Thread: Kitchen knives have become butter knives...

Hi.

Has anyone else noticed that when your foray into straight razors began, it seemed that all your kitchen knives became nothing more than blunt objects? Now that I've found a whole bunch of things that need sharpening, what recommendations do you folks have for sharpening you kitchen knives?

(Obviously, kitchens knives should not be as sharp as straight razors -it would be a dangerous mistake to do so).

That "Lansky" system looks pretty interesting. Any thoughts?

Thanks

Ray

I've always just used a steel.
I worked as a cook for quite a while though, so it went with the territory and the habit never left.
A few strokes on one before I use it and I get favorable results.

I'd recommend the spyderco sharpmaker, it's worked well for me to sharpen all of my knives.

Originally Posted by Ray C

Hi.

Has anyone else noticed that when your foray into straight razors began, it seemed that all your kitchen knives became nothing more than blunt objects? Now that I've found a whole bunch of things that need sharpening, what recommendations do you folks have for sharpening you kitchen knives?
Ray

I noticed (and wondered) the same thing! Good thread.

I've had great results with the standard 3-stone Lansky set. Easy to use.

Well this is my take on this...

Because there are 2 very distinct zones of kitchen knives, with a 3rd tagging along. Western steel, Japanese steel, and Chinese cleavers.

Western steel types are most common in europe and the US. They tend to be in the middle hardness around 55 to 58 on the rockwell chart. These are your german and french steels that are easy to sharpen and very durable. However they dull fast, thus needing the "Steel" to hone them regularly.

Japanese steel types are on the other side of the spectrum. Very hard steel with very thin edges. While these can be made extreamly sharp they are not very durable, prone to chipping if not accustomed to them. These knives come in two sub styles, Traditional (single beveled) and western influenced (double beveled). Western styled are a mix of western shapes with traditional craftmenship, very different constuction with familier shapes to westerners.

Than there are Chinese cleavers styles. Both chopping and slicing cleavers look the same, just different thickness. Steels can range from old bomb steel to modern japanese super steels.

All these knives have different requirments when it comes to sharpening and honeing. Most western style knives will have the same steels you are already used to in your razors. So the same results can be expected when it comes to how the steel works on the stones. When you look into Japanese steels you are useing very different bevels and sharpening times, single bevel knives have their own rules

Many here are familier with Takeda's steel in some razors, AS steel makes fantastic knives that are not overly hard to sharpen and hone, keeping a wicked sharp edge. But compaired to western steel this stuff is crazy hard (I love this stuff in knives).

The harder the steel the less you will use a "steel" to keep the edge straight. One reason is that the harder the steel of the knife is the more likely you are to chip the knife with the honeing steel. Also most honeing steels don't go much over rockwell 59, and most japanese steels are hardened to 60 and up, AS going to 64-65. I have shaved steel off honeing steels at work with my AS knives (just to see what would happen). Not to say there are not special honeing steels out there for hard knives. Hand American made a Glass Smooth Steel for hard edges, I have one and love it.

Ok the beer and fatigue is bluring my brain... I'll get off the soapbox now

Not anything to add to DwarvenChef's post. That's pretty comprehensive to my mind. But I just wanted to chip in my 2 cents' worth.

A good measure of when you need to sharpen your kitchen knives, I've found, is if the knife won't cut tomato skin easily. When I've honed my knives on the sharpening steel, they just slice through without any pressure needed, but after a while, when the edge has gone into the cutting board a couple of times and it has been dulled, you will notice that when you're cutting a tomato, the edge doesn't "bite" the skin like it used to. If you can "dent" the skin of the tomato with the blade, then it's definitely time to take that edge to the sharpening steel. You can cut the skin by applying a little force, so the knife isn't useless, but having a sharp knife makes things so much easier.

Onions are good too. If the edge doesn't bite immediately, but slides around a little before cutting into the onion, then you need to sharpen it.

One thing I have learned also is that, no one sharpening style is best. You will develop your own style that works for you.

I'm a free hand sharpener, just like with razors, and have picked up tricks from many sources. There are contraptions out there that will clamp to the blade and give you an exact angle for sharpening, edge pro comes to mind. Some people love them, I'm not one of them to me they de-skill you on how to sharpen properly.

Murray Carter made a DVD on basic sharpening ans advanced sharpening. I'm about to get his advanced DVD as soon as I remember to buy it It would cure just about any sleeping issues you may have but the info is priceless. I just hope his video apperience skills have gotten better for the second DVD

The Kitchen Knife market is so full of complete crap that it's actually quite difficult to get a good quality blade. And you'll pay for it when you find them. I've been nuts about sharp knives ever since I was about 12 years old and couldn't properly whittle with the piece of crap pen knife I had without honing it every 20 minutes.

I'm constantly surprised at how many people have kitchen knives that have NEVER been sharpened. I've seen people using knives that were more blunt than my thumbnail. And I think a lot of manufacturers know that we're a society of "sharpening impaired" people because they seem to be aware that no matter how crappy their knives are, as long as they've got a serrated edge that will saw with enough elbow grease, most people won't know that they've got a blunt piece of steel posing as a knife instead of a real knife.

My favorite touchup for kitchen knives is a diamond steel by dexter-Russell. It's one hell of a good sharpener for the kitchen, quick and easy. Unlike a regular steel, it does remove metal and will reform a bevel.

Here's what I use to sharpen my kitchen knives.
http://www.brothersmith-knives.com/p...roductid=24107

I know that its not sexy, sleek or manly, but I have to have something that my wife can use, and is quick.