Comments on: The Best Tools for Keeping Your Knives in Tip-Top Shape featuring Nick DiGiovanni | Gear Heads

By: James Munn

James Munn — Thu, 19 Jan 2023 02:30:50 +0000

I recommend avoiding the most coarse slot of the Chef's Choice unless the knife is obviously severely damaged, or chipped, or if it is actually as dull as a butter knife. The most coarse slot is very aggressive and removes a lot of metal, not recommended for your nicer knives. I generally get by with using only the finest honing slot. I know that some of the stores that sell nice knives offer a sharpening service, but it may just be a commercial version of the Chef's Choice in the back room that the clerk runs it through rather than being sent to a professional knife sharpener.

By: Dawn Knowlton

Dawn Knowlton — Thu, 19 Jan 2023 02:30:50 +0000

I use a much older model of the electric sharpener and I’ve used it for years reliably. I’ve been rough on it, toting it to nearly every personal chef gig I’ve had.

Do you think there have been enough improvements over the years to warrant an upgrade to a newer model?

By: Richard Strohbach

Richard Strohbach — Thu, 19 Jan 2023 02:30:50 +0000

I've been cooking for over 50 years and have destroyed my fair share of knives using cheap and not so cheap knife sharpeners. About ten years ago I got serious about my knives and started buying Japanese knives. Not wanting to destroy them I bought a high end Wicked Edge sharpener. It does a great job on knives down to 14 degrees but that is where the WE ends. I can't sharpen a knife with a finer than 14 degree bevel on my WE. So I had only one option, learn to use a wet stone. Today I can put an edge on any of my knives with a stone in less time than it takes to get the WE of of the pantry and set it up.

By: D0ct0rFun

D0ct0rFun — Thu, 19 Jan 2023 02:30:50 +0000

I'm surprised you did not use a Blade Edge Sharpness machine to give more objective results.

By: Earth Incompatible

Earth Incompatible — Thu, 19 Jan 2023 02:30:50 +0000

I went to a thrift store and bought 8 random knives to use to practice sharpening. Even with an electric sharpener, I'd recommend getting a cheap knife to practice with so you don't ruin a good blade.

By: Tom Manseau

Tom Manseau — Thu, 19 Jan 2023 02:30:50 +0000

A better method and safer method of actually honing the steel is to draw the knife edge backward, not forward. You won't cut yourself and it re-aligns the edge on the blade. What Nick demonstrates does work but not as well. Go ahead and try it and you'll probably agree.

By: RMMM EVS

RMMM EVS — Thu, 19 Jan 2023 02:30:50 +0000

You can't be serious. Ever heard, just for the example of Tormek

By: C-Dawg

C-Dawg — Thu, 19 Jan 2023 02:30:50 +0000

Nick: talks about caring for knives

Ends segment by treating it like a dart

By: Ian Lipsky

Ian Lipsky — Thu, 19 Jan 2023 02:30:50 +0000

It's really hard to take knife advice from someone who's throwing his knives into his cutting board.

By: GandalfWhitest

GandalfWhitest — Thu, 19 Jan 2023 02:30:50 +0000

I have five observations to share:
1) I flinched when I saw a $100 Japanese whetstone (water stone) ruined to dull a knife.
(a 25¢ clay brick will dull a knife just as well)
2) The manual pull-through "sharpeners" are useless and will eventually ruin the knife edge (Yes, I know even ZWILLING sells them)
3) The Chef's Choice Knife Sharpener really works, I have one.
4) Chef's Choice sharpener's diamond wheels will eventually lose their diamond grit and one has to buy a new sharpener. A new replacement wheel is not available, you have to buy a whole new machine. (I contacted the company).
5) Nothing beats (Japanese) Water Stones (I use 4000 and 8000 grit with a Nagura to create a slurry)
Admittedly, I am a "knife nerd" (with a university education in engineering) and understand what it means when it is reported that a knife is made of X50CrMoV15 steel, heat treated to HRC 58.
So perhaps that is why I consider this ATK video among their less stellar ones. :(