Tell me how to sharpen kitchen knives and what I need

See, I had a cheap pull through, not that model/brand. I did not like it that much. It left things, sharp-ish? It was NOT dimond, I can tell you that. I’m assuming mine was just too cheap to be efficient?

I have both a steel (used rarely) and a ceramic hone (used a lot.) I also have a leather strop mounted on a small board that helps as well. It’s small enough to fit behind my knife block.

I don’t mind lugging out something big to sharpen though, as it happens maybe 3 times a year on multiple knives, not counting if I take it somewhere to sharpen family members or friends knives.

You are a good man.

I use my air fryer for this.

Sure. If you’re in a hurry. But my sous vide puts the best edge on my Wusthof. It’s worth the wait.

I fight the urge to drill holes in mine.

Ahhh. That makes sense. I was referring to the powered commercial model I used in the hardware store where I used to work. So it probably has two diamond stages and then the stropping stage. I reckon a pull through strop wouldn’t last long.

I have knives I bought at IKEA and I hone with matching IKEA steel. The steel has stopped making them sharp (knives are 4-5 years old now). Is it worth getting them sharpened by the Farmer’s Market knife sharpener booth guy, or should I throw them away and get new knives?

Steels don’t sharpen knives, they hone them. When you sharpen a knife it goes to a very fine granular edge, then as you use the knife that edge can twist or fold over itself. Honing straightens it again. But when the edge is actually gone the steel won’t do anything, you need to actually remove material to make it sharp again.

If you like the knives then sure, get them sharpened. If they’re cheap junk or you don’t like the way they feel then buy a Victorinox Fibrox chef’s knife on amazon, it comes sharp and is cheap non-junk.

https://smile.amazon.com/Victorinox-Fibrox-Chefs-Knife-8-Inch/dp/B008M5U1C2

I get that honing doesn’t sharpen the knife. How do I know if my IKEA knives are junk? I like them OK. My daily cutter is this one: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70283524/

If you like the way it feels and it doesn’t get dull quickly there’s no particular reason to replace it, just get it resharpened. Pretty impressive to find a single knife cheaper than that Victorinox though, usually cheaper knives only bundled in sets of 14 with claims on the box that they can cut through tin cans and still slice a ripe tomato with ease.

Does that hand grip get slippery?

Not really. It’s nice and ribbed. Also my hands stay dry when I’m cutting things.

Cool. It’s hard to tell the texture from a picture. I know that there are some cheaper knives with a bad grip out there. OTOH I should know that you wouldn’t use that crap.

On the gripping hand my hands often get some kind of liquid on them at certain times. Like when cutting raw poultry.

Did you mean the IKEA knife or the Victorinox? If the latter, no, they do not get slippery at all. I think their term is Fibrox handles. It almost feels like porous textured plastic, but I’m sure it’s not porous. More like a knife version of non-slip walking surfaces. It grips very well and is textured to your hand. The handles on their paring knives are a bit thinner and slicker comparatively, but still have good grip compared to other brands.

I had some nice stainless knives with grips that were not all that comfortable, but I could live with them. Then I had my short stint in commercial food prep. The first thing I found is that straight stainless knives won’t stay sharp for long when you are banging them on a cutting board for hours on end no matter how much I honed them and my hand hurt after a few hours of using them each day at work. So I bought a nice FDick folded stainless/carbon steel knife. I loved the blade, but the handle and my hand did not get along. Eventually I went on to get 8 and 10 inch Kramer by Zwilling carbon steel knives and I could go over a week without sharpening and they have great handles for my hand. I love my babies. With home use I sharpen them a couple times a year.
I learned a lot of stuff on that job. My prep technique got a fuck-ton better. Too bad it has atrophied greatly since. Working in a commercial high-stress kitchen is not a job to begin at 46 years of age. Standing in one place doing repetitive labor is tough. I stayed 4 months. Even in my twenties I did not have the dexterity to hang with a couple of the guys there and I was not willing to go home and practice after work to be able to compete. They were all cool and didn’t look down on me, but I personally didn’t like not being able to contribute as much as they did. But, hey! I have an awesome set of knives, a good knife bag, a pile of Clancey’s T-shirts, and a 10-day supply of compression socks!

And a 10 year supply of crocs or other appropriate no slip soled shoes? :)

Dude I can’t even prep more than a few veggies without starting to get sore on my hands. You should be proud of that past.

I like how in the course of 3 posts we went from the poster talking about whether it was worth sharpening her extremely dull stainless $15 Ikea knife to claybob recommending a $300 carbon steel Bob Kramer.

Hey, I was just sharing experiences not making a recommendation! I think she should just get them sharpened.

Now let me recommend some $300 knives ;)

Edit: Yes, I admit I am knife/sharpness freak now. I think having that job actually cost me money.

This is my favorite ode to a sharp knife. Sadly the author tragically died not long after posting it, so the line about the knife outliving him and his issues is bittersweet. I was a big fan of his.

I love that, thank you! I too feel like I am letting them down now. I take them with me when I volunteer, but they still don’t get anywhere near the use they did in the past. Every time I touch the end of my left thumb I get a tingly reminder of sloppy technique while banging away dicing root vegetables and easily cutting to the bone. I cut myself frequently if I let my mind wander a bit and I am prone to mind wandering. And, man why do I freakin’ always say the wrong manufacturer? I haven’t named them yet though.
I totally agree with the totem statement he makes. I raises my hackles that the only folks folks who can afford a real Kramer knife will make them trophies. There was one being auctioned when I worked at the shop and I showed to the guys. It went for like $10k.
I gave that FDick to my dad. I will probably get it back at some point, tragically. If that happens I intend to find a good woodworker that will make a custom handle for it.