If you've invested in good quality kitchen knives, it's important to maintain your knives' sharp edges and ensure it doesn't go blunt and impact your knives performance. Why do you need to keep your knives sharp? A dull knife may make your cutting task more difficult, resulting in uneven cuts. Dull knives can even be dangerous as there is a higher chance of your knife slipping due to the higher pressure required to cut. With a sharp knife, you’ll be able to create beautiful, precise cuts and slices of your ingredients to enhance the look and taste of your food. A sharp blade will also be safer as it will easily sink into the item while being less likely to slip. A quality knife sharpener can bring your knives back to their original sharpness and cutting efficiency.
Which knife sharpener is right for me?
The right knife sharpener for you will depend on the type of knife you own, kitchen storage capacity, budget, the level of convenience you desire and your experience level in sharpening.
When selecting a knife sharpener, it is important to first determine the knives you have in your kitchen. Depending on the region your knife is from, your knife blade will have a specific edge angle. European knives are usually sharpened to an edge with a 20° to 22° edge angle while Asian knives, particularly Japanese chef knives have a more acute angle of 10° to 15°. European knives traditionally have thicker blades with double bevels, coming to a point in the centre. On the other hand, some Asian knives are single bevelled with a slim and exceptionally sharp edge. Why this is important as there are various pull-through sharpeners that are specifically made for European or Japanese knives. Using the incorrect sharpener can end up damaging your knives or not achieving the optimium sharpening results.
Different types of knife sharpeners
There are various tools available to maintain and keep your knives sharp. The main types of sharpeners are pull-through knife sharpeners, whetstones, and sharpening steels.
Pull-through Knife Sharpeners
One of the more easy-to-use knife sharpeners, the pull-through knife sharpener is quite popular with home chefs. This type of sharpener makes sharpening your blades quick and effortless with a few pulls. Commonly made with 2 or 3 step processes, pull-through sharpeners are usually designed with slots fitted with coarse wheels or grinding surfaces in v-shaped channels.
A pull through knife sharpener works by grinding down the dulled surface of the blade to expose a sharp edge as you pull your blade through the slots. Some pull through sharpeners have dedicated slots for Asian or European knives so make sure your knife sharpener caters to your knife type before making your choice. The downside to pull-through sharpeners is they may remove more metal than needed, shortening the lifespan of your knife.
Electric pull-through sharpener
Electric pull through sharpeners are extremely straightforward to use with 2 or 3 step processes to easily sharpen and hone your blade to a sharp edge. When turned on, the sharpening stones spin automatically to grind your blade with ease. Some electric sharpeners also include blade angle guides to ensure your knife is sharpened at just the right angle. However, these sharpeners do not offer as much control as manual ones and are typically quite large, taking up more space in your kitchen.
Manual Pull-through Sharpener
Manual pull-through sharpeners typically have less steps in comparison to electric ones but will require more effort to use. Nevertheless, manual sharpeners offer better control when sharpening knives. These sharpeners are usually more affordable and compact, making them easy to store in your kitchen drawer.
Whetstones
Whetstones are rectangular shaped stones with a coarse surface designed to grind blades to a sharp edge. They can be crafted from natural or man-made materials and will need to be lubricated with water or oil in order to work.
How to sharpen a knife with a whetstone? Simply hold your blade at an angle and run the blade across the stone until you’ve achieved your preferred sharpness. Suitable for both Asian and European knives, whetstones are also the preferred choice for professional knife sharpeners as they offer the most control and precision.
Sharpening Steel
Sharpening steels are ridged, rod-like tools with a handle – a staple for butchers. Despite what the name suggests, this handy tool does not in fact sharpen knives. Instead, it is used to realign the edge of a blade that has been bent out of shape while in use. This helps to maintain the sharp edge of your knife to make smooth and clean cuts of meat. Honing your knife is simple - hold your steel vertically, resting the base on a chopping board. Then, glide your blade down starting from the heel to the tip of your knife in a curved motion.
Our Favourite Knife Sharpener Brands
With so many knife sharpeners available, selecting the right one for you may be a challenge. Here are our favourite knife sharpener brands and why we love them below to inspire you to find your perfect match.
Global: Global has been making exceptional Japanese knives since 1985. The perfect blend of tradition, innovation, Japanese style and precision, the brand revolutionised the modern knife set with Global knives. Global also offers a range of knife sharpeners including sharpening stones, sharpening steels, pull through sharpeners, and more – perfect for sharpening both Global knives and other Asian knives. If you’re looking for an easy-to-use knife sharpener, we recommend the Minosharp 3 Stage Ceramic Pull Through Water Sharpener from the Global Knife Sharpeners range. Featuring 3 whetstone wheel sharpeners for your choice of coarse, medium, or super fine sharpness, your kitchen knives will be sharpened in just a few pulls.
Wusthof: Wusthof is a family-owned and managed company founded in 1814 creating exceptional German-made knives that are renowned and used by chefs globally. To ensure Wusthof knives remain sharp, Wusthof Knife Sharpeners were developed to sharpen your knives with ease. Wusthof’s Classic Ikon Knife Sharpener is suitable for all Wusthof and European knives. Featuring a ceramic grinding element with both a fine and coarse level, you will be able to ensure your blade regains its original edge and sharpness.
Scanpan: Scanpan is renowned as one of the leading kitchenware and cookware brands in Europe and a market leader in Australia. Offering high performance products that are also great value for money since 1956, the Denmark company also develops knife sharpeners to keep knives in pristine condition. Scanpan Knife Sharpeners are perfect for making knife sharpening a breeze. Scanpan’s Classic 3 Stage Knife Sharpener has taken the best qualities of Tungsten, Diamond and ceramic to create the perfect knife sharpener. In the first step, the tungsten edge restorer removes nicks and burrs from the edge of your knife. Next, the second diamond sharpener slightly shaves metal from the knife, thinning the blade edge to lessen the resistance when cutting. Finally, the ceramic sharpener polishes your blade into the finest of edges, making your knife ready for use.
Work Sharp: Looking for a knife sharpener that is able to maintain the sharpness of your knives and handle the demands of a commercial kitchen to a home kitchen? Look no further than Work Sharp Sharpeners. One of our favourites from the brand is the Electric E5 sharpener. This handy tool is great for sharpening any kitchen knife edge back to new with easy adjustment utilising traditional belt sharpening practices with a compact and versatile machine. With adjustable angles from 15° for Eastern knives to 20° for Western knives, this sharpener is suitable for a wide variety of blades.
Chef's Choice: Known for producing high quality professional knife sharpeners since 1984, Chef's Choice is renowned for manufacturing the world's best electric, manual and specialty scissors and knife sharpeners for home cooks and commercial chefs. Their consistent quality and wide range of sharpening tools and solutions make Chefs Choice Knife Sharpeners the household name it is today. We love the Edge Select 120 Professional Electric Sharpener from the brand as it allows us to easily sharpen our kitchen knives at home without any hassle or strain.
Our Favourite Knife Brands
We are proud to offer world reknowned knife brands used by professional chefs and home cooks alike. Shop the best knives from brands like:
FAQs
How do professionals sharpen their knives?
Professional chefs tend to choose whetstones when sharpening knives thanks to the control and precision provided by these sharpeners. Whetstones also do not remove an extensive amount of metal when sharpened properly, thus extending the lifespan of your knife. There is a relatively steep learning curve to sharpening with whetstones, but with practice, the process will be easy.
What's the best way to sharpen knives?
The best way to sharpen knives will depend on your skill and time constraint. If you are new to knife sharpening and do not want to spend too much time on sharpening, then an electric knife sharpener may be right for you. On the other hand, if you are looking to extend the lifespan of your knives, then whetstones might be the better choice for you. Whetstones are also more affordable and compact, ideal for smaller kitchens.
Why shop for knife sharpeners online at Everten?
We proudly offer knife sharpeners that are designed and crafted with the highest standards, choosing to stock sharpeners from the most notable brands such as Global, Wusthof, Scanpan, Work Sharp, Chefs Choice and more. Our simple search enables you to filter by brand, type or price range to allow you to shop online with ease. We also offer express shipping options for knife sharpeners along with an easy returns policy should you wish to return your sharpener due to incorrect choice.
