My daughter had an electric sharpener (don't remember the brand) and it was unsatisfactory (forgot why). After researching customer reviews, I gave her an Accusharp. It was reasonable priced, works well and takes up little space in the gadget drawer. I would say it is the next best thing to using water stones, which most people don't care to learn.

You can probably buy an Accusharp locally at a hardware store. Read the instructions carefully.

Jim

Chef's choice is what I use here. Mine has three sets of abrasives, a course, a fine, and then a finish honer. Its quite noisy but does the sharpeining job fairly well. In a pinch, my old electric can opener as a grinding wheel on the back, and I have some ceramic and steel honers too. These remove tiny burrs left by the grinding, and smooth out the surfaces of sharp edges.

Thanks guys....my husband asked me and I told him...I know where to find two guys who will give you advice...Thanks bunches.

Water stone and honing steel here.
I spend alot of money on my knives, Henkel Pro's.
Have had some for 15+ years, unless you have nicks and digs from using on glass cutting boards, etc, you really only need to hone to remove the burrs. Grind sharpen seldom, you will keep your blade longer.

If you already have an electric can opener and are looking for a cheap space saving solution, check the back of your can opener. I have a cheap $15 Black & Decker and it has a knife sharpener setup on the back.

Maybe I donÂt know any better (IÂve never used an expensive sharpening unit) but the sharpening stones on the back of my cheap electric can opener have been keeping my Henckel knifes sharp for years.

FWIW,

Bill

To me, sharpening knives and tool blades by hand on water stones is a pleasurable activity. To others it's just a chore. I have to say that it's possible to put a decent edge on a kitchen knife quickly with one of the gadgets.

Jim

We will not use an electric one on ours. We use ceramic Crocksticks. Have had them for years. The knives I have are 35 years old and still in fine shape.

My husband is the knife expert in our house. He uses oil stones (Norton) for the softer Henckel blades and water stones for the harder Japanese blades. The water stones do produce a much finer edge but the Henckel blades won't hold it while the Japanese blades will.

Ironically, with a softer metal if you insist on sharpening to a wire edge it will collapse with the first use and you'll find your knife is actually duller than when you started.

A razor edge isn't always advantageous anyway. It depends on the kind of cutting you're doing, whether you're slicing or sawing. Dressing out a deer requires a different blade finish than peeling an apple.

Using liquid, either water or oil, and sharpening free-hand is messier and slower, but for someone with the skill (craftsmanship) it's more precise. It's not for everyone.

There's lots of disagreement about how to sharpen knives and good arguments can be presented for several different strategies.

Carol

OK thanks all...now we have an ARK stone...an Accusharp and my old elec...so he is going to try his hand at sharpening knives..

For a decent cutting board, I bought a 2x3 foot sheet of 1/2 inch thick food grade polypropylene plastic. Its tough and has been used over 20 years now. I even roll out pie crust on it. To clean it only needs a soapy sponge. To really dig into it to get out anything thats left on the surface. I use a big 4 inch wide flat edged metal scraper that will dig up any traces of foods that may have gotten onto the semi rough surface. I sharpen all my knives (over 30 different sizes and shapes) at the same time. I usually only use the textured steel sharpening honer that a few of the Chicago knives came with, or my ceramic honer, if I am using a single knife a lot. It helps to get rid of that burr that can happen from a grinding wheel. I know if there is a burr if I move my finger over the side of the knife where the sharp edge is and I feel a rough surface. Always WASH your knives after they are sharpened! You don't want metal filings in your mouth or elsewhere.

Oh, stones here. I have a big Japanese one with two different surfaces that I use for some knives, and a small steel stone for other knives and for really quick touch ups. I worked in a Japanese restaurant years ago as a very young woman, and the chef taught me.

I've never used an electric sharpener, so I know nothing about them. I do have a Wustof wooden knife sharpener with ceramic wheels that works o.k. to quickly hone an edge that's only gone slightly dull.