Cookaholics Bulletin Board

My SIL sharpened my boning knife using this and I was amazed at how quickly it worked. The knife is amazingly sharp. Has anyone had experience with this sharpener?

I have been using the Accusharp, but I've been reading it takes too much of the metal off. Any opinions? TIA

Haven't tried that one. Spyderco makes really good knife steel, so I'd tend to believe their claims on sharpening. Annoying that they make you buy a DVD to see how to use the thing though -- that would probably deter me from getting one.

Sam (my SIL) showed me how to do it. It is super simple. I think the video is nice for visual folks. He said I should watch it for additional info, but he did not think it essential. Then again, he's an MIT computer engineering type (databases Josh, Big data), so I'm sure I would not get it so quickly.

Easy to use, been around for many years, numerous Youtubes - wonderful device Thanks for bringing it to the fore, it tends to get lost amongst the 'latest' new things.

I don't know about the Spyderco, but I think the "takes too much metal off" thing is bunk unless you are

a) Sharpening daily, as a pro might

or

b) Using $500 knives

With the amount of sharpening a home cook does, it is pretty irrelevant how much steel is taken off (within limits of course). This is for Euro style commercial knives. So I wouldn't switch on that basis.

Paul,

Well, if you're using a Chef's Choice electric knife sharpener, and using it every week, you can take all the hard steel off your knives in less than a year. I know, my mother did it.

I would suggest then she wasn't using just the honing part of it (the finest wheel), which is their suggestion, or she was running far more passes then necessary; weekly is also extremely often unless you are giving very very heavy use. Or the knives are extremely soft.

I don't buy the argument (and back it up by owning a Chef's Choice) in the general case, regardless of anecdotes to the contrary.

Paul,

She was using one of the early models of Chef's Choice, which didn't even have a honing wheel. Many people don't know the difference between honing and sharpening, which leads to ruining their knives. I daresay I could ruin a knife with a whetstone if I used it every day in place of my steel.

Ah, I will give you that without the honing wheel, it will be pretty aggressive. Not to mention, the edge will not be nearly as good as it could be (or perhaps should be)

Am I the only one with the Spiderman song running through their head?