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/electric.htm#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. [censored] 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 said: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.