# Recommending cheapest half-decent sharpener for a casual user



## dglevy (Jan 21, 2016)

Hi all,

I've got a friend who is looking for a way to sharpen his kitchen knives. The knives are 'no-name'--well, they're 'Carvel Hall', for what that's worth. Most cheap knives have soft steel, right? *He's just a casual user, won't go over $30 for a pull-through sharpener, or over $60 for an electric one*. So I figure he can get away with a pull-through sharpener if there's not much of a difference b/w the two. These are the two I was going to recommend. What do you mavens think?


Chef's Choice 100 (Electric)
Chef's Choice Angle Select Manual Diamond Hone Knife Sharpener Model 4633
As always, thoughtful, well-informed posts are always the most appreciated.

Cheers,

David


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## psfred (Jan 21, 2016)

A King 1000 grit stone and a piece of drywall screen is cheaper than either suggestion, so is a Sharpmaker with the ceramic rods. Pull through or electric sharpeners chew up knives much faster than they should, and usually have no option for thinning them as the edge moves up into the blade. And believe me, the edge will move up FAST. Pull through and powered sharpeners remove a lot of metal on each pass. 

If there is no way to get him to use stones, I'd point him toward the Sharpmaker, it's much kinder to the knives and should teach him more about maintaining and using them. And hint that Tojiro or Fujiwara entry level knives are vastly superior even for casual use, and not that much more expensive.

Peter


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## daveb (Jan 22, 2016)

I do some part time catering for a culinary store. Of their offerings, this one sucks the least. Google: knife sharpener brod & taylor The lexan 
one is 80 and will put a serviceable edge on a cheap knife.

The Chefs choice electric will be ugly but will work. Friend won't use it often enough to grind the knife away. The manual choice is money in the crapper.


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## Jovidah (Jan 22, 2016)

If you want to go really cheap there's also Ikea. I haven't used it myself, but usually their more expensive kitchen lines are pretty decent for the price point.


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## dglevy (Jan 22, 2016)

Thanks for posting your replies!



Jovidah said:


> If you want to go really cheap there's also Ikea. I haven't used it myself, but usually their more expensive kitchen lines are pretty decent for the price point.



I seem to recall buying a pull-through sharpener at Ikea many years ago. It didn't work.



psfred said:


> A King 1000 grit stone and a piece of drywall screen is cheaper than either suggestion, so is a Sharpmaker with the ceramic rods. Pull through or electric sharpeners chew up knives much faster than they should[...]



Thanks, Peter, for your post, but I really don't think he would be interested in anything other than the easiest, cheapest option. I've used a pull-through sharpener for my sister's Wüsthoff knives and they are okay--they don't get enough use to the point where the edge is moving up past that stupid bolster.

On the other hand, the recommendation of the Sharpmaker is good for an enthusiast like me. I might invest in one someday!



daveb said:


> I do some part time catering for a culinary store. Of their offerings, this one sucks the least. Google: knife sharpener brod & taylor. The lexan one is $80 and will put a serviceable edge on a cheap knife.
> 
> The Chef's Choice electric will be ugly but will work. Friend won't use it often enough to grind the knife away. The manual choice is money in the crapper.



Very interesting, thanks for your post! This looks like a good direction. Two questions:


Why do you think the Chef's Choice pull-through model mentioned in my original post is a waste of money? Do you have personal experience with it?
Amazon has a Brød & Taylor model here for $43. Would that be sufficient?
Thanks again to everyone for taking the time to help me out.

--David


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## ThEoRy (Jan 22, 2016)

Just get a king 1k/6k combo stone. Cheap, effective.


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## goatgolfer (Jan 22, 2016)

ThEoRy said:


> Just get a king 1k/6k combo stone. Cheap, effective.



Who shows the user how to sharpen their knife? They only know it doesn't work the way it used to. Giving a J-knife without a sharpening solution is like giving your best friend a Ferrari without fuel and no way to get more gas. There has to be a way for maintenance and then restoration. When I tell my buddy to send his knife to Jason Bosman (excellent idea) and he says " how will I cut my food while knife is gone?"... Maintenance of the J-knife is well known in Japan. Why must it be a mystery?


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## Jovidah (Jan 22, 2016)

goatgolfer said:


> When I tell my buddy to send his knife to Jason Bosman (excellent idea) and he says " how will I cut my food while knife is gone?"...


It's actually a good excuse to own more knives... "Hey, I need some extra in case some are gone for maintenance!"


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## goatgolfer (Jan 22, 2016)

Jovidah said:


> It's actually a good excuse to own more knives... "Hey, I need some extra in case some are gone for maintenance!"



Feeding your addiction for more knives is not sharpness... Feed the soul with sharp food, sharp friends, and sharp knives for noobies...


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## ThEoRy (Jan 22, 2016)

goatgolfer said:


> Who shows the user how to sharpen their knife?



Youtube.


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## daveb (Jan 23, 2016)

dglevy said:


> Thanks for posting your replies!
> 
> Very interesting, thanks for your post! This looks like a good direction. Two questions:
> 
> ...




I've used the broad and Taylor lexan and stainless models, in fact owned the stainless model when I joined this for. Thought it was the shitz. It will put a serviceable edge on a soft steel knife - about the same as a "professional" sharpener with a 300 grit machine. The chef choice electric is pretty much the same in terms of results. Yes I e used that manual pull through. It and others of the same ilk. Crap. Have not seen the less expensive b&t.;


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## dglevy (Jan 23, 2016)

daveb said:


> I've used the Brod and Taylor lexan and stainless models, in fact owned the stainless model when I joined this forum. Thought it was the shitz. It will put a serviceable edge on a soft steel knife -- about the same as a "professional" sharpener with a 300 grit machine. The Chef's Choice electric is pretty much the same in terms of results. Yes I used that manual pull-through. It and others of the same ilk. Crap. Have not seen the less expensive B&T.;



That's, great, DaveB, thanks for answering ALL my questions! I think that pretty much decides it. I'm going to recommend to my friend either the $43 B&T pull-through or the $60 Chef's Choice electric. I know the knife knuts will be horrified, but I think it's the best choice for a casual user who doesn't want to spend any time sharpening or more $$ on a decent knife set.

I'll have my friend read through the posts and see what he thinks. Who knows? Maybe he'll get intrigued and ask me what a Tojiro or Fujiwara is and then buy one. :cool2:


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## panda (Jan 23, 2016)

Does that really work for serrated knives?


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## Matus (Jan 23, 2016)

Maybe a sharpening steel/rod would be a good option? With softer steels these actually perform very well. Just to add another option.


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## dglevy (Jan 23, 2016)

That's interesting, Matus. _Vielen Dank_ for your post! He has a sharpening steel already. But if his knives get really dull, wouldn't it either (a) be impossible to create a new edge or (b) take hundreds of swipes to create one with a steel?


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## daveb (Jan 23, 2016)

Yes


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## psfred (Jan 23, 2016)

A steel will help maintain the edge nicely, but it won't put one on the knife to start with. I have some carbon knives my mother got for her wedding, and a couple very light passes with the steel every use keeps them very very sharp. But you have to have a sharp knife to start with, and the better the edge the easier it is to maintain.

Pull-throughs that use carbide washers instead of some sort of gritted plate are horrible, and will never produce a decent edge, avoid them. 

Once your friend tries a Tojiro in good shape, he won't go back.....

Peter


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## dglevy (Jan 23, 2016)

daveb said:


> Yes





psfred said:


> A steel will help maintain the edge nicely, but [...] you have to have a sharp knife to start with.
> Pull-throughs that use carbide washers instead of some sort of gritted plate are horrible, and will never produce a decent edge, avoid them.
> Once your friend tries a Tojiro in good shape, he won't go back.....



Okay, thanks, guys. That confirms what I suspected about using just a sharpening steel. (It was still a thoughtful suggestion though--would've saved my friend money, if it had worked out.)

Psfred, it's not clear from the description of the (current best choice) Brod & Taylor Knife Sharpener Basic pull-through what the materials are. But the Professional and Classic models use bars, and it looks like the Basic uses bars too. What do you think?

Or, if you have experience with another pull-through that uses the plates you mentioned, do you have one you could recommend?


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## dglevy (Jan 25, 2016)

Okay, didn't hear back from Psfred. The deed is done. My friend is going to order the B&T pull-through for $35 (incl shipping) from the mfr website, and he'll get me one also. I'm curious to see how well it will work on my cheaper knives. If it works well, I will give one to friends and family. Most don't sharpen their knives at all, or once every five years. Thanks for the tip and the follow-up posts, DaveB!

--David


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## psfred (Jan 25, 2016)

Any sharpening device that doesn't wreck the edge will be an improvement over never sharpened knives. Might produce a few cut fingers until the operator learns to keep body parts away from the edge, though!

Peter


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## dglevy (Feb 3, 2016)

Got my hands on the Brød & Taylor 'Basic' pull-through sharpener $35 shipped (link here above). *First impressions*: Excellent! I took my friend's cheap-a$$ no-name chef's knife, gave it about 12 swipes on the coarse setting and it sharpened right up--good enough for a casual user. Yes, the sharpener took off a lot of steel in the process. I saw filings and one curlicue. But the knife hadn't been sharpened in 6 years, by his estimate, so that's a small price to pay--especially since his knives are disposable, as far as i'm concerned :wink:

Kudos to Brød & Taylor for the two cards they included in the package: (1) a 'quick start guide' that was easy to understand; and (2) a card that said '*DON'T* over-sharpen your knives: Coarse sharpen ONLY for dull or damaged knives. Knives RARELY need coarse sharpening. Hone: Daily maintenance,' followed by email and phone number and web site for further information.

That's really nice to see--a manufacturer who actually cares about what happens after the sale is made.

I see there are 736 views on this thread. For those interested in this product, Brød & Taylor seems to be more credible than most, as far as advertising copy goes. But, as far as I can tell, with all three types of sharpeners (professional, classic and basic), you don't really have control over what the bevel angle will be. The manual says "The spring-action sharpeners will adjust to match the blade." I don't really see how that could happen. Basically, this sharpener is for a casual user. The ultimate bevel angle will probably be whatever the mfr set it at, initially.

Thanks again, DaveB, for the tip. It worked out well!:spin chair:


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## dglevy (Feb 3, 2016)

And thanks, Peter (psfred) for the tips about Sharpmaker and avoiding pull-throughs with carbide washers. I think my sister has one of the latter, and it never worked well. I'm going to replace it with a Brød & Taylor. I'll try to keep Sharpmaker in mind for myself. I haven't had a lot of success with my King 1000/6000.


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## Nife (Feb 3, 2016)

Wow, the Brod & Taylor knife sharpeners get glowing reviews on Amazon and positive reviews here. I would just need to decide whether to get the $39 or more expensive $79 model. Instead of getting a very coarse stone such as a JNS or a Noobatama 150 grit, I could just get the Brod & Taylor and possibly sell or give away Sharpmaker and my other stones.


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## TurboScooter (Feb 3, 2016)

It might be fancier than an Accusharp, but the Brod And Taylor *is* a carbide pull through. http://brodandtaylor.com/knife-sharpener/

FWIW the Accusharp has glowing reviews as well, but it's still terrible if you can actually sharpen. If you care at all about your knives I'd argue it's terrible period.


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## dglevy (Feb 5, 2016)

Heard back from my friend, a few days ago, after I sharpened his no-name chef's knife for about 5 minutes: "That knife is amazing! Just made a salad. What a pleasure. Like butter!"

Yes, it's a sharpener for casual users, just like the thread title says. But, boy, do they need a half-decent sharpener, most of the time!...


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