Hot take: I bought a $300 electric knife sharpener that ruined my boning knife

It overheated and took the temper right out of the steel, leaving a soft spot about two inches long. Anyone have a reliable manual system they swear by for keeping an edge on curved blades?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_parker1mo ago

My Work Sharp Ken Onion never gets hot, even on high carbon steel. Maybe you just got a bad unit?

the_joel1mo ago

My grandpa had this old butcher shop in Cleveland that closed in the 90s. He used the same manual sharpening steel for forty years, just a few swipes before each shift. I still have it, and the edge it puts on a curved blade is unreal. It's all about the angle and a consistent hand, something a machine just can't feel. I tried a fancy electric once and it ground the profile off my favorite paring knife. Never again.

hall.nina1mo ago

Ugh, that's brutal. I read a whole article about how those fast electric ones can wreck a blade's heat treat. They said if you see any blue or rainbow colors on the metal while sharpening, it's already too late and the steel is ruined. A good whetstone is slower but way safer.