Global knives have a complicated sharpening grind that you are unlikely
to duplicate. They are sharpened at the factory with a standard bevel,
followed by a coarse belt to round off the bevel transition, finally by
a fine belt to strop the cutting edge. You can definitely tell they
were belts or soft wheels because of the convex edge shape.

The company said the bevel angle was 15 degrees, but I have measured the
bevel and get about 22 degrees, which is pretty much standard.

Strangely, neither PCD nor the importer recommended sharpening with the
Shinkansen ceramic sharpener they sell, but recommended waterstones.
You want a little tooth on a kitchen knife, so use a fine waterstone,
1000 or 1200, not a 6000 or 8000.


Steve
--
Sharpening Made Easy: A Primer on Sharpening Knives and Other Edged
Tools by Steve Bottorff Copyright January 2002 Knife World Publications
www.sharpeningmadeeasy.com
E-mail: steve AT sharpeningmadeeasy DOT com

zenit wrote:


The best source for information on knives and sharpening them I've
found:

http://forums.egullet.com/index.php?...f4337dd4dfd 6

It's a forum and may require registration... If so, register and save
the page... It's worth it...

! -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
zenit

The sharpening FAQ that appears on rec.knives from time to time is very
good, and IMHO, so is my site
http://www.ameritech.net/users/knives/index.htm

Steve
--
Sharpening Made Easy: A Primer on Sharpening Knives and Other Edged
Tools by Steve Bottorff Copyright January 2002 Knife World Publications
www.sharpeningmadeeasy.com
E-mail: steve AT sharpeningmadeeasy DOT com

Rick Rider wrote:

If you were to buy a new sharpener what kind would it be? I am leaning toward a bench
grinder (variable speed) mounted set of wheels myself. One wheel sharpens the other
finishes by removing burrs created on the first wheel. I could use the dressing wheel
many times before needing to re-sharpen the knife on the first wheel.

If you've never sharpened kitchen knives with a bench grinder before
forgeddaboudit... odds are strong all your chefs knives will become
paring knives, if yer lucky, if yer lucky you'll keep all your body
parts intact too. You'd need to be very proficient with bench grinder
use, and for kitchen cutlery you'd need a slow speed model (1750 rpm,
not 3600 rpm) and preferably a wet grinder, one that continuously pumps
coolant on your work. I use a bench grinder for sharpening all sorts
of cutting tools, chisels, drill bits, lawnmower blades, etc. and I'm
very good at it but would not use a bench grinder on my kitchen knives.
For cutlery I use a whetstone. I have an assortment of sizes, types,
and grits. You can't do much damage practicing with whetstones. Btw,
if you can't seem to get a good edge with a whetstone you can only do
worse with a bench grinder, a lot worse.

Sheldon

"Rick Rider" wrote in
message

I began to
wonder if a home sharpener was as good at sharpening knives as taking the
knives to a
professional sharpener.


If you were to buy a new sharpener what kind would it be? I am leaning
toward a bench
grinder (variable speed) mounted set of wheels myself.


Your new knife can probably be improved also. Most are not truly sharp from
the factory.

Forget a grinding wheel. They are not made for sharpening and can ruin the
knife in seconds. . If you want a powered wheel you need something like the
$400 Tormek system.
http://www.woodcraft.com/search/sear...x?query=tormek

Other systems, hand and powered can be found at www.leevalley.com I use the
Gatco setup.
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...&cat=1&p=43072

Be sure to get and use a good steel also. It keeps the edge in line.
--
Ed
http://pages.cthome.net/edhome/

On Tue, 07 Jun 2005 00:16:25 GMT, Rick Rider
wrote:

In another thread discussing sharpening of Wusthof's, Henckels, and Sabatier it was
mentioned that the poster wasn't too fond of the Chef's Choice sharpener. I began to
wonder if a home sharpener was as good at sharpening knives as taking the knives to a
professional sharpener.

I just recently purchased a new knife and, while I thought my old knives were sharp, was
amazed at the difference in sharpness. I began thinking about the last time I had them
professionally sharpened and could not recall the occasion.

If you were to buy a new sharpener what kind would it be? I am leaning toward a bench
grinder (variable speed) mounted set of wheels myself. One wheel sharpens the other
finishes by removing burrs created on the first wheel. I could use the dressing wheel
many times before needing to re-sharpen the knife on the first wheel.

Another option is the "drag the knife through the spinning stones" type of sharpener - if
there is a specific name, I don't know it. Are any of these very good in the long run? I
presume the technology has improved over the years.

I tried to look in the FAQ but the link to the FAQ I had
http://vsack.bei.t-online.de/rfc_faq.html
only took my to a German language page.


I've used the Lansky sharpening system for about 5-years. You can get
your kitchen knives so sharp that you can shave hairs off your arm.
You can also use the system to sharpen chinese cleavers, meat
cleavers, tools, scissors, etc. This is a manual shartpening system. I
believe using an electric grinder risks heating up the knives or tools
and wrecking their temper.

For more info on sharpening knives, read rec.knives.

Here's a link to the Lansky website.

http://www.lansky.com/

http://www.lansky.com/products/systems/diamond.html

http://www.lansky.com/Instructions.pdf


Rusty

"Rick Rider" wrote in
message ...
In another thread discussing sharpening of Wusthof's, Henckels, and
Sabatier it was
mentioned that the poster wasn't too fond of the Chef's Choice sharpener.
I began to
wonder if a home sharpener was as good at sharpening knives as taking the
knives to a
professional sharpener.

I just recently purchased a new knife and, while I thought my old knives
were sharp, was
amazed at the difference in sharpness. I began thinking about the last
time I had them
professionally sharpened and could not recall the occasion.

If you were to buy a new sharpener what kind would it be? I am leaning
toward a bench
grinder (variable speed) mounted set of wheels myself. One wheel sharpens
the other
finishes by removing burrs created on the first wheel. I could use the
dressing wheel
many times before needing to re-sharpen the knife on the first wheel.

Another option is the "drag the knife through the spinning stones" type of
sharpener - if
there is a specific name, I don't know it. Are any of these very good in
the long run? I
presume the technology has improved over the years.

I tried to look in the FAQ but the link to the FAQ I had
http://vsack.bei.t-online.de/rfc_faq.html
only took my to a German language page.



Get yourself one or two Japanese water stones, like the ones he

http://www.garrettwade.com/shopping/...&go.x=0&go.y=0

Unless you beat the crap out of your knives and don't sharpen them for weeks
or months on end, a fine-grit stone should be enough. You'll be amazed at
the edge you can put on a blade with these stones. Scary. By the way, I use
the Chef's Choice non-electric sharpener to bring a very worn knife back
into the real world again, and then the water stone to finish it off.
Between major sharpenings, a steel is all that's needed to keep the knives
sharp.

I use a 2-sided stone, medium and fine, from the hardware store. I
soak it in water before and after using it each time. This is the
lowest-cost, lowest tech, most traditional solution. I don't get a
shaving edge, but, then, I don't shave in the kitchen. The knives do
go through tomatoes very nicely, and seem to hold their edges pretty
well.

You may want to practice with some of your less-favorite knives first.

The best sharpening system for you depends on your working style.
Following are some recommendations, sorted by price with comments on
each model:
For under $20:
A good bench stone and time to develop sharpening skills. Not as
good as a guided system, but definitely the lowest price. For the
Luddites.

For about $50:
Spyderco SharpMaker - quick and easy, but bevels are not pretty.
Handy for the kitchen, and recommended for people who don't want a lot
of work, but don't want to spend the money for an electric machine.

Lansky/GATCO/DMT rod-guided system - not as fast to use as the
SharpMaker, but nice clean bevels. For the craftsman. Reviews at
http://users.ameritech.net/knives/guides.htm#rods


For around $100
Chef'sChoice 320 ($90) - electric machine, sharpens and strops to a
shaving edge. This or the following CC model is a perfect, no-skills
solution for those willing to spend the money.

Chef'sChoice 120 ($120) - adds a coarser "pre-sharpening" stage,
needed for really dull knives and/or thick blades. Reviews at
http://users.ameritech.net/knives/el...tm#chefschoice

EdgePro Apex ($125) - the perfectionist's rod-guided system. The
Pro model ($295) accepts attachments for scissor and chisel sharpening.
Review at http://users.ameritech.net/knives/guides.htm#edgepro

Paper Wheels ($30 for the wheels, plus $70 for a bench grinder).
Requires a little skill; angle control is manual, but it is the fastest
way I have found to sharpen a knife. Review at
http://users.ameritech.net/knives/electric.htm#paper

For around $350:
Chef'sChoice 2000 commercial sharpener. This machine
produces a double bevel edge, unlike the triple bevel produced by their
home machines. The sharpening unit is removable so it can be cleaned in
a dishwasher, and be replaced when it wears out. Life expectancy is
about 3000 knives. About $350 for the base unit, $379 for a setup with
signs, etc.

For around $600:
Tormek - power wet grinder with fixtures available for
everything including scissors and woodworking tools. Angles are well
controlled and bevels are clean. Can also be used freehand. $400 for
basic machine plus $200 for jigs for knives and scissors. Buy the stone
grader and stone truing tool. It is a travesty that they sell it
without them. Review at
http://users.ameritech.net/knives/electric.htm#tormek

For around $2000
The F. Dick sharpening machines, SM-110 and SM-111, are the
ultimate tools for someone setting up a sharpening business.

Steve

--
Sharpening Made Easy: A Primer on Sharpening Knives and Other Edged Tools
Copyright January 2002 Knife World Publications
www.sharpeningmadeeasy.com



Rick Rider wrote:
In another thread discussing sharpening of Wusthof's, Henckels, and Sabatier it was
mentioned that the poster wasn't too fond of the Chef's Choice sharpener. I began to
wonder if a home sharpener was as good at sharpening knives as taking the knives to a
professional sharpener.

I just recently purchased a new knife and, while I thought my old knives were sharp, was
amazed at the difference in sharpness. I began thinking about the last time I had them
professionally sharpened and could not recall the occasion.

If you were to buy a new sharpener what kind would it be? I am leaning toward a bench
grinder (variable speed) mounted set of wheels myself. One wheel sharpens the other
finishes by removing burrs created on the first wheel. I could use the dressing wheel
many times before needing to re-sharpen the knife on the first wheel.

Another option is the "drag the knife through the spinning stones" type of sharpener - if
there is a specific name, I don't know it. Are any of these very good in the long run? I
presume the technology has improved over the years.

I tried to look in the FAQ but the link to the FAQ I had
http://vsack.bei.t-online.de/rfc_faq.html
only took my to a German language page.

"Rick Rider" wrote in
message
If you were to buy a new sharpener what kind would it be?

Flat carborundum stone with fine and coarse sides.

David

David Hare-Scott wrote:
"Rick Rider" wrote
in message
If you were to buy a new sharpener what kind would it be?

Flat carborundum stone with fine and coarse sides.

David
Get totally lost here (and maybe find *your* sharpening solution)
http://www.leevalley.com/home/Search.aspx?c=&action=n

Enjoy.
Ken.

On Tue, 07 Jun 2005 00:16:25 GMT, Rick Rider
wrote:

In another thread discussing sharpening of Wusthof's, Henckels, and Sabatier it was
mentioned that the poster wasn't too fond of the Chef's Choice sharpener. I began to
wonder if a home sharpener was as good at sharpening knives as taking the knives to a
professional sharpener.

snip

Rich, IMHO, you don't want to take your knives to be professionally
sharpened more than once in a blue moon. The sharpening will actually
remove metal from the blade. 99% of the time, you just need to
*straighten* the blade. With use, a blade actually bends a bit, which
is then perceived to be dull. Learning how to use a steel is time
well spent, as it just takes seconds to smarten up a blade with a
steel. The commercial gizmos such as Henckels weird little zip zip
thing are light years behind the plain old steel, IMHO.

Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd
AAC(F)BV66.0748.CA

"If the soup had been as hot as the claret, if the claret had been as
old as the bird, and if the bird's breasts had been as full as the
waitress's, it would have been a very good dinner."

-- Duncan Hines

To reply, replace "spaminator" with "cox"

"Rick Rider" wrote in
message ...
In another thread discussing sharpening of Wusthof's, Henckels, and
Sabatier it was
mentioned that the poster wasn't too fond of the Chef's Choice sharpener.
I began to
wonder if a home sharpener was as good at sharpening knives as taking the
knives to a
professional sharpener.

I just recently purchased a new knife and, while I thought my old knives
were sharp, was
amazed at the difference in sharpness. I began thinking about the last
time I had them
professionally sharpened and could not recall the occasion.

If you were to buy a new sharpener what kind would it be? I am leaning
toward a bench
grinder (variable speed) mounted set of wheels myself. One wheel sharpens
the other
finishes by removing burrs created on the first wheel. I could use the
dressing wheel
many times before needing to re-sharpen the knife on the first wheel.

Another option is the "drag the knife through the spinning stones" type of
sharpener - if
there is a specific name, I don't know it. Are any of these very good in
the long run? I
presume the technology has improved over the years.

I tried to look in the FAQ but the link to the FAQ I had
http://vsack.bei.t-online.de/rfc_faq.html
only took my to a German language page.



No electricity required! Get an EdgePro. I am one of many people who swear
by them. Excellent edges, the ability to set different bevel angles for
different kinds of knives.


--
Peter Aitken
Visit my recipe and kitchen myths page at www.pgacon.com/cooking.htm

If there is a Meat shop Grocery store with real meat cutters you may be able
to get them to sharpen your knife for a small fee. Make sure they DO NOT
use a electric grinder type of stone. A hand stone only. There is one near
me that charges 3.00 a knife and puts a great edge on it.
Most meat shops will have 3 inch wide by 9 inch long stones mounted so they
can be used to put on an edge.
Sharpen any knife to where it will shave hair off your arm is the standard.
This will allow you to use a steel to keep it sharp for a long time of
kitchen use.


--
Emil Luca

"Rick Rider" wrote in
message ...
In another thread discussing sharpening of Wusthof's, Henckels, and
Sabatier it was
mentioned that the poster wasn't too fond of the Chef's Choice sharpener.
I began to
wonder if a home sharpener was as good at sharpening knives as taking the
knives to a
professional sharpener.

I just recently purchased a new knife and, while I thought my old knives
were sharp, was
amazed at the difference in sharpness. I began thinking about the last
time I had them
professionally sharpened and could not recall the occasion.

If you were to buy a new sharpener what kind would it be? I am leaning
toward a bench
grinder (variable speed) mounted set of wheels myself. One wheel sharpens
the other
finishes by removing burrs created on the first wheel. I could use the
dressing wheel
many times before needing to re-sharpen the knife on the first wheel.

Another option is the "drag the knife through the spinning stones" type of
sharpener - if
there is a specific name, I don't know it. Are any of these very good in
the long run? I
presume the technology has improved over the years.

I tried to look in the FAQ but the link to the FAQ I had
http://vsack.bei.t-online.de/rfc_faq.html
only took my to a German language page.

On Tue, 07 Jun 2005 13:12:43 GMT, "Peter Aitken"
wrote:

snipped
No electricity required! Get an EdgePro. I am one of many people who swear
by them. Excellent edges, the ability to set different bevel angles for
different kinds of knives.
The best sharpening tool (in my opinion) is a good stone, some oil or
water and your hand. The grit of stone depends on how dull the blade
is. If the blade is really dull, start with a rough stone and work
your way to a fine stone. If it is still sharp, use a few stokes with
a fine stone. The angle of the blade is key, between 18 and 30
degrees, 22 being the angle for a good all use edge. Remember that a
razors edge is nice for shaving but you don't shave in the kitchen
right, it rolls over quickly and looses its edge. Sharpen the edge in
one direction from tip to heel with the same amount of strokes on each
side. Finish off with a butchers steel or a few stropes on a strip of
leather to remove any burrs. Practice on an old knife.

In article , Terry Pulliam
Burd wrote:

he commercial gizmos such as Henckels weird little zip zip
thing are light years behind the plain old steel, IMHO.

Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd

Ah, the Dreaded Weird Little Zip-Zip Thing.

* Exported from MasterCook Mac *

White Salsa

Recipe By : From alt.cooking-chat; posted to r.f.c. by Barb
Schaller 6-7-05
Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :2:15
Categories : Dips & Spreads

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
juice from 3 limes
4 cloves garlic -- crushed
1 1/2 cups finely chopped cilantro
1 can black olives (pitted) -- (6 ounce) drained
and chopped
1 1/2 cups green onions -- finely chopped
5 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
In a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise and sour cream, mixing
well. Add lime juice, garlic, cilantro, black olives,
scallions, hot pepper sauce, salt and pepper. Taste and
adjust seasonings for personal preference. Refrigerate for
2 hours before serving to allow flavors to blend. Serve with
tortilla chips.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Per serving (excluding unknown items): 2138 Calories; 236g Fat (93%
calories from fat); 13g Protein; 25g Carbohydrate; 179mg Cholesterol;
1998mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 2 1/2 Vegetable; 1/2 Non-Fat Milk; 25 1/2 Fat

NOTES : Posted to alt.cooking-chat by Kathy 1-27-05 Kathy


_____
--
-Barb, http://www.jamlady.eboard.com 5/8/05.
"Are we going to measure, or are we going to cook?" -Food Critic Mimi Sheraton