Japanese knife sharpening

[Scantily]

Hello chaps,

I'm in need of my globals sharpening, I've used a chap local to me before who got them quite sharp using grinding wheels, but I want them restored to their original razor sharp, will cut you just by looking at them state.

I have a sharpening stone and I couldn't manage to get them as sharp as I wanted and don't particularly have the patience for it, I do keep them in good condition with a ceramic steel but they've still blunted a fair bit.

Does anyone know of a company offering a mail service? Or one in Wiltshire perhaps?

Thanks for any advice.

[21TonyK]

Get yourself one of these...

http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalog?q=minosha...

Then pick up a decent diamond "steel" to fine hone them. Soon gets them back to "new" if not better condition.

Globals are ground at a shallower angle than European knives. Don't let someone who doesn't know how to sharpen them near them!

[Scantily]

21TonyK said:

Get yourself one of these...

http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalog?q=minosha...

Then pick up a decent diamond "steel" to fine hone them. Soon gets them back to "new" if not better condition.

Globals are ground at a shallower angle than European knives. Don't let someone who doesn't know how to sharpen them near them!

I used one of them regularly for about a year before I bought my steel, it keeps knives reasonably sharp but a long long way from original condition. The chap I took my knives to has an established business and sharpens all sorts of knives including Japanese, he did a good job but still didn't get them back to their true former glory.

[williamp]

21TonyK said:

Get yourself one of these...

http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalog?q=minosha...

Then pick up a decent diamond "steel" to fine hone them. Soon gets them back to "new" if not better condition.

Globals are ground at a shallower angle than European knives. Don't let someone who doesn't know how to sharpen them near them!

thats what I use on our global and it works a treat. Dont bother with the finer stage, though

[Pesty]

Right this is a bit pricey but worth it IMO.

After getting a bit obsessed with sharpening knives for the simple reason that no matter what i tried I could never do it right and often ended up with a duller blade then when I started.

in not very much time at all I can get my chefs knives like when they arrived for the first time.

http://www.wickededgeusa.com/

[Mobile Chicane]

The Minosharp 3-wheeled water sharpener - until Eternity.

£40 or so from Amazon.

It's perfectly angled for Japanese knives and a piece of of piss to use, provided you take it slowly and don't apply any downward pressure.

As a bonus point, it will sharpen up any old knife - cheapo knives from Ikea no problem

[Roger645]

Scantily said:

Hello chaps,

I'm in need of my globals sharpening, I've used a chap local to me before who got them quite sharp using grinding wheels, but I want them restored to their original razor sharp, will cut you just by looking at them state.

I have a sharpening stone and I couldn't manage to get them as sharp as I wanted and don't particularly have the patience for it, I do keep them in good condition with a ceramic steel but they've still blunted a fair bit.

Does anyone know of a company offering a mail service? Or one in Wiltshire perhaps?

Thanks for any advice.

If you want a sharpening service then here:

http://www.longstrider.co.uk/

[Flibble]

http://www.sharpknives.co.uk/

I used this place when I needed a the point repairing on a knife. Came back repaired and with a very good edge on it.

[fatpasty]

Flibble said:

http://www.sharpknives.co.uk/

I used this place when I needed a the point repairing on a knife. Came back repaired and with a very good edge on it.

This is something I need to do. I have approx 7 or 8 global knives that need sharpening. Might send a couple of older ones off to see what they come back like.

Thanks for the website.

[jmorgan]

No Japanese knives, just the ordinary sharp buggers but a stone and a steel keeps em finger nicking good. What is the difference?

[Dr G]

Mobile Chicane said:

The Minosharp 3-wheeled water sharpener - until Eternity.

£40 or so from Amazon.

It's perfectly angled for Japanese knives and a piece of of piss to use, provided you take it slowly and don't apply any downward pressure.

As a bonus point, it will sharpen up any old knife - cheapo knives from Ikea no problem

Still not bought one (but will do) after you mentioned the same one to me; have been religious about using a steel before every use and so far not needed a serious sharpening session.

[fatpasty]

I trainined as a chef when I was younger so using my knives and steel all day long so wears them out. I'm not in that line of business now so it's more of a hobby for me. I need a new steel but a decent one can be very expensive so getting the professionally sharpened sounds a good idea to me. Even giving them a quick blast on the steel helps but you'll never get the sharpness of a new blade from it.

[Melman Giraffe]

Wet stone is IMO the best method to keep knives sharp

[Mastodon2]

I don't have any super-expensive knives but I've got a few decent ones. I don't own a steel but I'd like to have one just to give any of my knives a quick sharpen before I use them when they are starting to get blunt. I've got a friend who is a butcher so if I ever get a blunted knife he is more than happy to sharpen whatever I bring to him for free, as long as I stand and talk motorbikes and cars with him while he does it!

[uncinqsix]

Melman Giraffe said:

Wet stone is IMO the best method to keep knives sharp

Yep. To expand, 1000 and 6000 are probably the two most useful grits to use, and the cheapest way to get them seems to be this combo stone. If you want to get a little more serious, Sigma Power stones are excellent

Don't use a traditional steel on good Japanese knives. Some of the very fine diamond or ceramic ones may be OK, but I wouldn't bother.

If you can't be bothered learning how to use stones (It's not that hard, but it takes a bit of practice), the Minosharp is probably the best of the rest. Don't get a sharpener made for western knives, as the angle will be wrong for Japanese blades.

If you were nearer to me, I'd offer to do them for you...

Edited by uncinqsix on Friday 15th June 11:10

[fatpasty]

uncinqsix said:

Yep. To expand, 1000 and 6000 are probably the two most useful grits to use, and the cheapest way to get them seems to be this combo stone. If you want to get a little more serious, Sigma Power stones are excellent

Don't use a traditional steel on good Japanese knives. Some of the very fine diamond or ceramic ones may be OK, but I wouldn't bother.

If you can't be bothered learning how to use stones (It's not that hard, but it takes a bit of practice), the Minosharp is probably the best of the rest. Don't get a sharpener made for western knives, as the angle will be wrong for Japanese blades.

If you were nearer to me, I'd offer to do them for you...

Edited by uncinqsix on Friday 15th June 11:10

Yeah I've got a fine diamond steel. But just worn now, will still give a bit of a edge but you need to be doing it every time you use the knives to get the best from them. I've never used a stone. A chef I worked with always done mine so I never needed to learn how to. I guess I will at some stage.

[S6PNJ]

Pesty said:

Right this is a bit pricey but worth it IMO.

After getting a bit obsessed with sharpening knives for the simple reason that no matter what i tried I could never do it right and often ended up with a duller blade then when I started.

in not very much time at all I can get my chefs knives like when they arrived for the first time.

http://www.wickededgeusa.com/

Time for a bump I think!

Pesty, is this still the best thing since sliced bread? I REALLY want one but am considering a (very poor) half way stage of a Minosharp 3 but I don't want to get the Minosharp and wish that I'd coughed up the massive amount of reddies for the Wicked Edge! Where did you get your from? I can find various European resellers but haven't yet approached them for a UK delivered price. I've looked at the Lansky system but having used a similar version, albeit on a much smaller scale, I don't like it.

[Andy RV]

A set up like this is all you need for free hand sharpening;

http://www.axminster.co.uk/ice-bear-waterstone-sha...

It takes time to remove material so don't worry about suddenly destroying your prized knives, you'll get the hang out free hand sharpening after some practice.

A leather strop (old belt) with a polishing compound (autosol ect) also works wonders, remember that the surface finish of any blade plays a huge part in how it performs.

[S6PNJ]

Thanks, I have some stones (inherited from my grandfather but grit levels unknown) but even with concentration, I seem to get a 'rounded' edge, not a smooth flat edge (at the right angle) so I'm not looking for a 'loose' hold solution, more a fixed angle solution, hence the Lansky, Minosharp, Wicked Edge type devices.

I also have one of these

which has done me well for the past few years but I wan't something more gadgety (and effective!)

Edited by S6PNJ on Sunday 8th December 18:29

[Pesty]

S6PNJ said:

Time for a bump I think!

Pesty, is this still the best thing since sliced bread? I REALLY want one but am considering a (very poor) half way stage of a Minosharp 3 but I don't want to get the Minosharp and wish that I'd coughed up the massive amount of reddies for the Wicked Edge! Where did you get your from? I can find various European resellers but haven't yet approached them for a UK delivered price. I've looked at the Lansky system but having used a similar version, albeit on a much smaller scale, I don't like it.

Well it's a good bit of kit but I must admit I hardly use it. By the time I've dug it out and faffed with it it seems to take ages.

But yes I get great results with it, think I ordered direct from the guy who invented it.


However you may want to look at this, heard good things about it. Uk supplier so no import tax, ill probably get one of these myself soon

http://www.rutlands.co.uk/sp+woodworking-whats-hot...

Remember 1 think I have a disability I'm completely unable to sharpen knives. You may be fine with something else cheaper. That system was idiot proof. The work sharp looks even better for idiots like me.

Edited by Pesty on Sunday 8th December 18:45