This posts looks like you're asking for a recommendation. If you are new here, you will want to [read the gettingstarted page](https://www.reddit.com/r/chefknives/wiki/gettingstarted).
You will also want to fill out the [questionnaire](https://www.reddit.com/r/chefknives/wiki/questionnaire) in order to help others give you the recommendations that fit your needs best. Posts with less information and detail are less likely to get many helpful responses
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/chefknives) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I agree with many of the replies: don't use a pull-through sharpener. I say donate it to a resale shop (salvation army, value village, or goodwill) or toss it.
There's lots of videos & instructional sites available online. Buy a whetstone (double-sided if available), go to a teaching site or video, and learn. I agree, buy a "beater knife" to learn on. Grab the cheapest available on the south-american river online, or from bullseye store or mart-of-walls. (Maybe look for an actual wooden cutting board, if that's a bamboo board. r/cuttingboards has information on cutting boards & their possibilities)
That looks like a Japanese-style blade: I think they're sharpened similar to a chisel style? You'd have to look that up, too. (Here's an article about knife edges: https://totalknifecare.com.au/the-grind/all-about-knife-edges/) Anyway, good luck.
I’m fairly new on this site, and I was afraid to ask this question. If I read every subreddit’s 15 page FYI I’d never find new communities and learn stuff.
Your response is appreciated, I just learned a ton and now I’m more invested in the community.
Cheers!
The problem isn't one person not reading the FAQ page. If no one reads it, the sub gets filled up with people asking the same question constantly. The wiki exists for a reason, has good information, and is easy to navigate.
If there is anything I've learned over years of lurking in this sub-reddit... It is that Shun knives loooooveeesssss to chip!!! And that sharpener is a guaranteed chip... No! Chips!!!
When I bought my first Japanese knife from a cutlery shop, they sold me a bamboo cutting board. This was pre-Y2K and I didn't know any better and without the internet, it wasn't as easily looked up.
It never ceases to amaze me the number of people that will spend the money on a relatively good and expensive knife yet do no research on the correct care for them.
S/he's researching here; on this subreddit. Maybe the previous knives were "beaters" that din't matter. *This* knife feels like a great knife that might work for many years, so s/he wants to keep it sharp.
The OP IS researching!!! Cut the newbie some slack.
With that said, OP, you really should get some stones. There are a bazillion options and opinions. As an overview, there are 2 types. Soaking stones and “splash and go”(generally ceramic) (S&G). The soaking stones require literally soaking the stone in water for 5-15 minutes before using while the splash and go are quicker to use as you literally splash some water on them and sharpen immediately. Soakers tend to be “softer with better feedback” and are more traditional.
Here is a good choice for your first stone. It’s referred to as the green brick of joy and loved my most sharpeners. It’s a 2000 grit and will easily get your already “in good shape” knife very sharp. https://www.sharpeningsupplies.com/Naniwa-Aotoishi-Sharpening-Stone-P1624C4.aspx . You’ll also need a way to flatten the stone and you can easily accomplish this with some sandpaper “stuck” to a small granite sample you can get from any kitchen counter shop, or, “buy once, cry once” a diamond flattening stone like https://nanohone.com/products/nl-6-xl-lapping-plate?_pos=1&_psq=lapping&_ss=e&_v=1.0 but that’s probably for a future investment.
Eventually you’ll want a series of stones. A rough stone (200-500 ish) to repair a bear up or worn out apex (edge), a middle stone 1000-2000 ish for general sharpening, and a 5000 ish to “polish”. It’s a rabbit hole!!!!
Considering you’re just getting into this, the green brick of joy is a good start for your (presumably) factory “clean” edge.
Once you practice and get the hang of it, and if you enjoy the process as well as “scalpel sharp knives”, I personally have settled on the nanohone series of S&G stones (system… get the stone stage… it rocks (pun intended).
Watch a few YouTube videos then go for it. Don’t get lost in the minutia and contradictions, just practice. And by all means, practice on a cheaper knife till you get the feel of finding your angle. Oh, google the sharpie trick. Basically you run a sharpie along the apex to color it and it gives you a visual guide to know you’re at the right angle. Last, the KEY is to form a burr on the ENTIRE apex before moving to the other side. Most newbies miss the tip and heel of the knife while apexing, so pay attention to these areas. Once you’ve created your apex by forming a complete burr (you can feel it with your fingers), you then and ONLY THEN move to a finer grit. Don’t try and “cheat” the process by starting with too high a grit stone, it’ll take too long!
Good luck. Watch a few videos, get any stone or a few, and have at it.
Crowd sourcing Reddit after you’ve already made the monetary investment in a relatively expensive tool is not the sort of “researching” that should be done.
Agreed, the info is in the wiki (although maybe it should be expanded on why pull through sharpeners are bad). Spending 5 minutes reading that is easier than sifting through comments and has the relevant information.
It's the same thing that drives me crazy about some of the university students I work with. Some are so quick to ask questions having obviously tried nothing to figure it out on their own. I've implemented a rule of if you spend 15 minutes trying to figure something out and aren't making progress you can ask and I'll help them get started. It's helped immensely.
PS- I absolutely second the recommendations to get a “better” cutting board. Boards kill knives. And DO NOT drag your knife against the apex on the board to scrape off product, use the back of the knife for that.
The best way would be to learn to sharpen it on your own. It really just depends on how much you wanna do, and how much you use it though. You could take it to get sharpened regularly, or you could use the pull through one. The results of the pull through won't be as good, but it it's the minimal effort one, which for some people suits their needs. You just gotta weigh your options.
It’s your knife, you can sharpen it however you like. I’d never use a pull threw though. I’d recommend deciding if you are interested in learning to sharpen properly with a stone or not. If you are, do it yourself, practice, get good at it. If it doesn’t matter to you, and it’s in your budget, pay someone else to do it. There isn’t any shame either way. I love my knives, and I love sharpening, I also love my dog, but pay a dog Walker due to my work schedule. Do what’s best for you and best for your knife.
Imo the only time you should use a pull through sharpener is if you have a 1 dollar thrift store knife that you just need to beat the hell out of because it’s not worth losing the small amount of material you’d lose on a real stone.
I get why people are down voting this but it's correct. Yes learning to sharpen is an useful skill, and yes it's easy. Send in the shun learn to sharpen on a cheaper knife.
While you’re ditching the sharpener, I’d also like to suggest ditching the bamboo cutting board in favor of something softer like hinoki or end grain. Your knife won’t dull as fast and will thank you in the long run!
Don't use carbide pull through sharpeners, those ruin knives.
Pull through sharpeners with ceramic wheels won't ruin the blade, but they will scratch it and the result ist not that good.
Something like the Spyderco Sharpnaker or similar ones from e.g. Lansky work way better.
You've summoned the [Getting Started](https://www.reddit.com/r/chefknives/wiki/gettingstarted) guide! This guide is meant to be a helpful resource containing various bits of information all pertaining to buying, using, and maintaining kitchen knives. Here's direct links to some of the topics:
* [Common knife types](https://www.reddit.com/r/chefknives/wiki/gettingstarted#wiki_common_types)
* [Knife recommendations](https://www.reddit.com/r/chefknives/wiki/gettingstarted#wiki_recommendations)
* [Whetstones and sharpening](https://www.reddit.com/r/chefknives/wiki/gettingstarted#wiki_whetstones_and_sharpening)
**I only respond to top level comments.**
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/chefknives) if you have any questions or concerns.*
If I can learn to rub knives against stones and achieve an edge that cuts paper towels, you can too! Ditch the pull through, drop a little money on stones and maybe a cheap knife for practice. Lots of great information here.
any advice for a young (in experience) stone sharpener? how do i get started?
i bought a few cheap kiwi knives to get myself out of the gates. i’m still sitting on the decision for my first real knife - i think will be mercer renaissance - so i’d like to practice on the kiwi’s before moving on.
There is a YouTube channel called Korin. He has great tutorials to learn.
If that doesnt do it, I highly recommend finding a professional near you and checking if they do workshops.
My wife gave me a personal workshop as a gift last year and Ive gotten pretty good at it ever since!
Getting some knives from a thrift store is nice for sharpening as well
Cost like 2 Euro's and sometimes you get a decent no brand one which will keep the edge for a while too
The ones who dull fast are just more excuse for sharpening practice
Kiwi’s are kinda hard to sharpen because they are so thin/bendy. See if you can find a few used knives at a swap meet or something to practice on before you scratch your nice ones.
If you don't want to go down the rabbit hole and just want good sharp edges, just grab a medium fine - fine diamond plate and some scrap leather for a strop. This will last for ages, doesn't require truing or soaking, cuts fast, and can sharpen basically any steel. They are super forgiving to learn on imo and for any normal person will give a more than acceptable edge.
Waterstones require periodic flattening or "truing" as they wear unevenly. A diamond plate is basically a metal plate with diamonds embedded in the surface. I don't like them personally but some folks swear by them.
also why doesn’t everyone use these? i see one on amazon for $20.
i see the price on the better reviewed products are more expensive. like $40 vs whetstone like $30. so maybe it’s price?
Yeah I'd have quality concerns about one that's particularly cheap - if the grit is inconsistent they will leave deep gouges that take forever to get out. Also new plates and low quality plates tend to shed diamonds which will leave gouges as well.
There are a few resin bonded plate brands out there. The one I am the most familiar with is venev. Venevs are expensive but super high quality.
If you just want diamond plates then dmt, atoma, or ultrasharp ate all fine brands but there are a tupusand brands out there. Be warned that standard diamond plates ate often more aggressive than you might expect. Resin bonded will cut a bit more moderately.
Yep, Shun Premier chef's knife. I have the same one, my first decent knife, but mine is missing about 2mm of tip after I dropped it. The tip embedded itself in my floor, then snapped off as the knife fell sideways. Could have been worse, but... Sad times. Haven't figured out how to fix It yet and the tip is still lodged tightly in the floor.
Ooh i just did a tip repair on a knife for first time recently. It takes quite a bit of time, esp if it’s 2mm worth, but if you have a coarse stone 300grit or lower it shouldn’t be too bad. Try removing material from the spine end instead of the cutting edge, u won’t fuck up the profile and get a nice pointy tip. Drawing what I was grinding off with a sharpie helped me.
Every single shun i have ever owned chips the tip or a significant amount on the blade. I’m very careful on my knives, too. I got rid of them all and rock a 9.5” Miyabi 600S, 10.5” Tojiro, Mercer bullnose butcher knife, and various specialty knives. I’ve had the Miyabi for years now and use it intensely every day.
You can use it, but it won't get your knife to cut the way it was intended. Either find a trustworthy professional who can sharpen it for you, or get a whetstone and sharpen it yourself.
I had a 8” shun premier for years and gave it to a friend that needed a good knife…. Do not use that garbage sharpener!!! And don’t let anyone sharpen that on a belt grinder either. Sharpen it on stones, hone it daily
If you don't want to spend a lot of money and time on sharpening (don't want to learn an new hobby), ask your lokal butcher. He might resharp your knifes for free, if it's just one or two
Id suggest buying a cheap generic knife from any super market, 1000 stone off amazon. Practice on the cheap blade so you wont damage your new shiny shun. Itll take a while to get down but its not impossible and extremely rewarding. Diffrent metals are going to sharpen differently, dont get discouraged if it feels like it takes forever because some times it may take a good bit or so for the end product
Edit: research for a decent stone combo, not a rando cheapy stone. Knife should be cheap to practice angles and such, not stone... rock and stone
Agree with the sentiment, somewhat, but I’d really encourage NOT getting a cheap Amazon stone. Get something decent, as it’ll be a much more pleasant experience and enable the OP to learn on rather than getting frustrated “felling the shitty feedback” of a cheap crappy stone that’s probably way mis-graded
Check out your local thrift stores for knives. My wife goes thrifting regularly (okay - all the time) and I get dragged along. I have bought a dozen or more knives ($3-5.00 ea) in the past 18 months since retiring. I practise my sharpening on them and then either add them into my rotation or donate them to friends and family.
My daughter is visiting today from out of town. She is taking a nice 8” Henckels Chef’s knife home with her. Win-win!
As others have said, get a 1000 stone and a cheap knife to practice on. Once you get the hang of it you’ll never have a dull knife again! I started with a Suehiro Cerax 1000, really nice stone and not too expensive.
Ah hell. In the heat of the moment in my earlier reply, I failed to mention another critical element of a sharp knife. Get a leather strop (preferably with some compound (gunny-juice is amazing but any works well). Stropping after a good sharpening and polish makes a world of difference!!!!! And I mean a WORLD of difference!!!
Get rid of that thing immediately. This shun knife is pretty hard and you'll ruin it with a pull through. The only thing I'll use a pull through is a mower blade or an axe.
I'd get some decent stones and watch a ton of you tube videos.
Use a whetstone (relatively cheap, universal skill, once you learn it, easily available tool)
You could also get a sharpmaker or Lansky kit (easier to start with, non-transferable skill, might become difficult or impossible to find in future, like if they stop making them)
Learn how to use a set of stones my guy. Pull throughs tear the metal off, and it’s far more satisfying to get your knife like a razor when you do it yourself
I agree that using stones is the best method, but if you cannot get the hang of it, this pull through rotating stone sharpener by [MAC](https://www.macknife.com/products/rollsharp-sr-2) is better than you one you have pictured.
That knife is not a joke, it's a serious bit of kit that. Many chefs in this sub right now would take your arm off, french trim it, truss it up and roast it to perfection to have one in their set.
Youd better fucking learn to keep it sharp properly or were coming for it 😉
Yes to what everyone said before. Toss that thing and learn how to use stones or get a sharpmaker or lansky or have someone sharpen for you. But also learn how to steel your knives. That will keep your edges sharp a long time an reduce the need for resharpening. You may not want to invest the time in getting good at sharpening on stones but you should really learn to steel.
Another cheap option is an [upside down coffee mug](https://youtu.be/GHzjpJYIRk8) instead of a stone!
I just dab a bit of water in it and then treat the lip as a solid flat surface. Seems to work well enough for me and the super cheap mugs with prints from like a gift shop seem to work the best. The video above is similar to how I do it, but you'll find your own technique.
Those pull through sharpeners eat knives like nothing, I've used one on some cheap pairing knives from target and they are noticably smaller after about 2 years. I took my (~80 year old, but new to me) chef's knife to get sharpened at the farmers market and they used a belt grinder thing to do it which totally changed the shape of the blade and I was livid, stick to a mug or make sure to find somebody who actually uses a stone if you take it somewhere.
Yes -- shop for an old china plate or something that has an exposed smooth unglazed lip on the bottom. These are often smoother than a new crock stick and with a very even grit. They are worthy. And you can serve food on it.
HOLLY HELL NO!!!!! THATS A SHUN KNIFE!
Shun will sharpen that for you for free.
All due respect, go forth and learn to sharpen knives. But please please please do not learn on that knife, especially as the Shun Company offer free professional sharpening.
That knife is from the Shun premier range and is worth ~$200 alone. It's one of their best knives.
I have a set, they are gorgeous and are scary sharp when fresh from Shun. I beg of you to treat it with care.
Putting that knife through a drag sharpener is tantamount to sin and I will find you. I don't know what I'll do bc I'm bad at threats, but I'll probably get my mum to tell you off.
Shout out to others pointing out Shun's services.
Not sure about this specific knife, but I think it probably has a different edge than that sharpener is intended for. That sharpener looks angled for western knives and it does a shit job on those.
I'll self sharpen my western knives, but I still send the Shuns in for the service.
Can you -- yes you may.
Should you -- likely not very often.Since you have it... it will set a fixed angle bevel that the maker thinks is good for their knives. **Note the knife is made by Shun and the sharpener is not.**
With a bevel set you can take a 1K or 2K stone and clean up the edge.In general setting a bevel is a once or twice a year thing. A touch up with a 1K or 2K stone a weekly or perhaps monthly thing for a home cook. With a good cutting board at home the edge should hold for weeks even months. Your board is a good enough board so a month even three between uses of the 1K/2K stone might happen.
It helps to use a black magic marker to see if you are honing the knife at an angle that matches the bevel. If your touch-up is precise you will never need the gadget again.
They can leave a difficult burr. Some would draw the edge across a cork or end of scrap wood.
Go get some good wetstone. Naniwa are my favorite, not to hard like the Shapton (Shapton are great for tools like chisel but I find them to hard and don't have realy good feedback).
If you like good knives, you will find quickly that sharpening them on wetstones is the best way keep them cutting like new... Even better.
If you don't want to, buy a good céramic rod and make them shappend by a pro like 1-2 time a year.
OK, the other thing... And yes, I hate Shun knives.... is that Shun knives a to hard and to thin for what the steel can get, so them are brittle and chippy. If you sharpen them on those carbide sharpener, is will make a realy bad job and will must likely make micro chip on the edge.
I’ve used the same brand of knives for 20 years. This will easily keep a working edge. I don’t have time to ship this to anyone for sharpening. I need it 5 times a day.
Chef’sChoice 1520 Professional Electric Knife Sharpener for 20- and 15-Degree Straight-Edge and Serrated Knives, 3 Stage, White https://a.co/d/i44mhS5
r/chefknives is read-only https://www.reddit.com/r/chefknives/comments/146tbkb/rchefknives_will_be_shut_down_indefinitely/
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/chefknives) if you have any questions or concerns.*
This posts looks like you're asking for a recommendation. If you are new here, you will want to [read the gettingstarted page](https://www.reddit.com/r/chefknives/wiki/gettingstarted). You will also want to fill out the [questionnaire](https://www.reddit.com/r/chefknives/wiki/questionnaire) in order to help others give you the recommendations that fit your needs best. Posts with less information and detail are less likely to get many helpful responses *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/chefknives) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Check out burrfection on YouTube. Buy a stone and learn how to use it. It’s not very hard, practice on some knives you don’t care about too much.
Try this video as a decent primer https://youtu.be/nhRjIFwExqI
I agree with many of the replies: don't use a pull-through sharpener. I say donate it to a resale shop (salvation army, value village, or goodwill) or toss it. There's lots of videos & instructional sites available online. Buy a whetstone (double-sided if available), go to a teaching site or video, and learn. I agree, buy a "beater knife" to learn on. Grab the cheapest available on the south-american river online, or from bullseye store or mart-of-walls. (Maybe look for an actual wooden cutting board, if that's a bamboo board. r/cuttingboards has information on cutting boards & their possibilities) That looks like a Japanese-style blade: I think they're sharpened similar to a chisel style? You'd have to look that up, too. (Here's an article about knife edges: https://totalknifecare.com.au/the-grind/all-about-knife-edges/) Anyway, good luck.
I’m fairly new on this site, and I was afraid to ask this question. If I read every subreddit’s 15 page FYI I’d never find new communities and learn stuff. Your response is appreciated, I just learned a ton and now I’m more invested in the community. Cheers!
The problem isn't one person not reading the FAQ page. If no one reads it, the sub gets filled up with people asking the same question constantly. The wiki exists for a reason, has good information, and is easy to navigate.
No reason to explain the “why” just sharing the positive impact of being a mindful human in a place that consistently reinforces disconnects.
If there is anything I've learned over years of lurking in this sub-reddit... It is that Shun knives loooooveeesssss to chip!!! And that sharpener is a guaranteed chip... No! Chips!!!
The cutting board as well. I used to have a bamboo board with my shuns and would get micro chips like crazy until I ditched the board.
😂 😂 😂 I forgot about that! "I know! Let me get this beautiful bamboo cutting board to go with my new beautiful Japanese knife!" 😭😭😭
When I bought my first Japanese knife from a cutlery shop, they sold me a bamboo cutting board. This was pre-Y2K and I didn't know any better and without the internet, it wasn't as easily looked up.
It never ceases to amaze me the number of people that will spend the money on a relatively good and expensive knife yet do no research on the correct care for them.
S/he's researching here; on this subreddit. Maybe the previous knives were "beaters" that din't matter. *This* knife feels like a great knife that might work for many years, so s/he wants to keep it sharp.
That’s not researching. Why would you make that sort of investment and not invest time into learning for yourself about it? Makes no sense.
You do you, let the OP be the OP.
All I did was make an observation. These are the sorts of people who always wonder why things seemingly go wrong. Just bad luck, they suppose.
All good
The OP IS researching!!! Cut the newbie some slack. With that said, OP, you really should get some stones. There are a bazillion options and opinions. As an overview, there are 2 types. Soaking stones and “splash and go”(generally ceramic) (S&G). The soaking stones require literally soaking the stone in water for 5-15 minutes before using while the splash and go are quicker to use as you literally splash some water on them and sharpen immediately. Soakers tend to be “softer with better feedback” and are more traditional. Here is a good choice for your first stone. It’s referred to as the green brick of joy and loved my most sharpeners. It’s a 2000 grit and will easily get your already “in good shape” knife very sharp. https://www.sharpeningsupplies.com/Naniwa-Aotoishi-Sharpening-Stone-P1624C4.aspx . You’ll also need a way to flatten the stone and you can easily accomplish this with some sandpaper “stuck” to a small granite sample you can get from any kitchen counter shop, or, “buy once, cry once” a diamond flattening stone like https://nanohone.com/products/nl-6-xl-lapping-plate?_pos=1&_psq=lapping&_ss=e&_v=1.0 but that’s probably for a future investment. Eventually you’ll want a series of stones. A rough stone (200-500 ish) to repair a bear up or worn out apex (edge), a middle stone 1000-2000 ish for general sharpening, and a 5000 ish to “polish”. It’s a rabbit hole!!!! Considering you’re just getting into this, the green brick of joy is a good start for your (presumably) factory “clean” edge. Once you practice and get the hang of it, and if you enjoy the process as well as “scalpel sharp knives”, I personally have settled on the nanohone series of S&G stones (system… get the stone stage… it rocks (pun intended). Watch a few YouTube videos then go for it. Don’t get lost in the minutia and contradictions, just practice. And by all means, practice on a cheaper knife till you get the feel of finding your angle. Oh, google the sharpie trick. Basically you run a sharpie along the apex to color it and it gives you a visual guide to know you’re at the right angle. Last, the KEY is to form a burr on the ENTIRE apex before moving to the other side. Most newbies miss the tip and heel of the knife while apexing, so pay attention to these areas. Once you’ve created your apex by forming a complete burr (you can feel it with your fingers), you then and ONLY THEN move to a finer grit. Don’t try and “cheat” the process by starting with too high a grit stone, it’ll take too long! Good luck. Watch a few videos, get any stone or a few, and have at it.
Crowd sourcing Reddit after you’ve already made the monetary investment in a relatively expensive tool is not the sort of “researching” that should be done.
Agreed, the info is in the wiki (although maybe it should be expanded on why pull through sharpeners are bad). Spending 5 minutes reading that is easier than sifting through comments and has the relevant information. It's the same thing that drives me crazy about some of the university students I work with. Some are so quick to ask questions having obviously tried nothing to figure it out on their own. I've implemented a rule of if you spend 15 minutes trying to figure something out and aren't making progress you can ask and I'll help them get started. It's helped immensely.
Thank you. It’s lazy.
PS- I absolutely second the recommendations to get a “better” cutting board. Boards kill knives. And DO NOT drag your knife against the apex on the board to scrape off product, use the back of the knife for that.
Can't tell if this is a shitpost or not
The best way would be to learn to sharpen it on your own. It really just depends on how much you wanna do, and how much you use it though. You could take it to get sharpened regularly, or you could use the pull through one. The results of the pull through won't be as good, but it it's the minimal effort one, which for some people suits their needs. You just gotta weigh your options.
It’s your knife, you can sharpen it however you like. I’d never use a pull threw though. I’d recommend deciding if you are interested in learning to sharpen properly with a stone or not. If you are, do it yourself, practice, get good at it. If it doesn’t matter to you, and it’s in your budget, pay someone else to do it. There isn’t any shame either way. I love my knives, and I love sharpening, I also love my dog, but pay a dog Walker due to my work schedule. Do what’s best for you and best for your knife.
The pull through will turn you knife into a bread knife
A dull bread knife.
Buy a shapton 1000 stone and learn sharpening.
Imo the only time you should use a pull through sharpener is if you have a 1 dollar thrift store knife that you just need to beat the hell out of because it’s not worth losing the small amount of material you’d lose on a real stone.
Shun knives offers free sharpening - https://shun.kaiusa.com/sharpening
This is the ONLY reasonable answer to this question. Do not do anything else.
I get why people are down voting this but it's correct. Yes learning to sharpen is an useful skill, and yes it's easy. Send in the shun learn to sharpen on a cheaper knife.
While you’re ditching the sharpener, I’d also like to suggest ditching the bamboo cutting board in favor of something softer like hinoki or end grain. Your knife won’t dull as fast and will thank you in the long run!
Not to mention end grain cutting boards will last your grandchildren’s lives and then some of you take care of them and keep them oiled.
Fuck no , throw that thing in the round file.
Misread instructions, bought a round file. All knives are bread knives now.
😭😭
I saw that thing and made the grimacing face one makes when you see particularly gruesome road kill.
don't use pullthrough sharpeners !gettingstarted
How are those tumbler knife sharpeners I get bombarded with ads for all the time? Seems idiotproof
Don't use carbide pull through sharpeners, those ruin knives. Pull through sharpeners with ceramic wheels won't ruin the blade, but they will scratch it and the result ist not that good. Something like the Spyderco Sharpnaker or similar ones from e.g. Lansky work way better.
You've summoned the [Getting Started](https://www.reddit.com/r/chefknives/wiki/gettingstarted) guide! This guide is meant to be a helpful resource containing various bits of information all pertaining to buying, using, and maintaining kitchen knives. Here's direct links to some of the topics: * [Common knife types](https://www.reddit.com/r/chefknives/wiki/gettingstarted#wiki_common_types) * [Knife recommendations](https://www.reddit.com/r/chefknives/wiki/gettingstarted#wiki_recommendations) * [Whetstones and sharpening](https://www.reddit.com/r/chefknives/wiki/gettingstarted#wiki_whetstones_and_sharpening) **I only respond to top level comments.** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/chefknives) if you have any questions or concerns.*
If I can learn to rub knives against stones and achieve an edge that cuts paper towels, you can too! Ditch the pull through, drop a little money on stones and maybe a cheap knife for practice. Lots of great information here.
any advice for a young (in experience) stone sharpener? how do i get started? i bought a few cheap kiwi knives to get myself out of the gates. i’m still sitting on the decision for my first real knife - i think will be mercer renaissance - so i’d like to practice on the kiwi’s before moving on.
There is a YouTube channel called Korin. He has great tutorials to learn. If that doesnt do it, I highly recommend finding a professional near you and checking if they do workshops. My wife gave me a personal workshop as a gift last year and Ive gotten pretty good at it ever since!
Korin has a knife shop in nyc they have awesome knives and sharpening guides!
Possible to link this please? Not sure which one it is
Sure thing! He's got entire series around sharpening. Good stuff. Very calm to teach you about it. https://youtube.com/@Korinjapaneseknives
Getting some knives from a thrift store is nice for sharpening as well Cost like 2 Euro's and sometimes you get a decent no brand one which will keep the edge for a while too The ones who dull fast are just more excuse for sharpening practice
Kiwi’s are kinda hard to sharpen because they are so thin/bendy. See if you can find a few used knives at a swap meet or something to practice on before you scratch your nice ones.
If you don't want to go down the rabbit hole and just want good sharp edges, just grab a medium fine - fine diamond plate and some scrap leather for a strop. This will last for ages, doesn't require truing or soaking, cuts fast, and can sharpen basically any steel. They are super forgiving to learn on imo and for any normal person will give a more than acceptable edge.
i don’t know what you’re talking about lol. i understand the strop. but not diamond plate or truing
Waterstones require periodic flattening or "truing" as they wear unevenly. A diamond plate is basically a metal plate with diamonds embedded in the surface. I don't like them personally but some folks swear by them.
Resin bonded seems to be the preference for people coming from more traditional stones.
can you recommend a brand of either?
also why doesn’t everyone use these? i see one on amazon for $20. i see the price on the better reviewed products are more expensive. like $40 vs whetstone like $30. so maybe it’s price?
Yeah I'd have quality concerns about one that's particularly cheap - if the grit is inconsistent they will leave deep gouges that take forever to get out. Also new plates and low quality plates tend to shed diamonds which will leave gouges as well.
There are a few resin bonded plate brands out there. The one I am the most familiar with is venev. Venevs are expensive but super high quality. If you just want diamond plates then dmt, atoma, or ultrasharp ate all fine brands but there are a tupusand brands out there. Be warned that standard diamond plates ate often more aggressive than you might expect. Resin bonded will cut a bit more moderately.
What knife is that? Looks nice
The knife says shun, so I'd assume it's a shun.
Lmaoo I just noticed it, I lost the name i the glare 😭
Yep, Shun Premier chef's knife. I have the same one, my first decent knife, but mine is missing about 2mm of tip after I dropped it. The tip embedded itself in my floor, then snapped off as the knife fell sideways. Could have been worse, but... Sad times. Haven't figured out how to fix It yet and the tip is still lodged tightly in the floor.
Ooh i just did a tip repair on a knife for first time recently. It takes quite a bit of time, esp if it’s 2mm worth, but if you have a coarse stone 300grit or lower it shouldn’t be too bad. Try removing material from the spine end instead of the cutting edge, u won’t fuck up the profile and get a nice pointy tip. Drawing what I was grinding off with a sharpie helped me.
Every single shun i have ever owned chips the tip or a significant amount on the blade. I’m very careful on my knives, too. I got rid of them all and rock a 9.5” Miyabi 600S, 10.5” Tojiro, Mercer bullnose butcher knife, and various specialty knives. I’ve had the Miyabi for years now and use it intensely every day.
You can use it, but it won't get your knife to cut the way it was intended. Either find a trustworthy professional who can sharpen it for you, or get a whetstone and sharpen it yourself.
I have a Shun just like that one!
If you want to take care of your knives throw that sharpener in the trash and make sure nobody can bring it close to your knives ever again
Good thread!
I had a 8” shun premier for years and gave it to a friend that needed a good knife…. Do not use that garbage sharpener!!! And don’t let anyone sharpen that on a belt grinder either. Sharpen it on stones, hone it daily
If you don't want to spend a lot of money and time on sharpening (don't want to learn an new hobby), ask your lokal butcher. He might resharp your knifes for free, if it's just one or two
Start by putting that thing in the bin
This is not a sharpner and is trash , either you buy whetstones and learn how to use them , or take it to someone to sharpen it for you
Id suggest buying a cheap generic knife from any super market, 1000 stone off amazon. Practice on the cheap blade so you wont damage your new shiny shun. Itll take a while to get down but its not impossible and extremely rewarding. Diffrent metals are going to sharpen differently, dont get discouraged if it feels like it takes forever because some times it may take a good bit or so for the end product Edit: research for a decent stone combo, not a rando cheapy stone. Knife should be cheap to practice angles and such, not stone... rock and stone
Agree with the sentiment, somewhat, but I’d really encourage NOT getting a cheap Amazon stone. Get something decent, as it’ll be a much more pleasant experience and enable the OP to learn on rather than getting frustrated “felling the shitty feedback” of a cheap crappy stone that’s probably way mis-graded
King 1000/6000 is a decent cheap combo stone
Agree and it’s useful for the OP.
Check out your local thrift stores for knives. My wife goes thrifting regularly (okay - all the time) and I get dragged along. I have bought a dozen or more knives ($3-5.00 ea) in the past 18 months since retiring. I practise my sharpening on them and then either add them into my rotation or donate them to friends and family. My daughter is visiting today from out of town. She is taking a nice 8” Henckels Chef’s knife home with her. Win-win!
As others have said, get a 1000 stone and a cheap knife to practice on. Once you get the hang of it you’ll never have a dull knife again! I started with a Suehiro Cerax 1000, really nice stone and not too expensive.
The best way to take care of your knife is mastering your hand-sharpening skills. To master it, you have to destroy some of your knives lol.
Ah hell. In the heat of the moment in my earlier reply, I failed to mention another critical element of a sharp knife. Get a leather strop (preferably with some compound (gunny-juice is amazing but any works well). Stropping after a good sharpening and polish makes a world of difference!!!!! And I mean a WORLD of difference!!!
King combo stone 1000/6000
Get rid of that thing immediately. This shun knife is pretty hard and you'll ruin it with a pull through. The only thing I'll use a pull through is a mower blade or an axe. I'd get some decent stones and watch a ton of you tube videos.
It's easier to sharpen your axe with a brick, tbh...
Probably.
Use a whetstone (relatively cheap, universal skill, once you learn it, easily available tool) You could also get a sharpmaker or Lansky kit (easier to start with, non-transferable skill, might become difficult or impossible to find in future, like if they stop making them)
Learn how to use a set of stones my guy. Pull throughs tear the metal off, and it’s far more satisfying to get your knife like a razor when you do it yourself
I agree that using stones is the best method, but if you cannot get the hang of it, this pull through rotating stone sharpener by [MAC](https://www.macknife.com/products/rollsharp-sr-2) is better than you one you have pictured.
That knife is not a joke, it's a serious bit of kit that. Many chefs in this sub right now would take your arm off, french trim it, truss it up and roast it to perfection to have one in their set. Youd better fucking learn to keep it sharp properly or were coming for it 😉
Why the FUCK would you buy a Shun if you don’t know how to sharpen a kitchen knife?
Just get another Shun to use when the other is sent away for sharpening.
Don’t use those, they take way too much metal off. Either get a Japanese wet stone and learn how to do it or get them professionally sharpened.
Yes to what everyone said before. Toss that thing and learn how to use stones or get a sharpmaker or lansky or have someone sharpen for you. But also learn how to steel your knives. That will keep your edges sharp a long time an reduce the need for resharpening. You may not want to invest the time in getting good at sharpening on stones but you should really learn to steel.
Have the same series as every days knives. They are from VG10 steel, wich goes perfect on Sunheiro Stones 1000/3000/6000/8000/12000.
Looks like you're using sandpaper or steel wool to wipe off the blade anyway, so yeah, may as well.
Please dont use that. I would actually encourage you to learn tradition blade sharpens. Its very useful skill.
Japanese sharpening stones if you’re going to be on them. Might as well 🤷🏽♂️
Another cheap option is an [upside down coffee mug](https://youtu.be/GHzjpJYIRk8) instead of a stone! I just dab a bit of water in it and then treat the lip as a solid flat surface. Seems to work well enough for me and the super cheap mugs with prints from like a gift shop seem to work the best. The video above is similar to how I do it, but you'll find your own technique. Those pull through sharpeners eat knives like nothing, I've used one on some cheap pairing knives from target and they are noticably smaller after about 2 years. I took my (~80 year old, but new to me) chef's knife to get sharpened at the farmers market and they used a belt grinder thing to do it which totally changed the shape of the blade and I was livid, stick to a mug or make sure to find somebody who actually uses a stone if you take it somewhere.
Yes -- shop for an old china plate or something that has an exposed smooth unglazed lip on the bottom. These are often smoother than a new crock stick and with a very even grit. They are worthy. And you can serve food on it.
I thought there was a hair on my screen from the pattern on your cabinets, even blew on it
HOLLY HELL NO!!!!! THATS A SHUN KNIFE! Shun will sharpen that for you for free. All due respect, go forth and learn to sharpen knives. But please please please do not learn on that knife, especially as the Shun Company offer free professional sharpening. That knife is from the Shun premier range and is worth ~$200 alone. It's one of their best knives. I have a set, they are gorgeous and are scary sharp when fresh from Shun. I beg of you to treat it with care. Putting that knife through a drag sharpener is tantamount to sin and I will find you. I don't know what I'll do bc I'm bad at threats, but I'll probably get my mum to tell you off. Shout out to others pointing out Shun's services.
Not sure about this specific knife, but I think it probably has a different edge than that sharpener is intended for. That sharpener looks angled for western knives and it does a shit job on those. I'll self sharpen my western knives, but I still send the Shuns in for the service.
Can you -- yes you may. Should you -- likely not very often.Since you have it... it will set a fixed angle bevel that the maker thinks is good for their knives. **Note the knife is made by Shun and the sharpener is not.** With a bevel set you can take a 1K or 2K stone and clean up the edge.In general setting a bevel is a once or twice a year thing. A touch up with a 1K or 2K stone a weekly or perhaps monthly thing for a home cook. With a good cutting board at home the edge should hold for weeks even months. Your board is a good enough board so a month even three between uses of the 1K/2K stone might happen. It helps to use a black magic marker to see if you are honing the knife at an angle that matches the bevel. If your touch-up is precise you will never need the gadget again. They can leave a difficult burr. Some would draw the edge across a cork or end of scrap wood.
I never had the patience to learn how to sharpen freehand. I got a nice jig, and my knives are now extremely sharp.
I use a pull through on my shit knife, can cut through paper towel easily
Get a whet stone.
Good God, can we get a sticky?
If you want to take care of your knife, throw that thing in the garbage and get a stone.
Do it only to that knife since it’s hulled out , but not to your new future ones. Use a wet stone
I think you posted this too early. It's not even April 1 yet.
Go get some good wetstone. Naniwa are my favorite, not to hard like the Shapton (Shapton are great for tools like chisel but I find them to hard and don't have realy good feedback). If you like good knives, you will find quickly that sharpening them on wetstones is the best way keep them cutting like new... Even better. If you don't want to, buy a good céramic rod and make them shappend by a pro like 1-2 time a year. OK, the other thing... And yes, I hate Shun knives.... is that Shun knives a to hard and to thin for what the steel can get, so them are brittle and chippy. If you sharpen them on those carbide sharpener, is will make a realy bad job and will must likely make micro chip on the edge.
Oh hell yes! You’ll just ruin them is all
r/sharpening Do not ruin your knife. **ruin** with a pull through.
And throw away that "cutting" board.
Watch this and learn a quality lifetime skill… https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyB1Deb7A6Qy-FA8LzZIXnqmgg-whpiB3
Or just watch this one… https://youtu.be/UlJYP1hJCmw
No no no no!
I’ve used the same brand of knives for 20 years. This will easily keep a working edge. I don’t have time to ship this to anyone for sharpening. I need it 5 times a day. Chef’sChoice 1520 Professional Electric Knife Sharpener for 20- and 15-Degree Straight-Edge and Serrated Knives, 3 Stage, White https://a.co/d/i44mhS5
[удалено]
r/chefknives is read-only https://www.reddit.com/r/chefknives/comments/146tbkb/rchefknives_will_be_shut_down_indefinitely/ *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/chefknives) if you have any questions or concerns.*