Why so much hate for pull sharpeners?

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‘Nother late hit, I guess…

OP, sharpen your knives however you wish, but whenever I read a post from you, I’m gonna think “oh yeah, that guy.” If you ever learn to freehand, please notify us so we can update our opinions of you.

Parker
 
JayDeep,
I think I understand where you're coming from. Growing up, we never had sharp knives in the house. We mistreated our knives. All edges were damaged to a heavy degree. We didn't cut; we sawed.
I eventually acquired a fillet knife that I kept somewhat sharp with a tiny soft Arkansas stone. I eventually found myself using it to cut meat in the kitchen. It cut so smoothly and easily, the difference between it an our kitchen knives was astonishing.
Then I acquired a cheap Chicago Cutlery chef knife. Oh man, what a difference on the veggies! It quickly went dull but too late: I was spoiled. No way was I going to spend gobs of time sharpening my kitchen knife on that dinky Arkansas stone. So I began my quest to find a sharpening system.

I purchased a cheap electric sharpener, and ran a trash knife through it for testing. That sharpener totally ate up the knife, making it worthless. It was horrific. Be very cautious with cheap motorized sharpeners!

Then I purchased a WorkSharp Ken Onion sharpener. It could easily sharpen my kitchen knife to the degree I wanted (Note: the WorkSharp machine has other issues making it a less-than-optimal sharpening system that I'll not get into here.), but it was so much of a hassle to pull out and setup that I didn't use it all that often, and my edge was soon dull again.

Then I found the "perfect" sharpener. It was the Rada Quick Edge, a pull-thru wheel sharpener. I could easily keep my kitchen knives (I had multiple by this time) sharp enough for my taste with just 5-7 light, quick swipes of the blade through the sharpener (after initial re-profiling, of course, which took anywhere from 100-200 strokes on my kitchen knives, but more than 300 on my beloved fillet knife).

Then I started questioning why it was that so many people on the internet were claiming "I sharpen my knives, then I don't have to do anything to them except a few swipes on a steel once every week or two, until they get dull enough that I resharpen in 8-12 months." Why did I need to run my knives through the sharpener after each use to keep them sharp? And why was it that attempting to use a steel on my knives made things much duller? I suspected the edge produced by the pull-thru sharpener was weak, easily deformed and damaged. And steeling didn't work for me because 1) I didn't know how to do it properly, and 2) the edge produced by this pull-thru sharpener is convex.

Then I began to ask myself, "what will I do if I ever purchase a knife utilizing harder steel?" I decided I didn't actually need harder steel, didn't want to spend the money required for a sharpening system that could handle harder steel, and didn't want to waste time learning how to use that sharpening system. Well, guess what - I purchased an expensive knife constructed from harder steel, and research indicated none of the systems I had on hand could properly sharpen it. Sigh... Time to upgrade and learn.

Some people claim that learning to sharpen freehand on stones isn't all that difficult. This has not been the case for me. YouTube sharpening videos make it look soooo easy, but the guys doing it are pros, and many warn that it's harder than they make it look. The internet is full of confusing, contradictory information on the subject. I could have reached the skill level required to freehand sharpen my kitchen knives on stones to the same level as my pull-thru in less than two hours if I'd had an in-person tutor guiding me through the process. But I didn't have that luxury, and so wasted many, many fruitless hours trying to learn. And it's all because I missed one fine point. I'm still learning but I've far surpassed what could be done with the pull-thru sharpener. My experience on stones made it easy to figure out how to properly use a honing rod. Now, rather than sharpening my kitchen knives with a pull-thru sharpener, I use stones for sharpening and a ceramic rod for maintenance. I'm still a bit slower on a rod than I was with the pull-thru (both require care to maintain proper pressure and angle for best results, FYI), but I'm improving, and I don't have to hone the knife after each use. So I now have much sharper kitchen knives and spend less time on maintenance. But the cost... ouch. And the time... ouch. And the frustration... ouch. Is it worth it? You'll have to decide for yourself. If you decide to go this route, do yourself a favor and find someone who can train you in person. You might save yourself a lot of time and some money too.

I'm a newb. Take everything I say with a grain of salt. YMMV.
 
JayDeep said:
I've recently noticed a lot of disdain for and ridicule of those using what I see called pull sharpeners. I've gathered that this means any type of sharpener in which you literally pull your knife through a slender opening with some kind of rods in the shape of a V at the bottom.

Honestly that's all I've ever used. They get it what I would call "working edge sharp" and I've been fine with that. I have noticed that they remove quite a bit of material. Is this the reason nobody likes them? Or maybe its the rather obtuse angle at which the rods force the edge to be?

I'll be the first to admit I don't do high maintenance anything. I would prefer to use the best products and apply the best practices in everything I do, but not at the sacrifice of it being higher maintenance to any noteworthy degree.

A long time ago I purchased a couple different highly touted sharpening systems. One a Lansky that requires way more set up and time than I'm ever interested in. The other is, I think, a Spyderco something or other with varying rods that go into various holes in a plastic base that you then stroke your knife through several times on each side. It came with a CD on angles and techniques etc. That one doesn't seem so bad, but I tried it once and felt like it didn't do anything and doing the angle right is all in how you hold it which is a huge margin for error. So i went back to the pull through type. I've got a dozen of them, they all work and get an edge that I've thus far found acceptable.

What's your take and thoughts?
Click to expand...
What do you use your knives to do and how do you use them? Just cutting string and cardboard or field dressing game etc? Depending on the answer, a pull through sharpener may be the exact thing you need.
 
I think I found the perfect sharpener for JayDeep for only £3,200.00 +VAT. There is a cheaper model for home use for £699.00 +VAT.

CATRA I-100 Commercial Knife Sharpener

One of the world’s best commercial knife sharpeners gives you all these advantages:​

  • Less than 10 seconds per knife.
  • No skill or lengthy training required.
  • Consistent edge angles on every knife, for every user.
  • Safe and comfortable to use.
  • Does not need water, since our CBN abrasive wheels gives a cool grind.
  • Compact, with a folding side-handle for ease of transport.
  • No adjustment necessary.
  • Low consumable cost, as grinding wheels can be recoated, typically £0.01 per blade sharpened (<$0.02).
  • Stainless steel covers and water resistant electrical equipment.
  • Sharpening angles of between 30° and 60° are available.
  • Operates from 240 or 110 volt electrical supply, or even a generator or 12v inverter.
  • Available with range of abrasive grit sizes, for different knife uses.
  • Ideal for abattoirs, fish and food processors, knife sharpening services, small knife manufacturers and other related industries.
  • Suitable for sharpening up to 1000 knives per day!
  • Magnetic dust entrapment system prevents contamination of food process areas.
  • Capable of sharpening both single and double bevel blades.
The I-100 operates using the Spiral Interlock Grinding Wheel system known throughout the world of knife manufacturing and sharpening, and one that CATRA has been using for over 40 years. By coupling this system with the high-tech abrasive Cubic Boron Nitride (CBN), it provides CATRA knife sharpeners with many advantages.

By selecting a particular sharpening angle, typically 30°, you will consistently produce high levels of sharpness, as the edge angle is controlled by the grinding wheel diameter. This diameter does not change during the life of the CBN abrasive.

Each pair of interlocking wheels is capable of sharpening a blade at least 20,000 times and much more if a knife blade edge thinning system is operated. When the time eventually comes around, wheels can be returned to our Sheffield workshop for abrasive recoating, thereby keeping consumable costs low.

Different grades of abrasive are available, which allow knives to be sharpened for different applications.​

 
Last edited:
Another Shepherd said:
I think I found the perfect sharpener for JayDeep for only £3,200.00 +VAT. There is a cheaper model for home use for £699.00 +VAT.

CATRA I-100 Commercial Knife Sharpener

One of the world’s best commercial knife sharpeners gives you all these advantages:​

  • Less than 10 seconds per knife.
  • No skill or lengthy training required.
  • Consistent edge angles on every knife, for every user.
  • Safe and comfortable to use.
  • Does not need water, since our CBN abrasive wheels gives a cool grind.
  • Compact, with a folding side-handle for ease of transport.
  • No adjustment necessary.
  • Low consumable cost, as grinding wheels can be recoated, typically £0.01 per blade sharpened (<$0.02).
  • Stainless steel covers and water resistant electrical equipment.
  • Sharpening angles of between 30° and 60° are available.
  • Operates from 240 or 110 volt electrical supply, or even a generator or 12v inverter.
  • Available with range of abrasive grit sizes, for different knife uses.
  • Ideal for abattoirs, fish and food processors, knife sharpening services, small knife manufacturers and other related industries.
  • Suitable for sharpening up to 1000 knives per day!
  • Magnetic dust entrapment system prevents contamination of food process areas.
  • Capable of sharpening both single and double bevel blades.
The I-100 operates using the Spiral Interlock Grinding Wheel system known throughout the world of knife manufacturing and sharpening, and one that CATRA has been using for over 40 years. By coupling this system with the high-tech abrasive Cubic Boron Nitride (CBN), it provides CATRA knife sharpeners with many advantages.

By selecting a particular sharpening angle, typically 30°, you will consistently produce high levels of sharpness, as the edge angle is controlled by the grinding wheel diameter. This diameter does not change during the life of the CBN abrasive.

Each pair of interlocking wheels is capable of sharpening a blade at least 20,000 times and much more if a knife blade edge thinning system is operated. When the time eventually comes around, wheels can be returned to our Sheffield workshop for abrasive recoating, thereby keeping consumable costs low.

Different grades of abrasive are available, which allow knives to be sharpened for different applications.​

Click to expand...
Link??
 
DhpJAbA.gif

You're welcome, OP.
 
Another Shepherd said:
I think I found the perfect sharpener for JayDeep for only £3,200.00 +VAT. There is a cheaper model for home use for £699.00 +VAT.

CATRA I-100 Commercial Knife Sharpener

One of the world’s best commercial knife sharpeners gives you all these advantages:​

  • Less than 10 seconds per knife.
  • No skill or lengthy training required.
  • Consistent edge angles on every knife, for every user.
  • Safe and comfortable to use.
  • Does not need water, since our CBN abrasive wheels gives a cool grind.
  • Compact, with a folding side-handle for ease of transport.
  • No adjustment necessary.
  • Low consumable cost, as grinding wheels can be recoated, typically £0.01 per blade sharpened (<$0.02).
  • Stainless steel covers and water resistant electrical equipment.
  • Sharpening angles of between 30° and 60° are available.
  • Operates from 240 or 110 volt electrical supply, or even a generator or 12v inverter.
  • Available with range of abrasive grit sizes, for different knife uses.
  • Ideal for abattoirs, fish and food processors, knife sharpening services, small knife manufacturers and other related industries.
  • Suitable for sharpening up to 1000 knives per day!
  • Magnetic dust entrapment system prevents contamination of food process areas.
  • Capable of sharpening both single and double bevel blades.
The I-100 operates using the Spiral Interlock Grinding Wheel system known throughout the world of knife manufacturing and sharpening, and one that CATRA has been using for over 40 years. By coupling this system with the high-tech abrasive Cubic Boron Nitride (CBN), it provides CATRA knife sharpeners with many advantages.

By selecting a particular sharpening angle, typically 30°, you will consistently produce high levels of sharpness, as the edge angle is controlled by the grinding wheel diameter. This diameter does not change during the life of the CBN abrasive.

Each pair of interlocking wheels is capable of sharpening a blade at least 20,000 times and much more if a knife blade edge thinning system is operated. When the time eventually comes around, wheels can be returned to our Sheffield workshop for abrasive recoating, thereby keeping consumable costs low.

Different grades of abrasive are available, which allow knives to be sharpened for different applications.​

Click to expand...
I see on their webpage that the sharpener is suitable for:
  • Vegetable
  • Steak / Scimitar
  • Boners
  • DIY / Craft
heh heh. heh heh.
 
CutterBoi said:
Why did I need to run my knives through the sharpener after each use to keep them sharp?

but the guys doing it are pros, and many warn that it's harder than they make it look. The internet is full of confusing, contradictory information on the subject.
Click to expand...
1: Burrs. An edge with a burr or wire edge seems sharp until it breaks off. Have to remove the burr. I didn't read about your sharpening method.

2: I'm not a pro, but then again I don't have a video. It's not as contradictory as you think. Hold knife at constant angle to abrasive. Move around until you form a bur on the entirety of the side. Flip around and do the same. Remove burr.
Sure, everybody moves their blade around differently, but they all hold at a constant angle and move around to wear off steel to apex the edge. Those are the essential parts.

3: I thought it was confusing until I did it for real. It cleared up then. Like any skill, it takes repeating and observation.
 
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