Electric Knife Sharpeners.

[Tilly2]

I have a hand held knife sharpener but my knives are not as sharp as they once were. Can anyone recommend a good electric one. I want to be able to go chop, chop, chop, instead of chop, chop, struggle

[buildersmate]

It may be to do with the sharpener you are using or the quality of your knives. Only good-quality knives will take a decent edge, so I'm not sure that just buying an electric gadget will help you.

The gadget I use looks like this:
http://www.eddingtons.co.uk/itemdetail.aspx?i=51502&c=217
I didn't buy it from here - I bought it from a stall on a 'Home Fair' for about £12. It's very simple, with a suction pad that sticks it to a worksurface. It may be available from places like Lakeland.

[RATTER15]

Dont ever use electric knife sharpener on a half decent knife, they gring off good steel and wear away your knife, dreadful things. Get a good oil stone to get a good edge then just keep it razor sharp on a steel.

[Tilly2]

Thank you buildersmate and ratter.

I have a set of Stellar Sabatier knives which I keep in a knife block. They were an expensive set and I assumed they would stay sharp for ever. It's when I want to score a piece of pork, for example that I realise how useless they are.
I have a sharpener which sits on the table and you hold it with one hand and run the knife through the little wheels several times.
I don't know the technique for using a steel. My Dad used to do ours on the backdoor step when I was a child.I don't know what an oil stone is ratter

[RATTER15]

Ok, first thing to do is put your knife sharpener in the bin and never even look at that crude device ever again, talk to a butcher or a cook/shef and ask for advice, they will only ever use wet/oil stones and steels for sharpening their knives. These electric devices will just ruin you knives, dont do it!!! once sharped on a stone they will just need a few strokes on the steel while using it to keep it razor sharp, every few weeks you may need to just check the edge on your wet stone. These devices are cheap and will last a life time.

Oh!! and dont even think about using your door step!!

[RATTER15]

*sharped = sharpened.

[Tilly2]

Thanks, ratter. We do have an old fashioned ironmongers in town. I'll investigate stones and steels. Then I'll have a chat with my butcher.

[RATTER15]

Phew!!

That was a close one!!

Good decision!

[EcclesCake]

I agree 100% with everything Ratter and Buildersmate have said. Speak to your butcher and ironmonger to see if will sharpen your knives and get the edge back and they maintain the edge by using a steel. Ideally you should run you knives over the steel every time you use them or at least whenever you remember.

Using a steel isn't difficult and I'm sure when you are ready to give it a try you will find videos on YouTube to guide you.

If you by a whetstone make sure you get a guide for long and short bladed knives, it will help you enormously.

[Tilly2]

Thank you, eccles. I wouldn't have thought to look on the internet for video clips.
I really must move into the correct century.