Razor sharp - all the time

[Pete123]

I really like my kitchen knives razor sharp. The problem is that I don't like to sharpen them.

Several years ago I ponied up and got a Chef's Choice Edgeselect 120 Diamond Hone Sharpener - Plus.

I have french carbon steel knives and they are razor sharp all the time and it takes only a moment of two to keep them that way.

Thought I would share this with the knife folks that don't know about these things. It looks to me like this would not work with a thick knife.

I ordered it from Cabela's. Chef's Choice had a model that was a step down, but the reviews weren't good. This has been about 7 years ago.

[Jonnin]

some of the diamond systems peel metal off too quickly and wear the blades faster.   Some do not.   Sounds like you found a good one.   Thick blades are a major hassle to get really sharp --- in part because most of them have the wrong angle to the edge to make a razor-sharp tool.   That is partly because they were not meant to be razor sharp, and partly because they are just not the right angle.   I think it took me a month to edge a meat cleaver the wife bought...  that was a chore..

[Pete123]

The one I have has three stages. The first stage is very course and has a special guard on it to keep folks from ruining good knives on it. The middle stage isn't meant to be used much. I'll usually do one pass on each side. If I let them get dull then I use two passes.

The final stage is polishing, which is where I spend the most time.

[Photoguy67]

I have the same sharpener and also gave one to my mom. Totally love it. Best sharpener I have ever used.

[enfield]

I've never seen the need to keep kitchen knives that sharp, but to each his own.

[BigK]

I do all the cooking at my house and I'm with you 100% about sharp kitchen knives. My wife and my daughter don't have the best knife skills in the world, so when they do use my kitchen knives I want them to be sharp. It will actually lessen the likelihood of them getting cut.

I have a Chef's Choice sharpener under my cabinet collecting dust. It did an acceptable jog at sharpening my longer kitchen knives, but not so good for pairing and utility knives. I quit using it when I got a Spyderco Sharpmaker.

[Pete123]

Sharp knives are definitely safer. I believe this sharpener would work on non kitchen knives just fine - that the specs for the sharpener would say.

At the time I bought my Chef's Choice they had multiple models. Several of them didn't get good reviews. One of my primary knives is a 3 inch paring knife and the model I have does well with it.

I'm guessing that there are plenty of brands that have good sharpeners on the market and that the key getting one of the good ones.

[Jonnin]

I've never seen the need to keep kitchen knives that sharp, but to each his own.

 

A sharp knife takes a lot less brute force to cut tough items, and can also cut more accurately (see thru thin slices for example) and can do bulk work much faster (rocking blade carrot chopping) and so on.   Across the board it is just easier to use and more efficient.   You also won't tear and mash soft items (tomatoes) when trying to make a slice.   Being able to shave is not a requirement -- knives that are too sharp just get dull faster, most can't hold that edge unless you have the $500 a pop top chef stuff.   There is a happy medium -- long as it cleanly cuts the target, its fine.

[enfield]

That's my point - you don't have to have a shaving edge to slice a ripe tomato or to carve a turkey. Keep the edge burr straight and a kitchen knife will cut just fine.