Super Mech
Well-known member
This might belong in Free Parking. Looking for recommendations on a manual knife sharpener for kitchen knives. Nothing too expensive, meaning 50.00 and under. Knives are USA and German steel.
Looking for a good manual knife sharpener
- Thread starter Super Mech
- Start date
bsaint
Well-known member
I like the Lansky system. I get it sharp enough to shave with. ALWAYS strop. Biggest step I missed for years. I just use green rouge and cardboard.
Last edited:
I’d suggest a Spyderco Tri-Angle Sharpmaker. MSRP around $105 but you may be able to find a sale that brings it down to around $70. Pretty versatile system that can be used for more than just knives and doesn’t take up much space when in its storage case.
Sent from my iPhone using Garage Journal
Sent from my iPhone using Garage Journal
measuredtwice
Well-known member
If you know how to sharpen, then I'd recommend continuous surface DMT diamond stones. You'll want all 3 grits. --> www.amazon.com/Diamond-Machine-Technology-DMT-D4F/dp/B002D4K90M/ Either these or bigger. The bigger ones cost more.
If you don't know how to sharpen freehand, then I'd recommend either a Spyderco Sharpmaker or a Lansky.
www.amazon.com/Tri-Angle-Sharpening-Kit-Medium-Fine/dp/B00JHX512S/
www.amazon.com/Lansky-4-Stone-Deluxe-Diamond-Sharpening/dp/B000B8L6LS/
If you don't know how to sharpen freehand, then I'd recommend either a Spyderco Sharpmaker or a Lansky.
www.amazon.com/Tri-Angle-Sharpening-Kit-Medium-Fine/dp/B00JHX512S/
www.amazon.com/Lansky-4-Stone-Deluxe-Diamond-Sharpening/dp/B000B8L6LS/
Crabman
Well-known member
My dad was into Asian cooking. He was in Korea during the war and my mom was stationed in Tokyo, so they both liked Asian food.
He bought some Mac Japanese knives for prep work. They are really nice, some over 50 years old and the sharpest knives I own, and I own a lot as I love to cook.
I bought the Mac sharpener for dad's knives:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000RKT41Y/?tag=atomicindus08-20
It is modestly priced and I use it on all my knives with a lot of success.
Bruce
He bought some Mac Japanese knives for prep work. They are really nice, some over 50 years old and the sharpest knives I own, and I own a lot as I love to cook.
I bought the Mac sharpener for dad's knives:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000RKT41Y/?tag=atomicindus08-20
It is modestly priced and I use it on all my knives with a lot of success.
Bruce
Buckaroo5
Well-known member
I have been using this SOG knife sharpener on my kitchen knives for six months or so.....like it.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002UNMY40/?tag=atomicindus08-20
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002UNMY40/?tag=atomicindus08-20
mike93lx
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I have the lansky system and haven't gotten great results on kitchen knives. Probably a technique issue, still fruatrating
I just use a basic diamond stone, a super fine ceramic stone followed by a leather strap with some sort of polishing compound. I don't know what the compound I'd though. My roommate in college got it for me because we both enjoyed sharpening knives. That was ten years ago and still have 95% of the bar left. It should last me a lifetime.
SGKent
Banned
flat diamond stones, medium and fine. Then I finish with a ceramic wand, and strop with a belt. Like a razor.
gnpenning
Well-known member
Fine Arkansas Stone. Then leather strop.
For my shop tools, a couple pieces of granite with multiple grits of PSA sandpaper up to 4000 grit on each one, then strop. Fast and easy to match to how full to the sharpness needed. Every new-used chisel, plane, etc. Even pocket knives
I get gets both sides as needed till I'm happy.
For my shop tools, a couple pieces of granite with multiple grits of PSA sandpaper up to 4000 grit on each one, then strop. Fast and easy to match to how full to the sharpness needed. Every new-used chisel, plane, etc. Even pocket knives
I get gets both sides as needed till I'm happy.
LB-1911
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Realizing it's outside of your range, another vote for a Spyderco Sharpmaker.
Links below may prove informative.
Sharpeners & Sharpening Supplies at Knife Center
General Knife Sharpening Instructions
Good Luck
Rlapointe87
Well-known member
I use a lanky setup. Works well doesnt brake the bank either
Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
OP
Super Mech
Well-known member
Thanks for all the responses. I’m liking the Lansbury setup bit looks like it would need a bit of practice to be done properly. I also think it would be much easier to use if I purchase the stand that goes with it.
I really wanted the convenience of a pull type sharpener though.
I really wanted the convenience of a pull type sharpener though.
seber
Well-known member
If you like your knives you want to stay well away from this type of sharpener.
These things use carbide blades to shave a lot of material from the blade. Use it often and you will need to replace your knives soon.
mike93lx
ALLIANCE MEMBER
For the lansky you need the plastic tower at a minimum. You can hold that with your other hand, but I find it way better to screw it down to a board that I can clamp to my kitchen table
orangeblood
Well-known member
Anybody have experience / recommend the Work Sharp system?
I have read good things about it for knives but dont know anybody that has one.
I have read good things about it for knives but dont know anybody that has one.
Diamond plates like those work great. I made a sharpener a few years ago with similar Eze-Lap plates. They cut fast, and almost mandatory for modern steels.
Attachments
Last edited:
jg4660
Well-known member
I recently got this one and works well for the money.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004VWKQ/?tag=atomicindus08-20
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004VWKQ/?tag=atomicindus08-20
https://radakitchenstore.com/collections/utensils/products/quick-edge-knife-sharpener
I use this. I use their knives because they are cheap, quality sharp, and made in U.S.A. of domestic materials.
I use this. I use their knives because they are cheap, quality sharp, and made in U.S.A. of domestic materials.
That sharpener indeed works fine for most kitchen knives and basic pocket knives (for example, Buck or Swiss Army type). It will ruin a fancy Japanese kitchen knife, or a pricy pocket knife with modern steel such as Spyderco/Benchmade/Zero Tolerance.
matt_i
Well-known member
I just haul them to the shop and work with an India stone for awhile.
anndel
Well-known member
I have the Spyderco Tri-Angle sharpener since the 1990s. I've added Spyderco's diamond stones and also replaced the medium stone since I dropped it on the floor and it broke.
OP
Super Mech
Well-known member
How well do these knives hold an edge? I like the fact that they are USA made and the price is very reasonable.
Robbie B
Well-known member
I’ve got a Smith two stone from Lowe’s that does great.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Jack84
Well-known member
I use the Lansky too, always strop after sharpening. Occasionally stropping helps keep your blade sharp, the stones take material off. Stropping doesn’t.
The Lansky works on Elmax too which surprised me a bit.
Sent from my iPhone using Garage Journal
Last edited:
The specs say the steel is type T420, which is the crappiest steel available so don't expect them to stay sharp very long. It's the same steel that's used in all those cheap steak knife sets you see all over for a few bucks. However, since they are so soft they lend themselves to those simple sharpening tools that scrape the edge (rather than honing) to sharpen them. That cheap tool with the 2 metal wheels will work very effectively, but you will be using it pretty regularly.
Legion Prime
Well-known member
Nah, they'll ruin any knife you use them on. The cheaper they are the faster they'll ruin them.
Just go with the Lansky, for under $50 it's hard to beat without spending a TON of time learning to sharpen freehand. Do you need the base stand? Absolutely not, will it make things easier? It can, I've been perfectly happy sharpening without the base though for the better part of a decade now.
They don't last as long as fancy knives, but a few quick swipes and they are just as sharp. I much more willing to swipe the blade in the sharpener than the card in the register. Usually, it is long to hold an edge or quick to make an edge.
I have a Lansky set and it excels for smaller knives under 5", but trying to sharpen a long chef knife is a pain on the Lansky. If the OP opts for knives using cheaper soft steel those simple sharpeners where you just drag the blade thru are very fast and efficient. Many "self sharpening" knife blocks now have similar systems integrated into the block---every time you remove the knife from the block it puts a fresh edge on the blade.
There are 2 types of drag sharpeners: those that use hardened blades to scrape the edge, and those that use a pair of ceramic rods to hone the edge. Better knives, like Henkels and Wusthof, do better with the ceramic rods. Some sharpeners, like those made by Wustof, employ both both schemes.
Attachments
Last edited:
JR 42
Well-known member
Speaking pretty broadly, American kitchen knives aren't the state of the art. Typically low- end stainless, not very hard, difficult to sharpen well and won't hold an edge long. Seems to me like most German kitchen knives trend toward the American model (the Japanese knives are generally much harder, more fragile, last longer e.g.)
If you've got a lot of research time, mosey over to Bladeforums and read up.
If not, be honest about your skill level and look into a guided kit with diamond stones like Lansky, Gatco, or DMT offer to fix your edges (or diamond or silicon carbide stones if you're up for it), plus a ceramic crock stick setup like the Spyderco Sharpmaker for edge maintenance. You'll need to bump your budget up a bit, but used correctly this stuff should last for years and years
I use a mix of Japanese waterstones, American stones, guided diamond (DMT kit) and a Sharpmaker, and I'm no sharpening guru- it takes time to build these skills, and I don't spend enough time to be good at it yet.
Pull- through sharpeners are all **** IMO- if you're lucky they pull a stout wire edge that doesn't break off immediately.
If you've got a lot of research time, mosey over to Bladeforums and read up.
If not, be honest about your skill level and look into a guided kit with diamond stones like Lansky, Gatco, or DMT offer to fix your edges (or diamond or silicon carbide stones if you're up for it), plus a ceramic crock stick setup like the Spyderco Sharpmaker for edge maintenance. You'll need to bump your budget up a bit, but used correctly this stuff should last for years and years
I use a mix of Japanese waterstones, American stones, guided diamond (DMT kit) and a Sharpmaker, and I'm no sharpening guru- it takes time to build these skills, and I don't spend enough time to be good at it yet.
Pull- through sharpeners are all **** IMO- if you're lucky they pull a stout wire edge that doesn't break off immediately.
Last edited:
Legion Prime
Well-known member
This is true, I use it to sharpen my 8" Victorinox and that's about as long a knife as I'd want to deal with using it. My 10" Fujiwara? I don't think so. LOL
The ones with the rods shouldn't do anything different than a steel would. They shouldn't do any sharpening, just realign the edge but you can do that with a ceramic coffee mug. The ones with the carbide inserts will DESTROY a knife. They'll get it sharp sure but you're really hogging away metal with it and I've seen chef knives acquire a concave edge shape faster than you can imagine using carbide sharpeners. Here are a couple edges under magnification from Blade Forums. The first is a blade that had been sharpened with a carbide pull through, the second was stone ground with a Wicked Edge system. Hell of a difference.
Attachments
240sxguy
Well-known member
I'm going to resurrect this. I have some very dull blades that have chipped edges and I'd like to clean them up a bit. i have the ceramic stick type of sharpener but I doubt this will be able to remove enough meat to get the massive chips out. Any suggestions?
slowtwitch73
Well-known member
The Wustof pull through sharpeners that your press against the counter are hands down the cheapest and easiest to use and they give an edge that will shave your arm.
We stayed at a house and the knives were damn sharp, so I looked around to find what they used. When I got home I ordered one for 12$ and sure enough.
I have fiddled with many 'sharpening systems' /methods over the years and for a lay person, and for the money, I haven't found better.
So good, I plan to get one and cut down the handle down and throw it in my hunting pack and get rid of the diamond steel and stones I have carried.
Like exmaxima1 posted up there^^^^
We stayed at a house and the knives were damn sharp, so I looked around to find what they used. When I got home I ordered one for 12$ and sure enough.
I have fiddled with many 'sharpening systems' /methods over the years and for a lay person, and for the money, I haven't found better.
So good, I plan to get one and cut down the handle down and throw it in my hunting pack and get rid of the diamond steel and stones I have carried.
Like exmaxima1 posted up there^^^^
Last edited:
seber
Well-known member
Steels are not meant to sharpen a blade. They are used to realign the turned edge. To do that, you draw the edge backward on the steel. That is opposite the direction you would use for sharpening.
RTM
Well-known member
What seber said: I start near the handle of the knife, and pull it back, ending at the tip of the knife. Simultaneously, I start near the handle of the steel, and move toward the tip. The knife handle is leading the travel, not the tip.
May not be correct, but was what I was taught 40 years ago.
May not be correct, but was what I was taught 40 years ago.
MJK
Well-known member
Learn something new every day. I will give that a try.
For what its worth, some things in the thread I agree with - Japanese blades are way harder than German/American which I prefer. My most used is a Gyuto style one from Japanesechefsknife.com. I use the extra large DMT diamond stones freehand and for years got by only with the 'fine' grade. After 20 years, it is probably more 'extra fine now'. A little dawn, water, and a very shallow angle make short work of it. I clean up the edge lightly with a kitchen steel (apparently going the wrong way). When I need any pressure to slice, I resharpen. Probably every 3-6 months if I use a softer poly cutting board.