Who sharpens your knives? Do you keep them sharp?

Years ago when I invested in good knives, I learned how to use the steel to keep my edges straight. A few years later they needed some professional help and I called someone who was recommended to me. He did the operating tools for both hospitals, and trade related tools for beauty shops and alteration shops. I was lucky enough to get in with him when he was not super busy. He is semi-retired now and I still use him. He is here today with his small motor home, which is set up with his knife sharpening equipment. His prices have gone up, 3 to 5 bucks for kitchen shears, not sure about the knives yet. I really like keeping my knives sharp, the dull ones are dangerous.

It's a slightly sad tale at my house.

We have mostly Sabatier knives. There is an excellent cooking supply store, Cook's Companion, about two blocks away. I take the knives there when they need sharpening; I have a steel for day-to-day.

Here's the sad part: Every now and then, a truck drives through the neighborhood. He drives a few blocks, then parks, opens up the panels in the back, and rings a large bell. He sharpens scissors, shears, and knives. If no one comes, or after the last customer, he folds up the panels and drives a few more blocks. My partner decided, one day, to take the knives we use the most -- paring, 6" chef -- to the truck.... The edge has been ground completely differently, and I don't know if it can be taken back to its original shape. There's a lot of raw steel exposed; the angle looks very shallow. I will wait a decent interval and see what the pro can do to fix it. Sigh.

With the "quality" of knives I have, I just throw them out and buy new ones when they get dull.

I sharpen my own knives with a wet stone. I learned the skill in cooking school and have continued to do it ever since. It's not that hard actually. My knives have never been touched by machine since I have owned them. I have Wusthof and Sabatiers.

My wife works with a guy who used to sharpen knives professionally (not sure where). She's taken a couple of ours in to him and he's really put an edge on them. I keep them up with a steel and a stone, but I've found that after several years they need a workup from someone who really knows what they're doing.

Coop,
I need lessons!
I have my knives professionally sharpened about once a year. In between, I use a steel, with varying success.
There is an enormous difference between sharp and dull knives - dull knives are dangerous, and onions sliced with a sharp knife don't irritate your eyes etc. etc.

I own a good whetstone with two surfaces (coarse and fine grained) that I purchased years ago at a Chinese cutlery shop. I use that for hand-sharpening the three knives that I care about (my three Chinese cleavers). I have no trouble getting the edges as sharp as I could wish in only a couple of minutes, and unless I'm cutting something very coarse, such as chopping through bones or joints, they stay sharp for months afterwards. I still have a scar from a year ago when I inadvertently tried to sever the last joint of my right middle finger with one of these cleavers.

-Paul W.

Three-way stone. Don't let anybody with a grinder come near your knives. You can learn - it ain't brain surgery.

I couldn't agree more regarding your comment about grinders. You can always tell which knives at a garage sale or thrift store have been ground. They're the narrow ones with curved cutting edges near their handles.

I use a small wetsone and a steel myself.

It really is easy to do and takes a couple of minutes. Done semi-regularly they stay as sharp as you'll need.

I use a small wetsone and a steel myself.

It really is easy to do and takes a couple of minutes. Done semi-regularly they stay as sharp as you'll need.

We have a small, two-stage stone at home. Then, every few years, I take the knives to a local kitchen supply store for professional sharpening. If I were more skilled with a whetstone, that would probably be unnecessary, but as things are it's a useful addition to the home routine and fairly cheap. I think that one of the cardinal sins of many home cooks is either having poor quality knives or good knives that have lost their edge. If you can't slice a ripe tomato effortlessly, you need to sharpen your knives IMO.

Mark Lipton

The edge has been ground completely differently, and I don't know if it can be taken back to its original shape. There's a lot of raw steel exposed; the angle looks very shallow. I will wait a decent interval and see what the pro can do to fix it. Sigh.

I feel your pain, Jeff. Fortunately, Jean and I see eye-to-eye on issues of knife sharpening, so my 20-year-old Wüsthofs are still in good shape. And then there's her carbon steel knife from LL Bean, which maintains its edge with no sharpening (rust, however, is a serious problem).

Mark Lipton

[Jenise]

I sharpen my own knives with a wet stone. I learned the skill in cooking school and have continued to do it ever since. It's not that hard actually. My knives have never been touched by machine since I have owned them. I have Wusthof and Sabatiers.

Coop! Welcome to the food side. I'm thrilled you found us, and hope you join in often.

Re knives, Karen, my husband is the sharpener guy and he uses a wet stone. Have to admit, I'm TERRIBLE about using a steel to keep my knives up.

[Jenise]

Coop,
I need lessons!
I have my knives professionally sharpened about once a year. In between, I use a steel, with varying success.
There is an enormous difference between sharp and dull knives - dull knives are dangerous, and onions sliced with a sharp knife don't irritate your eyes etc. etc.

David, is this my friend David? Husband of Super Shopper?

I feel your pain, Jeff. Fortunately, Jean and I see eye-to-eye on issues of knife sharpening, so my 20-year-old Wüsthofs are still in good shape. And then there's her carbon steel knife from LL Bean, which maintains its edge with no sharpening (rust, however, is a serious problem).

Thanks, Mark. I am mostly winning the battle to get the knives wiped dry after washing....

But the really peculiar thing is that he uses the paring knife for everything. I've talked about 'the right knife for the job' and so on, but it falls on deaf ears. I have already privately decided that there is nothing I can do to salvage it and I'll just buy a new paring knife every few years.

Thanks, Mark. I am mostly winning the battle to get the knives wiped dry after washing....

But the really peculiar thing is that he uses the paring knife for everything. I've talked about 'the right knife for the job' and so on, but it falls on deaf ears. I have already privately decided that there is nothing I can do to salvage it and I'll just buy a new paring knife every few years.

That sounds like a sound strategy. FWIW, most professional cooks that I know use but a single knife, too, usually a "chef's knife" (go figger). So, maybe you have two knives, one for you and one for him, with an understanding that they are personal property. That's pretty much how it works in commercial kitchens, it would seem.

Mark Lipton

So, maybe you have two knives, one for you and one for him, with an understanding that they are personal property.

So true. I bought my wife a decent, but replaceable set of knives, in a nice case, that she can call her own. Mine are untouchable.

Wow, I admire all of you who have learned to use a whetstone. I'm consistent with the steel so I think I will just stick to what I know. My husband used to be in the meat locker/cutting business. You would think that when we got married he would have insisted on good knives. We still have the ones his dad used for cutting meat, professionally. Somehow I always had inexpensive knives until I became wise.....and invested in really good ones.

[quote]David, is this my friend David? Husband of Super Shopper?
That's right, Jenise. The one and onlyhusband of Super Shopper (I think )

Thanks, Mark. I am mostly winning the battle to get the knives wiped dry after washing....

But the really peculiar thing is that he uses the paring knife for everything. I've talked about 'the right knife for the job' and so on, but it falls on deaf ears. I have already privately decided that there is nothing I can do to salvage it and I'll just buy a new paring knife every few years.

That sounds like a sound strategy. FWIW, most professional cooks that I know use but a single knife, too, usually a "chef's knife" (go figger). So, maybe you have two knives, one for you and one for him, with an understanding that they are personal property. That's pretty much how it works in commercial kitchens, it would seem.

Mark Lipton

That's *exactly* how it works in professional kitchens. You don't touch another person's knife without asking.

Years ago I did a demonstration on fish filleting for a large wholesale grocery chain. Their butchers were marine challenged, it seems. This event was held in a large restaurant in Memphis. Not a very good restaurant, I might add.

I showed them how to whack up 7 or 8 different kinds of fish. Thought I was finished. I took my knife set ,cleaned it, packed it up and walked about a block and put them in my car.

I then came back for the luncheon and Q and A.

When I returned the fishmonger footing the bill for this extravaganza allowed as how he found a 60-pound halibut that had been overlooked in the walk-in. Would I mind filleting that?

No, I said, no problem, but I'm not wild about walking to my car again. He said well, we'll just borrow a knife or two from the kitchen here.

I went back in the kitchen and found the "kitchen manager" and asked if I could borrow a knife.

This is a very large kitchen, with maybe a dozen "cooks" at work.

Sure, he said, and bellowed at the top of his lungs, "Who's got THE knife?"

They had one knife in the kitchen. Half the handle and the tip were broken off.

I told the fishmonger I'd be right back. I had to go to my car.

Great story, Chef!

I sharpen my knives. I really only use one much and that is my Chinese Cleaver. The steel is close by and I sharpen it a lit bit after every use. Every now and then when the knives just need a good sharpening I get out my Tri-Angler. This has stones that go from putting on a quick course edge to a very fine surgical edge.

That's *exactly* how it works in professional kitchens. You don't touch another person's knife without asking.

<SNIP>

Sure, he said, and bellowed at the top of his lungs, "Who's got THE knife?"

They had one knife in the kitchen. Half the handle and the tip were broken off.

What a story! You couldn't have paid me enough to be a line cook in that kitchen, Chef. Imagine the scene on a busy Saturday: six different cooks all clamoring for the same shitty knife. In most kitchens, I think blood would spill.

Mark Lipton

Chef,

Great story about "THE knife". LOL. Or alternatively,

My best Chinese cleaver--my workhorse knife--is a friend that I would never allow to be used by anyone other than a trusted and respected fellow cook. Or under my strict and watchful supervision.

-Paul W.