Knives & sharpening

[Colin Brett]

It's always been a goal of mine (before I peg out) to be able to sharpen a knife properly.

So how do any of you guys get on sharpening and what knives do you recommend?

I'm talking kitchen knives.

 

Just seen a Cryotex carbon knife advert on tv that I find hard to believe although it is an impressive advert. See it on YouTube and let me know your thoughts.

[chesters1]

i have never had the ability to hone a blade to razor sharpness but my old electronics tutor was so good i'm sure he could put an edge on steam if he tried.

i'm not a fan of these tv advertised "super" blades although the best breadknife we have ever had is a very old prestige wooden handled affair that still out cuts any bread knife we have bought since.

as for un serated blades i'm still using ancient victorinox knives albeit blunt to what they could be if i could sharpen them properly

 

i have doubts about these ceramic knives as well ,sharp they maybe but can they be resharpened?

Edited November 5, 2012 by chesters1

[Phone]

Colin,

 

I like stainless. (Although I can't use either with skill).

 

http://zknives.com/knives/kitchen/misc/art...er/ssvscs.shtml

 

Phone

[chesters1]

show me those fancy knives after a years hard work ,if you want sharp use a scalpel but you wont get much use out of it

Edited November 5, 2012 by chesters1

[Ken L]

So long as you're prepared to pay £15 - £20 per blade to get decent steel, you should be right - although you can pay a lot more.

All you need to do then is buy a 8" oilstone and learn to use it from YouTube videos.

With a bit of practice, your knives will be very sharp and easy to maintain without scratching the sides of the blade.

Remember, you're not looking for razor blade sharpness (The edge would be to fragile for kitchen use) but you should be able to cut paper cleanly with a drawning action.

 

Outside of the kitchen, it's hard to beat the French Opinel knives. The steel keeps an edge like no stainless can - but is brittle as hell and doesn't like being dropped or used as a digging tool.

[Phone]

Colin,

 

If you promise not to use it - the ceramic knives are cool. I had one and promptly broke it. The remaining bit is still sharp as 'ell.

 

Your answer may be found in the medical field. Stainless all the way as far as I know. Years ago a customer (medical insturment maker) made me a couple "tobacco knives" (more like a hatchet for cutting the stalks in the field).

 

I'm not sure Ken's suggestion will always work. One is out of 440C stainless the other 17-7 stainless. They are really sharp and hard stuff (chip easily). An oil stone won't touch the 440C. It requires a diamond sharpener. Once again, I'm no good at sharpening knives so that's really just what I think from trying.

 

Phone

[barry luxton]

It's always been a goal of mine (before I peg out) to be able to sharpen a knife properly.

So how do any of you guys get on sharpening and what knives do you recommend?

I'm talking kitchen knives.

 

Just seen a Cryotex carbon knife advert on tv that I find hard to believe although it is an impressive advert. See it on YouTube and let me know your thoughts.

i also see the Cryotex advert and would be absolutly amazed,

 

 

 

if it was true, just thinking of all the fish i gut and fillet, how long one of those knives last and would it need sharpening and could it be sharpend. Also they really do need to pronounce the word fillet correctly, they pronounce it feley.

[barry luxton]

phone has a point, (pun)

 

The best fillet knife i have used was made out of stainless, surgical steel.

[John S]

For sharpening kitchen knives, you can't go wrong with a good butchers steel (the round 'file' thing). Always buy the best quality knives you can though, cheap ones go blunt as soon as they see a chickens neck.

[chesters1]

Steels dont sharpen blades they make microscopic cuts in them making them in essence serrated edges which cut easier but bugger the cutting edge once the little nicks have worn down

Edited November 5, 2012 by chesters1