Rehash on knife sharpener


 
LMichaels

LMichaels

TVWBB 2-Star Olympian
So oldest daughter has indicated she wants a knife sharpener for Christmas (don't ask about late request it's the way it works with us sometimes). I know we hashed a lot of this out before. I know a Worksharp KO would be the "ticket" but I can't afford that for her (spoiled the younger one too much lately (another don't ask but let's just say it's gone WELL into the many hundreds with that one), anyway I thought someone had posted about a reasonable one from Presto (about $60) that did a great job. But all the searching on forums I did could not find it. So I need to know if anyone has bought a decent easy to use one that is mid priced (between $45 to $75).
 
BFletcher said:
You have a good memory. In this thread @Jay D in Jersey spoke to a Presto beginning on post #23: https://tvwbb.com/threads/well-i-did-it.90600/
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And this is the Presto I bought. It's 1000xs better than those POS Chefs Choice machines of which I've owned two in the past and never could get a sharp knife using. Threw the last one in the trash.
I'm a reasonably good cook...not a chef. My wife is Gourmet level and this Presto works great and is easy to use.
Check this out! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00006IUWM/?tag=tvwb-20
 
LMichaels said:
I was thinking a little more toward this one https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000TYBWJ0/?tag=tvwb-20
Though, in the Project Farm video he did not get too impressed with it. Though, he qualified and said it could have been his skill level.
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I guess it depends on how much time and energy one wishes to throw at sharpening kitchen knives. I know I don't like to throw a lot at it...20 minutes every two months perhaps? Either way, the little Presto works great. I bought this one just to keep things up at our beach house and a few times a year I'll bring the Presto down to sharpen the set we have down there. One of the guys here suggested it.
Rada Cutlery Quick Edge Knife Sharpener – Stainless Steel Wheels Made in the USA https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001692XPE/?tag=tvwb-20

It does a good job in between the Presto sharpenings.
 
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Does she have a steel or a hone? If not, do you think you could show her how to use one? My daughters are pretty clumsy when it comes to things like that so I get it...a cheap sharpener and be done with it...but a ceramic hone is a knife's best friend. Heck, some people even use the bottom of a ceramic coffee cup. Some of the hones come with angle guides, too.

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I'll concur with @Jay D in Jersey . The Chef's Choice sharpeners are door stops. I tried a couple and hated the Trizor edge. I'm rather surprised he likes the Presto so much, it looks to be very much in common with a couple of Chef's Choice models, albeit not the cheaper models.

I have an original WorkSharp, and I'm quite happy with it. I have family members who specifically ask me to bring it on visits to sharpen their knives. My brother bought one just to sharpen orchard pruners.
 
Issue is the original type Worksharp are 20deg sharpeners and she's got 15deg knives. Same with me I have a mix. Which is why I got the Ken Onion edition. Otherwise I would grab that one. IDK why Worksharp does not make all their units work with 15deg knives considering how popular they've become
 
JKalchik said:
I'll concur with @Jay D in Jersey . The Chef's Choice sharpeners are door stops. I tried a couple and hated the Trizor edge. I'm rather surprised he likes the Presto so much, it looks to be very much in common with a couple of Chef's Choice models, albeit not the cheaper models.

I have an original WorkSharp, and I'm quite happy with it. I have family members who specifically ask me to bring it on visits to sharpen their knives. My brother bought one just to sharpen orchard pruners.
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@JKalchik ...you're correct in thinking that Presto and CC would be almost the same but it seems there's only so many design concepts for putting a sharp edge on a kitchen knife. The little Presto gets it done with their materials and components...the Chefs Choice doesn't. 3-6 draws through each slot...bingo. Also, I never noticed the metal particles with the Chefs Choice...I heard the contact with the blade but never saw any evidence and there were no ports or cleanouts. The Presto has two.
It just does what it's supposed to do.
 
If you take care of your knives, a good quality knife doesn't need sharpening all that often, and that is my main grievance with the electric knife sharpeners...they remove a lot of material and people use them more often than they are needed. A steel or a hone should be the go-to and if a few strokes doesn't restore an edge, then grab the sharpener. And if you use a sharpener that only sharpens one edge at a time, you will typically end up with a burr on one side that should be removed with a steel or a hone, or it can fold over and act like a dull knife. The problem with steels and hones is knowing and holding the correct angle, so beginners give up on them almost right away. If you haven't tried a ceramic hone with a guide, that may be all she needs.

You mentioned you have a mix of knife angles. I've pretty much standardized on 20deg angles on all my kitchen knives, sure makes life a lot easier.
 
LMichaels said:
BTW, she does have a steel. I THINK she knows how to use it but I also think she mistakes it for a sharpener. I guess I will have to find a tool for her and then educate her
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I don't blame her for confusing honing and sharpening. It's kind of a goofy difference if it's a difference at all. I get that one action removes material and the other "forms" the material without removing any...but both actions produce the same or very similar result...a sharper knife. 99.9988% of people think they are one and the same. I stand with those good people!!
 
Learning how to use one or the other is a life skill that she will need and use the rest of her life. She will tell her grandkids about the time when Dad taught her how to keep her knives sharp.
 
Jay D in Jersey said:
I don't blame her for confusing honing and sharpening. It's kind of a goofy difference if it's a difference at all. I get that one action removes material and the other "forms" the material without removing any...but both actions produce the same or very similar result...a sharper knife. 99.9988% of people think they are one and the same. I stand with those good people!!
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A ceramic hone actually adds "tooth" to a blade, and tooth is what gets the job done when cutting. A polished edge is better for shaving because it doesn't tend to "bite" into the flesh like a toothed edge does. The better ones will specify the grit. This is the one I use:

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Unfortunately I haven't found an angle guide that I like that fits a hone of this size, and I think that is very important for a beginner to help develop muscle memory when learning how to use a hone.

Also, I use a pink rubber eraser to keep the hone clean.
 
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I sharpened my wife's hair-cutting scissors last night. This is an un-honed edge:

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I used the hone on a steak knife this morning. We bought this set maybe 6 months ago and I haven't needed to sharpen them yet. Apparently they are a 15deg angle and like I say, I've standardized on 20deg. Here is what it looks like after a few strokes on the hone.

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That's really all the sharpening a knife needs to bring back an edge.
 

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Norton IM313 Multi-Oilstone Sharpening System

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I have one and it does a nice job of sharpening and once you get the hang of it it’s very fast.

Fwiw
 
Ed P said:
Learning how to use one or the other is a life skill that she will need and use the rest of her life. She will tell her grandkids about the time when Dad taught her how to keep her knives sharp.
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A handy skill for sure, but low on the list of priority life skills for sure. There are dozens stacked in front of it.
Or she just gets a decent, easy to use knife sharpener that makes the task a simple and quick one.
 
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