I'd be embedding them in the screen or the CPU or better still, the programmers who write half the user interface programs I use.
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Knives & Knife sharpening
- Thread starter Nick the Knife
- Start date
I'd be embedding them in the screen or the CPU or better still, the programmers who write half the user interface programs I use.
Monsta_AU
...can I interest you in some vintage blades?
Staff member
Forum Administrator
Grand Society
I reserve my knives for ARCserve & Cisco support teams.
SmallYetDeadly
Brotherhood of Fanbois
ICEL make good knives. Best of the "not paying for the name" range of kitchen knives in my view. Have got one of their Chinese cleavers and a granton Santoku. Both are great, easy to sharpen workhorses.
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Monsta_AU
...can I interest you in some vintage blades?
Staff member
Forum Administrator
Grand Society
I attacked the 8" Kiwi Chef's tonight.
Set the unit up at 15 degrees and went to it. Appears that Kiwi sharpen at a slightly more acute angle, 13.5-14 range I guess. Only used the 320 grit upwards as it is a new knife.
Found that the unit did not grip the blade well, although I didn't bother with taping it up. Did get a number of rub marks on it.
Broke the 1500 grit stone in half. Overtightened the holder which made it peel back from the carrier and during use it then broke. Will glue it back on and it should be fine.
Slicing result was very good. The GF was particularly scared of the knife after I finished with it, but enjoyed using it.
Set the unit up at 15 degrees and went to it. Appears that Kiwi sharpen at a slightly more acute angle, 13.5-14 range I guess. Only used the 320 grit upwards as it is a new knife.
Found that the unit did not grip the blade well, although I didn't bother with taping it up. Did get a number of rub marks on it.
Broke the 1500 grit stone in half. Overtightened the holder which made it peel back from the carrier and during use it then broke. Will glue it back on and it should be fine.
Slicing result was very good. The GF was particularly scared of the knife after I finished with it, but enjoyed using it.
Drubbing
110% Smiley-Free
Well that last 5 minutes. THe mrs said, too big too heavy, so it's going back for a 15cm. I could handle the 20, but it does has some heft at over 300g. Seems i'm sending everything back these days, brushes, knives, guitar amps...
I'm seeing a pattern here...send the mrs back perhaps? Problem solved!
No......what you do is buy another, smaller knife. And then you discover Japanese high carbon steel knives and then you discover sharpening stones and then a few more knives and then........ You haven't really learned anything here, have you.
SmallYetDeadly
Brotherhood of Fanbois
I'll refrain from any more puerile comments...for now
Drubbing
110% Smiley-Free
Oh sure, you lot are the fkin definition of restraint.
No, Pj I haven't learnt much, I have been married for 20 years, so all sense, logic, and personal choice has been beaten out of me. Honestly, I'm not that bothered about the 'right' knife, just want something good and the Icel looks good.
The only upside is the wife is very happy ATM, having bought a new couch and rug and lamp, and booked our holiday for this year, so she's basking in the warm adrenaline surge of excessive shopping. Anything I could buy for myself wouldn't even register...
No, Pj I haven't learnt much, I have been married for 20 years, so all sense, logic, and personal choice has been beaten out of me. Honestly, I'm not that bothered about the 'right' knife, just want something good and the Icel looks good.
The only upside is the wife is very happy ATM, having bought a new couch and rug and lamp, and booked our holiday for this year, so she's basking in the warm adrenaline surge of excessive shopping. Anything I could buy for myself wouldn't even register...
You just contradicted yourself there. I'd call that almost contemptible cunning.
~Spyne~
Member
Finally got around to using my Edge Faux tonight. Had to wait a while for my real Edge Pro stones to arrive as the Edge Faux ones are near useless 
Purchased the 220, 400 and 1000 from EP direct, so all up for the Edge Faux and the real EP stones I came out under $100 including shipping on both purchases.
Apart from the plastic of the EF being rather cheap (I can just see the block that the rod slides through cracking over time) it works pretty well. I did find however that the suction base holds well for all of about 2 minutes (if that) before letting go, which could prove very dangerous if you're not paying attention. I might have to make a slightly more permanant base.
However, the two knives I used it on (Mundial 6" utility and 8" utility/chefs) came up pretty good. Actually, very good. Will see how they go Sunday night when the missus and I make our lunch salads for the work week.
Purchased the 220, 400 and 1000 from EP direct, so all up for the Edge Faux and the real EP stones I came out under $100 including shipping on both purchases.
Apart from the plastic of the EF being rather cheap (I can just see the block that the rod slides through cracking over time) it works pretty well. I did find however that the suction base holds well for all of about 2 minutes (if that) before letting go, which could prove very dangerous if you're not paying attention. I might have to make a slightly more permanant base.
However, the two knives I used it on (Mundial 6" utility and 8" utility/chefs) came up pretty good. Actually, very good. Will see how they go Sunday night when the missus and I make our lunch salads for the work week.
Whilst I've got some very nice knives I find myself using the Kiwi's more than the others as they're just easy to use with my style of cooking/cutting. Personally I have got all mine at 20degrees, which is well above the original factory primary bevel but they're such soft steel I found that less than this would need too much attention. Dunno but works well thus far and seldoom needs more than touch up on ceramic hone/steel.
FWIW highly recommend folks try and locate a reasonable ceramic hone/steel - Ikea sells one for around $15 that is a bargain. Think it's called Flaksa (Ikea model name). Basically it's 1500grit ceramic in a rod form with handle. A couple of slow strokes on that will bring the edge back - as sharpening properly is a PITA and you don't want to drag all that gear out just so you can carve that roast nicely.
There's ebay ones too so DYOR but I couldn't be without mine - is a marvel.
Just make sure if you're using a 'butchers steel' you're not using one of those ones with grooves/ridges on it - those things are edge killers - only smooth butchers steels have any real benefit at all - and this is only aligning the very tip of the edge NOT removal of metal (which the ceramic hone will do). Oh and don't do it furiously like the butcher does - thats bravado/time contraints - slow and steady at a constant angle is the key to good honing with any rod type steel.
PS Hmm that new Edge Faux is a copy of their top of the line Professional model. Impressive given the price and if the plastic in several spots holds up.
FWIW highly recommend folks try and locate a reasonable ceramic hone/steel - Ikea sells one for around $15 that is a bargain. Think it's called Flaksa (Ikea model name). Basically it's 1500grit ceramic in a rod form with handle. A couple of slow strokes on that will bring the edge back - as sharpening properly is a PITA and you don't want to drag all that gear out just so you can carve that roast nicely.
There's ebay ones too so DYOR but I couldn't be without mine - is a marvel.
Just make sure if you're using a 'butchers steel' you're not using one of those ones with grooves/ridges on it - those things are edge killers - only smooth butchers steels have any real benefit at all - and this is only aligning the very tip of the edge NOT removal of metal (which the ceramic hone will do). Oh and don't do it furiously like the butcher does - thats bravado/time contraints - slow and steady at a constant angle is the key to good honing with any rod type steel.
PS Hmm that new Edge Faux is a copy of their top of the line Professional model. Impressive given the price and if the plastic in several spots holds up.
Monsta_AU
...can I interest you in some vintage blades?
Staff member
Forum Administrator
Grand Society
Well it seemed to go okay the first time around. The gluing of the stones to the carriers was pretty average, there's little strength reinforcing of the carriers themselves so theyt bend easily, and the stones themselves aren't very good at all. Still I might grab a few of the real stones and see if that makes a difference.
~Spyne~
Member
Yep, the EF stones are terrible. Get some real ones, they're v good (and reasonably priced, including postage). Shapton stones are supposedly (I have heard) very good too, a bit more pricey I think.
I probably should have got a 120, but then it would really only be used the first time to bring my knives back to profile so they could start being sharpened. Instead, the lowest I got was the 220 which works fine, just wouldn't recommend it as the starting stone if you really need to bring a knife back from the dead.
Just to chip in my two cents, it's true that the Edge Faux stones could be better, but most of the hard work is getting them to a workable point when you first get the set. Once you have your knives set up well, the default stones are more than capable of keeping that edge sharp and functional. It's well worth spending a bit of extra time in the first place, because once you have, it only takes a couple of minutes with the 1k stone each week to keep them going.
I bought a King 1000/6000 combo to try freehand. I haven't used it on either of my Tojiro's yet, but it's been great with my both my small Kiwi nakiri and the Vietnamese carbon slicer. The unbranded Vietnamese market job is scary sharp, I've chopped up my knuckles with it a few times without realising. PJ, you were right about the freehand sharpening. Once I overcame the fear of failure, I got the hang of it pretty quickly.
I bought a King 1000/6000 combo to try freehand. I haven't used it on either of my Tojiro's yet, but it's been great with my both my small Kiwi nakiri and the Vietnamese carbon slicer. The unbranded Vietnamese market job is scary sharp, I've chopped up my knuckles with it a few times without realising. PJ, you were right about the freehand sharpening. Once I overcame the fear of failure, I got the hang of it pretty quickly.
Glad you discovered freehand sharpening. Sharpening and the removal of metal actually takes a lot longer than you expect and it would take a huge and prolonged cock up (barring actually sticking your knife edge first on a stone) to actually affect cutting angles. In theory it's not going to be as accurate as an EF or a similar device but once you get a bit of the old muscle memory happening I reckon you can be pretty accurate. And in any case, how sharp do you need your knives to be anyhow.
Since I've been freehand sharpening I've started appreciating the humble stainless kitchen knife a bit more too. They require a bit more work to keep sharp and that's a challenge and a bit of fun. The Jap knives stay insanely sharp with half the work.
Since I've been freehand sharpening I've started appreciating the humble stainless kitchen knife a bit more too. They require a bit more work to keep sharp and that's a challenge and a bit of fun. The Jap knives stay insanely sharp with half the work.