I thought I was quite a knife expert, having practised using a two sided stone at a cooking store where I purchased the first of my fine chefs' knives. I would use the stone every month or so and then follow with periodic fine tuning with a steel. I have been following this routine for twenty years and I thought my knives were getting the best treatment. Well, that was until I found the manual 440 two stage. I believe that only a manual can sharpen and protect a knife because overheating is known to change the temper of high carbon steel. After I got married my wife had this 440 sitting in the cabinet and I gave it a try. Not having the instructions, I used the philosophy that less is more and only pulled a few strokes through the 1 side and a few through the 2. The results were amazing! This inexpensive device preserves the hollow ground and it is almost impossible to do damage to a quality knife with this sharpener. I immediately sent one to my mother and she is getting excellent results now too. Providing that the knife is quality to start with and has not been abused by cutting on hard surfaces or clanging against metal and plates in a dishwasher, you will experience a knife that is sharper than a barber's razor. Here is a case where easy and cheap beats all other options.
The set of knives we had received as a wedding gift had grown dull because I foolishly used them on a tempered glass cutting board. As the edges dulled, so did my interest in the art of food preparation. Eventually, I was reduced to mincing garlic and chopping onions in a food processor.
Then I began watching "Iron Chef" and its American cousin "Iron Chef America" on Food Network. The skill of those talented men and women lit a spark inside me. I longed to take that big chef's knife in hand once more and send its blade through a big juicy onion.
It was a tear-jerking experience because the knife was so dull, I could barely cut the onion in half and lop off the root and stem before its pungent aroma overpowered me. Dejected, I finished the task in the, you guessed it, food processor.
While shopping, I came across this sharpener. The explanation on the back of the package was a revelation. Seems concave hollow-ground edges are especially vulnerable to bending and blunting. The Chef's Choice solution: sharpen the edge into a slightly bulging V, then hone a more sharply angled bevel. The edge is now bolstered by the blade, not exposed to the dulling forces of hard surfaces. Made perfect sense to me.
I tossed the sharpener into my cart along with a brand new wood cutting board (yes, like the type they use on both "Iron Chef" and "Iron Chef America").
My big chef's knife needed 100 strokes in the sharpening channel. After 10 quick swipes through the honing channel, it plowed through a big brown onion (the strong kind) faster than I could shed a tear. Cloves of garlic fell apart like tiny sticks of butter.
Now that my knives have been resurrected, I give them a quick sharpening after I wash and dry them, and before I put them away. When the cooking muse stirs, I can get right to work without pausing to sharpen up.
At this price, it can't hurt to find out if all your knives need is a good sharpening.
Buy Chef's Choice 440 2-Stage Manual Sharpener Now
I purchased a super-duper knife set form a t.v. shopping net
work that starts with a "Q". When they arrived they were so-so
sharp. In a coulpe of weeks I was sorry I bought them. Lucky
for me I kept my old set(Chicago Cutlery). I then discovered
this sharpner and WOW. It brought my old set back to a very
sharp edge and the "super-duper set back an edge that would
cut tomatoes with out squashing them. Lesson: Don't buy knives
that have composit blades and claim to be ever-sharp. Also
don't judge a sharpner by it price. This is a good sharpener.
Read Best Reviews of Chef's Choice 440 2-Stage Manual Sharpener Here
Product seems to provide a fool proof method for sharpening knives and they are sharp after you use this product. It has to stick around for a couple of years to get a 5th star.
Want Chef's Choice 440 2-Stage Manual Sharpener Discount?
I had previously bought a Presto electric sharpener, which is good for getting a reasonable edge, and for grinding out bad knicks. But the Presto left a rough edge. I used a microscope and the edge looked like jagged hills and valleys at high magnification. But with the Chef's Choice 440 the edge looks almost perfectly straight under the microscope, and the blade is literally shaving sharp. Make sure to follow the directions and use almost no pressure when sharpening. Great sharpener!!
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I saw positive reviews for another "thick & thin" slicer on Amazon, but also read about its propensity to break in half. Next I found this product. "Problem solved!", I thought, 'cuz it's "Stainless Steel". No, just the wire is. The dark color in the pic misled me. This product was likely cast in the very same mold as the white one you'll find on here in plastic. FYI folks.
