Well I did it!


 
LMichaels said:
Well I did it. I ordered myself a Worksharp Ken Onion sharpener. I sure hope it's as good as all of you say it is :D
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One thing that I truly can't seem to dial in...sharpening knives. I get them OK with this but often wonder if I'm doing it correctly.
 

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Jay D in Jersey said:
One thing that I truly can't seem to dial in...sharpening knives. I get them OK with this but often wonder if I'm doing it correctly.
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Yeah, don't feel bad. I have the same knife sharpener and the same problem. Sometimes I get great results, and others I feel like I just made the knives duller somehow. I think it's all in the technique.
 
Go real easy with that. I underestimated one years ago and gave some of my Henckels a swoop, as it can’t quite reach the edge by the tang. Not good, and they’ve since been replaced. I went to using stones, but I’m not very talented with those either, so I only do it when absolutely necessary, and suppose I over-rely on my honing steel.
 
Project Farm has a review of knife sharpeners. I went with a Lansky and it works well for smaller knives but ultimately I 3D printed a Leading Edge variation that works extremely well. I can now sharpen knives and scissors razor sharp, which is a huge plus for me. I'm leery of sharpening machines because it is so easy to ruin a good knife...a guided system takes longer but is very much more controllable and only removes a minimal amount of metal. But you've made your choice so practice, practice, practice! No doubt the Ken Onion is a great sharpener in the right hands, just not mine!
 
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Jay D in Jersey said:
Yeah. Surprisingly little out there in terms of how to videos for it.
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Something like this ($7) is helpful to examine the edge you are putting on. Likely you are ending up with a burr on one side of the blade that needs to be removed. Also, if the stone is too coarse, the edge will end up being all chipped up (you'll see it).

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If you really want to get into it, a USB microscope will help.


.
 
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LMichaels said:
Well I did it. I ordered myself a Worksharp Ken Onion sharpener. I sure hope it's as good as all of you say it is :D
Click to expand...
You won't regret it!
I love mine. Practice with a couple old knives. The only issue that I have is that it can put scratches on the blade. Not sure why. Physics? In any case, I knew that before buying and reading reviews. I can confirm, that it can, and will, scratch the blade.
I put painters tape on the blade, leaving the edges exposed to sharpen. Works like a charm.

Some people say to be careful, because overuse can take off too much metal. Maybe but bear in mind, that high quality knives, made for professional kitchens, are designed to be used daily, for hours at a time and really hold an edge. I'm guessing that you won't be using your knives as frequently as the professionals and won't have to sharpen them as frequently. YMMV
 
Well it arrived today. Odd deal I got. Seller sold it for $70 with extra belt set brand new but not in original box. Obvious it was never used but couldn't pass the deal. Tried it on an el cheapo steak knife that likely could not cut butter. Did a few strokes with regular coarse grit belt (not the Xtra coarse), and followed up with 3 strokes on each side with the medium belt. Sliced through paper like a hot knife through butter. I know I could do better but pretty steep learning curve though
 
Me as well. I have a Chef's Choice. Either it's a POS or I am. I have tried stones, manual pull through, rods, name it. All I do is wreck beautiful knives. This thing is fast, seems even I can actually put an edge on something with it. I will not put my high end knives through it until I can feel assured I can put a quality edge on them. I tried one steak knife. Not serrated and I did not pay a lot for them. So we shall see. Stay tuned
 
If you look at the back of my left hand and wrist, you can tell when I've been sharpening our knives...all the hair has been shaved off. I struggled with sharpening by hand, I bought a Chef's Choice 20 years ago and now most of my blades have a recurve, but I finally found knife sharpening utopia with a guided system. The key? Consistency. Keeping a constant angle throughout the entire length of the blade. No matter how you do it, that's what it takes. Once properly sharpened, a hone (steel or ceramic) will restore the edge so don't reach for the sharpener every time the knife feels dull like I used to do. A dozen or so strokes on a hone (I have a guide on that, too) and I have a nice toothy edge that I refine with a leather strop just because I can actually sharpen a knife now!

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Here is a knife sharpened many times with a Chef's Choice. I don't know if it shows up, but you can see the consistent edge put on with a guided system. This knife looks like hell but it is razor sharp.
 
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Oh yeah I know about honing. But after a lot of use actual sharpening is in order and I have failed miserably at it. In 5 minutes with the Worksharp I did better than I did with years and years of other methods and practice.
 
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