Whenever you see shows like "Top Chef" or even "Pitmasters" you will inevitably see a cook sharpening their knives on a sharpening steel ... but for the home cook this act can damage your cutlery if you use poor form. When I was a kid I was taught to carefully sharpen an blade on a good whetstone and while I use still use this method on knives needing a razor sharp edge I inherited a product called the
ChefMaster Handheld Knife Sharpener that quickly, easily and precisely sharpens almost any style of knife for immediate use in a kitchen, whether indoor or outdoor.
Sharp knives promote proper presentation but they also help you effective slice meats to promote the best possible cut as well as consistent thickness of slice ... these factors actually promote the dining experience from a taste and/or texture perspective.
PROS:1. It does it's job really, really well. I can hone almost every knife I own (except serrated blades or my Spyderco ... use a ceramic rod sharpener and a leather strop for these) in my kit.
2. I've had my ChefMaster for several years and it is damn near bulletproof ... durable and functional to the nth degree.
3. It's quite inexpensive ... you should be able to find them for less than $10.00 and they will restore any good knife to the proper edge.
CONS:1. It does take a bit of time and a level of elbow grease; I do want to stress that many electric sharpeners may be faster but they will rarely provide the fine edge you're looking for.
2. The sharpening blades will wear down over time but you can extend the life by rotating the blades.
FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS:Many of us invest quite a bit of money in our cutlery, whether for cooking indoors or outdoors ... or even our fishing or hunting knives. It makes sense to protect our investment by investing some time to properly sharpen our knives to not only promote a higher level of utility but to promote the longevity our our investment. The ChefMaster Handheld Knife Sharpener is an inexpensive, low-tech solution to a very real challenge and it does the job as efficiently, if not more so, than electric or automated alternatives.
VENDOR RECOMMENDATION:http://www.webstaurantstore.com/chefmaster-90015gdcm-professional-carbide-hand-held-knife-sharpener/80890015GDCM.html
