Best thing to sharpen kitchen knives/scissors

rc856

Hi folks,

What would you suggest? I've tried the sharpening stone and oil but I'm rubbish at it.

Bought one of these

http://www.niton999.co.uk/shop/product_ ... AA323.html

but it's not really doing the job.

My kitchen scissors wouldn't even cut open a bag of chips the other night!

Cheers

Nairnster

get a sharpening stone if they are that bad, although it's probably cheaper to buy a new pair of scissors on this occasion.

MattC59

Scissors are a bu66er to sharpen, you have to sharpen the correct face. As mentioned above, it's probably cheaper and easier to buy some new ones.

As for sharpening knives, I use a fine oil stone, they're easy enough to use, but if not used properly, you can just as easily make the knife blunter.

I got one of these for Christmas:
http://www.lakeland.co.uk/14747/Robert-Welch-Signature-Knife-Sharpener

It seems to be very good, the trick is; a little and often.

Nairnster

also, if you keep your knife in a knife block (if it isnt one of the sharpening ones), put them in with the sharp edge upwards, that way the knife isnt always resting on, and being drawn against the block every time you put it in or take it out of the block.

briantrumpet

For kitchen knives - a good steel, little and often.

I'll admit to having a bit of a thing about decent knives, and used to buy one whenever I went abroad (which wasn't that often). Nice specimens from Spain, France and Switzerland, plus I've got a lovely 4" Kitchen Devil and a 9" big steel vegetable knife, which I liberated from an unhappy home.

Anyway, it takes me a little while to get them to a sharpness that satisfies me (basically, will it cut a ripe tomato cleanly with virtually no pressure), and I wouldn't let anyone near the knives with a sharpener, as I've got them sharpened to the angle I like. The 9" steel vegetable knife I've been sharpening for 27 years, and you could slice through flesh with it like a knife through butter.

The thing with a steel is just to do a few light strokes with it pretty frequently - let the knives get blunt and they are hard work.

GiantMike

Repeatedly put them into James Martin. A couple of thousand times should do the trick. Snug git.

john-e-big-guns

RC856 wrote:

Hi folks,

What would you suggest? I've tried the sharpening stone and oil but I'm rubbish at it.

Bought one of these

http://www.niton999.co.uk/shop/product_ ... AA323.html

but it's not really doing the job.

My kitchen scissors wouldn't even cut open a bag of chips the other night!

Cheers

If you have a good quality Hardwear store{that sell quality tools..and do'nt mean B&Q}..nearby they should have a sharpening service

Unless you know how to use a knife steel then buy a decent knife sharpener

As for scissors they need to be sharpend on a grindstone[fine stone] If you have one.... and to be done at the right cutting angle..most good quailty scissors will unscrew at the pivit...this will make it easier to grind if seperated..note that there is only one side that as a cutting angle..the outer face..follow the previouse angle stating from the handle and follow through to the point with each blade...run them twice[lightly] this should be ample

Yossie

Yup, knife steel for knives - good quality one though, no Pound World trash and, bizarrely enough, cutting sand paper with scissors allegedly does the job as well (not sure on grades or wet 'n' dry or just plain standard 'paper though ).

Also, buy decent knives in the first (I'm a Sabatier man, but agree that there are loads of very good brands out there) - they will hold their edge better, be easier to sharpen, nicer to work with and look cooler when people come round. Generally, go where chefs go to buy them and not down to Lidl. You'll also get a better price than if you went to say, John Lewis or similar.

Also a fan of wooden handles as you won't slip when using them, but again, purely personal preferance.

I keep ours on one of those magnetic strips in the wall so no block worries, also well out of the way of the sproglets hands. Set it just too high so that the wife can't grab them and fling them at you either…….

rick_chasey

Rough edge at the bottom of your plates or bowls. (a chef told me that one. Works a treat)

APIII

I always use a steel - a quick sharpen each time you use the knife should keep it sweet. Wusthof knives are nice.

daviesee

If you don't get on with a stone or a steel, try one of these sharpeners for knives.
Works well for my set of Globals.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shinkansen-220- ... 161&sr=1-1

Monkeypump

I've got a steel and a stone, but this works just as well and is completely fool-proof:

http://www.lakeland.co.uk/11546/Anolon- ... 3B385.app1

TBH, I'd probably get scissors sharpened by a pro though.

Phil_D

Try your local butcher

LeicesterLad

These work well:-

uneasyonwheels

Scissors are different from knives for sharpening. Place a blade horizontally in a vice with sharp side up. Use a fine or medium file and give just a few strokes on the top of the blade horizontally (ie parallel with the table top). Repeat with the other blade. This may seem a bit crude but I used scissors a lot in my business and they had to be sharp. This method worked for many years. Not cutting hair by the way!
For knives do one side on a stone till you can feel a "wire edge" on the top side then reverse sides until the edge vanishes.Do not test with finger and sharp edge for obvious reasons. This is more difficult but is recommended by the experts.

sandyballs

Have used one of these for knives for about 5 years never wears and is fool proof, for scissors buy new ones.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Buyer-4290-00-Diamond-Fingers-Sharpener/dp/B000F8SIOW/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1325783315&sr=1-1-catcorr

rc856

Thanks for the replies. Some options there.

I have some Kuhn Rikon knives that I like and would like to keep at their best.

tim_wand

A Pikey (but dont take the clothes pegs or the heather) , buy hey I live in Newark so I ve no choice.

Clank

RC856 wrote:

Thanks for the replies. Some options there.

I have some Kuhn Rikon knives that I like and would like to keep at their best.

Get yourself to Machine Mart and get a set of diamond shapening cards. As said - little and often - but I don't use a steel because it sharpens by forming a burr (which to be fair does leave a very sharp edge, but one that blunts quickly), inside of maintaining a precise blade angle. A good edge should just need regular honing.

I use Globals in the kitchen at home and keep 'em so you can shave with them. You can also use the same cards on scissors - same principle, just a different grind angle on the cutting edge (we need some damn keen scissors in work for cutting raw composites!).

Hope that helps. Or at the least, adds to the confusion!

Clank

tim wand wrote:

A Pikey (but dont take the clothes pegs or the heather) , buy hey I live in Newark so I ve no choice.

.....also an acceptable option!