Looking For Great Sharpener...

[Derek Arita]

I have a Tormek and think it produces a great edge on my kitchen knives, however I don't have a permanent place for it, so everytime I want to use it, I have to pull it out and set it up. As a result, I'm looking for a more portable system that is as easy, quick and effective as the Tormek.
I know many will mention using stones, but I don't have the time or patience to learn that degree of sharpening technique, so those are off the board. I tried the Lansky system, but couldn't get a Tormek edge, so it went back. Please tell me there's something out there that fits the bill.

[Bill White]

Take a GOOD look at the Makita. I've had mine for years.
Bill

[Dave Gaul]

Have you looked at the WorkSharp Knife sharpener?

[Stephen Cherry]

DMT duosharp extra coarse/ coarse and fine/extra fine, then a spyderco ceramic stone, all with a 10 dollar woodcraft sharpening jig, and a water spray bottle. None of these are really stone. I have this setup and can shave arm hair on a yardsale plan blade in about 10 minutes. The big plus is that you can keep chisels sharp while you are using them. For a final sharpen, I sometimes use rouge on hard cardboard.

Here's the technique- back and forth, repeat. It's not complex.

[Matt Kestenbaum]

This is a strange thread to me. No offense intended Derek, but woodworking in general does not lend itself to "I don't have the time or patience" statements.

There is no automatic coffee maker for sharp edge tools. I am no purist "neander" woodworker I've got plenty of 220 outlets in my shop and i like my hand tools too. Its not that different a skill than learning to properly mill wood flat, square and parallel. Learning to do it means learning to appreciate it and more importantly recognize it.

Its not that woodworkers everywhere don't look to ever increase there efficiency with technology, but it doesn't get any more fundamental that putting fresh edges on your tools. An instructor that I highly regard, has urged students not to think of sharpening your tools as something to do apart from woodworking...sharpening your tools IS woodworking. (BTW, I trained for years as a chef and the same approach exists in most kitchens too. I have seen cooks with pedigreed resumes fired or demoted when the Chef comes to their station to show them something, picks up their knife and the edge is dull.)

Take a class (most places that teach any kind of woodworking offer them--even woodcraft offers them monthly), and see what kind of systems works for you.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I don't think you'll get "better" than a Tormek. It has it's share of problems and critics, but IMO, it's the most effective AND foolproof sharpener out there. Providing you use the jigs......

[Derek Gilmer]

The worksharp 3000 has the port for chisels/narrow blades that have preset-able angles. About as quick and easy as it gets to me. You can grind with the 120 grit and get up to 8000 grit with add on paper. Then slap on the leather honing wheel to finish. I can shave with home depot chisels after a few minutes.

The main problem is honing the back of blades is pretty hard.

[Peter Aeschliman]

Matt, in my opinion (and this is solely a matter of opinion), sharpening is an inconvenience, just like changing the knives in my planer or tuning up my table saw, or flattening the sole of a jointer plane. Those things are necessary, but inconvenient (to me). I see nothing wrong with doing whatever we can to minimize the time we spend sharpening tools. This is a case where I believe it's about the outcome, not the process. My woodworking is about the process (because that's the part I enjoy), not the outcome. That's the difference in my mind.

At the end of the day, we're hobbyists. We're doing this for fun. "Fun" is a matter of personal taste. One person may think learning and practicing the art of sharpening is fun, and others might find it worse than having your teeth pulled without anesthesia. And there's no universal law that says all woodworkers must find passion in sharpening their tools, and should spend big money on shapton stones.

And for me, when I think about one of the reasons I enjoy woodworking so much, I think it's mostly because of the freedom I have when I'm alone in my shop. I can escape from the stresses and demands of my career into this world where I'm free to succeed and fail as I please. There's no "Chef" walking around my shop threatening to fire me because my tools aren't sharp enough. That's why I like woodworking!

Derek, here's another vote for the worksharp 3000. It's a really great tool. It doesn't take long for me to get a chisel razor sharp. But you need to buy the leather honing wheel and the felt polishing wheel to really get it razor sharp. Look up a thread started by John Coloccia where he posted a video review of the worksharp. The tool is small enough that you could build a little platform for it and easily stow it away. You could put a drawer in it to keep all of the accessories. When you need it, simply pull it out and clamp it to/in your bench.

[Dave Gaul]

Guys, I'm just as big of a fan of the WS3k as you, and would never give mine up, but the OP is asking about sharpening kitchen knives. That's why I asked if he looked at the WS Knife Sharpener, it would be something he could keep in his kitchen or nearby...

[Rob Cunningham]

For kitchen and pocket knives, I use the Spyderco Triangle Sharpmaker. It doesn't take long to set up and use and produces an incredibly sharp edge.
http://spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=77

[Peter Aeschliman]

Oh. I must have misunderstood. I read the kitchen knives part as just one example of how he is using the Tormek... this is a woodworking forum after all! ;-)

[Dave Gaul]

Oh. I must have misunderstood. I read the kitchen knives part as just one example of how he is using the Tormek... this is a woodworking forum after all! ;-)

True, but we all need to eat right??

I think he means to continue to use his Tormek for the shop stuff, but it's a pain for him to get it out for his kitchen knives.

[Chris Tsutsui]

I have a tormek T-7 and I agree that it takes time so what I did is use a dry grinder (I have a delta 6" bench grinder) and there's an adapter that lets you use tormek jigs on a dry grinder.

This makes shaping super fast and if I want something to be scary sharp, then i'll fire up the tormek.

I attended a rob cosman demo and Rob didn't know that diamond stones go up to 8000 grit (extra extra fine) as he endorses the 1000 grit and 16,000 grit shapton glass stones.

I think having diamond plates in various grits can help maintain edges quickly and conveniently. I don't have to worry about flattening traditional stones and they're pretty durable.

I'm leaning towards suggesting diamond plates which can be used conveniently, and paying $50 to use your tormek jigs on a dry grinder if you don't like the long waiting time for the slow tormek wheel to remove material.

[Derek Gilmer]

Oh. I must have misunderstood. I read the kitchen knives part as just one example of how he is using the Tormek... this is a woodworking forum after all! ;-)

Same here. I just use my 1-3/4" chisel to cut steak. I thought that was the norm.

[Matt Kestenbaum]

Peter,

I understand that not all aspects of the craft are as enjoyable as all other and that some are just drudgery...I agree, i must say that cleaning pitch off of bits and blades is right up there for me along with your own changing planer/jointer blades. And I didn't mean to suggest the Zen of honing is what its all about, only that the care and upkeep of tools is part of developing/maintaining the skills and discipline that makes the smooth paring, cutting, etc. so enjoyable.

THAT SAID, and with the clarifications provided by Dave Gaul...and my years behind the stove...GET A CHEF'S CHOICE made by edgcraft.com It is the Tormek of the food world. BTW kitchen knives, unlike ww'ing tools use much harder, high carbon stainless steel (the good knives from Europe...the Japanese high end are laminated like all Japanese edge tools) and won't work well with a water stone Tormek or shapton or any other set up for the A2 or O2 of ww'ing. That is why those of you using diamond get better results. The old school kitchen methods were to use three grades of oil stones and then a very fine ceramic hone and ultimately a magnetized and ridged carbide "steel." The advantage of the chef's choice models are not just that they use good diamond wheels at the right speeds, but also that they cut both bevels (western knives are double beveled, Japanese knives are not) while the blade is held perpendicular to the base...a sort of built in jig.