Best knife sharpeners according to redditors

No recipe really. If you have a grill, top rack whole boneless breasts seasoned with your favorites. I love using smoke pellets or wood chips for extra flavor.

My recommendation for making your life easier is to get a simple digital food thermometer so you don't over cook meats. And get good knives. It's crazy to me how many people own knives that can't cut.[Victirinox Fibrox handled] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004IEBTZ4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_brOgybF3RE15E) are amazing in my opinion. For ~$100 you can get a set of 4. I use mine daily and LOVE them, it's not even that expensive when you consider their utility.

When you cook your meats you can bake or grill them. Let them cool then use a serrated blade to get nice thin, smooth slices. Also bear in mind it doesn't HAVE to be paper thin like the deli. Flavors are what's important. I have found that when I use the wood chips or smoke on the grill I get that nice exterior that seems to help hold the slice together and packs in tons of flavor. Don't be afraid to season.


*Edit - dayum! This got a little bigger than I expected. I just wanted to note that in the picture you see my chefs knife that I used to slice. Someone mentioned the serrated blade will tear the meat - this may be true but with my Victorinox I haven't had any issues. The blade is very thin. Also these knives are incredibly sharp. I accidentally removed the corner of my thumb when i first got them. I use this [Wusthof knife sharpener] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003TWNZ08/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_lPWgybG5MC9QY) to maintain when it's needed.

A good electric knife sharpener is better than not knowing how to effectively use a whetstone. Furthermore, I see no reason to ever learn how to use a whetstone once you have a good electric sharpener. I understand that whetstones can get your knives sharper than an electric sharpener, but for daily kitchen use, that razor edge is going to wear very quickly; honing will only go so far. Some of the top-tier whetstones can be pretty expensive as well.

Edit: this is the sharpener I use

Chef’sChoice 15 Trizor XV EdgeSelect Professional Electric Knife Sharpener for Straight and Serrated Knives Diamond Abrasives Patented Sharpening System Made in USA, 3-Stage, Gray https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0018RSEMU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_zdiZCb1XB37BJ

I worked in a lot of high end scratch restaurants. I had a Hattori HD 9.4" gyuto that I used as a daily prep knife. I always kept it sharpened on my natural whetstones. I walk back into the kitchen one day and a server had grabbed it to cut lemons. He was "sharpening" it with a tabletop sharpener. I lost my shit on that guy.

A few weeks later I walked back into the kitchen and the same guy had taken the Sous chef's 8" MAC gyuto and was stabbing at a container of frozen strawberries. That was enough. I let loose on the guy and told him to get the fuck out of my kitchen. I talked to the GM and he was never allowed past the kitchen doors again. He literally had to ask the dishwashers to grab stuff for him.

In my opinion, ceramic is crap. It is VERY sharp, and relatively cheap. But the sharpness and edge retention comes at the price of brittleness too. (Steel can get brittle too if it is taken to a very high hardness.)

You know what else is VERY sharp, and is a fair price and will last you a lifetime? Good steel knives. Opinions differ, but I really like Japanese knives. Here's a good example from Tojiro, my favorite bang-for-the-buck knife brand (the DP line specifically.) I've had mine for 10 years and it's never let me down.

Tojiro DP Gyutou - 8.2" (21cm) by Tojiro http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000UAPQGS/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_PZFktb025ZKNT

If you get the Tojiro or something else, this is, in my opinion, the only knife sharpening method to consider. My Japanese wet stones have been collecting dust since this thing arrived 2 years ago.

Tri-Angle Sharpmaker by Spyderco http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000Q9C4AE/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_42Fktb1S4K15V

If you want that mirror polished edge you'll want to pick up a Ultra Fine Triangle Stone to go with it.

I'd trade 20 ceramic knives for one Tojiro and a Sharpmaker.

Source: Professional chef for 15 years (so far)

I would highly recommend the victorinox as a first knife. It's a great knife and it's cheap. There are better knives in the world, but none I've met give you a better quality:money ratio. Learn with the victorinox - your first knife will take some abuse as you learn how to control it, and it's better to ding up a $30 knife than one that costs $100+.

Keeping your knife sharp is also a high priority. I would also recommend getting a knife sharpener like the Accusharp. You can run this over your knife a few times after each use and it will stay in top condition. This will take the guesswork out of sharpening. For a pricier knife, I wouldn't recommend actually sharpening a knife after every use since it takes off a tiny bit of metal each time, but the victorinox is cheap enough that this is not a major concern; you could sharpen it after every use for a few years before destroying the knife, which is more than enough time for you to learn knife skills.

Once you have more experience, you can buy a butcher's steel and a sharpening stone to perfect your sharpening technique which will be easier on your knife, and eventually you can splurge on a fantastic knife based on what feels comfortable to you. But starting off, the victorinox and the accusharp are a great, affordable kit that will put you leaps and bounds ahead of what most people actually have.

In case anyone has wondered, this works, but not nearly as well as a much cheaper one from ebay/amazon.

This is what's considered the coarse sharpener on one of those cheap ones, then it has a finer ceramic one that is much better at getting that perfect edge (albeit temporarily).

So just buy something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Smiths-CCKS-2-Step-Knife-Sharpener/dp/B00032S02K/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1405649926&sr=8-6

Yes, yes, it's horrible this idea. You can get some honing steel for less than $20 which is harder than your knife and won't destroy the blade.

This only hones (straightens) the blade which should be done every few weeks of usage, while sharpening, which removes some of the metal, should be done every year or so.

*wording

I copied my comment from another thread where I listed what he used that I could identify below. If you have any questions about technique I would be happy to try and answer them!

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He's using a couple of things.

First, the white liquid is just some regular kitchen cleaner with a mild abrasive like soft scrub.

Next, the black whetstone looks like a welsh slate which is a type of natural whetstone. Could easily be something else, especially since welsh slates are usually rather high grit, but that was the first that came to mind. It could also be an oilstone, but they don't usually get muddy like the one he used did. Those are the only black whetstones I know of.

After the black stone he uses a rust eraser.

Next, the green block is honing compound. Green compound is usually around 1 micron.

Next, the progression of stones are all Shapton Pros.

Finally, he strops on this overprice Bob Kramer strop block.

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What he's actually doing:

1. Scrubbing with cleaner to remove some of the rust
   
   
2. "Muddy" whetstone to remove more of the rust. Muddy stones work out unevenness in the blade.
   
   
3. Rust eraser to remove even more rust and give the start of a consistent finish
   
   
4. Green honing compound which he's using as a metal polish (which it effectively is)
   
   
5. Regular whetstone sharpening with a progression of 2k, 5k, 12k (Shaptons are color coded)
   
   
6. Leather strop

I am too lazy to learn how to use a whetstone and whatnot, so I got this thing. It's $8, easy to use, and works pretty well at making my 10-year-old Ikea knives usable.

>a whetting stone

Well, that's problem 1, IMHO. If your single stone is too rough, you'll never get a good edge. If it is too fine and your knife is dull, you'll never remove enough metal. Do you know the grit of your stone?

You probably need 4 surfaces to get a knife really sharp. A coarse stone to repair a nicked or damaged blade, and a few more successively finer stones/strops. Get one of these and some of this on an old belt, and you'll have the right tools.

Now, for feel. Yes, there is a very specific feel and sound when you are doing it right. To find the right angle, place your knife edge on the stone, and slowly rotate to the side, pivoting on the edge. At some point, you'll find a second point of contact on your bevel, and then your knife will rotate around that bevel, lifting the edge. Go back to where you found 2 points of contact. You want the knife resting on those 2 pivot points - that's the angle of the grind of your knife, and that's the angle you want to hold the knife at when you sharpen it.

If you sharpen at the correct angle, the knife will move smoothly along the surface (unless your stone is really rough), and it should make a hissing-type sound, not unlike what you hear in a movie when someone pulls a knife out of a holster. You won't get a good hiss if your stone is too rough though.

What kind of grind do these knives have? If they are hollow ground, you can't recreate that on a flat stone, take the knives to a pro sharpener with the right tools. Are they "scandi," flat, or high flat? If they are, they'll be extra easy to find the right angle. If they are convex, you'll probably have to work the 'hardest' to find the right angle, but just look for the sound and feel feedback.

This sounds daunting, but it really is a task that takes an hour to learn and a lifetime to master. Even with just an hour of the proper technique down, and the right tools, you should be able to get any blade to go from crap to tomato slicing in 20 minutes or less.

The Spyderco Sharpmaker is a great knife sharpener to use. I believe it has 15 and 20 degree angles.

There is an alternative(and cheaper) Lansky Turnbox That sharpens at 20 and 25 degree angles. These two systems are great to travel with.

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If you want a beginner sharpening system you could get a Lansky System but if you ever get higher end steels you will need to upgrade to Diamond system. You will also need to get a Lansky mount or clamp. It also has a wide variety of accessories and stones.

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You can also get Fixed angle knife shapener that is like an apex edge. If uses the same stone size so you could order upgraded plate sets at a cheap price.

The system that I have been using is the 5th Gen Sharpener. It uses the same stones and plate size as an Apex as well. The only downside is the that it takes forever to arrive from china.

A good chef's knife will likewise cut through ligaments and muscle quite well. I have the Victorinox chef's knife I got off Amazon and highly recommend it. Get one of these to keep them sharp.

Professional Chef here.

First off, you really only need the chef knife. Butcher knife can do pretty much everything that the chef knife can do besides the detail work. It's going to come down to preference.

Second, BIFL quality of a knife is going to depend on what you're using it for. If you're just using a chef knife for your everyday knife in your own personal kitchen, then it could potentially last you for the rest of your life. If you're using it for commercial purposes then it's only going to last as long as 3-10 years depending on the quality of the knife due to sharpening.

Third, as for sharpening is concerned depending on what kind of metal you are working with and how often you use the knife, you're probably going to need to sharpen every month-3 months. I work in a commercial kitchen and I sharpen my knife every week at least, sometimes twice a week.

Most people will tell you that something like this works just fine for sharpening your knife, but I find that they don't hold an edge for very long and the quality of the edge is sub par. Personally I use this and it gets me a RAZOR sharp edge every time. If you can shave your arm with one pass then you did it right. Just watch some youtube videos on how to sharpen a knife using wet stones and you'll be a pro in no time.

Keep your knives sharp! A sharp knife may cut you easier, but it is safer than a dull knife. The reason being is the amount of PRESSURE you apply to the object your cutting. A sharp knife will give little resistance and wont need as much pressure as a dull knife. So if you do cut yourself it will be with very little pressure as opposed to SMASHING a dull knife into your flesh. It's a bad time, trust me.

Anyway, stay stafe, have fun, and enjoy your knives.

i have a used EdgePro jig system that works well for me. It's very simple to use and doesn't require the steep learning curve of freehand sharpening on Japanese waterstones. You can even buy a cheap Chinese knockoff on Amazon. I use a ceramic MAC honing rod to keep my blades at 90% between sharpenings. You could also follow it up with mousepad abrasive stroping if you really wanted to get it close to 100%.

This is what I've used that either I've had for over a decade or else is obviously of good quality. Much of these have already been mentioned. You still have to know how to care for this stuff. Just because it can last your whole life, you can make it almost unusable if you don't know how to cook and abuse it.

1. Cast iron - keep it seasoned, never use dish soap, never put it in the dishwasher, never drop it on the floor.
   
   
2. All-Clad and Calphalon stainless pans - never burn the pan with too high heat (only low to slightly medium heat in stainless pans) and never use a metal scouring pad to clean them. Use a sponge and Barkeepers Friend if they get some tough grime on them.
   
   
3. I have some enameled cast iron that I like very much and use for braising. It's just awesome. But I'm sure that it will chip if I drop it or flake if I overheat it (400 degree max for Lodge, LeCreuset doesn't have a max temp). So I just don't drop it or overheat it.
   
   
4. You will want to invest in some good knives. They aren't cheap. You will need to learn how to maintain them and how to sharpen them, otherwise you can ruin them too. But any good knife, if properly maintained will last a lifetime. I decided that my price point, the sweet spot where I got the most performance for my money, was with the Global and Mac brands. They are excellent. You will need to buy a couple of good water sharpening stones from Chosera or King, and a good honing steel like a Henkel.

The sharpeners you mention tend to do more damage than good. They are stripping metal from your knife. You do not want to do that often, only to give it an edge. A knife that seems blunt is not always missing an edge. More often it is just misaligned. That is what the honing steel is for. You can get a Wusthof one at Amazon for $24.

So get your knives professionally sharpened and maintain it with the honing steel. If you want to learn how to sharpen a knife, use a cheap one. Since you only need to sharpen once a year or so, you should not be practicing on your good knives.

Here is an Alton Brown video about knives maintenance.

Edit: Here is what will happen to your knife if you use those counter sharpeners too much: http://www.memagnus.com/wp/?p=71

OK, but a Lansky sharpening set costs about $25, doesn't require cutting and gluing sandpaper to sticks, is probably easier than this and controls the edge angle accurately.

I'd recommend a victorinox 8" chef knife with fibrox handle, like this http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Swiss-8-Inch-Fibrox-Straight/dp/B008M5U1C2

From the same brand, I'd grab a bread knife, a paring knife, and maybe a 6 inch utility. That will cover 99% of anyone's knife needs.

Then grab a sharpener. This kind works well: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00004VWKQ/ref=pd_aw_sims_5?pi=SS115&simLd=1

You see a lot of hate for this type of sharpener around here because it removes more material than a stone. However- for someone who doesn't want to spend a ton of time and money using special water stones and sharpening jigs, it gets the job done very well. We used them in the restaurant kitchens I worked at. Quick and easy.

You might also get a honing steel.

Keeping knives sharp can be as simple or involved a process as you want. Being a master sharpener is not a prerequisite to being a good cook.

I don't work as a professional chef or nothing, just chopping onions at home. I've been using this cheapo sharpener with the same victorinox for about 18 months now:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004VWKQ/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Believe it or not my knife hasn't exploded or anything. Still the sharpest knife have ever owned and haven't had trouble cutting anything so far.

I like to focus on cooking in the kitchen. Not spending two hours interpreting some youtube nerd honing a 600 dollar japanese blade that I'm just gonna slice a carrot with.

Roommates and storage will likely do more damage to your knives than any sharpener ever will.

this is a cheap version of his set up.

You should get one of these. It's how I sharpen my gold dollar. Gets shit wicked sharp, you can tell cause it gets good reviews on Amazon.

Y'ALL this thing is $6 and was the best purchase I've EVER made. I was an idiot and didn't hone or sharpen my knives for 8 years of consistent cooking. I finally realized what a moron I was when they were so dull they hardly cut lettuce anymore, and I was resigned for paying a ton of money to get them sharpened. I was actually googling a place to take them to when that showed up as a first result. I said to myself, I know this won't work, but it's only $6 so I guess I should just try it. And I'm serious, my knives are like brand new. I realize that I sound like an infommericial, and I have no affiliation with this product, I promise, hahaha. It's honestly just that amazing. My practically-destroyed knives only took 5-6 swipes on the dull side and then 3-4 swipes on the fine side for them to be sharpened, and now every 4th or 5th time I use a knife I just swipe it through the fine side 2-3 times. I've gotten everyone I know who cooks to buy one, haha.

I know you said you don't have money for a sharpener, but a sharpening rod is pretty cheap, and will help it stay sharp for a while. He might want to pick one up in a month or two if he notices the sharpness lessening. I've used that knife for years and I wouldn't worry about it rusting or breaking or anything. It's a great knife and can take a decent beating. I'd just make sure to tell him to only use it on wood or plastic cutting boards or the blade will dull pretty quickly.

This is my favorite knife. I took a knife skills class years ago, and this is what the instructor recommended. I've been really happy with it. Pick up a handheld sharpener (I like this one) to sharpen it every couple weeks!

Full knife sets are a scam. You don’t need two different size chef knives and a santoku, you don’t need a serrated paring knife, or any of that crap. You’ll never use them and they’ll just sit there in your knife block, and you will have spent 50% of your money on knives you never touch. Here’s all you need, in your price range:

A henckels 8 inch chef knife - https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00004RFMT/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1510433354&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=henckels+chef+knife+8&dpPl=1&dpID=31OX1pDMIvL&ref=plSrch. you’ll use this for 90% of the things you cut. Veggies, meat, whatever.

A tojiro bread slicer. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001TPA816/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1510433463&sr=8-6&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=bread+knife&dpPl=1&dpID=312P9gZ10AL&ref=plSrch. this thing will eat through crusty breads, tough squashes, pineapples, etc, and you can also use it to cut paper thin tomato slices with those sharp teeth. It’s good quality and cheap, I just bought one myself and love it. I accidentally cut my dish brush and a cloth when washing and drying it the first time. That’s how sharp it is.

A victorinox paring knife. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0019WXPQY/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1510433648&sr=8-1-spons&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=victorinox+paring&psc=1 - for when you need to do fine cutting work

If you have a good reason, you might add a boning knife or something like that, but these 3 knives are all I use 99.9% of the time. The only other thing to add is a sharpener and honing steel to keep them sharp.

If you’re not a professional chef, you can get away with a cheap (decent) knife sharpener like this one - https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00004VWKQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1510433817&sr=8-10&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=knife+sharpener&dpPl=1&dpID=41bRTplVVXL&ref=plSrch]

You don’t need to spend a bunch of time and money on stones to sharpen your knives properly unless you’re super interested in that sort of thing. Use this sharpener once every few weeks or so and it’ll keep your knives sharp enough to get everything done.

If I were starting a new kitchen from scratch, those are exactly what I’d buy to get started. Treat them well and sharpen them occasionally (except the bread slicer, it’s hard to sharpen but cheap enough to replace every few years when it starts to dull), and they’ll last you a long time.

I've heard that the best way to do it is to just take them to a professional. If you're not willing to do that, America's Test Kitchen raves about this knife sharpener. I bought one over Christmas and used it on all of mine. It seems like it has made a difference, and $8 isn't too much to spend if you're worried about the longevity of the product. It even sharpens serrated blades (I never understood how I was supposed to sharpen or hone that blade).

I love the Victorinox knives! And I'd suggest getting a cheap honing steel to go along with it (linked below). Hone every few times you use it, it will keep the knife cutting very well. I'd say you only need 1 paring knife and 1 chef's knife as long as you don't mind washing them once or twice during preparation.

I may get crucified for this, but I love the cutco's 8" chef's knife. Free sharpening for life from the factory (just pay shipping) and they are still sharp as hell after 10 years (with honing and maintenance). I've even had drunk friends in college throw it into the wall - I woke up to it sticking out of the drywall. Nice suckers.

http://www.amazon.com/J-A-Henckels-9-Inch-Sharpening-Steel/dp/B00004RFMA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374249149&sr=8-1&keywords=honing+steel

Oh goodie, I get to banter on about my preferences first.

My thoughts on the three sets you linked to, don't get them. If you absolutely must get a set of knives, you picked a great brand, but in my opinion all sets have knives you likely won't need and weird sizes to boot. I like a larger Chef and bread knife than is offered in any of those sets.

If I were to start over from scratch on a budget these are the knives I would absolutely have to get, in order of importance.

1. Victorinox 10-Inch Chef's Knife ($27)
   
2. Victorinox 3 1/4-Inch pairing Knife ($6)
   
3. Victorinox 10 1/4-Inch bread Knife ($27)
   
4. Victorinox steel ($17)
   
   If you are a meat eater, I am not, you probably will want a fillet knife as well ($20).
   
   If I had only these knives I would be able to do 100% of the things I need to do. I use these knives nearly every day at home and in a professional setting. They have few drawbacks and many wonderful qualities. I have large hands and love the handles, so I would imagine that would be a non-issue. However getting your hands actually on a knife is a great thing to do before you buy one a.
   
   The only caution I have about Victorinox is that their santoku knife isn't all that wonderful. I use a wusthof santoku and it is ok for limited things, like intricate carving of vegetables where a pulling cut is useful, but a rarely used knife in general.
   
   I would recommend putting them on a magnetic, wall mounted knife holder. I searched for one that I thought looked cool, and the magnet works almost too well, but I love the thing. Alternatively, if you really have to take up counter space, you could go with one of the Kapoosh Universal Knife Blocks that will help you keep your knives sharp and allow your collection to grow and change over the years.
   
   For keeping those knives sharp I would recommend skipping the professional sharpener and getting one of these for $10. If you use your steel every time you use your knifes you should only need to sharpen them 2-4 times per year with heavy home use, more for thinner knives.
   
   I do not like straight wood for a number of reasons. First and foremost after a long period of usage the wood will get shitty. It will splinter, possibly separate from the tang, etc. if left in water or just after a period of washings. Once it gets in this shape all sorts of fun bacteria creep into those crevices. Plus they are more expensive. The only wood handled knives I have are some sort of composite wood with plastic and they are ok. Like the handle, if you can get your hands on some it would be a good idea.
   
   All of the aforementioned knives and accessories could be had for a total around $130-ish on Amazon. You could supplement them with a few things like a santoku, a shorter Chef's knife, or shears (Here's a santoku/shears combo that would be good).
   
   I think the above should cover all your bases, but feel free to ask if you have any further questions. Congrats on the engagement, you poor bastard.

I've got this one: AccuSharp 001 Knife Sharpener https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004VWKQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_NTeSzb2HN6E3P which was recommended by America's Test Kitchen. While I like the idea of getting a sharpening stone, lol. I do not have time for that. I also don't sharpen my knife frequently - honing frequently is much more important based on what I've read. (Please note I am far from a professional.)

Knife sharpening is one of those lifetime skills that's easy to learn and a sharpening stone is a buy it for life purchase. Here's the stone I use. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00062BIT4/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1464700510&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=tristone+knife+sharpener&dpPl=1&dpID=41sUVj-ZpJL&ref=plSrch

Lansky Sharpening System with Stand

Amazon

YouTube

Do it yourself from now on. https://www.amazon.com/Spyderco-Tri-Angle-Sharpmaker-Sharpener-204MF/dp/B000Q9C4AE

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idiot proof and super sharp results

Yes thank you. Someone else also suggested a bread knife which seems like a good idea because he often likes to make us garlic bread from scratch. I'm thinking this one would be good and match what we already have. Does that look good to you?

And I'll definitely check out some wet stones. How difficult are they to learn to use? And what is the difference between a wet stone and one of these?

And is there anything else I can buy him to maintain his knives? Like I know he oils our cast iron skillet and stuff, but other than hand washing the knives I never really see him do anything else with them.

My generic advice when I see people using folding knives for food prep (some or all of it may be inapplicable to you):

• Buy a Victorinox Fibrox 8-inch chef's knife;
  
  
• Keep it razor sharp with almost no effort on a Spyderco Sharpmaker;*
  
  
• Learn how to hold the knife properly (generally use the blade grip, not the handle grip);
  
  
• Learn some knife skills.
  
  Now you're all set.
  
  *The Sharpmaker is especially easy on things like kitchen knives, which generally start with an edge angle lower than the device's 40-degree setting. This makes creating and maintaining a microbevel very quick and simple.
  
  

https://www.amazon.com/Spyderco-Tri-Angle-Sharpmaker-Sharpener-204MF/dp/B000Q9C4AE/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?keywords=spyderco+sharpmaker&qid=1566515206&s=gateway&sprefix=spyder&sr=8-5
Or


https://www.amazon.com/Lansky-4-rod-Turn-Knife-Sharpener/dp/B000B8FW0E/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=lansky+turnbox&qid=1566515237&s=gateway&sr=8-1

Spyderco Sharpmaker is a great option.

Relatively inexpensive, effective (especially for quick touch ups) and easy to use.

Spyderco Sharpmaker


https://www.amazon.com/Spyderco-Triangle-Sharpmaker-Knife-Sharpener/dp/B000Q9C4AE/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1C5MUORV48NG&keywords=spyderco+sharpmaker&qid=1551234732&s=gateway&sprefix=spyderco+sha%2Caps%2C184&sr=8-1

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Easy to learn, easy to use. Additionally, I have their triangle-shaped 3rd tier, ultra-fine ceramics.


This works very well for "mirror finishing" blades. Complete overkill but sharpening with this system is like practicing zen buddhism:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004H5LQSE/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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Truth be told, if you don't enjoy sharpening blades find a local guy who does this. Before I got that system I found a dude on Craislist who you could drop your knives in a drop outside his house. Three days later he would have them in a locker for you. Never met him / her. Butchers are another option, they do this for a living and they HAVE to sharpen their knives. Tip him a few bucks.

I'd recommend two pieces for your knife maintenance. A waterstone, for sharpening. And a ceramic honer. I also use two cheap mercer knife guards to keep the edges safe when transporting. With a bit of practice you can get scary sharp edges from a waterstone, just make sure you keep a very consistent angle.

Shun Premier Chef's Knife, 8-Inch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003B66YKA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i1YKAbBGNT9GB

And it’s on sale

If it is something like this device, you should stop using it. Carbide blade sharpeners tear off metal and leaves a poor edge. It will feel sharp because it leaves a ragged biting edge which dulls quickly.

https://www.amazon.com/W%C3%BCsthof-2-Stage-Hand-Held-Sharpener/dp/B003TWNZ08/

A professional knife sharpener will be able to bring it back to full performance.

Sure. Those sharpeners are great for really dull edges, but aren't appropriate for regular use.

The carbide teeth make an arbitrary angle on each side of the blade even though the cutting edge still has a fixed profile. They also remove an arbitrary amount of material down the edge depending on how you hold the knife and how hard you press.

Over time, the shape of the blade literally changes and it often ends up "cupping" a cutting board so it won't chop flat any more. Or the heel gets extended, or the tip angle flattens. The cutting teeth also have a tendency to chip stainless steel knives.

As well, many knives are differentially hardened on the edges, so you want to avoid removing material from the edge as much as possible, even if your technique is perfect.

I got this one for free with a knife

And my M-I-L has this one

They work well as long as you give your knives a quick swipe or two after every use. The carbide jaws are just used to establish the initial edge profile. The material removal rate is way too high for regular use.

For any type of sharpener like that it's critical that you don't use a lot of pressure with the ceramic rods or you'll damage the rods and it will gradually perform less and less well.

Seriously, never use that sharpener on a decent knife or chisel.

Your best bet is to spend $30 on these:

https://www.amazon.com/Lansky-Standard-Coarse-Sharpening-System/dp/B000B8L6LI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479753836&sr=8-1&keywords=lansky+sharpener+3

and

https://www.amazon.com/Lansky-LM007-Pedestal-Mount/dp/B000B8FVZU/ref=pd_sim_200_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B000B8FVZU&pd_rd_r=TRQ6T2FNKG7E9CQ802BJ&pd_rd_w=4AJAQ&pd_rd_wg=hGHaO&psc=1&refRID=TRQ6T2FNKG7E9CQ802BJ

Start with cheap knives you don't care about, and find your way through the learning curve until you are happy and consistent in your results. The good news is that everything you learn here will be useful for any other knife sharpening method you decide to use later.

Use a black sharpie marker to darken the edge of the knife so you can see exactly where the stone is cutting the steel. This makes it much easier to troubleshoot when things aren't working. Also, use a light touch - harder strokes do not really cut any faster, they just chew up the stones. Press about as hard as you do when you brush your teeth.

Smith's CCD4 3 IN 1 Field Sharpening System https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000N35D2E/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_MFzCDbVFFHA9R

Smith field stones are shaped like a tear drop so you have a corner like the spider co if you don’t want to spend that much.

Also the pocket sharpeners have a cone diamond rod specifically for serrations:

Smith's PP1 Pocket Pal Multifunction Sharpener, Grey https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000O8OTNC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_.GzCDb632PH6Z

Or my personal preferred the pen style:

Smith's DRET Diamond Retractable Sharpener https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001910FOA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_YHzCDbBX4VWRS

To add to the good sharp knives, a good, easy to use knife sharpener even good knives get dull eventually!

I second all of this. The R H Forschner by Victorinox are the best knives you can buy for the money, bar none. For $25, you get a chef's knife that's functionally the equal of just about anything else out there. It's a no brainer, and Cook's Illustrated recommended. You only really need 2 knives to start with; the chef's knife and a paring knife. A long serrated bread knife would be the 3rd, then you can go crazy after you learn to use those 3. I find a boning knife to be rather useful if you're cookin' a lot of meats.

I do not, however, recommend the rosewood handled ones. The "plastic" (AKA Fibrox) handles on the Fibrox Forschner's are more comfortable, and safer because they are much more slip resistant. Kitchen knives are tools, not decorations!

EDIT: And pick up the matching steel, and the best home sharpener you can buy: The Accusharp 001 for $10. Now we're talking frugality and function!

Hone! http://www.amazon.com/Smiths-TRI-6-Arkansas-TRI-HONE-Sharpening/dp/B00062BIT4

I think the most idiot-proof sharpening methods are either the Lansky System or the Spyderco Sharpmaker.

I own both and I must say that I prefer the Sharpmaker more. It gets you to a shaving sharp edge in minutes. The Lansky takes more time but I think you will be able to get a sharper edge. More time meaning maybe hours for the initial reprofile.

If you want to learn to freehand, the Smith's Arkansas Tri-Hone is a cheap way to go to experiment. It gives you two decent sized Arkansas stones and a synthetic stone for just over $20.

Smith's Tri-6, $22

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000O8OTNC/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1450204444&sr=8-1&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=smiths+knife+sharpener&dpPl=1&dpID=418q7JUIv2L&ref=plSrch

If you really want to get a block set then try the Victorinox 7 piece set. But honestly building your own is better.

• Get a universal block like this or this. Avoid wooden blocks, they may look nice but sooner or later unseen crud is going to build up. The Polymer blocks can be taken apart and the insides cleaned out.
  
  
• Victorinox 8 in Chef's Knife best bang for your buck ~$35
  
  
• Mercer Bread 10 in Bread Knife ~$17
  
  
• Victorinox Paring Knife ~ $9. Wusthof is supposed to be better but I'm not spending $40 for a paring knife.
  
  
• Kitchen shears depends on what you are going to do. Light duty shears get a Victorinox Classic ~$14. You'll be able to do all kitchen tasks and occasionally break down a chicken. If you plan to break down chickens more than occasionally then get a Shun Kitchen Shears ~$70. If you plan to break down chickens often then get dedicated heavy duty chicken shears (can't help you with that) and a Victorinox for the light stuff.
  
  
• Get a sharpener. If you're willing to learn how to sharpen get a Spyderco Sharpmaker and a cut resistant glove, if not get a Chef's Choice 4643. The Chef's Choice is a poor 2nd choice I urge you to get a Spyderco, but DO NOT forget the cut resistant glove. Most people after they get good at sharpening become less paranoid about cutting themselves and that's when they cut themselves.
  
  
• Get a honing steel any will do but I like the Wustof 9 in it's magnetic so it'll pick up any metal dust even though I always wipe my knife on a damp towel. Honing and sharpening do two different things. You should hone often, sharpen rarely.
  
  Here is something from r/ATKgear if you want another opinion.
  
  

The Spyderco Sharpmaker is an easy way to get a nice edge. It is pricey at $56, but it should last you for years and years, and you can sharpen damn near anything with it, including scissors, chisels, awls, fishhooks, etc.

Also, /r/knives would be a better place to get answers to this question.

Get those dull shitty knives sharpened. Most flea markets will have a knife guy there that sharpens knives for $2-3 a piece. A simple, cheap sharpener like this can do wonders for keeping them in good shape. If you really want to get into sharpening your knives then get a set of whet stones (coarse and fine or coarse, fine, and ultra fine) and learn to put an edge on them. It takes a bit of learning at first but isn’t a terribly complicated skill.

i'm probably going to get run out of town with pitchforks, if they catch me then it's into the gibbet - but one of these cheap pull-through knife sharpeners has served me fine for years. they are 100% the easiest way to do it but some considerations:

1. it works by stripping off metal from the blade, which will reduce the life of your blade. i've been using it on the same victorinox 8" blade as you, though. i sharpen it a couple times a month, i cook nearly every meal, and it's been fine for two years - i haven't really noticed any degradation
   
2. it's never going to be as sharp as doing it the 'right way' but it will make it sharp enough, and it'll be far better than a dull blade - we're trying to prevent knife accidents here
   
3. don't do this on a nice knife, if you are the kind of person who wants to fetishize having a $300 japanese knife that you are going to keep for the rest of your life, then yeah i would recommend learning correct technique
   
   stay tuned for my next posts on how it's okay to use a little soap on your cast iron, how de-seeding your peppers is not worth the effort, and other contrarian takes for the adequate home chef

I just bought myself this knife and it literally makes me happy every time I use it. I'm no chef, and this is definitely overkill, but I treat it really nicely so I know it will last years.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008EKY5OA/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1517840587&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=lansky+sharpening&dpPl=1&dpID=4129lmMov3L&ref=plSrch

First off, everyone should read this before spending a good bit on a knife:

Honestly, at that price you should consider the aesthetics you liket, because diminishing return to quality sets in pretty quick at around $70 then again around $120-$130.

This is a really solid value Knife, though I'm kinda meh on the handle:

If you pair it regularly with this guy: if will outperform a way more expensive knife with poor upkeep.

I would pick up a Spyderco Sharpmaker - it's fairly foolproof to use, and the basic set will take care of most sharpening needs, though it's not great with really messed up edges (though you can buy coarser diamond rods to use as well.) I've been using it for a few years now, and it's taken care of hundreds of resharpenings for me without problem.

Here are my personal essentials.

• Spyderco Delica 4: $60 VG-10 steel, comes in tons of colors
  
• Spyderco Endura 4: Larger version of Delica
  
• Morakniv Companion: $12-$20 A really awesome fixed blade, outperforms knives triple it's price.
  
• Victorinox Tinker: $20-25 classic swiss army knife, really great quality in general. Lots of tools but not too many so it's easily pocket carried.
  
• Victorinox Cadet: Smaller Swiss Army Knife, aluminum handles. Lots of colors.
  
• Kershaw Cryo, or Cryo 2: $20-40 steel frame lock, Hinderer design, good price, tons of colors. The Cryo 2 is the same as the Cryo just larger.
  
• Ontaro Rat 1 or 2: $25-30 Classically shaped folders with a very rugged build for a liner lock. The 2 is a smaller version of the 1.
  
  Also, you're going to want a sharpening system that works for you in the long run. I personally use the Spyderco Sharpmaker But there are tons of good sharpening options out there.
  
  P.S: You're going to get a lot of people hating on your Gerbers most likely, that's because they're honestly not worth it in the long run. They use very low quality steel for the price and they don't have the best quality control. I'm not saying your Gerbers are trash or anything. But they definitely won't last very long. Just about all of the knives I listed will last you a lifetime if you treat them right, and oil/sharpen them correctly.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000Q9C4AE?pc_redir=1407052478&robot_redir=1

It's the spyderco 204 mf get some diamond stones on it and boom you'll never need a razor again

Here is a video with a pretty good explanation. http://youtu.be/-MHe_8wTHmg it does take you about 15 minutes but you will have a mirror edge, and You can widdle hair with it.

I've have used that chefs choice sharpener, it is pretty good but the diamonds (or steel) run out pretty fast. Of I could spend that money again I would definitely gone for the spyderco.

And if you get it don't be cheap! Give yourself that razor edge for the extra $35 http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0019JTNDQ?cache=48955fd73064588b9d00d11d1b3b957a&pi=SY200_QL40&qid=1407287673&sr=8-1#ref=mp_s_a_1_1

Don't be fooled they are sold per 1

That's correct. Here's a consumer dual-sided stone you can look at as an example.

Trizor Chef's Edge. I use it for my home knives and my SO's professional knives. It does its job wonderfully.

Yeah. AMWAY's not telling them to go back to the kitchen in every restaurant they eat at and try to shill their steel. They know the kitchens already know what's up.
But someone who never paid attention to their knives? Bought a cheap set a decade ago and throws them in the dishwasher and never sharpens/hones them? Cutco would be a completely revolutionary experience for them. Which is exactly their target demo. Someone who has just enough money to afford the knives, but they've never tried any of the competition or used a decent blade.
I absolutely love my Victorinox 8" chef's knife (thanks Cooks Illustrated), but after I got it, I got a decent 15^o sharpener (also thanks CI) and took it to my old shitty set (similar to this), and now that I've learned how to take care of an edge, they're passable. Better than they were out of the box, I think, but that was a lot of years ago. I mean, it ain't Wüsthof or Shun, but I'm no professional, so I don't want to shell out that kind of cash... I mean... I DO... But I can't.
It's like someone who never used a food thermometer discovering ThermoWorks. Changes your whole outlook.

This is a link to the whetstone:
https://www.amazon.com/King-Sided-Sharpening-Stone-Base/dp/B001DT1X9O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473210353&sr=8-1&keywords=whetstone

In terms of honing versus sharpening:

Even though the knife's edge looks smooth, it is in fact a ton of micro-sized teeth (think of a serrated knife, but with teeth that are muuuch smaller). As you cut, sometimes the teeth will become misaligned -- that is, instead of them all being pointed in the same, specific direction and angle, they might start "bending" or "blunting." When you hone the edge of a knife, you straighten out these teeth and realign them in one direction. Boom, it's cutting more smoothly now.

But sometimes, instead of the teeth simply bending in a different direction, the tip of the tooth might get chipped or broken due to use. Think of a sharp pencil tip that has accidentally snapped. Not so good at writing in a sharp line -- and the knife is not so good at cutting cleanly (it will blunt foods instead). At this point, you need to sharpen the knife by shaving off bits of steel, as you would the lead and wood from a pencil. Once it's sharpened, and you've scrapped off a microscopic thin layer of steel, the knife's teeth are all sharp and ready to go again.

Edit: And a link to a machine knife sharpener https://www.amazon.com/KitchenIQ-50009-Stage-Knife-Sharpener/dp/B001CQTLJM/ref=zg_bs_289867_1

I use this sharpener. I've had it for over a year and it works great. It's only $6 and has really great reviews on Amazon. Plus it's small, so I just store it in a drawer with my knives.

I have several of those fibrox knives. I would also recommend everyone get a whetstone, angle guide, and honing rod. No matter if you have that particular knife or not, something as simple as this, this, and this will make it so easy to maintain an ultra sharp edge. A few drags on the honing rod will help keep your knife sharp, and when that doesn't cut it (heh) use your whetstone. You'll never have to suffer through using a dull blade again.

Just spend the $8. http://www.amazon.com/Winco-K-12S-WINCO-Sharpening-12-Inch/dp/B001N0ULJG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1420475058&sr=8-3&keywords=honing+rod

Thank you for your reply. I am not really sure if I understand the difference between the two, but I guess that I am in the 'remove material' category. I use a Wuhstof 2-stage knife sharpener.

http://www.amazon.com/Wusthof-Precision-Stage-Knife-Sharpener/dp/B003TWNZ08

I recommend starting with the Ken Onion Work Sharp with the Blade Grinding Attachement

It has a variable speed motor that you can turn down super slow, which makes it impossible to burn your blades. This setup can handle all but the most extreme repairs and can even do some basic knifemaking. It’s very small and fits on any countertop. You don’t need some huge workshop or anything like that.

Once your become proficient on junk knives, move onto nicer ones!

And once you’ve outgrown the Work Sharp, move into real belt grinders!

I use one of [these](AccuSharp 001C Knife Sharpener https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004VWKQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fAifAb3Y2NDM1) to sharpen my knives. Is this a bad way of doing it?

The King 1000/6000 stone is all you need to get started. The 1000 is coarse enough that you can fix chips in a reasonable amount of time, and the 6000 is fine enough to get a shaving-sharp edge. You don't need a stone holder, a damp kitchen towel will do. You don't even need a nagura. Look up Murray Carter on YouTube—he's a really cool knife maker who uses 1000 and 6000 King stones on his crazy-expensive hand-forged knives. He's got a nice way of rigging up a sharpening station over your sink with a 2x4, although I just use a cutting board that happens to fit nicely in my sink. Carter's videos are more geared toward traditional Japanese knives, so I wouldn't use his exact technique, but his equipment setup is inexpensive and easy to use. Anyway, learn how to use the 1000/6000 to get a shaving-sharp edge (Carter calls it "scary sharp") and you can move on from there to more exotic gear.

All that said, I don't know if whetstones are the best choice for most people. If you really want to get into it for fun, by all means, go nuts. It's a nice relaxing ritual and you can get incredible results if you're willing to put in the time to practice. But if you're only interested in having a reasonably-sharp knife, then there are better options that can get you there with less fuss. A decent two-stage pull-through sharpener (i.e., one with two slots) will get you a knife that can slice paper and cut onions just fine. It won't shave your arm or slice ribbons of newspaper, but it's totally usable. I have a Wusthof one that cost about $30 but it seems Amazon has some higher-rated choices for the same money. They even have a single-stage sharpener that people rave about for $10.

FWIW, these kinds of sharpeners are extremely shitty. If you want a one-size-fits-all inexpensive sharpener, the Accusharp is where it's at.

I have a nice Chicago Cutlery Landmark Santoku knife (geez, name is longer than the knife) and a Kitchenaid Santoku (red).

If you would have asked me a year ago which one was better, I'd say the Chicago knife cuts better but both do okay. However...

Then I got the AccuSharp 001 Sharpener. This thing works so well it makes me fucking terrified of my knives, they're so sharp. Now I very, very much prefer the Chicago knife, just because the extra weight the knife has makes it feel much more under control, and the balance feels like it helps makes cuts more deliberate.

The only comparison I have is a golf driver - sometimes the superlight ones make you hit worse off the tee, because you can muscle them around easily and your swing can go all crazy. With a heavier club, it keeps you on path and is more difficult to go off-plan.

Consider that sharpener basically a throwaway. You'll probably be able to use it for a year with normal household use, flipping the stones halfway through. Toss it and buy a new one instead of trying a sharpener that will last forever.

I decided to teach myself cooking over the last year, and I can say that one good knife will be better than a block of knives. I do 99% of all my work with with 2 knives, a Santoku and a Partoku. I occasionally need a paring knife to carve pumpkins, peppers, etc..and I use a bread knife for my homemade bread, of course, but the bulk is done with the larger one.

If I didn't already have a block of generic-brand IKEA knives from before I started enjoying cooking, I'd have 4 knives, Santoku, Partoku, bread and paring. Get the sharpener I linked and a matching set of knives because they look nice and it'll help you from cutting yourself by getting used to the same balance across them.

My amateur $0.02, interested in any corrections or further insights from the pros.

A good chefs knife (+ perhaps a steel and whetstone if you're doing it properly)

A mandolin, especially if they think their fingers are too long (I don't want one because I think they're lethal).

FWIW: I bought one of these and I love it. You could establish a new edge on the most coarse stone, and refine it with the other two. As an alternative to finer stones, use automotive-grade sandpapers to get it up to 2500-3000 grit. For putting the final edge on it, I have a strop made from an old leather belt that I cover with a small amount of Mother's Mag. Honestly, though, you could stop at the fine stone on that tri-hone and be all set.

Hope this helps!

Good post, except for that particular stone. That's a low grit stone, and not healthy for knives.

Spend ten more bucks and get one of these: Arkansas Stone Tri-Stone sharpener

According to knife center the brand
>Magnum Knives are made for hard work with sleek designs and fantastic prices. Affordable performance. A well known brand with attractive designs, impressive quality and an outstanding price-performance ratio. Manufactured in Taiwan and China.

I looked at a similar discontinued knife from Magnum, it had 440 steel. I think it should work good, but I haven't had a great history with 440 steel holding a very sharp edge long. However 440 tends to hold a good edge for a while.

This is my favorite pocket sharpener It is very reliable and gets a great edge. The serration sharpener also works wonders if you have a serrated blade.

I think you got a great gift. I wouldn't trust the knife with heavy duty work, but it should work great for what you need it for. If you are looking for another knife I would recommend Kershaw, it is my favorite knife brand. They have good steel and are at a good cost.

The discoloration on the edge appears (on my monitor) to be due to one of two causes. I think most likely is scratches from storage in the edge guards.. The Messermeister guards are hard plastic, any residue within the guard will lightly scratch the blade. If will also prematurely dull the blade. I would replace it with a felt guard such as Korin's http://korin.com/HA-SAYA-KG-180?sc=27&category=280115

Food residue as mentioned above is another likely culprit. You don't have to be able to feel it for it to be there. I use a couple stainless knives when rocking cilantro and parsley and they take on a green "patina" from doing so. No harm, no foul - if I don't want to see it anymore I clean it.

In either scenario the answer is the same. The rust eraser linked below is invaluable for removing scratches and/or cleaning a knife blade. Take care when working near the edge to only stroke it along or across the edge. It is a very light abrasive and will dull the blade. Very fine automotive sandpaper will accomplish this as well but the rust eraser is the easy button.
https://www.amazon.com/Rust-Eraser-Sabitoru-Medium-2-piece/dp/B00FS0BFJC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498481939&sr=8-1&keywords=rust+eraser

You should invest in a rust eraser for your knives. https://www.amazon.com/Rust-Eraser-Sabitoru-Medium-2-piece/dp/B00FS0BFJC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1493281331&sr=8-1&keywords=rust+eraser

You might want to try one of these and one of these. There are LOTS of other options for your kitchen knives. Some prefer the Asian style gyuto chef's knife. That particular combo will give you a "known good" set of chef and paring knives to compare with anything else.

No matter what kind of knives you wind up using, you need to be able to sharpen them yourself. Here's my next cutlery purchase. I currently use a Spyderco Sharpmaker and a leather strop with green compound.

EDIT: Fixed my bad link. Was supposed to be one paring and one chef.

今まで海外から買ったものって…

• 本 (東南アジアにいた頃アメリカのAmazonから)
  
• CD
  
• BD, DVD (ジブリ)　← 安い & 日本語トラックは当然あり
  
• ナイフ
  
  他にあったかな
  
  今ならGoogle純正のスマホ + Copperhead OSとかだろうか
  https://copperhead.co/android/store
  …これはこのストアからしか買えなかった
  
  アメリカで激安の製品が日本の『並行輸入品』になるとバカ高くなっていることが極めて多いので、そういうもの（電気製品、クルマ用品など）があればお買い得
  
  例
  
  
• 洗車アイテム5点セット
  Amazon.com: $39.99
  Amazon.co.jp: ¥18,714
  
  
• 紙やすり（ベルトサンダー）を使った刃物研ぎ機
  Amazon.com: $129.95
  Amazon.co.jp: ¥26,020
  
  なお、アメリカの家電は120V前提なので、100V対応しているIT機器などでなければ変圧器が必要
  その場合は容量も確認すること
  旅行用の小さなトランスでは最大出力60W程度だったりする
  1KW以上の大容量が必要なら200V→120Vへ変換したほうがいいかも

Yes, I certainly do.

On the low end you have some handheld sharpeners. The Smith's model is iconic and cheap. It gives you an acceptable edge, but it's not going to be good, and once it's loaded with metal it's hard to clean. These are mostly for tackle boxes and backpacks, quick solutions. It really wouldn't do a Benchmade justice.

In the middle, you can buy a guided rod system. The Spyderco Sharpmaker is the best I've seen. Lansky makes a few like this one. These systems do a really good job on pocket knives. The Sharpmaker is a great investment if you plan on dealing with knives for any extended period of time. They can keep a knife very sharp for years. Lansky's systems are relatively inexpensive, but aren't as precise as and lack some of the features of a Sharpmaker. I think the Sharpmaker is an ideal solution.

On the high end, you're looking at sharpening stones. There are two classes, oil and water stones. Oil stones are slower, but water stones are used slightly in the course of sharpening (one might last a decade for me) and are more prone to damage. These let you do repair, produce a more customized edge, and work on a knife's geometry behind the edge, something all knives require eventually. The majority of the time you wouldn't need this level of equipment, but when they come in handy they really come in handy. I use water stones on all of my knives. For most pocket knife users it's much easier and less costly to let a professional do this sort of work and maintain the knife with a rod system. No links here; there are dozens if not hundreds of stones on the market and there's no perfect one. Starting costs are around $150.

At the super duper expensive level, you have advanced assisted sharpening systems like the Edge Pro. These things are slick, easy to use, and ridiculously effective. They should be for the cost. Stones are still more versatile and a lot of the people who use these branch out in many ways.

It's definitely enough for a nice knife, though you might want to go a bit higher for a great knife. The KaBar BK2 is actually designed with things like batoning (hammering the knife through wood as a kind of faux hatchet using another piece of wood against the blade of the knife as the hammer itself) or chopping. It's a bit over $60, currently available for $69 to be precise, but as long as you don't flat out abuse it (prying heavy things, for example) it'll serve you well and quite possibly for the rest of your natural life.

At a lower price, you can get the Condor Bushlore, which at $35 is a perfectly valid choice that will serve you well indeed.

For an even lower price yet, the Mora Heavy Companion is from one of those few cheaper knife companies that does incredible work. I wouldn't baton with it, honestly, but even if you did it'd probably hold up just fine.

At a more expensive range, the Ontario Rat-5 is an amazing bushcraft knife. The Fallkniven Pilot Survival Knife is also an amazing knife. The Benchmade Bone Collector is spectacular knife made in D2 tool steel, one of the better steels available at that price. Another amazing knife is the Spyderco Bushcraft made in O1 tool steel. Finally, the Benchmade 162 is a pretty amazing knife.

One thing you'll notice about all of these knives with the exception of the Pilot Survival knife and the BM 162 is that they're all carbon steel knives. Carbon steel is a lot tougher than stainless (with a few very, very rare exceptions I'd never trust a long knife to be stainless steel) with the trade off of being a lot more of a hassle to take care of, since it needs to be regularly cleaned and oiled.

If you want a fire starter, carry a magnesium fire starter. With the carbon steel knives, you can probably strike it against the back of the blade to create the sparks you'll want and if not (like with some of the coated ones) you'll be carrying the striker anyway.

For sharpening, you'll want to get a decent sharpening setup and start stropping. A couple of easy sharpening systems would be the superior Spyderco Sharpermaker (usually available on Amazon around the $50 mark) or the Lansky Sharpening system which while cheaper isn't as good. You could take the time to learn how to free hand it, but most casual users don't care that much because it takes a long time to get proficient at freehand sharpening. Stropping is running the blade against something like smooth leather (usually smooth leather, actually) to remove burrs along the blade of a knife made by use and sharpening and the restore a blade to a better edge without removing metal. Stropping allows for a level of sharpness unachievable by sharpening alone and extends a knife's lifetime by allowing sharpness to be achieved for longer without removing metal from the blade. To learn how to strop, watch videos on YouTube or check out guides from the sidebar of /r/knives.

Finally, if you want a whistle, just carry a whistle. If you want a mirror for signaling, carry a small signaling mirror or mirror polish the knife you buy (a process where you sand the blade with increasing grit level sandpaper until it shines like the sun and you can see yourself in the blade).

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.

I got and use the Spyderco Sharpmaker ($54). It's very easy to use, and sharpens my Tenacious to easily shave arm hair. Comes with an instructional DVD.

If you want a good and cheap sharpening system, the smith tri hone Or the venerable lansky guided system if you just need to touch up go for a spyderco sharpmaker

Spyderco sharpmaker! For $100 or less you can get the sharpmaker and the ultra fine rods. After ten minutes, you'll be an expert with a shaving sharp blade.

Sharomaker

Edit to add link

Edit to fix link

A couple whetstones is just about the simplest that you can do, one coarse and one fine. I like using traditional whetstones, and I get great results, but when I am lazy, I use a guided sharpening system of some kind. Pull through sharpeners destroy your blade, making nicks into bigger nicks. Don't use those. I use a spyderco sharpmaker or a lansky system when I am lazy, and for people who don't want to spend hours and hours getting good at freehanding with whetstones, these are probably the best options. Links are below.

If you have more questions, or are truly interested or into knives, come check out /r/knifeclub

http://www.amazon.com/Lansky-Deluxe-5-Stone-Sharpening-System/dp/B000B8IEA4

http://www.amazon.com/Spyderco-Tri-Angle-Sharpmaker-Sharpener-204MF/dp/B000Q9C4AE

My mini food processor has been surprisingly useful, for dips, spreads, and sauces. I don’t really bake, so between that and my immersion blender, I have most of my blending/whirring/processing needs met.

Life improved after I got 2-3 more cutting boards in big and small sizes. And then maybe 1 more.

A GREAT bread knife is a revelation. Cutting baguettes for a party is no longer a chore I dread.

I got this spinning utensil holder — it’s comically large but I love having my 6 pairs of tongs and all my spatulas and wooden spoons and whisks within easy reach.

My Spyderco knife sharpener is easy to use even for someone with zero experience, and I’m so darn happy every time after I use it because my knives cut so much better. [Edit: one too many words]

I've been using this SpyderCo Sharpmaker for a couple years and I've been really happy with it. Makes it dead simple to get the proper angle consistently while sharpening.

I would recommend a Spyderco Sharpmaker over that kit. I have a similar kit to what he posted, and it sucks. The Spyderco Sharpmaker is much better, and cheaper.

There are literally hundreds of gimmicky knife sharpening tools out there. Some of them actually work, but none will yield a finer edge than a Japanese water stone, imho.

http://www.amazon.com/Japanese-Professional-Knife-Sharpening-Sharpener/dp/B000UZET0M/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1322240668&sr=1-1

If I were you, I'd pick up one of these bad boys and learn how to use it. Practice makes perfect!

PS- there's tons of videos on the youtubes on how to properly use and care for these, so don't feel intimidated!

This is what I use for my kitchen knives. Works fantastic. I can get really sharp edge on my chef knives.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000UZET0M/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I would also recommend a leather strop for getting a razor edge after using the 1000 grit side of the wet stone.

https://www.amazon.com/Straight-Razor-Leather-Sharpening-Barber/dp/B00S2WVWTQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1481214592&sr=8-2&keywords=leather+strop

Since others have made the whetstone recommendations, I'll just throw out the Chef's Choice Trizor. Yes, it probably takes off a little extra metal but it's fast and produces a razor sharp edge with no room for error. For me, it's a worthwhile expense and yes it is expensive. I might have to replace my knives every 15 years instead of every 20 or whatever, but my knives are also always sharp and it takes less than a minute per knife.

You can see a thorough review on Wirecutter and it's also what America's Test Kitchen uses.

Knife sharpening is incredibly easy, there is no reason to pay someone to do it unless you've got a damaged blade. Plus it's going to get dull again with use, so why not do it yourself?

A few options:

Inexpensive, great reviews($5): KitchenIQ

Mid grade, I love this one ($37): Chef's Choice Diamond

Not cheap, does serrated as well ($150): Chef's Choice Trizor

You can go the manual route and get wet stones, but that's a bit more time consuming and not really needed unless you've got some nice blades.

For your everyday cooking knives, if you CANNOT use sharpening stones like MANY folks....🙄


https://www.amazon.com/ChefsChoice-Professional-Sharpener-EdgeSelect-Sharpening/dp/B0018RSEMU

I bought this small sharpener off Amazon and it’s really easy to use and only $6. I feel like it would make your life a lot easier.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001CQTLJM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_xWOTAbDMSNGB4

https://www.amazon.ca/Edgeware-50009-2-Stage-Knife-Sharpener/dp/B001CQTLJM/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=knife+sharpener&qid=1574881961&sr=8-5

Most of the manual sharpeners will make your knife sharp enough to slice paper with draw cuts fairly well. They won't make your knife razor sharp, and are usually preset to a pretty wide angle, meaning they'll never make your knife as sharp as the Japanese styled knives. That being said, they are more durable.

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B001CQTLJM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5c4IKhtlic

This one is very cheap, sturdy and comfortable and makes knives sharp enough for kitchen work. They'll be about 80% of factory sharpness. Just look up the proper technique of applying almost no pressure and hone your knives before doing this.

If you have a Breadknife, consider this one instead:https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B000O8OTNC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It is less comfortable to use, but comes with a diamond rod that sharpens the scallops in a breadknife.

Now if you want to make it razor sharp, you'll need a bit of practice and a finer grit sharpening stone or tool.

If you have the patience, you can just use the smooth(yes smooth glazed) part of a ceramic object to refine and polish the edge. Remove the burr on a piece of cardboard then finish with a strop.

Done that, and you can make it sharper than factory, but isn't really necessary, I did it for fun XP

You can also go old school and learn to use a whetstone. a 200-800 Grit stone costs about $5. These will help completely redo an edge.

1000-3000 grit stones get you to the knife sharpener sharp. Costs around 10$

8000 grit stones get you razor sharp edges, around 10$, all available on Aliexpress, be mindful of the size, some may sell you a teeny tiny one.

Strop I find is absolutely necessary though if you want a clean, and especially a razor edge.

This one is great and cheap

i don't use honing steels so I might not be the best to suggest...maybe a Messermeister Ceramic Rod. the fibrox have fairly soft steel so what you have might be okay already.

For stones, a King 1k/6k water stone is probably the first one that most people will pick up. It's good for value and fairly easy on the pocket.

As for videos, I learned a lot of mine from ryky tran/burrfection (two channels same guy) on youtube. There are plenty of good/intensive playlists on sharpening but I find myself relating more to him. He blunts his knife on a brick and sharpens on the spot while explaining what he's doing. He's quite easy to understand and more targetted at non professionals/home cooks.

I also watch Richard Blaine, but he's much more technical (he just released a video on honing). They are fairly lengthy which is why i don't watch very often and he makes awkward dad jokes.

I would spend a little more on the knives. cheap knives, imo, are a waste.

Going with something like Forschner would be good, inexpensive, and last.

Chef's

Bread

Paring

Optional - mid size Utility Knife

That's $60 - 80 for all the knives you'll need to last you a long, long time. I would add a honing "steel" for sure, and perhaps a whetshone later on to keep them in excellent shape.

I would just get one of those cheapo drag style sharpeners
http://www.amazon.com/Wusthof-Precision-Stage-Knife-Sharpener/dp/B003TWNZ08/ref=sr_1_9?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1345169472&sr=1-9
Steels are great but if you get one of these guys it keeps it simple and easy and if your not producing the amount of food a pro would it will work just fine. Also using a steel can be hard for some people

Off topic question for you, my dad has a set of Wusthof knives and one of these. How horrible is that for the blade?

https://www.amazon.com/Lansky-2D2C-Diamond-Ceramic-Four/dp/B008EKY5OA/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1550280567&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=Lansky+turn+box&dpPl=1&dpID=4129lmMov3L&ref=plSrch

This or a spydeco sharpmaker would be good. Pick up a leather stropping paddle with some green compound as well

Is this the one? Lansky Diamond Ceramic Turn Box TB-2D2C https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008EKY5OA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_USd1DbBJYXB4Z

I doubt I'll ever buy another Benchmade again, these Chinese blades are Soo much better bang for your buck.

Same thing applies to kinda sharpening systems like the Edge Pro. Get this knockoff instead for a tenth if the price. AGPtek Professional Kitchen Knife Sharpener System Fix-angle with 4 Stones https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ABVS5VY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_UPbvCbETGRSKG

Looks like they go to this (found on the same amazon page)
http://www.amazon.com/AGPtek%C2%AE-Professional-Kitchen-Sharpener-Fix-angle/dp/B00ABVS5VY/ref=pd_sim_sbs_k_7?ie=UTF8&refRID=1J5MWN7A7VPQCAT6TFVF

ken onion work sharp, i have the regular version and i highly recommend it, BUT the real beauty of the ken onion version is the adjustable angles of it.

https://www.amazon.com/Work-Sharp-WSKTS-KO-Knife-Sharpener/dp/B00EJ9CQKA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1494954442&sr=8-3&keywords=ken+onion+sharpener

goes up to 6000 grit and can put an excellent finish on any knife. The one caveat is that you need to make sure and not heat the blade up too much, i.e. short, quick passes, you can even dip the blade into cold water in between passes to be sure it is always cool and wont mess with the temper. I haven't had any real issues with that though

Yep. Get your straight knives sharpened. That's usually the test for my "everyday" knife -- if it doesn't cut through a tomato with nearly zero resistance, time for a sharpening. You shouldn't need to "saw" back and forth and the skin shouldn't need "piercing" -- the knife should just, well, cut right into it.

Depending on your skill level / type of blade (whether you'd want to use a steel sharpening edge or ceramic).

Option 1 - ceramic "wheels" -- I personally use this type with my Global stainless steel knife. It has zero learning curve and does a great job. Basically a "wet stone" method and the wheels have grooves in them to keep the blade in place, reducing the chance that the angle will be off and you'll end up dulling your knives instead of sharpening.

Option 2 - long 'sword' type sharpener -- this one (available in either steel or ceramic) requires a bit more technique as it is up to you to get the correct angle for each side of the blade and make sure it's sharpened on either side evenly. More "old school," if you will.

A dull knife is a dangerous knife.

Meat-Cutter Here

Buy a multi-stone example A whet stone is used to create the edge of a knife. However a multi-stone has 3 different textures going from very fine to coarse. This will allow you to properly sharpen any knife.

The second tool we use is a Steel Sharpener. Example You use this in between cuts in order to quickly re-shape the blade. Everytime you use your knife, properly or inproperly, you bend the sharp edge of your knife ever so slighty, and within minutes if your not careful, you may ruin your edge completely and have to resharpen. The edge of a knife is like a piece of foil, and what the steel does is to quickly bend it back to its shape.


Learning this trade takes practice, and lots of it. Edges are completely committed to muscle memory over time, but to start out sharpening you need to first look at the angle of you knife's edge. This angle is what you will be sharpening at. Same goes with steel.

Anyways I thought I would give you a run down on equipment. If your looking for technique go ahead and watch a few videos on youtube.

I'd like to enter.
I don't deserve it, but I really only have one of these for the moment:
http://www.amazon.com/AccuSharp-1-001-Knife-Sharpener/dp/B00004VWKQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1372230477&sr=8-3&keywords=sharpener

I don't think I want to use it on my $150 benchmade...

Stainless steel tri-ply pans, well reviewed by Cook's Illustrated and many bloggers:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Tramontina-10-Piece-18-10-Stainless-Steel-TriPly-Clad-Cookware-Set/11072505 $229

Victorinox Chef's knife. Cheap, and again very well reviewed by Cook's Illustrated and many bloggers:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000638D3220 $27

Victorinox serrated knife:
http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-47547-4-Inch-Fibrox-Handle/dp/B00093090Y/ref=pd_sim_k_7 $25

Victorinox paring knife:
http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-47508-4-Inch-Paring-Knife/dp/B0001V3UYG/ref=pd_sim_k_2 $8

Cheap and well reviewed knife sharpener:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004VWKQ/

To round that out: a cheap non-stick pan (they wear out, don't sink money into this), some silicone spatulas, Pyrex bakeware, and maybe a cast iron or mineral steel skillet.

You can see a theme with my recommendations. You can have very high quality kitchen stuff, without breaking the bank.

Best of luck :)

https://www.amazon.com/AccuSharp-1-001-Knife-Sharpener/dp/B00004VWKQ

This is the easiest way to sharpen a knife/sword if you don't mind having bevel. I have used this to sharpen stainless steel and carbon steel, works great.

I have a slightly cheaper one that does a very good job, as well.

I like this one a lot. As previously stated, you DO have to sharpen knives occasionally, and I have used one of these successfully for the 5 years I've owned one of those knives to keep it sharp.

Awww yeah!!! Crazy high ratings on Amazon and for good reason imo.

>Easy crock pot recipes


>Spices


First things first lets get some spices. A good base would be salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, chili powder, oregano, garlic powder/salt whatever also some of the onion variation and seasoning salt.

>Other flavor enhancers

Some sort of vinegar (I use apple cider)

[Liquid Aminos] (http://www.amazon.com/Bragg-Liquid-Amino-32/dp/B0006Z7NNQ) (it is like soy sauce, I add it to dishes at will and it has not failed me yet.)


A soup base(chicken, beef, whatever. You add water and you have soup. You can other things if you feel like it.)


>Other useful Items

Potatoes (last a while and nice to have around)
Onions (Used in a bunch of dishes)
Beans of whatever type(They do not expire quick and you can add them to pretty much anything for dat protein)

Music (To play while you chop things and turn cooking devices on)


A damn knife sharpener (This turned my shitty walmart knife into the ultimate cutting device)


>Notes

Do not be afraid to stock up on meats especially when they go on sale. I am assuming you have a freezer.

These recipes do not contain exact measurements. Because you are cooking not baking. Easy recipes like this are very forgiving and you can season them to your liking.

Edit. I replied to the wrong post a few times so it is not as organized as I would like, but oh well.

Here's a great knife sharpener: AccuSharp 001 Knife Sharpener.

I tripped upon it in some article about the highest rated items sold at Amazon. I bought it and it is awesome. Here's a link.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004VWKQ

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004VWKQ/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You don't need a set, you only need a few decent knives: a chef's knife, a paring knife, and a serrated knife for bread. Maybe a fillet knife but unlikely.

I use this chef's knife, which is high-quality and inexpensive. The Victorinox Fibrox 8-inch also has a very strong cult following. However, you can also easily spend $100-200 for a good German or Japanese knife like Wusthof, Henckels, Global, etc.. The two most important things however are:

1. It feels good in your hand. If you're going to spend that kind of money I would definitely recommend going to a store (like Sur La Table or Williams Sonoma) and trying out a few to see what feels right. For $35 I was willing to take my chances on the Mercer and it worked out well.
   
   
2. Keep it sharp! I noticed you said it feels "dull and unbalanced". Great that you noticed those are two different but related things. Every time you use your knife, you should be honing it on a honing steel. Honing it trues the blade, meaning aligns the edge down the knife's centerline. Eventually, even honing it won't be effective, because the knife edge itself is dull. This means you should have the knife sharpened, which is typically done once every 6 months-1 year. Sharpening removes material so it shouldn't be done too often. I recommend going to a professional hand sharpening service which will typically do it for about $10-15 per knife. Some people do it themselves at home with a stone, but in my opinion this is not worth it and too easy to screw up.

Get this Victorinox, it comes with a sheath but its pretty flimsy. You could do what I did and make a more sturdy sheath out of tape and the cardboard box the knife arrives in, or if that's too ugly you could get this.

Do you have a method to keep the knife sharp? If not I would pick up this honing steel too.

It will be worth getting a whetstone too, but you can get that later down the line when the honing steel isn't bringing the knife up to the level of sharpness you want.

I'm searching for the same thing!! I just bought 3 Shun knives and need a honing steel to keep a nice edge. I've looked around stores and amazon and i think I'm going to buy the shun honing steel. its a little more expensive but it's the nicest I've seen by far. here are links.

The Shun:
http://www.amazon.com/Shun-DM0750-Sharpening-Steel/dp/B000139H7I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1346822054&sr=8-1&keywords=shun+honing

a good one also:

http://www.amazon.com/Wusthof-4473-10-Inch-Sharpening-Steel/dp/B00009WDT8/ref=pd_sim_sbs_k_6

Just bought my first big-boy kitchen knife a couple months ago.

Where should I start on keeping it sharp? I feel like These can't be good, but I have no idea.

Whetstone? those baton sharpener things?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00032S02K/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_ZkhVub1BGBX83

I use this to keep it fairly sharp, it is more of a beater knife so I'm not super worried. The sharpener keeps my Leatherman rebar razor sharp, I think the steel is just lacking since the knife is so cheap.

Well look at it this way - when your nice sharp Wusthof slices hundreds of times an hour on a cutting board, over time little burrs of steel will accumulate along the blade. These little burrs and frays in the steel will add to increased friction and difficulty when cutting objects. A honing steel will straighten these little imperfections, and help to reduce friction and air resistance, however it isn't necessarily sharper. One removes steel while the other merely realigns (yes it removes steel, but not to the degree a whetstone would). Hope that helped... I think I just served to confuse myself more.


The thread I sumbitted: http://www.reddit.com/r/AskCulinary/comments/1ee5t4/sharpening_steel_worth_spending_the_money_on/

Not a lot of replies but hopefully it helps some.

And for OP: I'd recommend this if you want to try sharpening yoiur own knives.
http://www.amazon.ca/TRI-6-Arkansas-TRI-HONE-Sharpening-Hardware/dp/B00062BIT4

If you don't mind spending the extra 10 bucks, the Wustof Tri-stone (250-100-3000) is a great all-round kit and value for money. I recommend this over the cheaper Smith's Arkansas Tri-hone kit because the Wusthof kit uses water stones and I don't have to futz around with oil. But if you don't mind using an oil stone, nothing wrong with the Smith's.

I use a 250-1000 combo King Kotobuki waterstone for sharpening , and a 6000 King Kotobuki waterstone for honing/polishing. But this kit is a little pricey in the total.

PS: Here's a great video for technique: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFhMGJYhYpU

In the comments on Atomedge's Sharpening Guide he suggests two under $40, the Smith's TRI-6 Arkansas TRI-HONE Sharpening Stones System or the King Combination Waterstone. The TRI-HONE is the first one he suggest because the course will get out dings and the other two stones will make the knife razor sharp. He suggest's the Waterstone because although it'll take a while to remove dings or re-profile the blade, the muscle memory you would gain would help your sharpening skills.

Source

I used a Smith's tri-hone stone combo and a strop.

http://www.amazon.com/TRI-6-Arkansas-TRI-HONE-Sharpening-System/dp/B00062BIT4
It's what i use to sharpen everything i own. Its reasonably priced and i can get everything i own to a razors edge.

With modern metallurgy, a cheap stainless steel blade is plenty good enough for kitchen use - provided that you can give it a proper sharpen.

The incremental improvement from a basic, hardened, stainless steel blade (420 or such) to a top of the line stainless (like N690 or S30V) are, in my opinion, not going to be worth the money for general kitchen usage (unless you're a pro-chef and using them practically all the time. And even then I'm not 100% sure on that).

The fancy steels all have better edge retention - i.e. longer time between sharpening. The other features of advanced steel (stronger and/or tougher, so could be lighter etc) really are not relevant; and basic stainless steel is 'stainless enough' - the few cases where the fact steels have higher environmental resistance are not going to be common in the kitchen [0].

The problem with better edge retention - is that it's not perfect, and therefore you still need to be able to sharpen them. Reglular steeling of the blade will stretch the time between sharpening (and improve the edge in use too - well worth getting into that habit) - but not eliminate it.

Even a ceramic knife will need sharpened eventually - although that can be long enough you could just replace it (but if it chips, then you're sunk). Sharpening them is not easy either - needs diamond tools to do so. (And they're not always perfectly sharp from the manufacturer either. I've touched up a fair few 'new out the box' ones in my time).

Perhaps I'm biased; given that I do a fair bit of wood and metal work, and thus sharpening things is second nature to me; but I really think that getting a jig based sharpening set is probably a better use of time and money. Something like https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lansky-Sharpeners-Standard-Sharpening-System/dp/B000B8L6LI/ only take a little practice to use; one doesn't need a lot of experience to get consistent results, and it will transform your existing knives amazingly. (I have a kit like that, and use it as a small 'travelling set' - mostly I use stones freehand, but that takes a fair bit of practice to get good results). My kitchen knives are all 'cheapest full tang from the supermarket', but visitors are often amazed how good they are - just because I keep them sharpened.

Anyway, there might well be other reasons to replace your existing knives; but given that sharpening gear is non-optional (in the long run), then that's where I'd recommend to start. Not quite what you were asking for, but I figured giving you a different way to view the situation might be a helpful insight; whatever you do.

[0] Compared to, say, a dive knife for sea used.

Well, if your knives are not expensive, professional-grade stuff, you could always just invest in a new knife ¯\(ツ)/¯ You don't have to drop $100+ on a knife to get something decent. I own this one, and make a few passes with the sharpening steel every use, and it's still sharp as the day I bought it.

Otherwise, you could look into a sharpening system like the Lansky Sharpening System. It has a guide so you don't have to sharpen freehand. It's moderately pricey, and I would suggest buying one or two additional hones for it (the case has two extra spaces for them \^-\^) but if you have a couple knives you want to keep in good shape, its a good investment. I enjoy using it, it's meditative. It might take 30 minutes per knife to completely refinish the edge, or just a couple minutes to bring it back to sharpness.

Grab a Lansky sharpener, almost impossible to screw up, and you can get a good, consistent edge. You can easily put a double bevel on your knives, which will help the dulling your getting.

I have this one:

Smith's PP1 Pocket Pal Multifunction Sharpener, Grey https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000O8OTNC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_.GzCDb632PH6Z

I will try, but can it sharpen single bevel ?

I am prepper and a FIL, here are some things I can never have enough of...

• https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NGYGCH2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
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• https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000WXX0JS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
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• https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00345OMR0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
  Your FIL will be thrilled that you support his prepping no matter what you decide to give him!
  

This item from my kitchen WL would greatly improve my life because the knife sharpener I have (similar to this) does a pretty rotten job of it.

Yep this is the right answer. I have one of these knives and it's great. Also, make sure to get a honing steel to keep the edge nice. It's not sharpening, it's straightening the edge. This will keep your knife workable and sharp. Make sure to do this a few times right before you use the knife.

http://www.amazon.com/Henckels-9-Inch-Poly-Sharpening-Steel/dp/B00004RFMA/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1323750058&sr=1-1

BTW, I hardly use my bread knife so you can probably get away without getting one.

Mark Bittman agrees too, no need to spend a lot to get decent kitchen supplies: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/09/dining/09mini.html?_r=3&pagewanted=all

Also, look up Alton Brown's Good Eats episode where he talks about knife skills and how to get a good knife. The episode name is "American Slicer" and it's on youtube.

Knives: What kind of sharpener do you use or which is better? the stick or the groove thingy?

Also, are stainless steel pans always going to be expensive? Would you say it's worth it? I see stainless all the time in cooking shows and it seems like it's more versatile than cast iron or non-stick.

You don't like plastic but does that include the silicone cutting mats?

Do you have any other gadgets that you think every chef should have?

Buy this chef's knife and this sharpener and a cheap set of steak knives you can abuse and you're done with knives!

I recommend an Accusharp draw sharpener. It's cheap and highly effective - keeps my Victorinox chef, filet and utility knives very sharp with little effort.

I have no issue with folks using stones and such to sharpen but that's a skill that takes time to develop and seems unnecessary with a utilitarian (ie, inexpensive) knife like the Victorinox.

I've been using it for several years and have noticed no knife damage or excessive metal loss.

Like say, this one, which is both cheap and highly rated.

If you like sharp knifes, an AccuSharp ($8.50 on Amazon) is the cheapest, fastest, bestest way to keep them sharp.

Don’t ever fucking use a blunt knife, always try to keep it sharpened.

Here’s a link to a very easy to use sharpener that I always use this cheap but very good knife sharpener

• Ah this is actually a big topic.
  
• For a hone, you have three options. A basic grooved steel, a ceramic rod, or a diamond coated steel. The grooved (most common) and the diamond will hone your edge but will also sharpen for better and for worst your edge at the same time due to the courseness of the grooving / diamond coating. The ceramic will do the same, however because it's smooth, it's usually designed to give you a very fine grit at most in it's "sharpening" process ie removes as little metal as possible, maybe at most polish the edge a bit which favors most nicer knife owners. For a western style knife such as yours, and especially stamped blade with a low hardness, your edge usually will roll and fairly often and thus a hone is actually best for you to own and use on a somewhat daily basis. I recommend any non diamond, grooved steel although I find that diamond steels grind far too much metal at inaccurate angles (due to the very wild free hand motion of steeling) but does help give you a quick toothy edge. My personal one of use is ceramic.
  
• As for sharpening, while I don't like pull through or machine sharpeners at all and personally use stones, I don't exactly recommend them for you. The reason is I just don't see the time spend hand sharpening on stones worth the blade/blade material. That is, your knife isn't designed to hold an extremely keen edge, nor is it designed to hold an edge for an insane amount of time, thus for me, when I use a nox or a stamped blade a pull through or a machine sharpener is fine by me. As recommended the accusharp , or any of the decent chefchoice sharpeners will work very well for you. However if you want to progress and learn, then I recommend a low to medium grit combo stone. Say 600 and 1000/2000 so that if you feel like it, you can reset the bevel and then give your knife a decent working edge.
  
• Now say if you upgrade to nicer blades, then by all means stones is the way to go if not an Edge Pro system. Reason for it is that your paying for very nice metal on your blade and thus the very aggressive grinding actions of machine and pull thru sharpeners hurts your investment far more than helps it. Further more, you control the angle and the fineness of your blade. Have Super Blue core steel? Hap40? Bring that sucker down to 9-10 degrees a side with a 20k mirror polished edge. I like to see a machine do that. Plus, usually, with these 'nicer blades' your often running into Japanese knives. J knives are usually made with pretty hard metals, hrc 60+ which does not work with many steels on the market since J knives aren't designed for that to begin with. J knives are designed to have keen, hard , steep edges that are meant to be held for a long time and most likely to chip than roll so whenever it's time to touch up, it's by stones only.
  
• Anyways thats likely more than you ever wanted to know, so to answer your OP, for a steel I recommend the Tojiro Sharpening steel, if you prefer the ideal of a diamond steel giving you a toothy edge while your hone then a DMT fine will suit you. If you want your hone to just hone and not sharpen, then the Idahone fine is pretty much everyone's favorite.
  
• For sharpeners the AccuSharp is my favorite pull thru sharpener, the Spydero sharpmaker wasn't too bad and any of the common electric sharpeners will give you a working edge pesto pesto "pro" or get a basic combo stone

I've been using a 7" Victorinox Santoku for the last two years with no complaints. It's very light and thin, and I like it more than my chef's knife because I'm far less likely to stab my fingers. I haven't touched any of my other knifes (apart from a boning knife used to clean steaks) since Easter.

At the same time, I also ordered an AccuSharp Knife Sharpener to go into my kit and my Santoku is just as sharp now as it was brand new even after two years of almost constant use.

For an everyday home kitchen use, spending an extra $100 or $200 won't do much for you. Some brands are really nice and they can keep their edge so you don't need to sharpen it as often, but you can still do the same with a decent one. Just don't go to Walmart and think you found a good knife. You can find a decent Wustoff knife online or even better, at your local restaurant supply store.
As for whetstones, they work but for me personally it does take quite a bit of time and you can get the same affect from using something like this http://www.amazon.com/AccuSharp-1-001-Knife-Sharpener/dp/B00004VWKQ.

I have this exact knife and I'm very, very happy with it. I also got the AccuSharp sharpener, which I use about once a month to keep the knife at its best.

Yeah I totally feel you on that. An option if you don't want to send it out and don't have access to a belt grinder is to buy an "accusharp" http://www.amazon.com/AccuSharp-1-001-Knife-Sharpener/dp/B00004VWKQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452262053&sr=8-1&keywords=accusharp+tool+sharpener It obviously isn't ideal, but it does a pretty good job and is mostly idiot proof.

Fortune Prod 001 AccuSharp Knife and Tool Sharpener $7.50

I have this one. It seems to work fine -- it is crazy cheap -- but I don't have major sharpening needs.

A friend who used to work in a kitchen was once over cooking and sharpened a bunch of my knives with ceramic -- the bottom of a tea cup. Just a tip, if anyone wants to show off sometime. :)

If you're going to just buy a cheap knife and sharpen it, this $8 handheld sharpener will get it razor sharp every time. It just takes off a ton of material with every sharpening.

I would never use it on my nice knives, but it's effective. I use it to sharpen fish filleting knives.

What's your opinion on this? I got one based on the good reviews but I'm not that impressed. Seems to make the knives go dull very quickly. Will this system keep them sharper longer?

A honing steel doesn't sharpen, but is more for putting an edge back on an already sharp knife - but if you're truly dull it's not going to do much. I say a video once where he made a foil version of a closeup of the blade's edge. As you use it, the thin foil on the edge gets pushed down. Rubbing it down the steel unfolds those super thin and sharp edge bits. Honing shouldn't remove metal while sharpening will.

I don't have really expensive knives, so I have a little ceramic sharpener I use for when I get dull and then my honing steel to keep them happy the rest of the time.

I know a lot of people with $500 Chef's knives will wince at this, but it works great for me when I need to sharpen.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004VWKQ/ref=wms_ohs_product?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Depending on how much you like to do you can buy appliances or short cuts. Like you can rice your own cauliflower or buy it done in a bag frozen. I don't like zucchini noodles. Buy what you'll use. Figure out what makes the most sense and go from there. Top things? Instant pot/or other brand of it, air fryer and sous vide. How much cooking do you like to do? Are you looking for easy? Gourmet? Quick or long? What's your proficiency in the kitchen? A few basics are knifes and sharpener. I use this. Presto 08800 EverSharp Electric Knife Sharpener https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00006IUWM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_d.JvDbP8D0K12 to clarify I do not buy high end knifes. It's great for cheaper knifes. Really expensive knifes do not buy this sharpener. I buy a clearance $40 set of knives. Buy cutting boards. Bamboo are great to start and cheap plus sustainable.

What do y'all think of these types of electric knife sharpeners?

http://www.amazon.com/Presto-08800-EverSharp-Electric-Sharpener/dp/B00006IUWM

I've got a few suggestions, mainly for the car.

Wireless Onboard Diagnostics

Android Compatible ($70)

iPhone Compatible ($100)

Remote Starter Kit (Sale: $47 Retail $200) Unless he knows how to install it, I'd advise having it installed professionally.

Car Jumpstart Kit With Air Compressor (Sale: $80 Retail $100)

Dull knives? Make 'em sharp! Knife Sharpener (Sale: $24 Retail: $40)

Finally, since a GoPro is too pricey, try a cheaper version, the Monoprice MHD Action Camera (Sale: $104 Retail: $200) Based on the reviews, it seems like it's perpetually on sale.

I may do more sleuthing, but that's what I got so far!

Linking what i found there: http://www.amazon.com/Presto-08800-EverSharp-Electric-Sharpener/dp/B00006IUWM

I’m not sure if you’re looking to sharpen kitchen knives or just the pocket knife, but I feel strongly enough about this sharpener that I dug through my Amazon order history to get you the link. I’ve had this since 2013 and every time I sharpen my knives it’s like they’re brand new. I’m sure there are better (much more expensive) options out there, but dollar for dollar the best sharpener I’ve ever used:

Presto 08800 EverSharp Electric Knife Sharpener https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00006IUWM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_oDSVAbRRW5C5Z

this is a honing steel, you can use it when your knife starts to feel dull, it will re align the edge.

this is the wusthof ikon. Personally I love the handle.

Not at all!

It's basically a long rod of steel - https://www.amazon.com/W%C3%BCsthof-Knife-Sharpening-Steel-Loop/dp/B00009WDT8 - as an example (ignore the part where it says it sharpens, steels can't sharpen a knife, just straighten the edge to keep it sharper for longer). Basically, you press your edge against the steel and apply a little pressure and run it down the length of the steel, and then do the same to the other side of the edge. Try to angle it so that it aligns with the angle of the edge, and it'll straighten that sucker right out after a good few passes (I'll usually do ten or so on each side).

I'm just curious as to why you'd prefer a set over a couple of good, individual knives? Not judging, just curious.

I'm actually thinking about buying my mom knives for Christmas, as I went over her house on Saturday and cooked for her and didn't think to bring my own (and nearly cut myself on a dull knife, sigh), but I'll likely buy her a nice chef's knife and a nice paring knife, as well as a honing steel. It will likely cost me about $100-200, and I'll likely go Wusthof.

http://www.amazon.com/Wusthof-Gourmet-8-Inch-Cooks-Knife/dp/B0001FATMI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1382997791&sr=8-2&keywords=wusthof+cook%27s+knife

and then this steel:

http://www.amazon.com/W%C3%BCsthof-4473-Wusthof-10-Inch-Sharpening/dp/B00009WDT8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382997825&sr=8-1&keywords=wusthof+honing+steel

and probably two knife guards.

Well, I use this. About a 4" blade along with a sharpener for 90% of my cooking & eating needs.

I think it came with a fishing fillet kit that was like $5 at a sports store and it came with a little pocket sharpener like this.

Probably not what you were looking for, but it works. Been using this thing for about 4 or 5 years now.

The only knife I use is a $12 filet knife from wal-mart and I use one of those cheater knife sharpening things. My knife is always sharp, slices tomatoes easily, cuts through meat like butter.

As a bonus I can also use it to gut and skin a deer and, of course, filet a fish.

It's not the best rock out there, but I use it on almost all of my knives. I highly recommend it, especially for the price.

Smith's TRI-6 Arkansas TRI-HONE Sharpening Stones System https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00062BIT4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_k0QJxb1ZQNRAN

[Smith's TRI-6](Smith's TRI-6 Arkansas TRI-HONE Sharpening Stones System https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00062BIT4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_k0QJxb1ZQNRAN)

http://www.amazon.com/Smiths-TRI-6-Arkansas-TRI-HONE-Sharpening/dp/B00062BIT4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1396645475&sr=8-2&keywords=three+stone+oil+sharpening

This is the same thing for $23

If Arkansas stones suit your needs, you can get a very affordable set.

For something a little easier to use, but maybe not as flexible, lots of people like the Spyderco Tri-Angle sharpmaker.

I love the chisels - there is however no substitute for sharpening them regularly. Get yourself one of these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00062BIT4/ref=psdc_289867_t2_B002MLE5E2

Here's a primer on how to get the best out of your chisels - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ki8tt-VjwqI

Kershaw cryo ii

Or

Spyderco tenacious

And a sharpener:

Smiths tri stone

Or

Lansky 5 stone system

Because a knife ain't shit if you can't sharpen it.

I use a Lansky, also good is a Smith's. The best one out there imo is the Sharpmaker.

I use this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00062BIT4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_6C5pybCPJ1KSX
It's not super expensive, but it's more than I need for basic stuff!

Interesting. Any thoughts about this one?

I think I'd need to see another video before I begin scraping away on my knives. A few.

I can second Lanksy. I apparently can't hold a consistent angle on a regular whetstone to save my life, and could never consistently raise a burr. This makes it simple: Clamp the knife, stroke the stone until you can feel a burr on the opposite side, stroke the opposite side to raise a burr, repeat with a fine hone. It also makes it simple to hone a compound edge into a knife.

I picked up the cheap set, after using a friend's diamong set (pricy, but probably worthy of /r/buyitforlife).

There's a lot of different directions that you could go in, depending on what you want. The best sharpening is done on bench stones, but they have a learning curve. You can also use a jig system like the lansky and get good results. These are great because you can set an angle and keep it, but you are limited in the number of angles you can set (bench stones obviously are not).

I wouldn't recommend either of the sets you list, as they each have three pieces but all of them are basically the same grit. What is your price range?

I really think the best bang for your buck is the basic lansky system: https://www.amazon.com/Lansky-Standard-Coarse-Sharpening-System/dp/B000B8L6LI/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1493602647&sr=8-3&keywords=lansky+system

It's pretty inexpensive for the basic set (the diamond set is worth it if you want to spend the extra money), pretty easy to use, and works well for most knives.

There are lots of videos on youtube that show good sharpening technique for bench stones. Murray Carter (master bladesmith) has a good dvd series on sharpening if you want to go down the free-hand route.

I'd suggest getting either a Lansky https://www.amazon.com/Lansky-Standard-Coarse-Sharpening-System/dp/B000B8L6LI/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=lansky+guided+sharpener&qid=1571188328&sr=8-5

or one of the EP clones off Amazon like this one https://www.amazon.com/AGPTEKProfessional-Kitchen-Sharpener-System-Fix-angle/dp/B00ABVS5VY/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=ruixin+sharpener&qid=1571188143&sr=8-3

The actual 1x6" Edge Pro stones will also fit the cheap Edge Pro Chinese clones if you ever want to upgrade them. The EP stones are like $12/piece and better than the ones that come with the kits. Plus they come on nice aluminum blanks vs. plastic so if you ever want to replace them you can get them on the cheap from Congress Tools.

OP, if you're spending a lot of money on knives and you're not a chef you're wasting your money.

Get a set of Victorinox Fibrox like /u/WeShouldGoThere suggests.

Then either learn how to sharpen your knives with something simple like this and strop your knives or take them in once a month (Depending on use) and have them professionally sharpened.

I have a set of cheap $50 from Sears that have lasted me almost 7 years with no signs of stopping because they are regularly maintained.

The only reason I am going to replace them is I no longer like the ergonomics of the handles.

I do indeed!

I hope to pick one up soon. You have to buy a separate tool like this to sharpen serrations. That's one of the reasons I prefer a plain edge to a combo edge.

Hi closetkid. Knife laws vary from district to district. To be on the safe side, you can carry a 3 inch folding knife everywhere in Arizona (minus schools and public places such as malls, a good rule of thumb, if there are kids, chances are you cannot carry any type of knife). Fixed blade should be 2.5 inches and has to be visible. Indian reservations have their own set of laws (4 inch blades seem to be the allowable length).

at the very high end of your price range, I would not recommend just a knife, but a knife + a sharpener. What good is a knife if you cannot sharpen; due to cardboard cutting, frequent sharpening is a must.


Really portable sharpener and cheap? get this: http://www.amazon.com/Smiths-PP1-Pocket-Multifunction-Sharpener/dp/B000O8OTNC/ref=pd_sim_sbs_sg_1

For a more advanced sharpener, get this: http://www.amazon.com/Smiths-CCD4-Field-Sharpening-System/dp/B000N35D2E/ref=pd_sim_sbs_sg_28

There are countless decent folders and fixed blades you can get around the $20-$30 dollar range. I'm a Spyderco fan for life, but you can get decent blades from other manufacturers. Just my 2 cents :)

You could try using a whetstone or if you plan on sharpening more knives theres the [Worksharp](Work Sharp Knife & Tool Sharpener https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CVN8HV5/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_4dSiDbE15AM4P) or there's the [Sharpmaker](Spyderco 204MF Triangle Sharpmaker https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000Q9C4AE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_SfSiDb6Z4RQ96). If its just a SAK then id just use [this](Smith's PP1 Pocket Pal Multifunction Sharpener, Grey https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000O8OTNC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_ZgSiDbZ9N142D)

That is a Schrade Old timer. If its old enough, its still American made.

For cleaning, I would use a bit of wd40 on steel wool. This will remove most of that light rust. Don't sand it or file it.

For sharpending, I would use this (or something similar) if you are not familiar with sharpening a pocket knife. There are LOTS of better ways, but this will get you sharp again.

https://www.amazon.com/Smiths-PP1-Pocket-Multifunction-Sharpener/dp/B000O8OTNC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1549044194&sr=8-3&keywords=pocket+knife+sharpener

​

Pretty much any sharpening system will do you just fine. Stones can take a bit of practice to get the hang of it so I'd go with a quick and easy pull through sharpener like this one.

I use a product similar to this for my work knives. It's even faster and easier but it removes a lot of material in a hurry. Definitely not something I would use on a good ($100+) knife.

ill weigh in here too. i strongly recommend doing it yourself, if for no other reason, the sense of accomplishment. it got me into hunting even more when i was able to see the meat from field to plate, the whole way.

there are many levels you can butcher on... you can sub out as much as you want. you can get a grinder, or you can send it out to someone to do the burger. you can do your own sausage too if you have a grinder...

for me, if it is warm, ill do it that same day. if it isnt, i do it when convenient. honestly, ive tried aging it, and i cant taste one iota of difference... so i do it the easiest way i can. if i let it hang for more than a day, i make sure i pull out the tenderloins immediately.

tools you will need....
a good knife... preferably 2 so you can have someone help you. i like one with a gut hook, but its not the end of the world if you dont have one. youll want a small pocket sharpener, which you should probably have anyways... if you use a gut hook get one that can sharpen a gut hook. im a fan of this one

a gambrel. you can get by with ratchet straps, but a gambrel is way easier. i like one with a 4:1 lift ratio, but 2:1 is fine too. this is the one i have


a sawzall to cut off the head and legs are nice, but at our cabin we regularly forget to bring ours, and a regular hand saw actually works better in a lot of ways.

trash bags to store your meat in... at least 4. one for backstraps, one for front quarters, one for burger meat, one(or 2) for rear quarters.

so that will get you quartered. deer skinned, backstraps out, 4 legs(quarters) removed, and burger meat cleaned off of the rest of it.

at that point i generally get the meat into a cooler and get some ice onto it so i can quit for the day... in a day or 2 ill bring it all inside and debone it. for that, youll need a good fillet knife(i actually use a fishing fillet knife), and a big cutting board. again, i prefer 2 of both so i can have help. id rather do 2 deer with someone else, than 1 deer by myself. then all youll need is a vacuum sealer and bags.

there are a ton of different techniques out there. there is a learning curve. if you can have someone teach you that would help massively. but even if you do, watch tons of videos. especially for deboning. youll find your own technique that you like best.

youll also realize how much of the deer goes to waste. in the beginning you are going to want to try to save every tiny morsel of meat... after a couple deer youll realize what you have to let go. and that is different for everyone. some people cut the meat/fat from between the ribs... some people let that go... some people cut off the ribs and make them like beef ribs. some people turn the neck into a roast... some people cut what meat they can off of it, and put it in a roast.

some people are ok with tons of deer fat and connective tissue in their burger... some people want clean meat in it. some people cut all their hind quarter meat into steaks, some people keep everything as roasts.


edit:
this video shows the way i quarter the deer. except it takes me 10x as long, haha. follow up to the 10 minute mark. im not a fan of his deboning technique. i am, but i prefer to do it on the table, not hanging, and i prefer to clean all the outer silver skin off of it before i separate the muscle groups. and he also leaves a biiig chunk of burger meat on the lower leg bone.

https://www.amazon.com/Spyderco-Tri-Angle-Sharpmaker-Sharpener-204MF/dp/B000Q9C4AE/
Never have a dull knife again

Can’t beat a Sharpmaker.

Spyderco Tri-Angle Sharpmaker Knife Sharpener 204MF https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000Q9C4AE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_rc0HAbMMVDB6H

From what I understand you're looking for something like this...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00EJ9CQKA/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1394954011&sr=8-1&pi=SX200_QL40

Fairly cheap, gets the job done, has replaceable belts(aka stones?) and pretty durable.

EDIT: Full disclosure I only have experience with the original work sharp which was adequate but had some problems. From what I've read online the Ken Onion edition seems to have worked out all the issues.

I stumbled across this Rust Eraser Sabitoru Medium and Fine 2-piece Set on Amazon a few weeks ago and it's great. Literally just like an eraser, clean your knife off, wet the eraser, and the rust comes right off.

I've used rust erasers nlike these:
Rust Eraser Sabitoru Medium and Fine 2-piece Set https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FS0BFJC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fvB.BbBE2T4AN

It gets em off pretty well.

I feel like no one around here believes me but this https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00EJ9CQKA/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1500342586&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=work+sharp+ken+onion&dpPl=1&dpID=41LvBs0PCZL&ref=plSrch
Will accomplish that pretty easily.

You'll laugh and I am FULLY AWARE this is not professional, but on the off chance you just meant really sharp knives this has been almost irreplaceable for me for the last few years Work Sharp WSKTS-KO Knife and Tool Sharpener Ken Onion Edition https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EJ9CQKA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_PkoyzbPZV48QA can do teeny knives all the way up to shovels! Really great buy in my opinion.

Would these work for my kitchen knives?

Edit: Anyone have experience with these?

For that price, I'd spring for the spyderco sharpmaker instead, or just get a set of King 1000/6000 stones.

If you want to sharpen freehand Japanese water stones are awesome, this is the one I bought to try them out, and it still works great two years later. They work fast and put a beautiful razor sharp, mirror edge on a knife. Anytime I need to sharpen a seriously dull knife, or change the bevel, that's what I use.

But for quick touch ups, which I do three or four times a month because I hate dull knifes, I can not recommend the Spyderco Sharpmaker enough. It's nearly fool proof, does an excellent job, and there is no mess or cleanup. However, unless you have loads of time it's really only good for touch ups, at least with the rods it comes with.

Exactly. I have a Spyderco Sharpmaker, and once every couple of months I go through every knife in the household, takes about an hour while I watch a movie. It was pricey, but one of the best tools I ever bought.

Reminds me, it's about that time... I think the missus was cutting on frozen chicken again. ˚‧º·(˚ ˃̣̣̥⌓˂̣̣̥ )‧º·˚

I always recommend the Spyderco Sharpmaker, especially for someone just starting out learning to sharpen.

http://www.amazon.com/Spyderco-Tri-Angle-Sharpmaker-Sharpener-204MF/dp/B000Q9C4AE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409929371&sr=8-1&keywords=spyderco+sharpmaker

Instructional video by the creator: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GB0r6GvESGg

It's good for folders, fixed blades, kitchen knives, scissors, serrated, plain edge. Pretty much anything with a blade can be sharpened with this thing.

A lot of people are going to recommend the Spyderco Sharpmaker. I don't have one yet but I will be picking one up shortly, based on all the stellar reviews it gets. Supposedly it's a very versatile and effective system, especially for beginners. Something like this would be good to start with, and can be your go-to sharpening system. Meanwhile, do some research on sharpening stones and techniques (tons on YouTube) and eventually you can learn to sharpen freehand and do reprofiling if you need to. Reprofiling just means changing the angle or grind of the edge bevels. People will often do this to tweak the peformance of their knives (thin the edge for better slicing, thicken the edge for chopping, etc). It's not something you will likely need or want to do right away. Better to get some experience in basic sharpening first. Hope this helps, good luck.

https://www.amazon.com/Spyderco-Tri-Angle-Sharpmaker-Sharpener-204MF/dp/B000Q9C4AE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1466719789&sr=8-1&keywords=spyderco+sharpmaker

I went with stones for a while, but then shifted over to the SpyderCo System with the ultrafine finish.

I don't know if this is cheating or getting the 100% sharpest edge, but damn it makes it easy to do on a monthly basis and cuts smoothly through anything I use while cooking.

okay, so... as far as cheap sharpening goes, stay away from pull thru sharpeners they give a mediocre edge and take years off the steel.
a cheap-ish way is to get a stone but learning to free hand sharpen is a pain and can take years to truly get the hang of. also chosing grits and a good stone that wont crumble and scratch the shit out of your knife.

you can get a lansky for 35-40$

or you can get a spyderco sharpmaker for 50-60$

i use one of these for rough stuff, really bad edges and reprofiling. i would recommend this because if you arent going to be sharpening often and dont need a razor edge itll be fine.

a good strop can get expensive but honestly you can just pick one for 15-20$ and some buffing compound for 3-10$

you can also use one of these to get a mirror edge, closer to finishing, freehand sharpening again has a larger learning curve, practice on a crappy knife. seriously. you will fuck up at first. you should see my first knife, gross...

if you decide in the freedom of freehand sharpening, check out atomedges guide in the sidebar. pretty helpful.

I bought this a while back and have been happy with it

If it's a plain edge I would recommend the Lansky sharpening system, it's pretty affordable and easy to use as a beginner. If it's (partially) serrated I would say a Spyderco Sharpmaker, but I don't have any hands on experience with that one.

You'd think they would give you a bit of a warning, but I understand why they wouldn't.

If you think you're going to be serious about collecting and sharpening knives. Drop some cash on something like: Spyderco Tri-Angle Sharpmaker & a set of ultra-fine stones to go with it.

It'll set you back about $75 all together, but it's a one time purchase that will last you your life.

There are other awesome sharpening systems out there, but that one is the most bang for your buck. If you want to spend stupid money on a sharpener; I hear wicked edge makes an awesome product

Spyderco Sharpmaker.

Reasonably priced, and it has taken my knife sharpening abilities from "meh" to "scary". It's stupid easy to do and will result in a shaving-sharp blade with minimal time and effort, and doesn't take a shit ton of metal off your blade like some of the powered options do. Also way more portable.

Paracord is good survival type thing and can be used for pretty much anything. The galaxy is the limit with this one, use your creativity and imagination and paracord can get it done.
https://www.skilledsurvival.com/paracord-uses-for-survival/

My shoulder light has a red light, white, and yellow, and I can adjust them all individually or have all of them blinking at the same time (like a cop light). It’s extremely useful for when you are dealing with people at night, no more holding a flashlight in your mouth while you write!
https://www.guardianangeldevices.com/m/law-enforcement-safety-light/

Our work has a gerber brand as well, I got a leatherman when I was 15 and still works amazing 10 years later. I carry that instead because the work multi-tool isn’t upkept very well and is super dull over the years.
I am not sure if they still make mine but it is similar to this one: https://www.swissknifeshop.com/shop/leatherman/multi-tools/leatherman-surge-multi-tool-black-4-pocket-nylon-sheath

I sharpen my SpyderCo knife (use it all the time!) and multi tool with this: Spyderco 204MF Triangle Sharpmaker https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000Q9C4AE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_whL1Cb8PQK0H8
It is pricey but will last a long time. Good quality in my opinion.

As far as money goes, really have to ask yourself how long you will use the item and how much use you will get out of it. Especially things like safety, I’ll buy a pair of Oakley’s over buying a lower-end brand. I personally like spending money on quality I know I’ll use a lot and having it last than to have something I’ll need to replace every few years. But there are cheaper options that work just as good.

We just have a standard toolbox, top swings open and there is a removable tray- so 2 levels of storage. Med bag is almost like a duffel bag but square. Brochures are in an organizer bag that straps onto a seat. Fee envelopes and other smaller paper items are in a small storage tub with clasps.

My personal stuff I carry a small Osprey bag that holds everything real well. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019TQPL4A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ExL1Cb2BVDB4S

I do want to note that many items were gifts, I am by no means rolling in money. I also don’t want you to feel like you need all this stuff. I really like being prepared and I go camping a lot as well so I get a lot of use from them, so for me it is worth it.

Williams should still sharpen them, or, if you want to follow /u/Tidgey's advice and get a sharpener, I've heard good things about Spyderco's Sharpmaker.

Aim as high up this list as you're willing to spend.

For most people, 154CM, CPM-S30V, and VG-10 are about as good as you're going to go for an EDC knife in an affordable price range, and they're all quite good.

Besides that DO NOT use one of those little carbide sharpener things. They're terrible and will almost certainly destroy your edge over time. They can in theory be used without that happening, but you're putting in as much skill as it would take to learn to sharpen freehand on a whetstone.

If you want easy, get a Spyderco Sharpmaker, they're a bit pricey but worth it for the edges you can get with minimal skill.

For something more advanced, I suggest a DMT Diasharp. I use the Fine/Ultra Fine double sided one I linked, but you may want different grits (I recommend going no coarser than medium however) or their larger 8 or 10 inch plates if you don't mind spending more money.

Here is the easier method:

https://www.amazon.com/Spyderco-Tri-Angle-Sharpmaker-Sharpener-204MF/dp/B000Q9C4AE

2 whetstones held at a fixed vertical angle. It's very easy to use.

If this is the gif you saw (in video form) that is the RAD knives field cleaver! It is a crazy good knife but it will set you back 1-3 grand, they are also very hard to get. You can get nearly any knife that sharp so i would reccomend investing in a cheaper knife like the Spyderco Tenacious and also some sharpening supplies like the Spyderco Sharpmaker although all of my Spyderco knives have came that sharp from the get go.

I use the Diamond Deluxe Lansky kit with an Arkansas hone.

If you don't have "super steel" on your knives, you can easily get away with the regular Lansky kit (non-diamond).

I use an old leather belt for a strop.

And I use the Spyderco Sharpmaker for touchups. Got it used on /r/knife_swap.

Any novice can use this. In the first hour of using it I made 3 knives shaving sharp and I couldn't do anything close to that with a diamond sharpener.

Can't help you for an actual whetstone set, but if all you're trying to do is put a razor's edge on a knife, I highly recommend a Sharpmaker. Been using one for probably 30 years. Any moron can put a decent edge on a knife with one and with a small amount of care/practice you can shave with a knife that has been sharpened with one.

Spyderco Tri-Angle Sharpmaker Knife Sharpener 204MF https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000Q9C4AE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_O6OKljcnF7RVn


Spyderco Double 1 x 5 x 1/4 Stuff Fine/Medium Stone with Pouch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0013AVZR8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_KCUoRxrKWtyWa

In lieu of a set of stones, which can be time consuming and require a lot of practice, I recommend this sharpener set. Very easy, extremely durable and forgiving of mistakes, whereas with a soft stone it's extremely easy to scoop out a chunk of stone with the wrong angle. It's also much less destructive to the blade material itself compared to the metal cleaving bevel sharpeners. It requires no oil or water, all you really need to go with it is a strop and you can go from dull to absolute razor's edge in about 3 minutes. Bonus, it's easily configured for multiple work types, so you can sharpen a shitload of edge styles. I use it for my chisels, utility knives, scissors, and all my knives, and for shits and giggles I even tried my 30" machete blade (a bit unwieldy on such a long draw), it handled them all like a champ.

Check out the "sharp maker" from spyderco. I picked one up last week and was able to take a somewhat dull knife to an arm shaving edge in about 10 minutes. Much better for your knives than an electric or carbide sharpener and much easier to use than flat stones.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000Q9C4AE?pc_redir=1409922548&robot_redir=1

No one else has mentioned it, but do not use that crappie 'pull through' sharpener. It will ruin your knives. It takes away too much material

If you want to learn to actually sharpen your knives, I suggest a spyderco sharp maker. There's plenty of videos and it's almost as good as stones

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000Q9C4AE/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1480171861&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=spyderco+sharpmaker&dpPl=1&dpID=41LEgBohLNL&ref=plSrch

https://amzn.com/B000Q9C4AE

One of the best sharpeners you can buy. It's a very small learning curve (can you hold a knife straight?) but it will get your knives incredibly sharp without taking off much material, which is the issue with sharpeners like the one you have.

Whetstone.

Cooks Illustrated (aka America's Test Kitchen) recommends this electric model for western knives (sharpened to a 20 degree angle): http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000CSK0DM/

Then they just recently tested a bunch of new sharpeners that sharpen knives to 15 degrees (Japanese style). They even turn a 20 degree knife into a 15 degree knife. This is their top performer: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0018RSEMU/
They also tested it on knives that were chipped and it did well in smoothing them out.

Another option if you don't to go the full Japanese water stone route is to use a decent sharpener like the Trizor XV. It has three different grits and sharpens in a fraction of the time of a stone. It sharpens at a 15 degree angle, so you probably wouldn't to use it on softer steel knives.

Over 10 years with this knife and I still love it.

Recently added a Trizor XV Sharpener to give it a 15 degree edge, and now it's better than ever.

Looks like me may be using a custom knife but that style of knife is generally classified as a meat cleaver. here's one by wuhstoff who is an incredibly reliable brand

https://www.amazon.com/Wsthof-4685-19-B0000DJYX3B0000DJYX3B0000DJYX3-B0000DJYX3/dp/B0000DJYX3/ref=mp_s_a_1_26?keywords=meat+cleaver&qid=1555555291&s=gateway&sr=8-26


If you are planning to use it as he does though you are going to want to invest in an electric knife sharpener that will give you a 15° cutting edge on the blade. Meat cleavers typically come with blades around 25° which is great for getting through tough ligaments and bones but not good at all for things like cutting delicate foods such as tomatoes.

I use this knife sharpener and it is beyond fantastic
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0018RSEMU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Kv-TCbFSX4HAV

This is the one that Sur La Table uses. I bought it and it's idiot proof as well, and my knifes are scary sharp.

No it's not an acquired skill there's plenty of good sharpeners out there all you do is stick the knife into it and pull back. Like these I'm a cook and we have things like those in our kitchens to sharpen our knives in-between shifts with no problem. For a home cook it would more than likely last them a life time. For a pro cook just keeps the blade maintained.

"You can't trust everything you read on the internet"
-Abraham Lincoln

link

Learning to cook for the first time in college, my standard was:

2 pots (1 big, 1 small w/ lids), 2 pans (1 big, 1 small), tupperware (super important!), a spatula, 2 tongs (1 big, 1 small), measuring cups, cutting board, can opener, peeler, oven mitts, colander, dish/kitchen towel, paper towel rolls and holder, baking pan, a chef knife, and a knife sharpener. You can upgrade your kitchen as you improve/explore your cooking venture.

Keep in mind none of this has to be top notch quality when starting out. Most of my kitchen stuff was from Dollar Tree and lasted throughout my 8 years of college and graduate school. I actually still use the same peeler now I think about it lol. Anything Dollar Tree didn't have, thrift stores, garage sales, and HomeGoods clearance like everyone else suggested!

My one suggestion to splurge on is the knife; it will be your best your friend. I LOVE this affordable one from Amazon for $31. Or you can do what I did and buy a decent $10 one from the local Asian store. Both have lasted me many years with good maintenance. Get yourself a cheap knife sharpener and never let the knife get dull to the point of no return. Again, you can get more/better tools as you improve.

Last tip: All the basics you need to learn can be taught by YouTube.

Hope this helps!

From someone casually interested in learning the craft, using cheap sharpeners on cheap knives is ok. I had this for a while with a $20 knife set and it kept them from being dangerously dull, but they weren't particularly sharp.

With good knives you don't want to run them through that, because it will change the geometry of the knife and make it harder to sharpen later. Getting them professionally sharpened is the best way to go if you don't want to learn yourself, and getting them professionally sharpened by someone that does whetstone sharpening is better still. If you want that edge to last there are a few things you can do: always use a cutting board, always clean and dry the knife off immediately and by hand (very important for high carbon, still important for stainless), and pick up a honing steel and learn how to use that. That way you can limit how much you have to spend on professional sharpening.

Add $5 and grab a cheap and nasty sharpener. Probably won't kill your knife after two years, but if it does, it's cheap. http://www.amazon.com/KitchenIQ-50009-Stage-Knife-Sharpener/dp/B001CQTLJM/

This will do you ok for $6. The trick is to twist it a bit and don't push down hard. That way you're sharpening the side of the metal instead of smushing the edge. I use this to keep a cheap meat cleaver really sharp.

http://www.amazon.com/KitchenIQ-50009-Stage-Knife-Sharpener/dp/B001CQTLJM/ref=acs_ux_rw_ts_hg_289867_1_i?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&pf_rd_p=1630553582&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-4&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=289867&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0126WA83NF0X3CTBFPSZ

This knife sharpener works surprisingly well. I use it at home about once weekly on my chef's knife and no tomato stands a chance!

Sounds like what you're looking for is this.

http://www.amazon.com/Edgeware-Edge-Stage-Knife-Sharpener/dp/B001CQTLJM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382239611&sr=8-1&keywords=knife+sharpener

My honest opinion: If you can read, you can cook. Literally. Basic cooking is simply reading instructions and following them. Once your comfortable with how things taste together, timing, and what spices taste like, then you can move on to more advanced dishes.

I think a fun part of learning to cook is gearing up. Since most people here will give you a grocery list, I'll give you a list of helpful items that I use daily.

• 1 large, sharp kitchen knife and basic sharpener
  
  The knife if a bit on the pricey side, but trust me when I tell you it's worth it. You only need 1 and as long as you hand wash and dry regularly, it can last forever. Sharp knives won't cut you as often as a dull knife that sometimes slips.
  
  
• crock pot. This is good because it doesn't require any sort of culinary skills. Mostly just mix and wait.
  
  
• Liquid Measuring cup
  
  
• Dry measuring cups
  
  
• Flat spatula
  
  
• Other spatula (for stirring and wiping out sauces/batter/etc.)
  
  
• Tongs
  
  
• Very basic non-stick pots and pans I have a cheap set I bought from Costco that has lasted me 8 years and counting. Be sure to ALWAYS use wood or plastic utensils with non-stick or you risk scratching the non-stick surface and fucking it all up.
  
  
• Wooden Utensils These are nice because you can leave them in a pot of sauce and not worry about them expelling chemicals or melting.
  
  
• Also a holder for your kitchen items
  
  I assume you have basic dishware and silverware, so I've only included common cooking items.
  
  Hope this helps! I'll update if I can think of anything else you'll need.

Restaurant supply store. Full tang, riveted handle (no nooks, crannies, bends, or joints for food/bacteria to get caught). like this

BladeMedic (will let you sharpen serrations!), or I like this smaller one for semi-daily use.

Buy a 10" Chef's knife, a smaller paring knife (~4" maybe?), then personally I bought a 6" serrated ceramic knife which doubles up as bread-knife and lettuce knife. Like this one but ignore all the scammy reviews. Ended up giving away my 6" non-serrated ceramic knife b/c my steel knives were always sharper. I hardly ever use this one but if you find it for a good price (maybe ~$20?) then I'd maybe say go for it. I'd also be tempted by the regular $10 steel one as well, though.

You're in for ~$20 on the chef's knife, $10 on the paring knife, $20 total on the sharpener(s) and optionally another $10-20 on the serrated ones. Most people never use any of the other knives in a block, I keep mine nice and separated, laying flat in a drawer.

Oooh! Last bit... Kitchen Shears, these I actually do specifically recommend, they're great quality and look good too. Instead of slicing a pizza with a knife, you can cut it with scissors. Same with fajita meat. A lot of times I'll use tongs + scissors and am able to process meat right in the same pan I'm cooking it.

So... $75 and you'll have a very nice setup. Maybe I'd add a Santoku or small-medium Cleaver, and then try to figure out table-knives or steak-knives, but that'd follow a similar process for me. I'd be much more willing to buy a fancy set of 4-8 steak knives though than I would a traditional / full wood block setup.

--Robert

Always wanted to go stay in LA for a while :)


$5

$10

I just got this one without even reading the reviews (quite a feat for me), and it was a vast improvement for my ridiculously dull knives. If you want to give it as part of a gift, there are probably fancier ones.

It could be for your [honing steel] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001N0ULJG)
.

Came here to say I bought this Victorinox 8-inch chef knife and this honing steel. I have no complaints so far. I would probably go with Mercer, though, since you're a student and cheap is always better (at least it was for me during those times), haha.

I have a carbon steel knife which is harder than VG10 on the Rockwell scale and the knife maker recommended a ceramic honing rod rather than a steel one.

Something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Messermeister-12-Inch-Ceramic-Knife-Sharpener/dp/B002YK1RAQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406208943&sr=8-1&keywords=ceramic+honing+rod

As others have mentioned, a honing rod isn't for sharpening it is for, well, honing. You use it on a daily basis (or semi-daily) to keep the teeth aligned on the blade.

You don't have to pay that much for ceramic.

Sure!
Here's a steel: https://www.amazon.com/10-inch-Knife-Sharpening-Utopia-Kitchen/dp/B019CEWA9S/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1480170600&sr=8-2&keywords=steel+knife+rod

And here's a ceramic one: https://www.amazon.com/Messermeister-Ceramic-Knife-Sharpener-12-Inch/dp/B002YK1RAQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1480170600&sr=8-3&keywords=steel+knife+rod

As the ceramic rods are quite hard, you could probably get by with just that, and not the steel one. It will hone the knife (which is simply aligning the metal of the knife edge), while sharpening it slightly.

I'll chime in and offer that IME, a sharpening stick is a great thing to have to maintain an edge. After each use just clean the blade and run it over the stick two of three times per side at a constant angle of about 20 degrees in a motion as if you were trying to shear a thin layer of wax off the stick.

I fully understand OP's inclination to send the knives out. Get a cheap knife from the dollar store and practice with a sharpening stone or diamond hone. Youtube has good videos on this.

ok i will offer you two BIFL versions. the first one being BIFL on a budget and the second being a much higher dollar BIFL cost.

quality on a budget- http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000CF8YO/ref=cm_ciu_pl_B0000CF8YO_mo1ZWCPZP5I7S3B

http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-Color-EC6D43-Enameled-6-Quart/dp/B000N501BK/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1371857337&sr=1-1&keywords=lodge+dutch+oven

http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-4-Inch-Fibrox-Straight-Paring/dp/B008M5U1UE/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1371857377&sr=1-1&keywords=victorinox+paring

http://www.amazon.com/OXO-Grips-Wooden-Spoon-3-Piece/dp/B008H2JLP8/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1371857407&sr=1-2&keywords=wooden+spoon

http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-L10SK3-12-Inch-Pre-Seasoned-Skillet/dp/B00006JSUB/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1371857459&sr=1-1&keywords=lodge+cast+iron

higher dollar items include-

http://www.amazon.com/Global-G-2-inch-Chefs-Knife/dp/B00005OL44/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1371857561&sr=1-1&keywords=global+knives

http://www.amazon.com/Shun-Premier-Chefs-Knife-8-Inch/dp/B003B66YKA/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1371857613&sr=1-2&keywords=shun+knives

http://www.amazon.com/Wusthof-Classic-2-Inch-Paring-Knife/dp/B00005MEGH/ref=sr_1_3?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1371857640&sr=1-3&keywords=paring+knife

http://www.amazon.com/Le-Creuset-Signature-Enameled-Cast-Iron/dp/B0076NOGPY/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1371857680&sr=1-2&keywords=le+creuset+dutch+oven

http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-L10SK3-12-Inch-Pre-Seasoned-Skillet/dp/B00006JSUB/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1371857717&sr=1-1&keywords=lodge+cast+iron


I own the cheaper BIFL items i listed and they have been AMAZING so far. you really cant beat the quality/ price ratio for the cheaper things i listed. if you want a better chef knife all the options i gave you would be excellent but just know that you could go crazy looking at all the different brands.

• Chef's knife 1 [2] (http://www.amazon.com/Henckels-International-Classic-8-Inch-Stainless-Steel/dp/B00004RFMT/ref=sr_1_3?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1335026275&sr=1-3) me gusta
  
• Paring knife (victorinox is good if you get a few. If you want just one, get something with solid construction. You can find them for pretty cheap)
  
• Cutting boards (ikea is a good place for these. 2/$1)
  
• French Press (Mmmm, coffee)
  
• Spices (oregano, basil, salt, pepper, yellow curry powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder)
  
• A few nice microwave safe bowls
  
• A mixing bowl
  
• 1 nice, heavy saute pan (8" coated works well for 1 person, though you may want to get something a bit bigger if you'll be cooking for 2. Also, use plastic a wood utensils. NEVER use a fork because it's easier. You will ruin your pan if you do not heed my warning.)
  
• 1 nice, heavy pot (1 or two quarts should do. Try Goodwill or somewhere similar for this)
  
• Spatulas, wood spoons, tongs, etc.
  
  A well fit kitchen is really important. I like to go with a minimalist style and just wash as I go. It keeps the clutter down and makes cooking pretty damn easy. Good luck!

I defer to /u/atomedge for sharpening expertise, but what has worked for my elmax and s35vn knives is this - I put a micro-bevel (I think that's what its called), over and above the secondary grind. Stays sharp, requires minimal touchup.

Nope even more simple!! Haha

Lansky Diamond Ceramic Turn Box TB-2D2C https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008EKY5OA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Uj5EDbS1MD0C9

i bought this one its prety cheap

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008EKY5OA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Damn $100? Its still less than half of eight of them. I'm still gonna go with the edge pro knock off first.

AGPtek® Professional Kitchen Knife Sharpener System Fix-angle with 4 Stones https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ABVS5VY/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_JI5aub1T1JK9X

I use one of these http://www.amazon.com/AGPtek%C2%AE-Professional-Kitchen-Sharpener-Fix-angle/dp/B00ABVS5VY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425532382&sr=8-1&keywords=fixed+angle+knife+sharpener
Absolutely fantastic but not very bushcrafty. Puts a mirror edge on the knife though

Not a cooking appliance per se, but a GOOD knife sharpening system and taking the time to learn about how to sharpen a knife and what it entails. What got me started was this book for the knowledge, and I ended up using an Edge Pro Apex, but a more economical alternative to that is the AGPtek on amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Edge-Kitchen-Ultimate-Guide-Knives/dp/0061188484/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1527779143&sr=8-1&keywords=an+edge+in+the+kitchen

https://www.amazon.com/AGPtek-Professional-Kitchen-Sharpener-Fix-angle/dp/B00ABVS5VY/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1527779055&sr=8-7&keywords=edge+pro+apex&dpID=41kOlJo6D4L&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

The Work Sharp Ken Onion Knife Sharpener kit has been on my wanted list for a while now. It looks really versatile.
http://www.amazon.com/Work-Sharp-WSKTS-KO-Sharpener-Edition/dp/B00EJ9CQKA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1395163425&sr=8-2&keywords=work+sharp+ken+onion

my friend uses a work sharp ken onion edition to sharpen his knives. same concept as doing it with the dremel, but it has a built in guide to control the angle and belts that go up to 12 k grit. if you are really looking for a short cut in sharpening, i would say give it a look.

It's not what you asked for but these things really are idiot proof.

https://www.amazon.com/Spyderco-Tri-Angle-Sharpmaker-Sharpener-204MF/dp/B000Q9C4AE

It really is a one time purchase that will sharpen everything for you.

I l'get great results from the sharpmaker.

Save up for a Lansky Sharpening System or a Spyderco Sharpmaker. Carbide pull-through sharpeners will tear-up and eventually weaken the edge of your blades. Here's an example.

You can actually get the Spyderco Tri-Angle Sharpmaker for $50 here.

So this or this?

I've used my good kitchen knife sharpener to sort of re-edge tweezers. It worked!

I have a sharpener like this, because I also have Kitchenware Addiction. It's rough 😁...

Well first off, for hiking, the last thing I would recommend would be an all black, "tactical", tanto pointed, ka-bar stamped, crop circle handled thing as such.

But alas...

Good sharpeners that are always reccommeneded would be either the Spyderco Sharpmaker or a Lanksy.

I use a Sharpmaker and other than new users dulling the point of their blades I find it to be an easy and effective sharpening method.

You noted above that this isn't a bad setup. Is it good enough for the average EDC knife user such as myself?

What system would you recommend over this one? A pair of bench hones? I have zero experience bench honing a knife, but I would be interested if they can be found reasonably priced.

That's a good knife, is she a professional chef?

If not, just buy her a shit (or an ok one) knife and a good sharpener.
I recommended the Sharp Maker:

http://www.amazon.com/Spyderco-Sharpmaker-Knife-Sharpener-204MF/dp/B000Q9C4AE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1265266128&sr=8-1

If [this] (https://www.house.com.au/baccarat-id3-3-step-knife-sharpener) is the one your talking about then I would not recommend it. Those kind of sharpener are in general very poor at sharpening your knife and wear out the blade much faster than a regular sharpening system. They function by pinching off chunks of metal and leaving a wavy stressed edge that will dull quickly and require sharpening again.

Instead for a similar price, at least here in the US its a similar price. I would recommend the


[spyderco sharpmaker] (https://www.amazon.com/Spyderco-Tri-Angle-Sharpmaker-Sharpener-204MF/dp/B000Q9C4AE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519110224&sr=8-1&keywords=sharpmaker)

It holds the ceramic rods at pre set angles but doesnt have only a single angle to it and you can even take out the rods and use them individually or tilt the sharpener to make up for some smaller variations in the factory grind angle.
Also very importantly you can clean the ceramic rods in the sharpmaker awhile in that device you really cant.
The one draw back that the sharpmaker has is that the brown ceramic "Medium" grit rods are very fine and do not do good at sharpening a knife that is very dull (its very slow at it)

Alternatively I would also recommend this


[Lansky diamond ceramic turnbox] (https://www.amazon.com/Lansky-2D2C-Diamond-Ceramic-Four/dp/B008EKY5OA/ref=pd_sbs_200_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B008EKY5OA&pd_rd_r=VYC7T7S4Q80MZ56KR8NA&pd_rd_w=4CqcY&pd_rd_wg=wFmqi&psc=1&refRID=VYC7T7S4Q80MZ56KR8NA)

Its similar to the sharpmaker but cheaper, has shorter ceramic rods which can make it a little less ideal for longer knives like kitchen knives. But it also comes with some diamond rods that are much courser than the rods on the sharpmaker.
The sharpmaker does come with diamond or CBN rods but they cost almost as much as the whole sharpener, though a great addition if you do a lot of dull knives.

Ja, je nach Messer kann das ziemlich in die Hose gehen.

Ich hatte so was auch mal, und hab mir dann den Spyderco Sharpmaker geholt.

Ist finde ich leichter zu bedienen als Steine (komme mit Steinen nur bedingt zurecht, aber ich hab wahrscheinlich auch nicht genug Zeit reingesteckt).
Ist etwas teuer, aber das sind gute Steine ja auch.

I have a basic arkansas stone that works very well at what it does... but I'm not necessarily a pro at what I do. Hand sharpening on a stone requires you to hold the knife at a very constant angle while working it through a relatively complex motion. Very difficult to get a good edge but if you practice and get the skills it's the cheapest and most versatile method of sharpening. Most people (definitely myself included) also need a decent preexisting edge to sharpen as they can 'set' the knife on that flat. Much harder if the existing edge is crap.

What I have for quick and dirty sharpening is a Lansky set. A bracket clamps to the knife and holds a rod (attached to the stone) at essentially a constant angle to the blade. It has some issues so I don't use it on the knives I really care about but it's good for really quickly bringing a beat knife back to a decently usable edge. I use my Lansky set on kitchen knives.

However, if you're willing to spend a bit more money, the Spyderco Sharpmaker is a very well reviewed product. I suppose this is my 'Everest' tip as I don't actually have one but I'll buy one eventually, when I have a particularly profitable feeling month. The idea here is that it's much easier to hold a knife vertical than at some obscure angle like 27 degrees. The put the sharpening stone on the angle then essentially do a 'chopping' motion along the stone to bring an edge in. It solves a lot of the problems of the Lansky but doesn't require as much skill as just a stone. These are rather well regarded in the knife community, though those guys still go after hand sharpening.

I have some expensive kitchen knives and I've had great success keeping them sharp with the Spyderco Tri-Angle Kit.

It's a bit costly and you have to pay attention and do it right. There are YouTube videos to assist in proper practice. Every month or so I bring out the kit and go through my knives and it works great.

> Lansky sharping system

We have the spiderco tri-angle sharpener: https://www.amazon.com/Spyderco-Tri-Angle-Sharpmaker-Sharpener-204MF/dp/B000Q9C4AE/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=spyderco+sharpening&qid=1558043094&s=sporting-goods&sr=1-1

It's amazing.

Here is the desktop version of your link

Spyderco Tri-Angle Sharpmaker Knife Sharpener 204MF https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000Q9C4AE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_l0RNzbZR2F1Y6

Lansky Professional Sharpening System with Coarse, Medium, Ultra Fine, and Serrated Medium Hones https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001KN3OKO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_k2RNzb92B0W4E

These would be my recommendations for you based on what you already have etc.

Smiths makes a Tri-Hone as well..if you want to start in freehand sharpening. You can Amazon search for it. I don't think a sharpening steel would be the greatest for pocket knives but it depends on what you want to do too (eg how sharp you want it etc).

Ive got the same system, and it works well enough, though a bit of a pain for frequent touch ups. Its very simple to use.

though, for your purposes, the Lansky Croc sticks might be better. its very cheap only 20 bucks or so.

The spyderco sharpmaker is the same sort of thing, though higher quality. of course it costs a few times more, at 60-70 bucks.

those hold the rod/stones at the right angles to sharpen at, and you just hold the knife vertical and draw them down, swapping sides. its very possible with both to get extremely sharp edges quickly.

Here is the desktop version of your link

After reading this great tutorial on sharpening, I decided to get the Spyderco Sharpmaker. Shop around for better prices.

I would get something a little cheaper like a:

• Leek
  
  
• RAT 2
  
  
• Kershaw Skyline
  
  and get a sharpening system instead of a more expensive knife if you don't have one, I would recommend either the Spyderco Tri-angle Sharpmaker or the Lansky Sharpening System.
  
  

If you're genuinely going through a lot of knives in your household, you may just want to look at a good sharpener. Personally, I love my Spyderco sharpener, it's done me well with anything I've put through it.

If you're looking to get something simply for slicing onions, I'd look into a mandolin. /r/cooking says Benriner, Swissmar Borner, or Oxo are good bets.

Do yourself a favor and pick up a decent sharpening system. That two weeks could have been 5 minutes!

You don't have to spend a ton, here's a good one for under $20. Or there is the Spyderco Sharpmaker for around $60. No skill required for either to put a nice edge on your blade.

Not sure about UK availability, but:

Spyderco Tri-Angle Sharpmaker Knife Sharpener 204MF https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000Q9C4AE/ref=cm_sw_r_taa_S8hSCbJ130D0X

It works on my Wusthof bread knife.

Spyderco Sharpmaker. Really easy to use, quality item, and you can find it on Amazon or on eBay for under $60.

I've also heard really good things about the Lansky system, specifically the 3-stone or 5-stone ones, which are also both under $60 on their website and for cheaper (<$40) on sites like eBay and Amazon.

http://www.amazon.ca/Spyderco-Tri-Angle-Sharpmaker-Sharpener-204MF/dp/B000Q9C4AE this is what I use on my knives and it works great and is really easy to use

honestly if you're not looking to get into all the ins and outs of sharpening then the spyderco sharpmaker is a pretty solid choice and it can get you a hair shaving edge. i'd also recommend picking up some untra fine ceramic stones, a strop, and some green compound. for more in depth info check out this thread as well as the sidebar over at /r/knives. i hope this helps you out.

I really like my Spydero Sharpmaker, $54. It has coarse and fine stone rods and holds them at conventional angles so I can cheat and be more consistent than I am on a whetstone. It's portable and has been very effective on my pocket and kitchen knives.

Here is an Amazon link.

I expect that a lot of people are going to comment this, but you really cant go wrong with the spyderco sharpmaker. It's the device I use on all my knives, great for beginners and intermediate collectors alike. It only takes a few tries to get the technique down, and there are ways to sharpen both straight edge (obviously) and serrations.

Once you start getting more into knives, some other great systems that I've been researching are the edgepro and the wicked edge. These will run you a lot more money- hundreds for the best wicked edge- but these are the kinds of sharpeners that the pros use to get ridiculously sharp edges on their knives.

There are a ton of excellent videos on youtube detailing how to use these products to get a great edge. Check out jdavis882 if you are interested in the edgepro.

Sorry for the ranting post. Hope you find what you're looking for, and tell us what you get and how you're liking it!

If you are interested in a larger sharpener that has honestly put razor edges (after just a touch of honing post-sharpening) on every blade I have around the house, the SpyderCo sharpening system is, as the kids say, "the tits". I take it camping with me. A little extra weight but I can take a ding out of a blade reasonably quickly with the coarse stones.

Some people have some reservations about using it as a general purpose sharpener, but I have had great experiences across the board with it.

http://www.amazon.com/Spyderco-Tri-Angle-Sharpmaker-Sharpener-204MF/dp/B000Q9C4AE is the best DIY sharpener I've found. Due to the shape, you can even do serrated blades, needles, and hooks. It sets the angle for you, so you have less guess work to deal with. The only downside I've found is that it's difficult to take off a LOT of material, so if you have seriously neglected knives, or are trying to sharpen a chip out of it, you may be better off taking it to someone with a wheel grinder.

I bought a Spyderco sharpener and am satisfied with it. Takes a little practice at first, but it's otherwise foolproof. You can find the official instructional video on youtube to get an idea for how it works. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000Q9C4AE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

OP, I had the exact same concerns about sharpening my own knives. I have great hand eye coordination and can definitely be very delicate with my hands, but I know I'm still going to struggle to hold the proper angle with a flat stone line like that. Takes a lot of practice to get good and consistent at that sharpening motion.

Solution: I bought a Spyderco Triangle Sharpmaker from Amazon. What this style of product does is handle the angle work for you by design, offers a 30 degree and 40 degree edge. You simply take the triangular stones and slide them into the base so that they make a "v" shape, and then you sharpen the blade by keeping it verticle and dragging it towards yourself across the stones, alternating between sides stroke by stroke.

Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2DDpB8Pjho

I really can't recommend this product enough. Although, to anyone who is interested, I found that I got the best results when I purchased an additional set of triangle stones that are the "ultra fine" grit. All told I think I spent $70 and now I don't have to focus on maintaining the exact angle with a whetstone.

SECTION | CONTENT
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Title | How to use the Spyderco Sharpmaker - easy knife sharpening for beginners
Description | The Spyderco Tri-Angle Sharpmaker can be found for about $50-60 and offers a simple, convenient way to sharpen an edge at either 30 or 40 degree angle. It uses ceramic rods that are arranged in a V-shape position so that all you need to do is to keep the edge pointed down. A simply whetstone is of course a cheaper alternative for knife sharpening but it requires a lot of practice to get the angle right consistently. Where to find it: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000Q9C4AE/ref=as_li_tl?ie=...
Length | 0:07:54






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I went through a big sharpener search a few months ago. My recommendations:

Use a hone before every use. A hone doesn't sharpen a knife. It straightens the edge side-to-side.

Use a stone every 6-12 months (depends on use) to sharpen.

I ended up with a Spyderco. It's ceramic, so no need for oil. And the angles are preset. It works great, night-and-day difference.

There's a cheaper one made by another company, but with the same idea. I forget the name but it was maybe $20 cheaper than Spyderco. Probably produces similar results.

Don't bother with the handheld gimmick sharpeners.

Don't bother with standalone whetstones unless you want to make this a serious hobby. This method is no doubt superior, but it's tough to master.

The Chefmate electric apparently works well, but it's expensive and eats a lot more steel compared to doing by hand.

Good luck.

the consensus is that you should get the spyderco sharpmaker. i personally like the dmt kit, but it is not as bifl as the spyderco.

Do you recommend any certain brand of mineral oil? Also, would this get the job done as far as sharpening goes? - http://amzn.com/B00062BIT4

I just feel like $20 is better for someone just starting out, vs $50+ for this - http://amzn.com/B000Q9C4AE

Then again, I don't really know much about this. Let me know what you think, thanks!

Thank you so much for all the info! So maybe something like these Zhen knives or this Tojiro knife?

Stupid question: I recall someone telling me once that high quality knives are not dishwasher safe. Is this true? If I buy these for her, we'll be hand washing them, correct?

For the wet stone: how much does the manufacturer matter? I was able to find this one and it seems well reviewed. :)

Thank you again for all the help!

My first stone was a Kai 240/1000, which I got because it was cheap. It got me started on sharpening technique, and I restored a few mangled knife blades out of it. It does a great job, despite its smaller size

My current stone is a King 1000/6000, priced at only $40. I've spent a lot of time practicing proper technique with the King stone, and can get my Henckels Santoku sharp enough to shave (which I think is impressive for a $40 knife). My Shun Chef is sharp enough to do surgery. Shun uses VG-10, a much harder steel (HRC around 60) which requires a very consistent technique to polish properly.

If you want to move up in quality after that, you're looking at $100+ per stone.

I'd say a Japanese waterstone would be the way to go. They're not that hard to use. This Kai 240/1000 would even match most of his knives! A 1000/6000 would also be a good option paired with a fine diamond stone.

I understand that none of these would work particularly well for that half serrated blade. But a little Lansky blade medic could touch it up nicely.

This King, This Taidea one, and this Kai one.

I think an 800 grit is a little too fine if you want to do any re-edgeing of blades, especially if you're trying to remove enough material to hide a nick in the edge. This Kai waterstone off Amazon is always my recommendation to friends as a first stone. The 240 grit is just coarse enough to do some re-edging work, and the 1000 is enough for some pretty fine edge.

The Chefs Choice Trizor was one of Americas Test Kitchen's top choices:

https://www.amazon.com/Choice-EdgeSelect-Electric-Sharpener-Platinum/dp/B0018RSEMU/ref=sr_1_4?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1511752127&sr=1-4&keywords=chefs+choice+knife+sharpener

http://www.amazon.com/Choice-Trizor-EdgeSelect-Electric-Sharpener/dp/B0018RSEMU

I personally don't feel the need to spend $300 on a single knife. I'd go with Wusthof and also get him something for sharpening. I'd recommend getting him the 3 only knives that every cook needs:

• The Chef's Knife (I was going to include the paring knife separately but I found this set instead)
  
  
• The Serrated knife
  
  In terms of sharpening, a lot of people recommend stones but I don't really have the time or much patience to do something like that. Instead, you could get him a professional electric knife sharpener:
  
  
• Test Kitchen Review here
  
  
• Amazon link
  
  Total is $339.85

I don’t remember paying this much for it, but im happy with the sharpener

This guy might be a good option in addition to a decent chef knife. It goes on sale every now and then. I'm thinking about getting one for my mom next time it's on sale. She also wrecks the edge on her kitchen knives.

Chef’sChoice 15 Trizor XV EdgeSelect Professional Electric Knife Sharpener for Straight and Serrated Knives Diamond Abrasives Patented Sharpening System Made in USA, 3-Stage, Gray https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0018RSEMU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_ZviLBbB9HCDSB

The trouble with Shun knives is how thin and brittle the edge is. Honestly there are some fantastic Wusthoff and Henckels knives that will withstand accidents much better. I know this isn't a direct answer to the question but might be the best overall solution. Alternately, you could go for this grinder to completely reshape the edge, but it'll take forever and cost as much as a new knife. That CAN be a good BIFL solution, because it will help you keep ANY knife with a 15 degree edge working for life, but only if you're into the maintenance efforts as an enthusiast. If your kitchen is prone to accidents or clumsy roommates (like mine), a sturdier knife with slightly softer steel (German style) might be ideal. (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0018RSEMU/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687682&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000FKV96Y&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=11PWAJAJ45EKQHMM9C6P)

Get yourself a knife sharpener (like this one - it's close to what I have and works great). Use it regularly. Keep that edge on your knives.

good advice. As we're in /r/Frugal is it possible to sharpen it yourself? I know someone who claims to have a home sharpener, but I'm not convinced, having read somewhere before that it only straightens the edge? It's a cheapish product like this

sharpening devices and equipment are pretty reasonably priced.

Okay so as far as drinks go, check out this recipe for [color changing mad scientist drinks] (http://www.squidoo.com/mad-science-party-drinks)! and of course [these flasks] (http://www.amazon.com/SEOH-Erlenmeyer-Flask-Set-1000ml/dp/B0018OL4A2%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAIAA4MWUJXHBYFRNQ%26tag%3Dsquid923629-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB0018OL4A2) to prepare/serve them!

[these cupcakes] (http://melissabernal.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/sci.png) are also super cool, and if you don't have time to make them I'm sure your local bakery could whip em' up at a fairly inexpensive price. But, in all honesty, they don't look super difficult.

of course everyone needs [safely glasses] (http://www.amazon.com/Safety-Glasses-Intruder-Multi-Color/dp/B002KA00KS/ref=sr_1_9?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1404307076&sr=1-9&keywords=mad+scientist) for this party; and they come in a set of 12! how perfect!

for the walls, or doorways, you could put up this [party biohazard yellow tape] (http://www.amazon.com/Big-Mouth-Toys-Biohazard-Crime/dp/B003PM8ROG/ref=pd_sim_indust_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=16K74JMMCG67PABM8KMC), coupled with this [bloody table cloth] (http://www.amazon.com/Halloween-Party-Zombie-Blood-Tablecover/dp/B00C7Y23CK/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1404307186&sr=1-1-fkmr1&keywords=fake+zombie+blood+stickers) and this [centerpiece] (http://www.amazon.com/Centerpiece-Tableware-Supplies-Halloween-Birthdays/dp/B00EFGP3LG/ref=pd_sim_t_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=0A5R2P4RS07P7GBKM34C) you could absolutely bring a zombie element;

ooo! for fun, you could have a scavenger hunt around the house/yard that's like CDC/zombie themed! If you're good at making up stories you could totally tie it into a mad scientist thing.

"It was the experiment gone horribly wrong".

damn, this is gonna be my next birthday theme.

If you're really into that zombie topper there's a whole line of [plates] (http://www.amazon.com/Zombie-Dessert-Paper-Plates-Count/dp/B00E59PN0E/ref=pd_sim_misc_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=0YEHM1WREXVDXWYSPS6B) and [cups] (http://www.amazon.com/Zombie-Party-Paper-Cups-Count/dp/B00E5ABZ8M/ref=pd_sim_t_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1DJZ21X2W9NGCPMT8520) and [napkins] (http://www.amazon.com/Zombie-Party-Paper-Lunch-Napkins/dp/B00E5A9UDE/ref=pd_sim_t_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=18E9JR2R0B0GN70SEKG3) just like it.

ooo and here are some hand-shaped [cupcake picks] (http://www.amazon.com/12-Halloween-Monster-Cupcake-Picks/dp/B005J6RA7Q/ref=pd_sim_t_12?ie=UTF8&refRID=0DQJPRJ2SWGJDN9144KD). I'm clearly getting carried away.

Honestly, it would be super easy to tie zombies and science together. haha. Best of luck! Let me know if you wanna brain storm!

For the contest, this [knife sharpener] (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001CQTLJM/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=187CHN9S4I1LO&coliid=I36GYDHZ9M8GCI&psc=1) would be super cool :)

1. An Instant Pot above everything else. Because it cooks food super fast even for fall off the bone tenderness. And is really easy to clean and operate.
   
   
2. Buy microwavable steamer bags. You want to cook potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, or just about any veggie? Cut it into chunks, shove it into a steamer bag with a sprinkle of water, seal it, and microwave it for 3-4 minutes, and you have perfectly cooked veggies. No mess to clean up, and you can't get faster than this. Even if you want to sautee or stir fry veggies, it is often a good idea to parboil or part-cook the veggies in a steamer bag, and then just get your pan ripping hot, add oil, and toss the half cooked veggies for a minute, with spices and herbs.
   
   
3. Meal prep on weekends. The biggest pain of cooking is actually in the prepping and the cleaning up after. Prepping or "mise en place" can also be done on the weekends where you can chop all your veggies and put them in airtight containers. Cooking then becomes super easy because everything is chopped up and ready to go. I chop my onions, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, cilantro, bell peppers, carrots other veggies like cauliflower or broccoli on Sundays. Buy a bunch of mid-sized airtight storage containers and store your mise en place in that.
   
   
4. For the weekend meal prepping, the chopping gets tedious. I've been experimenting with various labor saving devices. A mandoline works really well for large scale chopping. You can slice everything in a mandoline and then fine dice the slices into really small dice. Or keep them as slices. But this onion chopper is super useful too. It will dice an onion in seconds. I also use it to dice bell peppers and tomatoes.
   
   
5. Buy a box of peeled garlic and freeze it. When you need garlic, just take out a few cloves of the peeled frozen garlic and chop it directly. Bonus is that frozen garlic doesn't stick to the knife like fresh garlic. And frozen garlic tastes exactly like fresh garlic so there's no loss of flavor either.
   
   
6. Buy a handheld stick blender. It comes in super handy to make sauces and soups. Buy one that has a reasonably powerful motor. i have a 500W overkill one but 200W should also be fine.
   
   
7. Buy an tabletop toaster oven, not a toaster. A toaster oven is super super versatile. It takes only a few minutes to preheat to 350F or 400F if you need to use it as an oven. It also works great to reheat pizza and fried chicken. And of course, it will toast.
   
   
8. People tend to get overly fussy and pendantic over knives. I say this as someone who has close to 10 knives. Look, you can go the whole shebang and get a honing rod and whetstones and expensive knives and all that. But the truth is that you need a chef knife (240mm ideally), a smaller utility knife (180mm), a paring knife, and a good peeler. And you need to keep the knives fairly sharp at all times. And you can do this buy buying a popular recommended value for money knife like Victorinox Fibrox or any other. My favorite is a Richmond Artifex gyuto made with AEBL steel from ChefKnivesToGo. But you can buy any knife that you find comfortable in your hands. And if you're not going to geek out on knives but use it as a tool, just get a $5 knife sharpener like this one and ignore the honing steel and sharpening stone recommendations. It does the job fairly fine and takes seconds to keep the knife reasonably sharp.

Or you could spend $6 on this top rated item: http://www.amazon.com/KitchenIQ-50009-Stage-Knife-Sharpener/dp/B001CQTLJM/ref=lp_289867_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1451102126&sr=1-1

Here you go fam

and the Fakespot review for good measure.

Only $6 and takes about as many seconds to use. A couple of swipes on the ceramic side after washing it before you stow it keeps the blade sharp enough for my purposes.

What about those "sharpening tools" like this? I see them advertised on amazon all the time, ever since I bought a victorinox as a gift for a friend who was using steak knives as her only knives in the kitchen.

I bought my first "real" knife about 2 years ago, and finally moved somewhere where my kitchen is big enough to use, so it's starting to need a real sharpening. If not one of those do-it-yourself tools, where/how would I get it done?

Is something like this worth it? I have some sort of stick on a pole sharpener that I don't know how to use.

We have this super basic sharpener in our kitchen. The knives get a run through whenever they're dull. That being said, I have cheap knives, so I don't worry about it damaging them.

Like others have said, basic tools are fine for the average person. If you want to get into it, the road will be fun. But it's not necessary, and basic tools will most likely give you everything you need without you having to learn a new skill or spend a considerable amount of money.

I have this one and it's good at sharpening my cheap walmart knives. Not gonna win any awards but it gets the job done if practical is what you're looking for.

http://www.amazon.com/KitchenIQ-50009-Stage-Knife-Sharpener/dp/B001CQTLJM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1449635693&sr=8-3&keywords=knife+sharpener

Will this do the same thing as those stones? And if so how the fuck do I use this? Just kinda cut at it furiously?
https://www.amazon.com/KitchenIQ-50009-Stage-Knife-Sharpener/dp/B001CQTLJM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1480538205&sr=8-3&keywords=knife+sharpener

https://www.amazon.com/KitchenIQ-50009-Stage-Knife-Sharpener/dp/B001CQTLJM/ref=lp_12358092011_1_1?srs=12358092011&ie=UTF8&qid=1480524701&sr=8-1

So if you have really high quality expensive knives : do what the others mentioned.

Otherwise: buy this $5 2 stage sharpener

The stones in each stage are angled so all you have to do is hold the blade perpendicular and pull back. Run it through the rough side a few times and then the fine side, or just the fine side once you get them in decent shape.

My college roommates and I got a bunch of hand-me-down knives that were probably duller than our cutting board and were able to get them all extremely sharp.

I got this little thing and I'm amazed at how well it works

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001CQTLJM?psc=1&ref=yo_pop_mb_yo_pop_mb_pd_t2

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M2YKRQ3/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002HWRUFC/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07F72TW3N/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=A2YH7RHCW9MMB0&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MZD2XBB/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?smid=A3OIACOYET6BBV&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001CQTLJM/ref=ox_sc_act_title_5?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019A66Q5M/ref=ox_sc_act_title_6?smid=A24EHWJ77U1LVW&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008M5U1C2/ref=ox_sc_act_title_7?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MU0C1F5/ref=ox_sc_act_title_8?smid=AB9GORE7KDWZW&psc=1

This guy is $6 bucks on amazon. It's tiny! And it is easy to use. Don't overdo it though.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001CQTLJM/ref=s9_top_hm_b1DPH_g79_i1

Source: this is the exact model I have in my kitchen and use.

I have a $5 pairing knife that takes an edge well but looses it fast. I have a $25 stamped wusthof that takes an edge well and keeps it pretty good. I just bought my little brothers (2 of them) Misen chefs knives (a kickstarter thing) and they are pretty dang nice.

 

I can sharpen an axe to where I can shave with it by hand. Showing off is all that is good for. I have used water stones, diamond, the top of a car window, and even a plain ole rock. But once a month or so, I sharpen them with on this.

 

But every day, I hone them with one of these I bought at goodwill.

 

My advice to anyone is learn to use and sharpen the tool before geeking out on expensive stuff. Knowledge and practice will bring you a lot more satisfaction. I would rather hear a great guitarist on a crap guitar than a crap guitarist on a great guitar.

Start with this

and learn to use it. It's a million times more useful, and it's an essential chef skill.

I have a Victorinox Cutlery 9-Inch Wavy Edge Bread Knife and a Victorinox 8 Inch Fibrox Pro Chef's and absolutely love them both. My brother, who is a chef, was impressed with both. He typically uses Global knives, which start at around $150 and go much higher.

With the chef's knife, I make sure to use a sharpener like this one every other time I pull it out (just rub it together 3 or 4 times each side) to keep the edge nice and straight. It actually can cut through tomatoes with minimal effort. Almost as good as the bread knife!

I don't really ever do precise work because I'm lazy so I've not found the need for a pairing knife. But I can see it being essential.

It also heavily depends on the type of steel you use. I use a forged steel knife, as opposed to a blade that was say, press cut out of sheet steel.

I highly recommend getting a decent knife. I use An eight inch Mercer. Providing I use it on a wood cutting board, it lasts me about six to eight months. Honing steel every once and a while doesn't hurt either.

It's something like one of these but I don't know if that's exactly it or not, can check when I get home later on.

Just roll with the Victorinox fibrox 8 inch, a good whetstone and steel if you're trying to be cheap.

https://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Fibrox-45520-Frustration-Packaging/dp/B008M5U1C2

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001N0ULJG/ref=yo_ii_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0016VC46A/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1501371759&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=king+1000+whetstone&dpPl=1&dpID=31xyvQ0MXCL&ref=plSrch

As a cutler, I'd recommend using this only for "steeling" a knife. Essentially replacing one of these.

If you try to hone with a cup, you're gonna have issues.

If you're serious about cooking, knife sharpening is an invaluable skill. Get yourself a steel and the shittiest old chef's knife you can find in the back of your parent's silverware drawer. Then do what Gordon Ramsey tells you to until that knife is sharp and you're confident enough to do it on your good knife. My knives are as sharp as the day I bought them and it's never cost me more than a $10 steel and 30 seconds of my time before and after using them,

I use this steel which is less than $16 .. it works well for me. Amazon has quite a few stones that I am sure are good.. I have this one and have no complaints with it either. I like that the case for it has non slip feet and places the stone at an angle for you.

My Winco honing stick is rusting. How do I prevent my honing stick from rusting?

I don't recognize the brand, I'm sure I've used something of similar quality tough. I'm going to assume it's similar to the set made by Henckles International (the Chinese ripoff of the German Henckles... notice the slight difference in the logo and the price difference). The Chinese Henckles are decent knives. They sharpen alright, but take a lot more frequent maintenance than my German Henckles. They're the set that wife is allowed to use (she knows not to mess with my good knives without permission).

Your difficulty with sharpening might be due to the metal used in those knives. High quality knives typically have a higher carbon content plus other metals besides iron that help with various things. The higher carbon makes the blades harder, and easier to put a sharp edge on. Or possibly your boss was better at sharpening. The main thing is to keep your knife at a consistent angle. Once you get good, you can feel if it's at the right spot and adjust almost without thinking about it while sharpening.

Also, the more quality knives sometimes use a more effective edge shape. I know Global knives (and lots of other Japanese companies) use the convex edge shape, which is very strong and dulls slowly, but is very difficult to maintain. Most people recommend a tri-stone for sharpening, but I don't actually. Your coarse and med stones are only needed if you let your knife get extremely dull (and a kitchen knife should never actually get dull). Those stones also eat off a lot of metal, so with frequent use, your knife shape can change noticably. For an amateur that wants a decently sharp knife, but doesn't care enough to learn to sharpen one correctly this Sharpener is the only pull sharpener I've used that I like (I actually got one for my grandmother, since her knives were always dull).

But, if you want to learn to sharpen a knife, get a fine stone (type is more preference than anything else) and a honing rod (something with a diamond grit finish or ceramic, the steel rods are basically useless for anything but light honing, this is the one I use). I don't actually have a stone in my kitchen because I don't let my knives don't dull to the point I need anything besides the ceramic rod to re-sharpen/hone the knife. For the stone though, there's tons of youtube videos out there on how to sharpen a knife (plus some nifty kits that have bits that clip onto your blade to hold the angle constant). I found this video that explains things pretty well. Sticking the point of the rod on the cutting board like he does is a good, stable way to learn to use it.

No idea but this is what I use to DIY.

Messermeister 12-Inch Ceramic Rod Knife Sharpener

I bought the exact same knife about 6 months ago, and use it almost every day. I use this Messermeister sharpener about once a week and the knife is as sharp as the first day I used it. Great knife, great sharpener.

Ceramic http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002YK1RAQ?pc_redir=1406794484&robot_redir=1

Nice Kit. How do you like the G2 Chef's knife? I use a 8" Shun Premier.

I swear, this knife that my sous gave me is giving me carpal tunnel.

It's pretty, but so damn uncomfortable.

Hopefully you're enjoying yours.

Is this the same knife?

Oh, hey, that looks spot on! ty =)

Turns out his is the paring version, I have the full size version. But mine is this knife.

Is the handheld sharpener all I need to keep my Wüsthof blades sharp, or are whetstones or something else the way to go?

​

https://www.amazon.com/Wüsthof-2-Stage-Hand-Held-Sharpener/dp/B003TWNZ08

Also, I use something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/W%C3%BCsthof-2-Stage-Hand-Held-Sharpener/dp/B003TWNZ08/ref=sr_1_11?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1499532252&sr=1-11&refinements=p_36%3A1253523011

It keeps my knives very sharp. I use a little olive oil on the cutting edge, and make sure to keep the blade in proper alignment as I pull it through the sharpeners, and not too much pressure. It quickly aligns the blade and restores the cutting edge to razor sharpness. I don't even bother with a steel anymore, just sharpen a few times a month and Robert's your mother's brother.

Most people around here suggest that you Get a victorinox chefs knife. Perhaps like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-5-Inch-Mini-Chefs-Fibrox-Handle/dp/B000QCLEFC/ref=sr_1_31?ie=UTF8&qid=1375322729&sr=8-31&keywords=Victorinox+knife

I would also recommend a sharpener, if you are living with other guys, it will get used and abused often, so keeping it sharp will be hugely helpful. While a sharp knife can cut you if you are not careful, a dull knife is unpredictable and can make prepping food a nightmare. Even a cheap one is better than nothing

http://www.amazon.com/Wusthof-Precision-Stage-Knife-Sharpener/dp/B003TWNZ08/ref=sr_1_3?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1375323134&sr=1-3&keywords=Knife+sharpener+kitchen

Would this be the one you're referring to? It has two medium diamond rods and two fine ceramic rods: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B008EKY5OA

What's the advantage of the diamond rods over the set with two different ceramic rods?

I got this for christmas. Is it good? Will this suffice for sharpening?

If it is only for regular maintenance i.e. that the edge is only slightly dull the sharpmaker as is is ok. But if it ever gets really dull or a chip it will take forever and a day with s110v to get the edge back.

A cheaper alternative but with more obtuse angle options that works the same way is available here from lansky https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lansky-Unisexs-4-Rod-Deluxe-Sharpener-Yellow/dp/B000B8FW0E.

And I have just seen there is also a diamond version https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lansky-4-Rod-Diamond-Ceramic-Sharpener/dp/B008EKY5OA/.

Aww man, your knives deserve to be used. And then they deserve to be sharpened! If you suck at sharpening like I do and don't want to/have time to develop the right angles on a flat stone, try this: https://www.amazon.com/Lansky-2D2C-Diamond-Ceramic-Four/dp/B008EKY5OA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1540043212&sr=8-1&keywords=lansky+rod+sharpener

​

Its like 20 bucks, and it takes away the human error. Plus its easier to use than those ones where you have to adjust the angle--the angle is already set, with a choice of 20 or 25 degrees.

If you're not interested in the price, Lansky makes a very similar setup for about $15-20

It's a great looking sharpener I haven't picked up yet myself, but everything I've heard about it is good.

Here's another one that says it's the same thing in the description, but is labelled 'Crock Stik'. Not sure of the differences but it looks very similar and is $10 less.

You can't go wrong with the Spyderco Tenacious. Only $35 but it performs like a $100 knife. When I got mine I was very impressed by the quality. The handle has good ergonomics and the blade is a decent steel. It is a great slicer and workhorse!

A good entry-level sharpening kit is the Lansky TurnBox. It was my first sharpening system and it will keep your knife razor sharp. It only has medium and fine grit ceramic rods, but as long as you don't let your knife get too dull you can easily maintain it. There is a slightly more expensive turnbox that has coarse diamond rods that would be better for bringing very dull knives back to life.

If you have some really dull edges that havent been sharpened in a long time, pretty much any coarse stone will do, harbor freight has some well priced diamond stones that work well. As far as maintaining edges go, you're gonna want something finer, the bottom of a cermic mug can work well with practice.


As far as stuff you can buy goes, here's some links

worksharp field sharpener: for if you just want to buy one simple tool that can do everything

knock off Spyderco sharp maker: for maintaining undamaged edges, very easy to use, great compliment to a coarse stone for edge repair

Diamond bench stone: these are wonderful for repairing edges, but they remove a ton of metal so they're really useful for reprofiling and repairing, not so much for keeping a kinda sharp edge sharp

Sharpening can be a lot of fun, and there's a million ways to do it. Find some YouTube tutorials (virtuovice is someone I definitely recommend, sweet old Japanese deer Hunter with an enormous wealth of knowledge on water stones). Knowing what you're doing with sandpaper is way better than buying a $80 knife sharpener you don't know how to use well, or don't feel like setting up and putting together.

only took 45 mins to get it to where it can cut regular letter paper ;_;

The existing grind was pretty asymmetric so that added a lot to the time. Im thinking of picking up some of these https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008EKY5OA/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ive heard good things about them.

So far the stones have been doing a good job on my edc folders (vg10 and sandvik 14c28n) but no knife i own has ever been this blunt :/

I use silicone oil on my carbon steel blades, but I suspect that is because I am weird. The mineral oil you linked will work fine. Vegetable oil will technically work, but don't use it. Over time it goes all rancid and funky.

I find that carrying a sharpener is almost always overkill. If you simply must carry a sharpener with you, avoid fixed V angle "zip" sharpeners like these, these, these, or anything like them.

I am partial to the Work Sharp Field Sharpener. It's probably your best bet if you simply must carry a sharpener with you. It is versatile, works quickly, and is capable of making a knife extremely sharp even in the hands of a newbie. I don't carry mine on my person, but I do keep one in my laptop bag since knuckleheads keep bringing me their blunt-ass knives to fix. Once you get good at maintaining an angle you can just carry a flat diamond stone like the various DMT Diafold models, which will take up less room and be considerably lighter.

I am also a strong proponent of the Spyderco Tri-Angle Sharpmaker (accept no imitations that do not have that anachronistic hyphen in the name) which, if used contrary to the instructions at the 15 degree angle, can make just about anything made out of metal stupidly sharp. Do not carry it with you unless you are a lunatic; leave it at home on your workbench. It has mounting holes in the base for this purpose, in fact. However, its stones are very fine and it will take a month of Sundays to repair a chipped edge or re-bevel an edge to one of its two sharpening angles. I use mine for touch ups on high quality knives that I actually care about; Everything else gets a quick lashing on diamond stones on the Work Sharp.

For re-beveling and extreme repair of damaged edges I prefer this knockoff of the Edge Pro, which is very much Made In China but does the same job at, like, a tenth of the cost. The stones that come with the Chinese model are a little crude and uneven but functional, and the device itself is compatible with the higher quality Edge Pro stones including the diamond ones. It does not work on very small knives, though. I use it exclusively to re-bevel edges to one of the fixed angles of my other sharpeners or grind out chips and notches on the more fucked up examples of knives people bring me to fix.

Whoa, thank you for your well thought out reply!! What do you think about something like this?

I used to use this but have been wanting to build one like the guy in the video uses.

Yeah, the Wicked Edge is a really nice system but that $300 price tag just will not be obtainable for me anytime in the near future. I'd imagine the Sharpmaker probably takes around the same amount of time as freehand. Perks to freehanding is that you can really keep the costs low. I know there's a Wicked Edge clone made in China...I may look into that.

edit: Looked into that. You can get a Edge Pro clone for like $30 and simply use the Edge Pro stones on that. Gonna look into that some more! As long as the QC is good, I'm happy. I love my $20 Byrd FFG Cara Cara 2 made in China. That sucker takes a razor edge (and came outta the box with close to one) with no effort at all. That plus good jimping AND a finger choil for $20?!?!?! Sorry...that knife tends to get me a little carried away. I love my po' man's Endura. :)

Said clone if anyone is interested. Seems to have good reviews: http://www.amazon.com/AGPtek%C2%AE-Professional-Kitchen-Sharpener-Fix-angle/dp/B00ABVS5VY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421141893&sr=8-1&keywords=Professional+Kitchen+Knife+Sharpener+System+Fix-angle+Sharpening

The edge pro system makes it super easy. You can get a knockoff like this for pretty cheap: https://www.amazon.com/AGPtek-Professional-Kitchen-Sharpener-Fix-angle/dp/B00ABVS5VY/ref=sr_1_27?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1503601515&sr=1-27&keywords=knife+sharpener

I threw away the shitty stones that came with the knockoff and got some better stones (I actually bought my own stones from a tool and die shop and glued them to blanks, but you can just buy official edgepro stones).

I have a regular waterstone as well, but my technique is not good enough to match what I can do with the knockoff edgepro.

O! I just switched to an "edge pro" from a lansky. It's a knockoff but it works extremely well (the real one was out of my price range). You just have to do a few little tweaks and it's a really good option. Link if you want to check it out: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00ABVS5VY?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

I use this with edge pro stones. I will happily buy a legit edge pro when they stop using benchmade pricing. Given the price of edge pro stones (they are priced well, imo) the edge pro apex 4 should cost $100 or less.

I have the Spyderco and some diamond stones. I'm not entirely thrilled with either but it's probably my poor technique.

I'm going to pick this up as the reviews are solid holds the blades at proper angles.

Work Sharp WSKTS-KO Knife and Tool Sharpener Ken Onion Edition Ken Onion Work Sharp

To piggyback on your question, does anyone have experience with the Work Sharp? I'm looking for a system that can also do my recurves and this one gets really good reviews.

Snag these:
http://www.amazon.com/J-Henckels-International-Forged-3-Piece/dp/B00375MLSE/ref=sr_1_103?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1299527235&sr=1-103
And this:
http://www.amazon.com/Henckels-9-Inch-Poly-Sharpening-Steel/dp/B00004RFMA/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1299527277&sr=1-1
And these:
http://www.amazon.com/Messermeister-4-Piece-Edge-Guard-Set-Black/dp/B002KKC312/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1299527361&sr=1-2
And you'll be good to go for life as long as you take good care of the knives!

Well, you're doing part of it right, anyway.

http://www.amazon.com/J-A-Henckels-9-Inch-Sharpening-Steel/dp/B00004RFMA/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1381259811&sr=1-2&keywords=steel+sharpener

This will be your best friend. A few swipes across this before you use the knife — every time — will improve your game a lot.

Btw, learn to take care your knife so it cuts like it's brand new every time with a sharpening steel. Something like this http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00004RFMA?pc_redir=1404625086&robot_redir=1 you can get any brand for this. I try to use it on my knife once a week. There's a good clip on YouTube from Gordon Ramsay on how to use it.

I have this one from Henckels and like it. A few quick passes before you use your knife really can make a difference.

Try Accusharp it works amazingly well when used with a steel. 3 or 4 passes and my dull knife sliced through a tomato with no problem.

I don't have a knife set, just random knives. Is a honing steel important enough to buy separately? I've got a bamboo cutting board and do a fair amount of vegetable cutting.

Is this what you have? http://www.amazon.com/AccuSharp-1-001-Knife-Sharpener/dp/B00004VWKQ Is it pretty easy to use?

I cook daily, from fresh ingredients.

Spent a lot of money on such knives. Then I discovered Kiwi knives. You can find them in most Asian grocery stores in the US. Here is one review

It will cost you less than $10, very sharp, and very easy to sharpen (I use this).

this is 10 or under but really its under hahaa.

I said it once, I'll say it again. Buy a sharpener. A well made dull knife is just as bad as a cheap knife. Even an inexpensive hand sharpener like this, works great.

http://www.amazon.com/AccuSharp-1-001-Knife-Sharpener/dp/B00004VWKQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1319998799&sr=8-2

Keep it in the knife drawer, and a few strokes will make the difference between slicing a tomato and crushing one.

Great explanation, thanks a lot!

How do you think this one compares? It has excellent reviews at 1/5 the price.

Thanks for the detail! I currently have one of these guys which does a good job for my beater knives, and I use a honing steel for my chef knife (haven't had to sharpen it yet), but I'd imagine a whetstone might do a better job and not remove as much of the blade material as what I have. I can't find any good resources online discussing this.

Thanks! I think I will try the wood burning. I'll try it out on a scrap piece first just to check.

I haven't bought a leather strop but I cut up and glued a piece of my old jeans onto a 8" block of wood and bought this:
(https://www.amazon.com/Woodstock-D2902-1-Pound-Buffing-Compound/dp/B0000DD35C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468086393&sr=8-1&keywords=green+sharpening+compound)

So far it seems to be working well. My knife still can pass the paper test. I have had a few nicks in the knife after dropping it once but I used a Accusharp Knife and Tool Sharpener we had at home:

(https://www.amazon.com/AccuSharp-1-001-Knife-Sharpener/dp/B00004VWKQ)

It made it nice and sharp again without the nicks but I don't know if it's good to use for the knife. I'd like to learn how to use a wetstone eventually to sharpen my knife but will probably practice on my Leatherman's knife before I try it on the Mora just so I don't mess it up.

A nice brand, at least to start off with is Norton. They make something like this,

http://www.amazon.com/Norton-614636855653--8-Inch-Combination-Oilstone/dp/B000XK5ZDY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1457808620&sr=8-2&keywords=norton+sharpening+stone

That would get you started. It's nothing fancy, but it'll get the job done. Get yourself some mineral oil to use to keep it clean, don't use vegetable oil or something like that because it just gunks up and makes a mess, and you'll be all yet. They also make nicer stones if you want to drop a little more money.

Also, if you're not necessarily looking for a sharpening stone, but something to use, might I recommend an Accusharp, they work really well as long as you take your time, and don't rush because I've seen some bad cuts.

http://www.amazon.com/AccuSharp-1-001-Knife-Sharpener/dp/B00004VWKQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1457808779&sr=8-1&keywords=Accusharp

I was using one of these plastic ones because it's quick, I can do longer strokes and i don't give two craps about the blade condition lol. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004VWKQ/ref=asc_df_B00004VWKQ4838985/?tag=hyprod-20&creative=394997&creativeASIN=B00004VWKQ&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167125219398&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9455826069985998008&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9005812&hvtargid=pla-77880055286

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004VWKQ/ref=asc_df_B00004VWKQ4841990/?tag=hyprod-20&creative=394997&creativeASIN=B00004VWKQ&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167125219398&hvpos=1o3&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5126932207594122592&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9008341&hvtargid=pla-77880055286

This little beauty is absolutely amazing!

Use a sharpener. If it's cheap it'll dull quicker anyways and it'll be good to not have to rely on someone to do it.


Also learn to use a steel.

[AccuSharp knife sharpener on amazon](AccuSharp 001 Knife Sharpener https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004VWKQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_0v6LybRFZMCNF)

or buy a shitty knife and a sharpener like the accusharp

Get one of these. They are very effective, easy to use, and will save you lots of money.

I know very well that this is not professional knife sharpening, but I'll throw it out there anyway. After hearing so many rave reviews on Cooks Illustrated / America's Test Kitchen, I orders the <$10 AccuSharp. Its amazing. Thew away my old much more expensive sharpener. I never even think about my knives needing to be sharpened because this thing works so quickly and so well. You may want to try it.

If I may, this knife sharpener is inexpensive and we love it. It's saved our knives, and it also gets recommended on /r/kitchenconfidential a lot, too.

I took the Cook's Illustrated "Best Buy" recommendations for all our knives, and can confidently recommend the Victorinox Chef's Knife as a basic, nice chef's knife.

I want to argue against it.

Getting a proper edge is almost impossible without a guided stone setup, and even then you can't get the best general purpose edge, because it involves 2 different angles on each side (double bevel).

Cooks Illustrated (pretty much the gold standard for the prosumer chef) recommends either a simple hand sharpener, or an electric one that can put a good tripple bevel edge on a knife.

The reality is that its 2014. We have better ways to sharpen knives than by hand with a stone. Yes, a stone does work. No, its not the best or even the ideal situation by a LONG shot.

A lot of this advice is a little too involved for most people. If you're just talking about something quick for your kitchen try this:

Accusharp

Costs $10. Every big kitchen I've worked in uses them combined with a honing steel. It's smaller and a lot more foolproof than a stone.

This is fast and makes a fairly sharp edge.

http://www.amazon.com/AccuSharp-1-001-Knife-Sharpener/dp/B00004VWKQ

America’s year kitchen has a pretty good recommendation. AccuSharp 001C Knife Sharpener https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004VWKQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_kcOTAbHVP8WFB it’s not as great as doing it old school but it’s simple and quick and good enough.

Do the knives you sharpen cut things the way you want them to? If so, you're doing it right. The ultimate test is that it can cut food cleanly without much effort.

The guy who owns Lee Valley tools has a book on sharpening that Taunton published. Leonard Lee wrote it. It's good.

However, you can own the most elaborate jigs or the most expensive Japanese water stones or the rarest of all Arkansas stones and even reams of Norton Champagne Magnum sandpaper but it won't be worth a hill of beans if it's so inconvenient to use that you never sharpen your knives.

I know how to use all of those methods but for every day kitchen use I use this guy along with a really nice diamond steel. If you are using the acusharp for the first time, I recommend that you start off with a really crappy knife just in case you use too much pressure and take a chunk out of the blade. Use it enough and practice enough with it and you can get a razor sharp edge on your chef's knife in really short order. No oil, no adhesives, no jigs -- it fits in a drawer and it works.

I save the stones and sandpaper for my woodworking tools and chisels where I actually schedule time to sharpen them. I don't have that luxury if I get home and have to churn out a meal in 30 minutes.

On another note: who here was equally hesitant to click on that keyword search for "blade" in the SFgate site?

Yeah, I was thinking more like having them ship you one box and then canceling until you were ready for more. They include nice cards with full cooking instructions, so if you really like something you can make it again on your own!

Jamie Oliver does all the Hello Fresh recipes, and I really like his stuff because he keeps things dead simple but his recipes are still very interesting. I'd watch as much of his stuff as you can (his videos helped me immensely when I was getting started)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQZtCVkypAo

Keep up the good work!!!!

PS: This thing is the shit for keeping knives sharp on the cheap https://www.amazon.com/AccuSharp-ACCU-001C-001-Knife-Sharpener/dp/B00004VWKQ/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1479051314&sr=8-7&keywords=knife+sharpener

Thoughts on https://www.amazon.com/Fortune-Products-Inc-AccuSharp-Sharpener/dp/B00004VWKQ/ref=pd_bxgy_k_img_z ?

I am looking to use this sharpener with this knife:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008M5U1C2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_uVjlyb40RH6RB

Because sharp knives are essencial

If, by knife sharpener, you mean one of these, sweet jesus, no. If you mean something like this, then maybe.

If you're willing to take the time to learn, absolutely buy a stone.

Theres a registration wall in place, but check out this article

Edit: Here's the one they recommend, and which we have at home for our Wüstoff knives: AccuSharp Knife Sharpener. About $10.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004VWKQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Currently I only have a Shun honing steel for my kitchen knives. I was considering buying a sharpening kit like these:

• Smich's CCKS
  
• Accusharp 001
  
• Smith's PP1

I've got this knife sharpener! Let's keep ourselves safe and our food prepared!

An electric knife sharpener ended up being an amazing purchase this year. It was around $25 on Amazon. Easily transforms shitty knives into high-quality pieces you can actually use. Way cheaper than buying a bunch of "top quality" knives, which isn't always a justifiable purchase if you're a novice cook.

Link for those interested.

Yeah, I'm in your boat big time. I sharpen them with an electric sucka like this. I do it 2-3 times a year and my knives are razor sharp.

My culinary friend poo pooed me when hearing this. I didn't get it. It seems to me that it would take a lifetime to sharpen away the entire knife by doing this 2-3 times a year.

 Presto 08800 EverSharp Electric Knife Sharpener <br />

Kitchen
Sold by Amazon.com LLC
$27.54
Item Subtotal: $27.54
Shipping & Handling: $13.96
Total Before Tax: $41.50
Import Fees Deposit: $3.69
Order Total: $45.19
http://www.amazon.ca/Presto-EverSharp-Electric-Knife-Sharpener/dp/B00006IUWM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1373025918&sr=8-3&keywords=electric+knife+sharpener

If you just purchased your knife, DO NOT SHARPEN IT YOURSELF.

Your knife needs to be sharpened only every few years, maybe. However, it should be honed as part of your day-to-day process in the kitchen. I read an article the other day referencing an Italian master chef who honed his knife every four minutes, but come on, that's overkill.

The difference: sharpening a knife (with a whetstone) refers to re-grinding the steel to form a new edge. Usually the edge on your knife is fine (especially if it's brand new), it's just been knocked about and isn't entirely facing in the direction of your cutting force.

Honing a knife (with a honing steel) reshapes the blade and evens out any distortions or irregularities that may be present from ordinary use. After honing a knife, it cuts better not because it's sharper, but because you can actually use the cutting edge.

Here's Alton Brown's explanation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRUYAgrsoLw

You might be right, but it might be coming down to the following choices:

​

Wusthof Classic Ikon

Wüsthof Classic Ikon Bread Knife 23cm Black - £89.00

Wüsthof tr9606 N Christmas Set 2 Knives Classic IKON (Chef's + Paring) - £103.36

Wusthof Classic Ikon Utility Knife 12 cm - £51.90

Wusthof Hanging Sharpening Steel with Black Base, 26 cm - £18.58

Total (including shipping): £265.84

​

Tojiro DP

Tojiro DP Cobalt Alloy 3 Layers Bread Slicer 215mm - £49.93

Tojiro DP Cobalt Alloy 3 Layers Chef Knife(Gyuto) 210mm - £57.73

Tojiro DP Cobalt Alloy 3 Layers Petty Knife(Utility) 120mm - £35.89

Tojiro DP Cobalt Alloy 3 Layers Petty Knife(Utility) 180mm - £42.91

King Combination Grit Waterstone (Grinding stone) Sharpening Whetstone with Stand #1000/#6000 - £35.89 (added to get free shipping over a certain price point)

Total (including shipping): £220.12

​

Thanks! Will this one work about the same or is there something inherently better about the Brod Taylor models? Finally, does the pull through sharpener eliminate the need for one of these if get the pull through with fine and course slots?

Thank you!

Follow up question: would this be considered a smooth steel?

Wusthof steel

Or maybe this one?
victronox honing steel

I guess I'm not sure whether steels with very small ridges are considered smooth or you mean something entirely smooth. My googling has yielded mixed results.

My under $2, under $3 and my under $4. :)

This is fun!

Here are some links for the product in the above comment for different countries:

Link: $4


|Country|Link|
|:-----------|:------------|
|UK|amazon.co.uk|
|Spain|amazon.es|
|France|amazon.fr|
|Germany|amazon.de|
|Canada|amazon.ca|
|Italy|amazon.it|



This bot is currently in testing so let me know what you think by voting (or commenting).

I use this. It's $4 and I use it each time I use my kitchen knives. It's not gonna get it razor sharp, but it keeps it sharp enough to cut meats effortlessly.

I recently bought my first nice EDC- it's a made in usa Kershaw knockout- with the alabama demascus. Can I keep things simple and just sharpen it with the smith's?

​

link for reference: https://www.amazon.com/Smiths-CCKS-2-Step-Knife-Sharpener/dp/B00032S02K/ref=zg_bs_289867_10?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=3E46G57PC0J41SKK7MFA

correct i mean i don't have a space to not worry about metal shavings or like you said the ability to affix something to a table. i just have a small apartment with barely a living room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. where can i look for those? amazon? or is there a site you'd recommend?

EDIT: would this work?

I have a couple versions of the Kershaw Emersons and would definitely recommend them given the price range. I love the Emerson wave and wish more knives had it. They open quick and easy with one hand, even with gloves on. Fit and finish is on part with the price and the blade stock is quite think; It will hold up well for hiking and camping as long as you don't abuse it. Only downside is the blade is rather large - great for outdoors, but a bit bulky in the pocket for some people.

I haven't used the Reverb, but it looks like it may not be the best choice for use outdoors. It looks pretty, but the extra machining and effort required makes me wonder if they cut corners elsewhere to hit the price point. Again, I haven't used one, but looks like it could be tricky to open one handed, especially if you have wet hands. I've had multiple knives with integrated carabineers/clips and have never found a use for them - they usually just result in hot spots that dig into my palm.

Not a fan of Gerber, but that's just personal preference after having a couple of them fail to hold up. Their flippers never seem to be smooth enough to reliably open every time either, though that may just be poor luck on my part. The Quadrant looks nice if you wanted something that would disappear in your pocket for light EDC, but it's not something I would want to use outdoors.

All three should be low maintenance, but at this price point the steels will dull relatively easily. I'd grab a cheap draw-through sharpener to take along.

I'm rough on my knives so I lean towards simple and durable, but there's nothing wrong with choosing based on aesthetics if one really catches your eye. Ultimate, if you like it then that's all that matters.

I wish I had seen this thread before I ordered this sharpener. It seems to work, but it's nothing special. Won't get this knife terribly sharp, but does a decent job and it's lightweight.

How much experience free hand do you have? Whetstones have a steep learning curve. Not only do you have to hold the blade at the right angle but they need maintained too. They're soft so every couple uses they must be flattened. Being that they're so soft, it's also really easy to dig the heel or tip of the knife into it. I'd recommend this. https://www.amazon.com/Smiths-TRI-6-Arkansas-TRI-HONE-Sharpening/dp/B00062BIT4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468460550&sr=8-1&keywords=knife+sharpening+stones Great for knives and more of a general purpose set. Less maintenance and not nearly as soft.

Alright, I’m starting to get an idea of what I’ll need lmao. How can you tell if a stone is using the American or Japanese system? And I’m just going to the amazon store and looking at the stones with 4+ stars.
This is the 3 sided one I was mentioning, which based on your answer seems like it’d be the grit sizes I need
This is one of the double sided, it’s 400/1000, which would be on the upper side of the coarse/grinding grits, but might still work
This this one is 240/800 which would work for grinding, but with only 11 ratings I’m not completely sure of the quality

I bought a tri-stone (400, 600, and 1000-1200) and I have a bunch of cheap dull knives that my wife likes to put through the dishwasher. I read one opinion that stones that aren't oiled (and were never oiled ever) sharpen quicker because they take off more metal. I'm going with this theory for now.

Is the best thing to do to record me sharpening one of these cheap knives with my best interpretation of the directions that came with the stone on video and have you guys critique? Will I be able to achieve a hair shaving edge with tri stones on such abused knives?

Go to Walmart or a sporting goods store and buy the little $5 pocket sharpener. Or better yet

Get this for $20 and have everything you need

about 120 for coarse, 300 for med, and 600 to finish....that's what I do for my kitchen knife (normally only doing the 2nd two, unless it really needs it)

I would suggest a lansky kit or one like this

I like the Tri sided whetstones we have a Norton at work but they are pricey, this one looks cool Smiths Arkansas Tri hone whetstone Amazon

The first sharpener I got was a Natural Stones Lansky system which was fine. It doesn't require much skill and it got my knives sharp enough to shave hairs off. If you opt for a Lanksy though, I would recommend the Diamond Stones because they cut faster and are easier to clean.

When I started freehand sharpening, I got a Smith's Tri-hone which worked nicely. It was cheap and I was bad at freehanding, but with a good bit of practice, trial and error, and some instructional videos I was able to produce hair shaving edges consistently. And eventually, I decided I favored freehand sharpening over fixed angle sharpeners.

However, I gave away my Lansky and Smith's Tri-hone. Right now, I use DMT continuous sharpening stones. They cut very fast and I like them a lot. I'm a broke college student, so all I have is the Coarse, Fine, and Extra Fine stones which I can consistently get a toothy edge that will still shave hairs.

I'd say I'm still pretty bad at freehand sharpening. I don't always hold consistent angles and sometimes I fuck up a knife pretty bad, but I usually know what I did wrong and try to improve the next time I sharpen a knife. So whatever you get, meter your expectations. The first few knives you sharpen probably won't come out the best, but with enough practice, and especially patience, at the very least you'll get your knife sharp again.

haha, but really Moras are probably overlooked way too often. I'm the first idiot who'll choose a knife for its looks before looking at how actually useful it is.

hey since you seem to be knowledgable with moras, how easy is sharpening on a system like mine ?

These are not the same grit as what you mentioned but do you think this will do? The reviews are all pretty good and it's cheap. Thanks!

http://www.amazon.com/Smiths-TRI-6-Arkansas-TRI-HONE-Sharpening/dp/B00062BIT4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419725416&sr=8-1&keywords=sharpening+stones#customerReviews

I own this set of sharpening stones: http://www.amazon.com/Smiths-TRI-6-Arkansas-TRI-HONE-Sharpening/dp/B00062BIT4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1421454826&sr=8-2&keywords=Sharpening+stones

They do fine for me. It takes a little bit of time to learn to freehand sharpen your knives but it's worth it. Your edge will turn out ten times better than that of a pull through sharpener. These stones are also cheaper than most sharpening systems out there. I also prefer a good freehand polished edge better than a mirrored edge on any sharpening system. It just feels better to me. I've had some really sharp mirror edges, but I've had even sharper polished edges.

This sharpening system also comes with a 23 degree angle guide. You may want your edge thinner than that, but it's a good place to start.

It's a really fucking small stone on which you can't even use the edges anymore due to the damage. You don't anything about sharpening if you think this is worth the bother. For 27$ you could even get this damned cheap thing and be better off than with this broken piece of nonlevel shit.

I just started as well using only hand tools. Hopefully this helps in some way. Don't hate me if it doesn't.

So far here is what I've collected:

• A few cheap hand saws from Lowe's
  
• Chisels
  
• Stanley No. 5 plane
  
• Sharpener
  
• Steel ruler
  
• Swanson speed square
  
• 4 x Jorgensen 50 Pony 3/4-Inch Pipe Clamp Fixture (with 6 ft pipe bought separately)
  
• 12" bar clamp
  
• 24" bar clamp
  
• Titebond II wood glue
  
  Note - I have no idea if that knife sharpener is correct to use with the chisels and plane. I'm only using the fine stone and it seems to work, but I have no idea what I'm doing in that department.
  
  This seems to cover the basics for me. I'm about halfway through a desk project and struggling, but I think that's user error more than the tools. More clamps and a better workspace would work wonders.

I've been using this

Ah, nevermind then, i just assumed you took the firesteel. Thats a neat sharpener.

http://www.amazon.com/Smiths-TRI-6-Arkansas-TRI-HONE-Sharpening/dp/B00062BIT4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1453920898&sr=8-1&keywords=tri-hone great stones, i use them on my gear, they can get (if youre willing to spend some time) a pretty dope mirror finish.

http://www.amazon.com/Smiths-50008-8-Inch-Diamond-Tri-Hone/dp/B001I6JGL4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1453920898&sr=8-3&keywords=tri-hone this is the diamond version. arguably better, but hella spensive.

I would consider something like the Kershaw Skyline. If you are expecting heavy use then i would pick up a decent sharpning kit such as the TRI-6 System.

That skyline does not have a partial serrated edge. I to enjoy a serrated edge for cutting rope and twine... however, that blade is 14C28N stainless steel and can maintain a very sharp edge with everyday use for quite some time and negates my need for a serrated edge.

Coupled with the tri-6 system you would have an awesome edc (every day carry) knife for a very long time.

Budget total: $60-$65 - free shipping for prime members

Edit: serrated edges are a pain to sharpen without the proper tools and know how

Hope this helps

I actually use this. The oil that runs down the sides oils the other stones and drips into the tray at the bottom.

I'd probably use a cheap rag or something. Once it gets nice and oily you can use it to wipe down blades to prevent rust and to clean them.

I personally went with Smith's Tri-Hone. I'm sure there are better ones, but at this price it can't be beat.

Don't forget to get a strop (I've had great success with this Razorsharp Strop) as well.

decent for tool blades, axes and such. works for pocket and fixed blades, however not the best taper for it. if your trying to get a TRULY sharp edge for hunting or utility knives, i would use one of these puppies http://www.amazon.com/TRI-6-Arkansas-TRI-HONE-Sharpening-System/dp/B00062BIT4/ref=sr_1_21?ie=UTF8&qid=1346777215&sr=8-21&keywords=knife+sharpener

throw it over a denim or leather strop afterwords to debur and hone the edge. your knife will be beyond razor sharp after this so be extra super careful.

Dont think so. Better off doing it yourself anyway Heres a pretty good one that i use. lasted about a year now.

A Arkansas medium is a great stone to carry into a field. In order to practice getting the edge just right a tri stone is great.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00062BIT4/ref=redir_mdp_mobile

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00062BIT4/

Stones can run hundreds of dollars, but these will make your knife sharp. I suggest practicing on a blade that doesn't matter to you.

I had that sharpener and I wore a groove in it which made it basically a knife duller instead of a knife sharpener. Yeah, I was probably using it wrong. Either way I'm going to try one of these next.

I got a Wusthof set as a wedding gift 20 years ago. It's used daily and has outlasted my marriage.

That said, before you invest in knives, learn to care for them first!. Know what surfaces you should and shouldn't use them on, and learn how to sharpen, clean, and store them.

No serrated knives. Period. Serrated knives can't be sharpened and, once dulled, you might as well be using a hacksaw. The only possible exception to this might be a good bread knife.

Unlike others here, I actually think knife sets are a good BIFL choice. E.g. Something like this Wusthof set should last for many years to come.

The reason I dislike the individual-knife option is that you need a place to store them. So you have the hassle of finding a block that fits them. And you end up wanting one or two other knives, and a steel. And, oh, scissors would be nice too... so you end up with this hodgepodge mix of stuff that works, sure, but it looks a mess.

And, here's the thing - you won't be the only one using these knives. At some point you're going to have a husband/wife who uses them too. And for better or worse, a good well-rounded set of knives is what's going to work best for the two of you. And it'll look good on your kitchen counter, which may not be important to you, but it'll matter to that other person.

And don't forget to invest in a good sharpening stone. FWIW, I've tried just about every sharpening system out there and I keep coming back to a good 'place double or triple stone. My current preferred setup is this Smith Tri-Hone system. Fast, easy, and (if used properly) gives a wicked sharp edge. Seriously. I can shave with my kitchen knives.

I use this on the knives at work, my own kitchen knives, and my pocketknives. So far its been pretty great and easy to learn on. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00062BIT4/ref=aw_ls__1?colid=1PPOV7FEN2MX7&coliid=IZTEXOO6CTVND

If you have your heart set on free hand sharpening, this Smith brand set is a good discount option: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00062BIT4/ref=s9_simh_gw_d2_g469_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=mobile-1&pf_rd_r=0HCSGV6SDHSFYN9YX93S&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=2068141862&pf_rd_i=mobile

With one of these and a little practice you'll be good. I use 2000 grit sandpaper after the fine stone to hone my knives and then strop them on a full grain leather belt but I don't know how necessary that is.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00062BIT4/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1482863549&sr=8-2&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=knife+sharpener+stones&dpPl=1&dpID=410-ZsgS5iL&ref=plSrch

It sounds like you might already have a block. Just buy the knives you need. You really don't even need to spend a lot of money. Yes more expensive knives hold their edge longer, but they even get dull too. You could get a $5 knife and use this for 2 minutes and have that knife sharp enough to shave with.

I know I'm a bit late to the party, but my advice is 100% to try to hold the knife before you buy it. I'm a knife nerd and I have a blend of Japanese and German in my collection, and I chose each knife for how it felt in my hand. The knife you enjoy using will get used the most! It doesn't have to be the most expensive one. (In fact, in many cases it's not.)

Japanese steel is excellent for much of your meal prep, and especially veggies. However, it can be super brittle. Shun is in my experience one of the big culprits for chipping. Such hard steel holds an edge super well, but the trade off is fragility. (Also, as someone who sharpened knives professionally, Shun cutlery can be tough to sharpen.)

I think if you're looking for a workhorse I'd go more for the middle of the road. I personally own this knife and it's my favorite. It's a German style handle, has a sharp Japanese feel, but is made of steel just soft enough that chips aren't a huge issue. I also use the pinch grip and it's very comfy for me, but you cannot know until you get your hands on it.

In general it's better to choose your knife, and then choose your stone. You shouldn't need the stone for a while if you're honing regularly.

You'll want a couple stones or one with two grits (one on each side). This is the sharpening system all the local chefs always came to buy. It's a great choice because you have a course, a medium and a fine grit. Always end on the fine grit, and if you do end up getting a Japanese knife you'll be spending most of your time polishing on the medium and fine. Choose oil or water as your lubricant, and don't switch back and forth. I have always just used water.

Practice. Watch some youtube videos, and then practice some more. Use cheap knives to practice. Practice finding your angle over and over again and listening to the sound of the edge as you move it down the stone. It can be super zen. Have fun and happy cooking!

I've been sharpening all my knives for years. It's pretty easy, especially if they're still a little sharp. If you want to do it yourself, I'd recommend a Lansky kit. A basic one costs about $25 on amazon. Watch a few youtube videos to learn the technique, it's not too difficult.

If you would rather spend more time sharpening and less money, then go with a Lansky sharpening jig. They make 3 and 5 stone sets:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000B8L6LI/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=13WRHYXC9PQV4&coliid=I1W91L5C7EZMB6

I've done freehand and with guides like this. Neither have given me the results I wanted.

I've just been using this one. It works great for my work knives because I don't need a straight razor for what I do, but I'm afraid to use it with any of my higher end stuff. I probably should be the guy that has one of those, but I always put sharpening on the back burner since I'm not the best with it, at least with my more expensive stuff. That's why I'm excited about the Sharpmaker, it seems like it's waayy more appropriate for touch up stuff. I feel like I'll be a little more comfortable gliding my Umnum over those triangle rods versus grinding away at it with the Lansky stones. That's funny that you mention that because I have thought about that, I have thousands invested in knives and I can't sharpen one of them to hair shaving to save my life, it's almost embarrassing! I'll get there, though, I just have to focus more on it.

I posted this question on askCulinary a while back, and this is the advice I decided to take:

Get yourself one of these. It's a very simple sharpening system that works quite well and is quite affordable.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000B8L6LI/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1511067414&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=lansky+kit&dpPl=1&dpID=51RQXn40slL&ref=plSrch

+

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000B8L6NG/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1511067237&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=lansky+kit&dpPl=1&dpID=51BaDAQP9dL&ref=plSrch

I currently use this for most of my sharpening. It gets my knives amazingly sharp with little to no effort. Is that bad? I'm not very practiced with a whet stone.

I definitely need this in order to keep my outdoor knives sharp and ready for survival!

Also, thank you very much for holding this contest :)

study sunday

I have a Smith's Pocket Pal, works great

I've been using this for a couple years, takes minutes to sharpen the entire block.

$10 via amazon and very small.

Smith's Pocket Pal

Always a good tip though people worried about a couple of grams won't be bringing a ceramic coffee mug along. A small whetstone doesn't weigh much, a small multi-sharpener like this Smiths only weights 0.32 ounces, or about 9 grams. (https://smile.amazon.com/Smiths-PP1-Pocket-Multifunction-Sharpener/dp/B000O8OTNC/ref=sr_1_27?crid=S35YWXY35105&keywords=knife+sharpener+rod&qid=1556850966&s=gateway&sprefix=knife+sh%2Caps%2C238&sr=8-27)

Check Smith's Pocket Pal
https://www.amazon.com/Smiths-PP1-Pocket-Multifunction-Sharpener/dp/B000O8OTNC

As long as you use it often and in front of your peers so that they get used to you having it as a tool and not as a weapon any knife is appropriate for the office as long as the rules of the company say so.

That beimg said. My favorite compact little knife that I carry everyday is the CRKT Squid.

It is a small knife that can cut boxes and letters easily and just feels good in the hand.

I also recommend uou get a sharpener to maintain your blade but as you're probably not going to use your knife that often I don't see it necessary. Hope that helps :)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000O8OTNC/ref=s9_psimh_gw_d0_g469_i2?pf_rd_p=1c5f02ae-183e-4906-990b-5a293310a66c&pf_rd_s=blackjack-personal-1&pf_rd_t=Gateway&pf_rd_i=mobile&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=W2914KY7B7ANQQ09V1QP


Can this do both?

Hey guys, so I just purchased this sharpener on amazon a couple days ago and it just arrived and I used it to sharpen my pocket knife. Flash forward a couple hours and I see a post about how bad these "V shaped" sharpeners are. The consensus that i saw was Carbide is bad as it eats your steel and ceramic are okay. I'm familiar with sharpening on stones as I use stones for my large kitchen knives. I just purchased this as it seemed way more convenient for quick pocket knife sharpening and something i could throw in my bag just in case. My question is, should I just stay away from using this Smith's sharpener all together?

For basic, in-the-field sharpening, I can't recommend Smith's Pocket Pal highly enough. It won't get your knives razor sharp, but it's great for basic "idiot proof" sharpening. I've used it sharpen my Ka-Bars, my Gerber Remix, my Leatherman knock-off, scissors, and lots of other blades. It's simple to use, even on serrated edges, and puts a good working edge on just about anything.

Except, and I know this is only anecdotal evidence, my edge is in fact not ruined.

Here is a link to the product, with thousands of people who have reviewed it and agree with me.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000O8OTNC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

If you want to look into sharpening knives on your own, check out the Work Sharp knife sharpener. I was able to get one last Black Friday for $85. The thing absolutely kicks ass. I was able to repair my Mother In Law's knives that were utterly destroyed in minutes. (then I watched in horror as she dragged a freshly sharpened knife across a cutting board and throw it in the dishwasher)

https://www.amazon.com/Work-Sharp-Knife-Sharpener-Onion/dp/B00EJ9CQKA/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=ken+onion&qid=1570560403&sr=8-2

rust eraser for his knives. Japanese, inexpensive, great bit of kit.

2-eraser Sabitoru set on amazon

That 1x42 should do the trick to get started as long as it has a platen to keep things flat and belts in the right grits but before you start grinding away you might try starting with these https://www.amazon.com/Rust-Eraser-Sabitoru-Medium-2-piece/dp/B00FS0BFJC

I use this

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EJ9CQKA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_PkoyzbPZV48QA

Followed by some stropping on my belt. Wickedly sharp.

Otherwise, Precison Sharpening FTW.

With a rust eraser!

Rust Eraser Sabitoru Medium and... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FS0BFJC

Soak the rust eraser and then use it to clean your stone.

Work Sharp knife and tool sharpener and attachments. Everbody should have sharp knives.

These will get your knife easily crazy sharp, but they're expensive.

Now, I have not personally used this one, but I have heard from folks I know that this thing is excellent: https://www.amazon.com/Work-Sharp-Knife-Sharpener-Onion/dp/B00EJ9CQKA

I will be buying one myself in the near future.

I have a belt driven model that I really like.

Would anyone here recommend this belt sharpener from Work Sharp?

Work Sharp WSKTS-KO Knife and Tool Sharpener Ken Onion Edition

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EJ9CQKA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_lTLKzbNHCEEDZ

Yes, they’re much lighter. Also, by the look of this one there’s a lot of steel filings already on the surface. I would buy a rust eraser, which you can use to remove that material.

likely a belt type sharpening system like the worksharp ken onion edition, with some practice you too can put edges on your own knives like this - https://www.amazon.com/Work-Sharp-WSKTS-KO-Knife-Sharpener/dp/B00EJ9CQKA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1499885302&sr=8-2&keywords=ken+onion+worksharp+belts

I have a couple of stones myself, but after seeing this thing in action I've been tempted. Not sure if goes through the metal too fast, but after seeing it in action looks extremely easy and good:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EJ9CQKA

I'd suggest picking up one of these: AccuSharp 001 Knife Sharpener https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004VWKQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_pn-DybRHTCRS8
It won't get you as sharp as a set of good stones and proper technique, but it's cheap and can be used regularly.

I've got one of these that I love-- quick and easy and sharpens well.


With decent knives, you should be honing more often than sharpening to make them last longer-- but if you just use cheap kitchen aid knives and dont care as much about longevity, a periodic quick sharpening should do the trick.

No really.

I guess it depends on your knives. I have a combination of Bed Bath & Beyond Wustof "good" knives and some Chinatown chop blades, and I use that for them. I can cut paper thin tomato slices with a few runs through it with any of them. It won't sharpen my CRKT pocket knife though. I think the steel is too hard. I knew a butcher though, and he worked for QFC and just used their machine.

I really like this product. Works well, is cheap, easy and works on any knife (including serrated).

http://www.amazon.com/AccuSharp-1-001-Knife-Sharpener/dp/B00004VWKQ/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

My knives are pretty awesome but definitely not high end (Victorinox)-- I've had good results with the combo.

This works REALLY well.

https://www.amazon.com/AccuSharp-ACCU-001C-001-Knife-Sharpener/dp/B00004VWKQ/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1474287430&sr=8-7&keywords=knife+sharpener

I use this thing it's awesome and cheap as shit
[http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004VWKQ/ref=asc_df_B00004VWKQ1954178?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395093&creativeASIN=B00004VWKQ&hvpos=none&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1056637480284102623&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=]
couple swipes and you're all done

Someone can tell me if I don't get the need of hiring a cobbler or whatever but I don't think knife sharpening is as much of an artisan task that it once was. I have one of these https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004VWKQ/ref=psdc_289867_t1_B0027VRU7G and it works great at keeping my knives honed and sharp. If your thing is paying someone to do this I'm not in any way judging but for me this works great.

This thing resurrected every single knife even a couple utility knives that were pos'. I had given up on a few. They are back in service now. Just one person's opinion

http://www.amazon.com/AccuSharp-1-001-Knife-Sharpener/dp/B00004VWKQ/ref=pd_sim_k_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=13EK109BQ7FRZHFCAWKY

ok, I purchased these, and it's all worked fine, though there is probably better for more $
http://smile.amazon.com/Victorinox-Swiss-Classic-3-Piece-Paring/dp/B005LRYWEW/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1421083440&sr=8-4&keywords=victorinox+paring

http://smile.amazon.com/AccuSharp-1-001-Knife-Sharpener/dp/B00004VWKQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421083618&sr=8-1&keywords=acusharp

http://smile.amazon.com/EZE-LAP-D12F-Sharpening-Steel-12-Inch/dp/B002RL83FO/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1421083704&sr=8-5&keywords=diamond+steel+oval

Use a light touch with the acusharp and the steel.

All-Clad is kind of the "Cadillac" of cookware, and a big set costs over $1000. In a highly-regarded test kitchen, this Tramontina set for $135 gets good reviews and sells for a fraction of the price. There are other set configurations and open stock (to buy in pieces) items of the same Tramontina line. I would add an 8- and 10-inch nonstick skillet and you would be set for a long time.



The same reviewers like these Victorinox knives as their second best choice. The first choice is the far more expensive German knives. There are different knife set configurations, even big sets in wood blocks, but my link is to the basics.


You need a knife sharpener. This one works very well and is simple to use, and is inexpensive as well.



You will need a colander set. This is the one I use. Stainless steel, lasts for years, cleans up in the dishwasher.

You will need hot pads, trivets, rubber spatulas (bowl scrapers) cookie sheets, etc. Just think through what you like to cook (or eat) and make a list of what you need for each step. Cookies? Mixing bowl, mixer or big spoon, measuring cups, measuring spoons, cookie sheet and spatula. Spaghetti? Frying pan, spatula, can opener, saucepan, big spoon for stirring pasta sauce, bigger pot to cook the pasta, colander, tongs, hot pads or mitts to protect hands while draining pasta. Just think through the steps and make a list.

Sharp > dull knife. Get your knives sharpened by a kitchen store. Usually $5 a knife or less.

Or this

AccuSharp 001 Knife Sharpener https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004VWKQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_mweryb2Q0TX7T

I have and love an AccuSharp.

I bought this electric sharpener for $25 about two years ago. It works really well. I sharpen my knives about once every 6 months.

Can also recommend this as a cheapo portable version, or, if you want to go a step up, this handles both standard and santoku bevels.

I have one that's similar, they get a good starting angle, but you want something to make the microserrations more aligned,

Nah, the Lansky Sharpening System is the best way for beginners to guarantee a nice edge.

It's like $25 on Amazon.

The Squid uses a "soft" steel so sharpening won't be hard. Dont worry too much about it.

> Lansky Standard Coarse Sharpening System with Fine Hones

The Lansky costs 38 CAD and it should do just fine for a beginner. If you want to get a finer edge further down the line you can always use sandpaper. Tape (Double sided ) it to a flat surface or even the Lansky stones.

this http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gerber-09841-Diamond-Knife-Sharpener/dp/B0001WOTHC/ref=sr_1_61?ie=UTF8&qid=1420419804&sr=8-61&keywords=knife+sharpener

or this http://www.amazon.co.uk/Smiths-Pocket-Pal-Knife-Sharpener/dp/B000O8OTNC/ref=sr_1_20?ie=UTF8&qid=1420419761&sr=8-20&keywords=knife+sharpener

> anyone claiming to sharpen serrated blades for a few dollars is lying--it's impossible with a machine or stone, and takes forever to do by hand

It's not impossible by hand. A buddy of mine who owns a shop filled with knives recommended the Spyderco triangle sharpener and it works wonderfully.

Anyone claiming to sharpen a dull serrated knife by hand for $8-$9 isn't necessarily lying, but they're going to be making less than minimum wage if they take the time to do it properly.

I actually personally use this one:
Kai Japanese Professional Knife Sharpening Stone https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000UZET0M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fjMqyb445MVA8
I've had it for a solid year and every few months I sharpen all the knives in my house. Works just great. Although I use a sharpening steel to help keep them that way.

Don't forget the Germans, they make good knives too.

If you plan on buy knifes from a thrift store, invest in a water stone. I can shave with a $0.50 Chicago Cutlery chefs knife after 5 minutes on this.

This. This is also me.
I recommend a Chef's Choice
I use it on my Zwilling set

I bought the following for my parents: http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B001CQTLJM?keywords=knife%20sharpener&qid=1452753421&ref_=sr_1_3&sr=8-3

They have had it for like a year now and it works great. A few swipes in the coarse section and a few in the fine and the blade is super sharp.

buy this

thank me later

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002YK1RAQ/ref=s9_simh_gw_p79_d0_i2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=desktop-1&pf_rd_r=1MPNNMFKMPENXEJMA7NB&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=1970559082&pf_rd_i=desktop

As the guy in the video said, what makes a knife sharp is sharpening it. Unfortunately, with some equipment, sharpening can be a pain, and we skip it when it's time to cook.

Solution: This cheap knife sharpener has made my life so much better. It stays in my drawer. It only takes a few seconds to use, and my chef's knife is always sharp enough to cut tomatoes like the guy in the video.

I'm not saying it's the best sharpener. I'm saying it's the most convenient. And, again, what makes a knife sharp is sharpening it.

Quoting myself from that comment, as uncomfortable as that makes me feel:

>Aside from this there's nothing one sharpener can do to your knife that another can't fix. It's only steel, after all. Despite how pretty it is.

The person in that thread needed some professional help because he had a nick he wanted removed. In general, your average home cook with your average home cook knives can use one of these style sharpeners and always have a sharp knife and be happy.

You're right, it'll take some more metal off than necessary, but that only really matters if you're using a sharpener in place of a honing steel instead of occasionally. And it very well might ruin the factory bevel and grind it to a different profile.

Oh. My. God.

What if their sharp knife is not the right kind of sharp?! They could be using a totally unsuitable grind for the Rockwell hardness of their steel. Fuck man, that means they might have to sharpen their knife three times a year instead of twice, shortening the lifespan of their knife from a hundred years to 75!.

Not to mention that the increased drag might require them to exert an extra millionth of newton in force slicing through an onion, wearing them out after only a few hundred onions that day instead of the usual four hundred.

I guess they should spend a few hundred on a set of proper Japanese water stones, another hundo on the jig to get that perfect 22.5 degree angle, or spend hours and hours learning to sharpen by feel.

or and this might ridiculous, they could use any one of the perfectly adequate home sharpeners - I like this motherfucker myself, sharpen as needed, hone on a steel every time, and drop it off at a knife sharpener once every few years to re-establish the edge's profile and correct any mistakes.

You're technically correct, which means in a practical sense, you're completely wrong.

Listen to this guy. Point three. Get a great chef's knife, This sharpener and a 12"+ stainless steel pan.

Order something like this
http://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B00004VWKQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1419847817&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40

All knifes need sharpening at some point, my best knifes are actually some I got at the flea market ... instead of investing in very expensive knifes buy a good knife sharpener. Here is mine:
$26 on Amazon

LPT: use your damn brain and don't use rough ceramic.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00032S02K/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1382622290&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70

Just buy one of these. You can't tell me $4 is going to break the bank.

I understand that the serrations help in your situation, but it may be worth it in the long run to get a plain edge and a decent sharpener for under $30. It takes a few minutes to put a working edge back on a blade, then you don't have to fuss over the serrations. IF you really want to keep the serration, I have had decent luck with THIS. I use the pointy end and carefully get an edge back on there. You could also try THIS but I have never tried this one.

My fancy sharpening stone set disappeared many years ago. So I just bought one of these.

Smith's PP1 Pocket Pal Multifunction Sharpener

I use if on everything from my Swiss Army Knife all the way to my Ka-bar.

Usually smaller or neighborhood hardware stores will offer knife sharpening services. You can check at specialty cooking stores too like Sur La Table.

As for sharpeners you can do yourself, I'm a fan of these kinds of sharpeners. After that much time, they could probably use a good sharpening, but I'm sure the discussion will come up about sharpening vs. honing.

I use something similar to this. If you're only gonna be sharpening that one chef's knife, I think that should be all you need.

not entirely sure what type you are looking for (electric or manual) but this is my knife sharpener of choice http://www.amazon.com/AccuSharp-1-001-Knife-Sharpener/dp/B00004VWKQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1370049652&sr=8-2&keywords=knife+sharpener

LPT: Buy this and sharpen your knives before each use.

https://www.amazon.com/Presto-08800-EverSharp-Electric-Sharpener/dp/B00006IUWM/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1488094593&sr=8-11&keywords=knife+sharpener

Accusharp, is the best $10 I ever spent. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00004VWKQ

I would say it will get your knife to about 80% to its maximum sharpness, with only three or five passes. Use a steel or stone to get the other 20%, but I think its a wasted effort. I find the blade right from the accusharp to be sharp enough for everything I do.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000O8OTNC/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1496542990&sr=8-6&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=knife+sharpener&dpPl=1&dpID=41flX4-bT1L&ref=plSrch

You can't go wrong with one of those!

http://www.amazon.com/AccuSharp-1-001-Knife-Sharpener/dp/B00004VWKQ/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1422545572&sr=1-2&keywords=knife+sharpener


AccuSharp 001 Knife Sharpener
by AccuSharp
$9.47

Also look for a honing steel if you don't already have one, and a simple sharpener. I really like this one - simple and easy for everyday use.

Edit: it seems this comment upset people. It’s honestly a trade off between time and practicality. Of course I’m not putting my $150 chef’s knife through this - it’s made to keep its edge better. I’m also not going to spend time money every week r get my $30 chinese cooking knife sharpened. The recommendation came from Chris Kimball, and according to OP’s question, it’s a ton more practical for a chinese cooking cleaver.