Best knife sharpening option on a budget

[Kiwi79]

I have a variety of not to expensive knives (Victorinox etc). I have always tuned them up with a ceramic steel but this doesn't really "sharpen" them to any great extent. What I think I need is a whetstone or one of the Minosharp style gadgets.

If your budget was around £50ish what tool would you recommend for sharpening?

Possibly might splash out on a few Wustoffs later in the year so if it could be suitable for those too that would be great. There a bit of me that think the gadgets are unmanly and cheating but equally soaking stones in buckets for hours is not my idea of a fun night in. I am willing to put some effort in to get a sharp blade it just needs to not involve £300 worth of stuff and hours of prep!

[sherman]

Try youtube. Free and will show you how to use your steel properly

[Pothole]

Surely the whole idea of leaving things to soak is just that...you could even go out!

I have a Wusthoff Classic which is about 20 years old and still looks almost new. I've only ever used one of these on it:

[grumbledoak]

I have a whetstone and steel. I get better results with the Minosharp.

[tobinen]

My kitchen knives are not expensive. They need sharpening every six months or so, sometimes earlier. I bought this for about £20. In hindsight, the 3,000 grit is too fine and I would buy 2,000-ish next time. For my simple needs the 1,000 does the job I want.

[21TonyK]

Several threads on this so worth searching and having a read for all the options.

I have numerous stones, steels, ceramics, diamond, minosharp etc etc each has its use.

A lot also depends on the original grind of the knife, oriental knives are different to European.

Recently I have been using one of these. Cheap enough, takes a little practice and best mounted on a board. It's not fool proof but its easier than using a stone freehand and it does get knives razor sharp.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sharpener-Sharpening-St...

I've only had to do my work knives once this year with it. After that they are maintained on a diamond and a ceramic steel.

[Frank7]

Oh Christ, I feel terrible now, I only clicked on this thread out of curiosity, as I vaguely remembered prehistoric times, when guys with sharpening implements on wheelbarrows, or little trailers pulled by bikes, would knock on doors and ask your mum if she needed any knives or shears sharpened.
When my girlfriend, now my wife, first moved in with me, thirty odd years ago, I bought a Villeroy and Boch cutlery set in John Lewis to replace the odds and sods that I’d accumulated over the few years I’d lived alone.
Years later, some guest complained that they were having difficulty cutting their bacon at breakfast, so I gave him a steak knife.
The following week, I gave what was left of the cutlery set, practically complete, to the Salvation Army hostel, in Spa Road, Bermondsey, and went to the House of Fraser in Oxford Street, and bought a new canteen of cutlery.
Hangs head in shame for being profligate.

[Kiwi79]

tobinen said:

My kitchen knives are not expensive. They need sharpening every six months or so, sometimes earlier. I bought this for about £20. In hindsight, the 3,000 grit is too fine and I would buy 2,000-ish next time. For my simple needs the 1,000 does the job I want.

Did you find this easy to use? Just wondering how a novice would get on with it

[tobinen]

I'd never used one before so that makes me a novice!

Soak it for 5 minutes in water beforehand and keep it wet. I just followed a few YouTube videos for instruction. It's pretty easy as long as you keep the blade at a steady angle.

[sidekickdmr]

Unless you "enjoy" the medieval nature of using a wet stone and the time taken to do it (if thats the case, fair enough and can see the appeal), something like this does the job very well, costs about a tenner, takes about 20 seconds and my knives are so sharp they cut absolutely everything with ease, I have to warn guests of how sharp they are before using them.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00V4T05YC/ref=asc_df_...

[justinio]

If you dont want to bother with whetstones and strops, then this is probably the best out there at the moment.

Deluxe (more stones)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lansky-Deluxe-Knife-Sharp...

Standard
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000B8L6LI/ref=asc_df_...


Not the cheapest, but it will make your knives razor sharp.

[Sheets Tabuer]

Use a 3 stage sharpener, about a tenner off amazon.

[SVX]

I have diamond, and ceramic steels for my ageing collection of Global knives; but recently have had great results with a VonShef grinder/honer and finishing of the edge with the ceramic steel.

[thebraketester]

grumbledoak said:

I have a whetstone and steel. I get better results with the Minosharp.

I just bought a minosharp and I have to say its bloody good. Way quicker and easier than pissing about for 20mins with a whetstone. I imagine my knives will get sharper and better the more I use the minosharp as i have probably been sharpening them to a funny angle.

[4x4Tyke]

I use a steel sharpening rod.

The key is using the right technique, taught to me by a chef. Use as shallow an angle as you can manage, use sufficient pressure to feel the resistance. One down stroke, one up stroke, swap sides on the knife, repeat three times.

[Zetec-S]

sidekickdmr said:

Unless you "enjoy" the medieval nature of using a wet stone and the time taken to do it (if thats the case, fair enough and can see the appeal), something like this does the job very well, costs about a tenner, takes about 20 seconds and my knives are so sharp they cut absolutely everything with ease, I have to warn guests of how sharp they are before using them.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00V4T05YC/ref=asc_df_...

Does the job

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