EG the global third from right),
When you use a whetstone the knife goes blade first along the sharpening surface, not spine first.

Do any of you hillbilly types have any constructive comments?

 

[Bambooza]

Where is your leather?

 

[Wolfy]

Remember to sharpen the pointy end, not the tang.

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

I have the wheel type sharpener (with water) but have never been able to get it to give any of my knives a really decent clean edge. Always feels rough and not razor sharp as the knife feels when new. I once worked with a guy who was able to use a whet stone to give a blade that edge (worked in a food factory) but try as I might i was never able to replicate that even using the very stone he used for years (so long it had a concave to it).

I always thought a steel might be the thing to use but as you indicate they are only for re-honing a present edge it's probably not what I am looking for. The best tool I ever had was a small plastic U shaped thingy with two steels coming off the prongs of the U that crossed in an X shape where you ran the blade in the crook of the X with the spine in the armpit of the U. Worked fairly well but wore out quick and i've not seen another one.

I am a fan of Victorinox Swiss multi-tools and have 17 in my collection (had to knock it on the head when I got the XLT and the wife suggested that might be enough). I only use 3 as my actual "tool" tools, which is why I have been seeking a decent sharpener.

The struggle continues.

 

[Rear_Intruder]

Where is your leather?

Great idea, but
Is there a Vegan alternative?

 

[Rear_Intruder]

I have the wheel type sharpener (with water) but have never been able to get it to give any of my knives a really decent clean edge. Always feels rough and not razor sharp as the knife feels when new. I once worked with a guy who was able to use a whet stone to give a blade that edge (worked in a food factory) but try as I might i was never able to replicate that even using the very stone he used for years (so long it had a concave to it).

I always thought a steel might be the thing to use but as you indicate they are only for re-honing a present edge it's probably not what I am looking for. The best tool I ever had was a small plastic U shaped thingy with two steels coming off the prongs of the U that crossed in an X shape where you ran the blade in the crook of the X with the spine in the armpit of the U. Worked fairly well but wore out quick and i've not seen another one.

I am a fan of Victorinox Swiss multi-tools and have 17 in my collection (had to knock it on the head when I got the XLT and the wife suggested that might be enough). I only use 3 as my actual "tool" tools, which is why I have been seeking a decent sharpener.

The struggle continues.

Naff, get a whetstone and watch a bit of facetube to see how to do it. When you start use an old knife, the angle of the knife to the stone is important and difficult. The whetstone needs soaking in water before use. The plastic U things are just like two re-honing tools IMO.

The wheel thing does not need any real pressure just roll it over.

I have two Leatherman's the oldest is fantastic but since they started sourcing the blades from the far east the newer ones are less robust. The good one is a Juice and the other is a wingman. As you know the UK has stringent knife laws that only law abiding folk follow, my UK legal carry knife is just a garden pruning knife but is a razor and can slice through most things.

 

[Bambooza]

Great idea, but
Is there a Vegan alternative?

Good question. I am told you can use flat cardboard, newspaper and blue jeans as a makeshift strop.

This video is supposedly how to make a vegan-friendly Strop.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPJqEMx2tes

 

[Lorddarthvik]

Do it often and do it well!

( while i tried multiple times to use a whetstone, it usually ended with a jaggy edge, and not much improvements, so i got no idea lol )

 

[Thalstan]

If you are not good at sharpening your own knives...and a lot of us are not, so don’t feel bad about that..get them professionally sharpened every year or so.

Some tips.
NEVER EVER cut on stone, metal, and worst of all, ceramic cutting boards.
Use a wooden cutting board of the appropriate size for cutting vegetables, fruits, etc. Some wood boards are cheap, but butcher block boards are the best. A good one is costly, but your kids will fight over it when you are gone if you take care of it,
Use a food grade plastic board that can go through the dishwasher for meat.
Use a different board for fish, red meat, and poultry.
When they get overly scratched, replace them.

Hone your knives every time, right before you start using them.

A good knife is expensive, but again...your kids will fight over it.
Never put good knives in a dishwasher. Always hand wash.
Never put your knives away wet.
If possible, use a knife block to store your knives. Putting them in a drawer bangs them up and exposes the edge to damage.
Cheap serrated knives (like the old ginsu knife) will not hold an edge, and once the factory edge is gone, the knife is worthless. Don’t waste your money.

Alton Brown has some great tips

Shopping for a Knife? Never Do This, Says Alton Brown

You might be surprised by what the Food Network star recommends!

www.tasteofhome.com

If you can see old episodes of good eats, look for the episode American slicer

American Slicer

Join host Alton Brown as he explores what it takes to stay sharp in the kitchen and demystifies the relationship between the cook and his cutlery.

www.foodnetwork.com

 

[Rear_Intruder]

I agree with some of that. My best knife-the Global comes in at £50 so $40 ish
Never ever put them in the dishwasher, I do not know why but everyone says this.
I put all mine on the whetsone once a month, once a year seems a long time.

 

[Mich Angel]

Advice... hmm-....

Don't cut your self !

 

[Zookajoe]

All ya really need is a whetstone with a coarse side and a fine side. Which you do, that is the one second from the left.

Now, if you want them really sharp, get what is called an "Arkansas Whetstone", I usually use a "Hard Select" or a "True Hard". These are a hard, very fine grit stones, almost feel like flint. There are also Japanese versions of this that I have found to work well also.

I prefer water stones, over oil stones, but that is more of a personal choice really, both work well.

The key to sharpening a knife, is the angle of the blade to the stone, below I have provided a guide that explains it well:

Before getting into the detail, we’d like to make it clear how we talk about the angles on a knife. Most knives have a bevel on both sides. When we tell someone that they should put a 20 degree angle on a knife, we mean that they should sharpen each side to 20 degrees. This creates a total angle of 40 degrees. So when we’re talking about the angle on your knife, we’re talking about the angle at which you hold the knife to your stone.

There are special cases where the total angle of the knife is not double the angle that you sharpen each side of your knife. Some traditional Asian knives are only beveled on one side. In this example, one side may be sharpened to 20 degrees while the other side is at 0 degrees for a total angle of 20. However, in practice, we have found that the vast majority of Asian knives sold in the United States are not single bevel but rather traditional knives with a bevel on both sides. If you’re not sure, it is generally safe to assume that your knife has a bevel on both sides. Asian knives do typically have a slightly lower angle and both sides are sharpened to roughly 17 degrees.

Choosing an angle to sharpen your knife is essentially a compromise between the sharpness and the durability of an edge. The most important factor when determining the angle comes down to how you will be using your knife. Will you be shaving your face, filleting a fish, cutting vegetables, carving or chopping wood? From these examples, it is easy to see how each case requires a different edge.

Hardness vs. Toughness
Many people enjoy having a very high quality knife and appreciate good steels. Regardless of the steel, certain facts of steel hardness still apply. The hardness of steel is very easy to understand and is measured on a scale called the Rockwell C Scale. The toughness in metallurgy is the material's ability to withstand fracture. A simple example of a material that is very hard but not tough is glass. Given the same knife, making it harder will reduce its toughness. When a knife maker heat treats steel, they must strike a balance between hardness and toughness. Too hard and it could break easily, too soft and it won’t hold an edge. The compromise between hardness and toughness in knife making is very similar to the compromise in choosing a sharpening angle.
Under 10 Degree Angles
The lowest angles are reserved for edges that are typically cutting softer materials. In this case, the edges are not subject to abuse so the lower angle can be maintained without damage or edge failure. The lowest angles that we typically see are on straight edge razors. These are sharpened to an angle which is roughly 7 to 8 degrees (although the back of the blade is used as a guide so knowing the angle isn’t important and it is not adjustable). A straight razor has a very delicate edge that is very easy to damage. In proper usage, a straight razor would never see the type of use that would damage the edge.

10 to 17 Degrees Angles
A sharpening angle of 10 to 17 degrees is still quite low for most knives. With a total angle of 20 to 34 degrees, this is still a very fine edge. This edge is typically too weak for any knife that might be used in any type of chopping motion. Also consider that harder steels are also more susceptible to impact damage because they are more brittle. If your knife is used for cutting soft items or slicing meats, this lower angle can hold up and provide a very smooth cutting action.

17 to 22 Degree Angles
A 17 to 20 degree angle covers most kitchen knives. Some knives (typically Japanese manufacturers) will sharpen their knives to roughly 17 degrees. Most western knives are roughly 20 degrees. It is our experience that kitchen knives sharpened to 15 to 20 degrees cut very well and are still durable. These angles are still not highly durable as a total angle under 40 degrees will not respond well to rougher treatment in harder materials.

22 to 30 Degree Angles
In this range, the knife edges are considerably more durable. A pocket knife or a hunting knife will inevitably see abuse not seen by knives meant primarily for slicing or chopping softer materials. While the edge may not ultimately cut as well (but you may not notice a difference) it will be considerably more durable.

Over 30 Degrees Angles
Any edged tool or knife that is sharpened past 30 degrees will be very durable. Its cutting ability will be noticeably reduced. This durability has an advantage because more force can be used to make the cut. While the majority of knives won’t benefit from this sharpening angle, an edged tool like a machete, cleaver or axe must be durable as the typical cutting action of these tools would damage other edges.

Now then, an rather easy and somewhat safe way to test the edge of the knife is to lightly run the blade across your thumbnail. If it catches, it is sharp. If it does not catch, it is dull.

Normally, I sharpen a knife until it has an edge that can shave the hair off my arm after wetting the hair down so the blade moves smoother.

There are fewer things more dangerous in the kitchen, than dull blades.

 

[Bambooza]

Great write up @Zookajoe. I just would like to add that at 15 to 17-degree angle with a micro bevel works great as being a hybrid that holds an edge longer while giving you some of the benefits of the lower angles.

 

[Printimus]

you'll cut your eye out!

(is it shoot your eye out?)

 

[JonSpencer]

Don't cut yourself!

 

[Hybus]

I take my knives in once a year to be professionally sharpened. For the rest of the year, once a month they get the whetstone, I use from from japan, 1k/3k grit, and the honing steel before each use.

 

[Jangmo]

I am so bad at this. Since i was a kid i have played with sharpening my own blades, and am never satisfied with the results... usually ending up in another knife purchase lol

 

[BUTUZ]

I got one of these Wicked Edge Pro.

I got the cheapest version I think about 200 bucks (As opposed to below which is like 600 odd)

Expensive, but bloody epic at sharepening knives and does it without taking massive amounts off the blade unlike many other methods which literally destroy the knife.

 

[Montoya]

Do any of you hillbilly types have any constructive comments?

If you lived in America, you would have a massive gun collection, not knives.

 

[Zookajoe]

If you lived in America, you would have a massive gun collection, not knives.

I have about half as many guns as I used to, which is to say "way more than I need". Or so I have been told.

In the immortal (immoral?) words of Jayne Cobb:

Capt. Malcolm Reynolds: Jayne, how many weapons you plan on bringing? You only got the two arms.
Jayne Cobb: I just get excitable as to choice- like to have my options open.