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#444368 04/18/16 06:52 AM
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Bill D. Offline OP
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Guys,

Like most folks I suspect, I am always struggling to keep my fillet knives sharp. What's the best fillet knife sharpener in your opinion?

Thanks,

Bill D.


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Bill, for me, an oil stone or whetstone is tough to beat and they'll last forever (if you don't lose it). I'm not a fan of those little sharpeners they sell but I suppose it's better than nothing if you're in a pinch.


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for those type of knives, I like a ceramic sharpener. I have one that is yellow and bout the same size as a big silver dollar but thicker. it stays in the knife drawer. 2 to 4 swipes is all it takes. I think it might have cost a couple of bucks and seen @ most target type stores here

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Catmandoo has a system that he uses that works really well, hopefully he will chime in here and tell us what it is.

I have a Lansky diamond sharpening stone set, but I think his is better.


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Bill D. Offline OP
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Thanks for the inputs guys. I was hoping somebody had found some magic machine you just drag the knife thru a few times. Looks like just good old manual sharpening is still the best.


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Bill D., My wife bought me a 3 stage Chef's Choice motorized sharpener several years ago. After working a year in a hog processing plant when younger, most people never know what a TRULY sharp edge feels like....It is dull unless it cuts through 34 degree meet like a hot knife cuts butter. Imagine making 8000 cuts a day if you had to saw or pull/push hard!

Here is the style sharpener I have...it works on all style blade cuts, even serrated. Caution, it gets sharper than a razor!

3-stage Chef's Choice



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Thanks Rex! I have a Presto 2 stage that I sharpen my bride's kitchen knives with and she is not impressed! I think I will pull the trigger on the one you suggest.


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You can save money on it if you shop around. Bill D. I only posted that link for an example.



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I pulled the trigger. I went Amazon with free shipping.

I read reviews on a few sites and all are outstanding! Thanks again for the tip!


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Bill,
I use a Smith Tri-Hone Sharpening system.....cuz knife sharpening ought to be an Olympic sport!


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Originally Posted By: stickem'
Bill,
I use a Smith Tri-Hone Sharpening system.....cuz knife sharpening ought to be an Olympic sport!


Yep on the Olympic Sport Charlie! Nattha cooks a lot. She will just tell me to sharpen the knives. I go over to the small table I have set up for this purpose in the 4 season room and there will be a pile of 10 or 12 knives!


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In a pinch the unfinished rim on the bottom of a ceramic coffee cup will give a good edge. That's all my grandmother ever used on her kitchen knives and they were sharp.

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I finally ditched stainless when it came to my filet knives. Easier and faster to sharpen a carbon steel blade.


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I'm a knife and sharpening junkie. I have just about every kind of device and contraption available and way over a dozen different stones. These days, I generally use my oldest Arkansas stone with oil and finish off with a steel and cheap strop or belt leather. It's generally about the steel and the angles.

I even sharpen my razors and get 4 to 6 months out of a throw away razor. I strop them 4 times only. Yessir, I'm a junkie.

And, like Tony, I prefer high carbon steel over stainless. My Wife has said no more knives in the knife drawer.

The one thing I've never been able to do is use a straight razor. I've bought them, had them professionally honed and carefully stropped. But, I can only wipe lather off my face. I quit.

These days I just buy blades from Jantz Supply and put craft wood handles on them. I did over 100 last year including 8 sets of steak knives for Xmas. That cost me about $1,500 for materials and $5,000 for hearing aids.

Wait until Ken weighs in. He is the master sharpener.


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I am by no means an expert on any of this, but I do know that different metals need different angles to be sharp. I have the sharpening kit from Smiths which Ken recommended. It works great. If you use the guides, you have two choices for angles and if you are able to freehand your knife on the sharpeners, you can pick any angle you would like. My filet knives and skinning knives are sharp and work great.

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Back in the mid-80's, we would make filet knives from old band saw blades. We would cut a length of saw blade about 14" long and rough grind it on a bench grinder to a basic knife shape. We made wooden handles and drilled (diamond ball nose)the blades to facilitate the handle. After the handle was finished, we'd set out countless hours rough honing those homemade knives til our hands blistered, then we'd hone to the next finer stone hour after hour. Finishing up with a fine stone, then we'd use an old leather belt. Those were some of the best knives I've ever used to clean fish and deer. They were sharp as a razor and held an edge like no body's business. If any of you ever want to build a filet knife (old school), find an old band saw blade that some machine shop is throwing in the trash...flexible as all heck too. Actually a dangerous tool. You could cut yourself and not know it for a period of time.


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My wife never puts sharp knives in a dishwasher. She says the dishwasher detergent contains abrasives that will quickly dull the edge. Makes sense to me.

Last edited by Bill D.; 04/19/16 03:45 PM. Reason: Clarification

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Originally Posted By: stickem'
Back in the mid-80's, we would make filet knives from old band saw blades. We would cut a length of saw blade about 14" long and rough grind it on a bench grinder to a basic knife shape. We made wooden handles and drilled (diamond ball nose)the blades to facilitate the handle. After the handle was finished, we'd set out countless hours rough honing those homemade knives til our hands blistered, then we'd hone to the next finer stone hour after hour. Finishing up with a fine stone, then we'd use an old leather belt. Those were some of the best knives I've ever used to clean fish and deer. They were sharp as a razor and held an edge like no body's business. If any of you ever want to build a filet knife (old school), find an old band saw blade that some machine shop is throwing in the trash...flexible as all heck too. Actually a dangerous tool. You could cut yourself and not know it for a period of time.


Cool story Charlie. Let me know when you go back into production and I'll be yer first customer! smile


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Originally Posted By: poppy65
In a pinch the unfinished rim on the bottom of a ceramic coffee cup will give a good edge. That's all my grandmother ever used on her kitchen knives and they were sharp.


poppy65, when I worked at the processing plant, I preferred a ceramic "steel" (edge hone)!!! Some people liked a grooved steel while others like the standard, smooth edge honing steels.

Once you learn the art of using a steel, you can use, and I have, any hard, smooth, rounded metal...I like annoying my wife by using stainless steel and chrome plated wires on shopping carts (buggies?) at our local grocery store.

440 stainless will keep a modestly sharp edge, where high carbon can be truly sharpened without specialized tools. Problem with high carbon, the fine edge oxidizes fast and literally disappears.

Once sharpened, it is rare for the actual edge of lower carbon and stainless blades to dull when used properly...the edge rolls over so you wind up cutting on a rounded surface...that is what a steel is correcting..it straightens out the edge, it is not sharpening as there is no metal removed from the blade (a ceramic "steel" will remove fine oxidation).

Knives with higher angles may be sharper, but the edge is more of an ultra fine wire that is far more fragile, and needs corrected (steel honed) much more often...it's a personal preference finding the right mix of precision and durability on an edge...there is no right way or wrong way.

In processing, we preferred the ultra sharp high angle edge as we honed every other cut and our knives were replaced daily...or more if nicked. The fine, polished edges could cut nearly frozen back fat of a hog with little effort, pulling the curved specialty knife through in a long, smooth pull...no turning or sawing at all.



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Originally Posted By: Bill D.
I pulled the trigger. I went Amazon with free shipping.

I read reviews on a few sites and all are outstanding! Thanks again for the tip!


The Chef's Choice sharpener came today so, of course, I had to play with it right away. Sharpened up a couple of fillet knives.........OUTSTANDING! smile smile smile

Thanks again for the tip Rex!


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Boy, I apparently know nothing about knives...your collective knowledge is impressive. Learning a lot, like, the fact I don't know a lot.


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I'm with you, TJ!

I thought I was uptown by still using an oil stone! And most likely incorrectly!

Ha!


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I found it interesting that the first sharpening stage of the Chef's Choice gizmo grinds the blade to 15 degrees. I now know that a lot of the knives we buy are produced at 20 degrees which apparently cannot be sharpened as sharp?


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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8kDWPf_bHU
I like this video to help me understand how knives work and what degree to pick. He pushes one brand hard but many brands use the same steel and technique when making a knife.

There are so many things to pick when matching a knife to a task. metal, degree, concave/convex or traditional bevel. I am a big knife fan myself, and I would love to try to make pocket knives one day.

but don't put a 20 degree knife in the 15 degree slot of your machine, that's bad idea IMHO


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Originally Posted By: jakeb
.....but don't put a 20 degree knife in the 15 degree slot of your machine, that's bad idea IMHO


Interesting. The instruction manual on my new gizmo says 20 degree knives are ok and it will change them to 15. I suspect it is because it has diamond grinding wheels so wear on the wheels is not a huge issue but I'm guessing....... The "finish" stage of the sharpener appears to be a ceramic disc which I suspect is kin to the disc Tracy uses.

Last edited by Bill D.; 04/20/16 08:53 PM.

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