Knife Sharpening?

[alamo5000]

I am considering doing a 'project' so to speak...that being to create a semi permanent knife sharpening station where I can sharpen a lot of knives rather quickly or with less hassle. This is PRIMARILY aimed at my kitchen, ie cooking, which I often rather enjoy. That said absolutely no one else here takes care of knives or whatever like I would prefer. It took months (or longer) to make them stop putting knives in the dishwasher (for example). We do not have a bunch of 'nice knives'. I have nothing high end or Japanese, but rather cheap(er) but still utilitarian. Still though I like my knives sharp.

The first thing I am looking at is the "Razor Sharp Edge Making System". What that is is basically MDF discs (yeah like the other type of plywood stuff) that are mounted to a bench grinder or bench buffer and you put stuff on each wheel to grind or polish your knife. If you see the videos online it looks very impressive for what it is. If I had high end knives I wouldn't let them anywhere near any kind of electric setup... but seeing how my most expensive cooking knife is probably less than $50 it's no big deal.

I totally get the whole 'heat' thing that a system like this can cause. While I don't have nice cooking knives, I do have fairly nice pocket knives so I do 'get it'. I think my most expensive pocket knife is right around $300 bucks so I do see the appeal, but buying nice cooking knives only to have people put it in the dishwasher or throw it in a drawer with 12 other utensils is a big fat no from me.

Getting a regular bench buffer and installing the wheels on it is very straight forward, which as of now I am tempted to keep it simple. What I DO like however are those little bench top jewelry buffers. The one that I am looking at has variable speeds from 500 to 8000RPM. It takes 4" wheels and is much smaller than a regular bench buffer. One is around 6lbs whereas a big brother more traditional one is more like 30lbs.

If I were to get a smaller one I could use it for many other things--which is mainly why I am considering that, IE more than one use. Plus it's smaller and could be used at the dinner table and then put away. If I do go that route I would have to make my own MDF buffer/polishing wheels. The thickest I could use would be about 3/4 of an inch with about a 4 inch diameter. Plus the arbor size (the hole where the wheels mount) can only go up to 1/4 of an inch. If I go this route it will be all experimental. If I go the 'regular bench buffer' route it's all very straight forward, but it will be a one trick pony. Plus if I did buy a variable speed 'traditional bench buffer' just that alone is several hundred dollars (at least). If I go with the cheaper type it has two modes: stop or go and one speed only.

Anyway I thought I would group source some experiences from the crowd here. Maybe somebody else has done this before or has experience with those types of sharpening wheels, or has a better overall idea. If you have any ideas or think of something that I missed please post it here.

 

[n2ishun]

Get a Lansky and learn how to use it correctly (not as easy as most would think).
You can get a very accurate edge with one and that means it will be unbelievably sharp, almost scary sharp.
For kitchen knives use a steel....again, it's a real knack to use one right. There's a ton of people that *think* they know how to use one, but very few do.

Japanese water stones are the next step in the progression.
Go from 4000 to 6000 to 10000 grit and the edge will make you cry it's so beautiful.
The learning curve isn't steep, it's vertical.
Real japanese sword sharpeners and polishers take 20-30 years to learn how to do it....don't think for a moment you'll have it down in a short amount of time.
BTW, real japanese water stones are in no way cheap, and they wear quickly.....so get ready to bend over.

SUEHIRO 8000 GOLD FINISH WATER STONE - Robert Larson Company

Start sharpening with a coarser stone, then proceed progressively to finer grits. For some, the 6000 grit finish stone will provide a perfect edge, while others will require the use of the still finer 8000 grit gold stone.

rlarson.com

BTW, if you think a knife is sharp, lay a single sheet of notepad paper flat on a table, then shave it to half it's thickness without cutting thru it and not using the edge of the table, use an open space in the center.
That is your benchmark and you'd be very hard pressed to do it with a fresh razor blade.

 

[oldshooterback]

I’ve been using Lansky for many years for both hunting and kitchen knives. Extremely pleased with results.

 

[alamo5000]

Get a Lansky and learn how to use it correctly (not as easy as most would think).
You can get a very accurate edge with one and that means it will be unbelievably sharp, almost scary sharp.
For kitchen knives use a steel....again, it's a real knack to use one right. There's a ton of people that *think* they know how to use one, but very few do.

Japanese water stones are the next step in the progression.
Go from 4000 to 6000 to 10000 grit and the edge will make you cry it's so beautiful.
The learning curve isn't steep, it's vertical.
Real japanese sword sharpeners and polishers take 20-30 years to learn how to do it....don't think for a moment you'll have it down in a short amount of time.
BTW, real japanese water stones are in no way cheap, and they wear quickly.....so get ready to bend over.

SUEHIRO 8000 GOLD FINISH WATER STONE - Robert Larson Company

Start sharpening with a coarser stone, then proceed progressively to finer grits. For some, the 6000 grit finish stone will provide a perfect edge, while others will require the use of the still finer 8000 grit gold stone.

rlarson.com

This idea is completely ruled out in it's entirety. I need to keep 10-20 regular kitchen knives (or more than that) in usable condition without spending half an hour on each knife.

The idea is to be effective, but to also save time. The knives we typically use are not very expensive so technically we could throw one away and replace it if needed.

For the task that I am trying to lay out---it is not to hand sharpen a bunch of cheap knives.

 

[n2ishun]

This idea is completely ruled out in it's entirety. I need to keep 10-20 regular kitchen knives (or more than that) in usable condition without spending half an hour on each knife.

The idea is to be effective, but to also save time. The knives we typically use are not very expensive so technically we could throw one away and replace it if needed.

For the task that I am trying to lay out---it is not to hand sharpen a bunch of cheap knives.

And what did I say to use on kitchen knives ?

It takes me 30 to 60 seconds to steel a kitchen knife (one that's worth the effort anyway).
Don't expect shit from a WalMart knife, but a decent Chicago cutlery is bottom of the barrel.
Kitchen knives worth a shit are Heinkels, Wustof, Boker, and a myriad of handmade Japanese ones.

If you want to take a grinder to a cheap kitchen knife you might as well just trash it and buy another.
You won't be able to sharpen it that way so the knife will be trashed anyway.

Hey, you asked.

 

[Doing my part]

For quick and dirty sharpening, your system might be a little on the fine side. if your knives are cheap and not looked after they'll probably need a re-bevel before using a system as you described.

Most of the abrasive-on-wheel setups I see are very fine (2 micron and smaller) so they don't shift much metal. I also don't think you need this fine for kitchen duties (whole another argument...).

My butcher (and now me too...) use a sharpenset with a 600 stone for re-bevel. I follow it up with a quick buff on half micron diamond wheel and my stuff stays sharp a good while with the odd swipe of a steel before uses. The second stage could be a leather wheel strop, or something like you described.

I'm a metallurgist and knife nerd. Drop me a PM if you wanna chat about this stuff.

 

[Carolina Hill Billy]

This guy wrote a book that I found helpful. His stones seem like they last forever.

Products

At Razor Edge Systems we take cutting edges very seriously. We offer sharpening products that make it possible for anyone to put a professional, razor edge on hunting knives, culinary and chef knives, broadheads, fish hooks, and more.

shop.razoredgesystems.com

 

[Solidsnake85]

Get a wicked edge go and be done. They are easy to use and you get perfect results in just a few minutes. Ive tried all the stones and wheels and could never keep the angle right. The diamond stones that come with the wicked edge last a lifetime. Buy once cry once. You can literally have a razor edge in 5 minutes per knife. https://wickededgeusa.com/collections/sharpeners

 

[sirhrmechanic]

 

[papershredder]

^^^^^^This is the way^^^^^^ A chain, couple sprockets, and pedals and you can burn off those extra calories gained from all that time spent in the kitchen!

 

[powdahound76]

I got a Lansky for Christmas.
I could hand sharpen basic knives (buck, gerber, old timer, case) and as I got ones with better steel that is harder to sharpen, I needed something to help me out.

Takes no time at all on a basic cheap kitchen knife to get a nice edge if wrecked. 3 min.
I use a steel to keep them tuned in the kitchen.

I have a power sharpening system I inherited when a close friend passed years ago.
Its not easy to get a proper edge with on a knife, at least for me. Im pretty good with tools and steady handed too.

Recently engaged and needed to sharpen the blades on her lawnmower.
Mentioned getting my good files to do it, her dad who was visiting said “I just use the angle grinder”.
When I pulled the blade, there were 10+ angles on each edge.
Fortunately, good files and a few minutes and I had that blade right.
2-3 weeks later, I got rained out of mowing 2 days in a row and she mowed while I was busy doing something else the next day.
“I dont know what you did, and thats the best cutting mower blade I have ever used!”

Point is, better edges with a simple hand system than a power one. 35 yrs of hand sharpening tells me this is still true.

The Lansky is like $50 and on a video my daughter found, actually won a contest for sharpest blade vs several much more expensive systems. Including wicked edge.

 

[dustingaunder]

I haven’t found anything better than the Ken onion work sharp.

 

[Kalthoff]

For kitchen knives I use a Tormek T-1. It is an entirely different type of machine than the well known Tormek models.

The first time a knife is sharpened using the machine, you have to spend some time getting the edge into the correct shape.

Thereafter, touching up a knife takes five swipes on each side and your are done.

I also use it for some hunting/fishing knives, but there are limits as to which knives will fit the machine.

Tormek T-1 Kitchen Knife Sharpener | For the home chef - Tormek

The first real knife sharpener for the home chef. With Tormek T-1 you easily regrind all your kitchen knives to professional sharpnes. In your own kitchen.

tormek.com

 

[Marinevet1]

Wicked Edge for the win.........

 

[ggmanning]

I use a Tormek T8. It takes some learning to use it right but not difficult. It will sharpen anything. Get your edge angles set and shaped, then they touch up in minutes to razor sharp. I do axes, knives, scissors, chisels, etc. Pretty much anything with and edge from micro to large,

 

[ken226]

I designed and built my own setup. It's similar to the Wicked Edge Pro, but uses an internal sine bar mechanism to adjust the angle. It goes from 8° to 25°, so I can do anything from strait razors to tomahawks. It uses Shapton Japanese Waterstones epoxied to 3d printed holders.



It works great on my Shun knives.




It's made of 6061t6 aluminum and 6al4v titanium. It took the better part of a day to carve the parts out of leftover scraps of material, leftover from other projects.

 

[502Chevelle]

I used Lansky for years and they work pretty good. Recently got a Wasabi, it's like a Lansky only bigger, and it does pretty good, but still not entirely satisfied. I'm really into nice blades. My shop is almost set up, and I hope to be turning out some knives by this time next year. They will be arriving super sharp.

 

[hlee]

Spend the time up front to get them sharp. Then, get a good wooden (end grain?) cutting board. Don’t ever cut anything that’s not on that board. Don’t hack through bones. Hone the edges frequently. On a decent knife with an appropriately set bevel, it shouldn’t take a more than a minute or 2 with a set of ‘crock sticks’ to set a micro bevel that is shaving sharp and easily maintained.

Unless you are in the knife sharpening business, you don’t need powered equipment to keep your knives (even several large knives) sharp. Then again, there are some people whose hobby is slowly turning knives into steel dust…

 

[Bigfatcock]

For kitchen knives I just use the Wusthof Easy Edge electric sharpener. It’s a belt system with pre-set angles. You can change belt grits to achieve a finer polish. Super fast and easy, and makes them sharp enough to do good work.

 

[Sirshredalot]

Ive got them all... the only one i use these days is a 1x42 or a 2x72 belt grinder with 3m trizact belts followed by a strop.
I can do every knife in the kitchen in about 30 minutes including some s30v.

Belts cost between $4-12 depending on size and structure.

When your done sharpening knives... switch belts and sharpen mower blades, axes, chisels, then switch belts and shape wood, steel, plastic...whatever.

Most useful tool in my garage.

Shred

 

[doubloon]

This is PRIMARILY aimed at my kitchen, ie cooking, ... We do not have a bunch of 'nice knives'. I have nothing high end or Japanese, but rather cheap(er) but still utilitarian. ... The knives we typically use are not very expensive so technically we could throw one away and replace it if needed.

What kind of knives? What kind of "steel"?

What kind of edge are you putting on your knives? Is it a chisel edge for right or left handed use or just a simple bevel or V ?

If it's along the lines of something like the steel in a Dexter-Russel and you're not doing anything fancy with the edge then nearly any hand held diamond will knock an edge on it in about 20 seconds that will make see-through slices out of onions.

 

[101st]

View attachment 8213006

Damn, you beat me to it.

 

[502Chevelle]

@sirhrmechanic , it works best hooked to your tractor pto. It will sharpen anything pretty fast, especially your fingers!

 

[Hobo Hilton]

Attend one of the big "Outdoor Shows" where knife manufacturer's like Gerber have a booth and will sharpen your knife while you watch.
See how it is done and the equipment they use.
Here's the secret that everyone overlooks.
It's not the equipment being used, it is the person doing the sharpening.
Hidden in plain sight.

 

[Buzzinga]

Ken Onion belt sharpener probably meets your needs.

For completeness sake I have a Wicked Edge (the expensive model), a Edge Pro with Diamond Stones and Shapton Glass stones in 500, 2k, and 6k grits, stacks of Japanese water stones--some soaking and others non, a full set of DMT diamond stones, multiple sets of triangle sharpeners (Spyderco and others), the regular Worksharp Sharpener, and a box full of other stuff dating back nearly 60 years.

Wicked Edge is cool and leaves an unbelievable edge, but it does take some time to setup. I can easily take a small kitchen knife and completely sharpen it by hand on a 10" red/blue DMT before I could get the knife set up correctly in the Wicked Edge. It takes a fair amount of finessing to get it set correctly, including using an angle cube to set each side perfectly down to the 0.5º.

The Wicked Edge is also the most limited knife sharpener I own. The knives that fit, work great, but many don't fit including something as simple as a Spyderco PM2. Kitchen knives seem to fit pretty well though. However, it takes dozens of sharpenings to get the diamond stones broken in. The first knives you do will not be sharp--the owner also makes this very clear in his YT vids, and also in the owner's manual, I can also confirm this to be true. It took me a long time to get a sharp knife from this system. I've also spent upwards of $2000 on it over the years. I originally spent $350, thinking that was absurd for a sharpener, and it really took hundreds more to get it acceptable.

That said, I do really like it now.

Edge Pro is cool, definitely easy to use. The first knife I ever sharpened on it, as a complete novice, came out so sharp it set a new standard for me. I like that it doesn't require a digital device to set the angle, it can be used but isn't required like the WE. Also, almost any knife of any size can be sharpened and at a more angle options than the WE.

This week, I intended to sharpen my main 8" Gyuto by hand on water stones. It sat on the table for two days waiting for me to have time to first soak the stone and then to sharpen the knife. It didn't happen and after two days I grabbed it from the table, took it to the garage, turned on the Ken Onion and had it razor sharp in 2-3 minutes. Glided though complete sheets of newspaper with no problem, shaved easily, would split a grape by dropping it on the knife's edge, also could easily cut bread and tomatoes into paper thin slices.

 

[JJMoody]

we have a variety of custom knives for kitchen use as well as a full time leather shop. My knife maker buddy includes a little home made jobby that is essentially a block of wood with a mouse pad glued to one side and a leather strop on the other. Over the mouse pad, there’s a strip of 500 grit wet/dry sandpaper wedged into the sides of the block with a couple bent washers. Sandpaper to profile, strop to finish. I put jewelers rouge on the strop. Takes about 10 strokes each side to create an edge that is both tough and sharp enough to turn 1/4” thick veg-tan leather into ribbons as fast as you’d use a peeler on a potato. Might be a consideration

 

[diverdon]

Get a wicked edge go and be done. They are easy to use and you get perfect results in just a few minutes. Ive tried all the stones and wheels and could never keep the angle right. The diamond stones that come with the wicked edge last a lifetime. Buy once cry once. You can literally have a razor edge in 5 minutes per knife. https://wickededgeusa.com/collections/sharpeners

I have the wicked edge. I do not think it is as quick and easy as the op is looking for.

https://www.worksharptools.com/pro-pa-vs-pa-elite-the-showdown/ I've never used these but for your application they sound ok.

 

[mosin46]

i have the ken onion belt device. it's ok but not real impressive. no big improvement over my triple stone device. like said above,seems to be the operator is more important than the tool. i struggle with sharpening with any tool.

 

[diverdon]

Ken Onion belt sharpener probably meets your needs.

For completeness sake I have a Wicked Edge (the expensive model), a Edge Pro with Diamond Stones and Shapton Glass stones in 500, 2k, and 6k grits, stacks of Japanese water stones--some soaking and others non, a full set of DMT diamond stones, multiple sets of triangle sharpeners (Spyderco and others), the regular Worksharp Sharpener, and a box full of other stuff dating back nearly 60 years.

Wicked Edge is cool and leaves an unbelievable edge, but it does take some time to setup. I can easily take a small kitchen knife and completely sharpen it by hand on a 10" red/blue DMT before I could get the knife set up correctly in the Wicked Edge. It takes a fair amount of finessing to get it set correctly, including using an angle cube to set each side perfectly down to the 0.5º.

The Wicked Edge is also the most limited knife sharpener I own. The knives that fit, work great, but many don't fit including something as simple as a Spyderco PM2. Kitchen knives seem to fit pretty well though. However, it takes dozens of sharpenings to get the diamond stones broken in. The first knives you do will not be sharp--the owner also makes this very clear in his YT vids, and also in the owner's manual, I can also confirm this to be true. It took me a long time to get a sharp knife from this system. I've also spent upwards of $2000 on it over the years. I originally spent $350, thinking that was absurd for a sharpener, and it really took hundreds more to get it acceptable.

That said, I do really like it now.

Edge Pro is cool, definitely easy to use. The first knife I ever sharpened on it, as a complete novice, came out so sharp it set a new standard for me. I like that it doesn't require a digital device to set the angle, it can be used but isn't required like the WE. Also, almost any knife of any size can be sharpened and at a more angle options than the WE.

This week, I intended to sharpen my main 8" Gyuto by hand on water stones. It sat on the table for two days waiting for me to have time to first soak the stone and then to sharpen the knife. It didn't happen and after two days I grabbed it from the table, took it to the garage, turned on the Ken Onion and had it razor sharp in 2-3 minutes. Glided though complete sheets of newspaper with no problem, shaved easily, would split a grape by dropping it on the knife's edge, also could easily cut bread and tomatoes into paper thin slices.

I use the wicked edge on the PM2 with acceptable results.

 

[diverdon]

Yes 15 deg. Yes point to heel. The plastic Handle can bump the thumb rest at the end of the blade, but that is at the end of the stroke and doesn't seem to hurt anything. I don't have a Spyderco sharpener so no idea.

I have the WE130.

 

[armorpl8chikn]

Whatever happened to knife sharpening being part of the skills one learned as a boy?
Arkansas stones.bench size, one soft, one hard. Thick leather belt.
If you know HOW to sharpen a knife, cheap diamond hone blocks from chicom stores work fine for kitchen knives, I keep several sets for sharpening and touching up my filet knives.

Buying a "system" for cheap kitchen knives is a waste of money.....but then.....I learned how to sharpening a knife with a whetstone when I was a child.

 

[diverdon]

I think you missed what I was saying. Try this. Take a sharpie and color the edge like you normally would for sharpening. Now sharpen it on the WE. You will see that the last portion of the blade will not be sharpened because the diamond stone cannot reach it. Here is why.

The edge of the stone's plastic handle bumps up against the heel of the blade, the part that sticks out and creates the cutout for your first finger if gripping-up on the knife's handle, and prevents the diamond from reaching the last portion of the blade. This is something the owner fully admits and so does everyone on the WE forum. It's not really a debatable thing...

The only way I know around this problem is to sand off the plastic guard so the diamond plate creates the edge of the handle, not the plastic. If you are able to sharpen heel to tip with the handles unmodified, you are literally defying the laws of physics and moving hard plastic through steel over and over again.

As for reaching 15º. I wasn't able to. When set there, the diamond stones hit the clamp holding the blade. I believe 17º is as close as I could come. And if I wanted to use strops at 1º below my sharpening angle, 18º is the lowest I can go. Whereas with something like the Ken Onion or Edge Pro, I can easily go down below 15º.

Are you measuring your angle with a zeroed-out digital able cube or are you relying on the WE's indicating marks? If the latter, they are rarely accurate and not the actual angle you are sharpening.

Regardless, everything I said in my first post stands. Singling out the one knife I picked as not working very well doesn't change the argument at all.

No I don't have any kind of cube to measure angles. And I don't consider a discussion an argument. With this clamp configuration I get every part of the blade I'll ever cut with. If there is part near the heel I'm not getting its less than half a mm.

 

[DocRDS]

Whatever happened to knife sharpening being part of the skills one learned as a boy?
Arkansas stones.bench size, one soft, one hard. Thick leather belt.
If you know HOW to sharpen a knife, cheap diamond hone blocks from chicom stores work fine for kitchen knives, I keep several sets for sharpening and touching up my filet knives.

Buying a "system" for cheap kitchen knives is a waste of money.....but then.....I learned how to sharpening a knife with a whetstone when I was a child.

Is it possible to learn this power as an adult?

Uh....asking for a friend who kinda missed that part as a ""Ute"

 

[SONIC SAAMI]

 

[Grubber]

Lansky controlled angle sharpening system. Go for the deluxe 5 diamond stone set.

 

[458win]

I have a warthog vsharp in my kitchen. Super quick and does a good enough job. Just grab a knife and a couple strokes good to go.

 

[DocRDS]

@n2ishun @powdahound76 @armorpl8chikn

I wasn't being bear pit trolling, if you guys know of good tutorials that teach the correct way, I'm all ears, and I can pass it on to my kids/brothers/nieces/nephews

I got em all knives, but none of us knows dick about sharpening..

 

[powdahound76]

I can sharpen any knife the way Mr Chikin suggests.
Learned from my grandad, a nursery supervisor. Before that a farmer and delivered mail in rural MO on horseback.

That was older and more “basic” steel.

I can do it with my D2, S30v, S35vn, and so on and it is much easier with the Lansky on the higher quality steel.
Im a busy guy, working, raising a kid, and volunteering quite a bit.
Saving a little time using an improved tool is good.

Like my truck, I can work on it with all basic wrenches.
But dang, sockets and ratcheting end wrenches make it SO much easier.

I can also wack off in the shower like I did as a 12 yr old.
Or tell the busty blond beside me in the fart sack Im feelin frisky.

@DocRDS
Im sure someone has some education on hand sharpening on youtube.
It is a skill I suggest learning.
Esp for younger kids.
I make my now 11 yr old sharpen the old fashioned way (basic Gerber folder a friend gave her).
Told her we can work together to sharpen her estwing hatchet and nice Axe when they need it.

 

[Sirshredalot]

@n2ishun @powdahound76 @armorpl8chikn

I wasn't being bear pit trolling, if you guys know of good tutorials that teach the correct way, I'm all ears, and I can pass it on to my kids/brothers/nieces/nephews

I got em all knives, but none of us knows dick about sharpening..

I dont have a link handy, but can give you some things to look out for.

Some sharpening stones are softer than others...they wear just like a knifes edge.
After some use, softer stones can develope a dish and will leave you frustrated.
These stones must be flattened. Water stones are especially prone to this.
A 2x72 grinder is super useful for flattening stones too...but they make stones for flattening.

I prefer norton crystolon stones on a budget....the biggest ones you can get are $50.
They stay really flat and will sharpen almost anything but wont give you a super fine finish as i belive they only go up to about a 320 or 400grit.
After the crystolon/carborundum, i recommended dmt diamond plates... but they can be "grabby" when new...so they take some agressive use to break them in for a smooth cut.

As far as grits go...the only thing i ever touch higher than a 320 stone is a straight razor...those go to 6000 then a polish.
All my kitchen knives get either a 220gr or a 320gr.
My folders stop at 220.. and my choppers, axes, and mower blades get a 140-160 grit finish.
The toothy edges cut well and stay workably sharp much longer.

As far as sharpening goes...starting out... a sharpie is your friend.
Mark the edge black like dyken and that will show youyour angles.
Some say push the blade into the stone but i prefer to drag the edge away from the cut.
The objective is to roll up a "bur" on the edge through sharpening, then stropping to fatigue the bur off, leaving a keen point/edge where the bur used to be.

If you sharpen on a belt sander with the belt traveling away from the cutting edge, you can watch this bur develop.

Edit: a thick mouse pad glued to a block of wood can be use with sandpaper adhered to the top of the mouse pad produces a convex edge.
You MUST drag away from the edge with this method.

Shred
Some people will say im wrong...there are tons of opions about this.

 

[alamo5000]

Thank you all for contributing to the thread. I know I started it then I didn't follow up like I would have liked to. I got called away for work and it was crazy busy.

Anyway I did make a decision for what I think is best for my situation... Keep in mind I own a ton of 'stones' even various Japanese stones... but for this specific situation doing any kind of 'hand sharpening' won't accomplish my goal-- add to that I am working with generally cheap knives. It's also not a matter of 'knowing how' to sharpen, but rather to find a much faster and acceptable mechanical method.

In general no one else takes care of things like I would like them to. A few years ago I bought a $800 cookware set and within just a short time people were saying 'these are junk pans'. They were NOT junk, but literally everyone would use every type of metal spatula or whatever until the non stick was gouged into oblivion. Nothing is wrong with using cast iron, but if you ask for 'non stick' for Christmas you cannot treat it the same way as cast iron.

I tell that story because it's the exact same thing with knives. When it's time to cook I can't stop and whip out a set of Japanese stones to put an edge on something.

At the end of the day it was down to either a 30 inch mini belt sander or the Razor Sharp Edge System. For speed, accuracy, good results, and to overall have a durable machine I went with the Razor Sharp system and a bench buffer. Grand total I am in it around just shy of $150 total for a system that I can hopefully use for a long time.

I don't know if it's the absolute best out there, but for the cost/benefit/results matrix it seems like it will work for me...for now.

 

[GrantB]

KME precision knife sharpener.

For shits and giggles a couple times I got a couple knives so sharp that they would whittle a hair. Surprised the shit out of me.

 

[Mike Islander]

Cheap kitchen knives? This actually works, and extremely well. Add a ceramic steel and you are sharp and touched up in less than 10 seconds for either.

For better knives I use stones, by hand, because I'm a grown man. ;-)

 

[LeftyJason]

Have a Ken onion. Do not like it for a pocket knife. The grind shape feels off to me when I use it. Also doesn't handle the tips and some backs well. Does work pretty well with a diamond belt for the kyocera ceramic knives we use the most. Grew up using a lansky. Bought one. Really need to sharpen my knife.