# Use for old chef's choice electric sharpeners??



## gic (Mar 20, 2015)

So I have followed what I suspect is an not atypical progression: Chef's Choice Electric -> Edge Pro ->Free handing but, just as I think occasionally combining my semi retired edge pro with free handing gives a better result in some cases (for example, I use an edge pro for the initial step in resetting bevels on asymmetric knives to new angles), I am now thinking that, for repairing badly abused - badly chipped knives - pulling out the Chef's choice is not necessarily a crazy idea. Yes it eats steel when used in the coarsest stage which is all I am using it for, but for major chip repairs, you will be using up a fair amount of steel anyway. After the chips are gone, I'd then do some thinning behind the edge and finally put a new edge on the knife using stones. 

I tried this process on a badly abused old carbon knife that I got at a thrift store and the results were actually pretty good. So now I am thinking I actually have had something that works pretty much like a basic bench grinder sitting on my top shelf and I didn't even know it 

But if somebody wants to tell me I'm losing it and if I try this on a badly abused J-knife that needs fixing, I'm going to end up with a butchered knife, feel free 

TIA


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## Dardeau (Mar 20, 2015)

Because the angles are not variable you are going to end up with a thick knife. If you are removing enough metal to get a chip out, you also will need to thin. If you are uncomfortable with thinning, I would send it to a pro rather than put it in the chef's choice.


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## Benuser (Mar 20, 2015)

+1
The old carbons I got into my hands had invariably a protruding heel and a recurve-belly. Often were oversteeled. A lot of steel to be removed, after that a very thick blade remained requiring a lot of thinning.


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## Mrmnms (Mar 20, 2015)

I can understand using it to save time and stones on an old carbon just to start. I use a cheap belt the same way if I have a lot of knives to do . How badly abused and what are you talking? I would hesitate to use the Chefs Choice. It's an aggressive 20 degree angle.


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## chinacats (Mar 20, 2015)

Second thread I've read in a row--Blasphemy!


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## gic (Mar 20, 2015)

Actually I have the "asian" model as well, which is 15 degrees, but yes I had to thin the carbon a lot after removing chips. But I have to thin any knife after I remove chips even if I do the chip removal with stones because I have taken off a lot of steel when removing a chip, I can't imagine doing a chip repair without thinning. I'm basically would be using my chef's choice to avoid the tedium of grounding off a chip on stones, even on a diamond plate repairing a chip say as thick as a couple of credit cards is a PITA...

Bench grinders scare me, the chef's choice is idiot proof...


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## ThEoRy (Mar 20, 2015)

Belt grinder has the electric power and speed needed for heavy work and the ability to freehand at the same time.


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## El Pescador (Mar 20, 2015)

Nothing wrong with this as long as it speeds up the process. I kind of like the idea as I own one myself that my parents gave me and I don't have the heart to throw away.


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## panda (Mar 20, 2015)

They should make a chefs choice that goes in sideways with adjustable angle guides.


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## Benuser (Mar 20, 2015)

With soft carbons I prefer a convexed edge.


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## WingKKF (Mar 20, 2015)

Sharpening lawn mower blades, paint scrapers? Wouldn't let it anywhere near a knife lest it messes up the temper.


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## strumke (Mar 20, 2015)

Goodwill donation gets you back 20-25 pct on the "value" you claim


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## mtneer99 (Mar 23, 2015)

gic said:


> So I have followed what I suspect is an not atypical progression: Chef's Choice Electric -> Edge Pro ->Free handing but, just as I think occasionally combining my semi retired edge pro with free handing gives a better result in some cases (for example, I use an edge pro for the initial step in resetting bevels on asymmetric knives to new angles), I am now thinking that, for repairing badly abused - badly chipped knives - pulling out the Chef's choice is not necessarily a crazy idea. Yes it eats steel when used in the coarsest stage which is all I am using it for, but for major chip repairs, you will be using up a fair amount of steel anyway. After the chips are gone, I'd then do some thinning behind the edge and finally put a new edge on the knife using stones.
> 
> I tried this process on a badly abused old carbon knife that I got at a thrift store and the results were actually pretty good. So now I am thinking I actually have had something that works pretty much like a basic bench grinder sitting on my top shelf and I didn't even know it
> 
> ...



those things suck 
I moved on from them a long time ago


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## Pensacola Tiger (Mar 23, 2015)

WingKKF said:


> Sharpening lawn mower blades, paint scrapers? Wouldn't let it anywhere near a knife lest it messes up the temper.



If you'd ever used one, you'd know it doesn't get anywhere near the temperature needed to affect temper.


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## Pensacola Tiger (Mar 23, 2015)

mtneer99 said:


> those things suck
> I moved on from them a long time ago



But they are a lot better than a dull knife. For the average person (and we here are decidedly NOT in that category) a Chef's Choice will do exactly what they are looking for - put a working edge back on the blade.


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## Adrian (Mar 23, 2015)

I agree. The Chefs Choice is a good tool. I have the one that does Western and Japanese edges. There are lots of people (e.g. my brother and my mother) who want a reasonably sharp knife but have no inclination to use stones. The machine will deliver and maintain a usable edge on the average knife used by the vast majority of people. I would not dream of putting any of my J knife in it, but I am perfectly happy for my mother to use it to keep an edge on her set of knives that probably came from a supermarket. Sharper is safer than blunt after all. 

To be frank we also use one (similar anyway, more heavy duty) in the pro kitchen for house knives. These are workhorse knives and they get abused and steeled (you cannot shake the catering college steel habit until guys get knife addicted). The serious guys use their own knives and they either have their own stones or borrow my work set. We have about 200 decent (not Laguioli decent but you know what I mean) steak knives and frankly touching these up on the stones is not viable. The machine does the job acceptably. Stuff has its place.


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## gic (Mar 23, 2015)

I don't believe they would affect the temper of a knife, it doesn't make sense that a company as respected as Chef's Choice would sell them then if it did. And more to the point, I asked Will Catcheside once about what temperatures affect temper and he said even boiling water temperature is not hot enough to affect a temper and I have felt the knife coming out of a chefs choice and it isn't even close to burning my fingers let alone boiling water temperature.

Also my OP was about using it as a replacement for a bench grinder to remove chips that were really big on old thrift shop purchases I was refurbishing, we are talking about chips that often are > .1mm, even on an Atoma, chips like this are a PITA to fix on stones... As far as angles go, I was taught when removing chips you hold the knife at a higher angle then when sharpening and fix the bevel angles after the necessary thinning is done once the chips are gone. Do people not use this technique to remove big chips?

My question was really, is a chef's choice close enough to a fixed angle bench grinder to be practical for my use and the consensus is that it is...


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## WingKKF (Mar 23, 2015)

From what I understand dry power grinding does affect the temper at the very edge of the steel where the abrasion is happening. It may not do anything to the steel further in. I would not rely on a grinder for finishing that's for sure. Google "Roman Landes 2009 Ashokan presentation" for the various discussion on this topic.


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## gic (Mar 23, 2015)

well that's OK if the steel at the edge is a bit mangled, because after the chips are gone, I first thin the knife, then put a whole new edge on it anyway, it's just to save me the PITA that removing big chips always seems to be!


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## Mrmnms (Mar 23, 2015)

Makes sense to me. I know some of the chefs choice have an aggressive first stage suited for your purpose. Let us know how it works out.


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## ThEoRy (Mar 24, 2015)

gic said:


> well that's OK if the steel at the edge is a bit mangled, because after the chips are gone, I first thin the knife, then put a whole new edge on it anyway, it's just to save me the PITA that removing big chips always seems to be!


Can I ask why you have such big chips?


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## gic (Mar 24, 2015)

Because I have been buying lots of old knives from thrift shops and estate sales and rehabing them to improve my knife sharpening skills - these aren't my personal knives


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## ThEoRy (Mar 24, 2015)

Ok that makes a bit more sense.


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