How to Use Knife Sharpeners like a Pro

If you are not familiar with the world of knife sharpeners, there are A LOT of different types.  There is electric, manual, wetstone, oil stone, portable, the list seems to go on forever! In this post we are going to go over how to use each type and the advantages and disadvantages of each one. We hope you find this information use, let’s get it on!

 The first thing that we should point out is that if you are looking for an in depth review of which one you should buy, we would suggest checking out our friends website for the best knife sharpener info at TheSharpestEdge.Com. It is a GREAT guide. They talk about a lot of sharpeners and you will know exactly which one you should get.

How to use a wetstone sharpner

This video below sums it pretty good. It shows a master Japanese chief using two different types of wetstones. Both of which you have to keep submerged for a period of time.

 Let’s see how it works:




Now that you know how to use this type of sharpener, let’s talk about the good and the bad.

The Good: Your knives will be sharpener than ever, sharpener than any other type of sharpener can possibly offer. With a bit of practice, all of your chef friends will be jealous of your blades.
The Bad: Time consuming and you can look forward to messing up the knives you first learn on. It also makes a horrible scratching sound, similar to nails on a chalk board.  Make sure you practice with your cheaper knives; you do not want to risk your better stuff!

Onto Electric Sharpeners…

This video below does a great job of showing you how to use this type of sharpener. Most come with 3 different stages, the first really grinding it out, the second helping you get a finer blade, and finally buffering your knife. These are amazing; I can’t get enough of using them.Onto the video tape!



Positive: Gets your knives very sharp and easy to use. You do not have to be a brain surgeon to figure out how to use it. Chances are you can figure it out on your own.
The not so good: Very expensive. The cheap ones are… cheap, don’t buy them. They are not worth the cost and will likely mess up your better knives. Only get a lower end model if you have cheap knives.

How about those Manuel knife sharpeners?

These are also pretty good and are similar to their electric counter parts.   They get the job done and many are very affordable. Let’s see what this video has to say:

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Pros: As you can see they are pretty easy to use. They are also very affordable, most only costing around $50 for a good one.
 Cons: You might want to keep your upper end knives away from these. They also won’t work as well as electric.

The portable knife sharpeners:

 

 

 

 These are pretty good and work really well. They are really made for hunters and folks who consider themselves “sportsmen.” Although they will certainly work in the kitchen. Let’s roll the video:



Why you should get it:  As you can see they work great and are easy to use. They will get the job done no matter where you are. Even if you just shot a large deer and need to get him/her ready for dinner. A good one is also very cheap, they only cost around $20.

Why should shouldn’t get it:  If you plan to use it for your kitchen knives, it might be a little weird.  It also takes a bit of training to learn how to use.

That’s all folks!I think that wraps up this news update

My only thing left over to say is that if you plan to get just one, go electric. They are easy to use and really get your knives sharp.What do you think? Which one do you have?