Knife sharpening is not one of my skills. My Daddy could sharpen knives. About once a month, he’d go to the kitchen sink, get out his worn-down whetstone with a red handle and methodically sharpen each knife in our kitchen drawer to a scalpel-grade edge. If you reached in the knife drawer and weren’t paying attention, you’d come out with a handful of blood.
He could sharpen knives. I can’t – unless I use one of those kits with multiple working different parts. The problem with kits is that they are always in the basement or under a cabinet somewhere and when you need a sharp knife, they’re not available. I have been using one of those hand-held devices that you slide across the knife’s edge, and they sort of work. It will make a dull knife not quite as dull as before, but not really sharp.
I saw a product online called a Sharpal. It looked like it might work and didn’t come as a kit, so I figured I’d be able to find it when I needed it.
It arrived last week. I tried it. It works. Again, not sharp like Daddy’s knives, but sharp enough for ordinary kitchen chores.
It’s a compact little deal and uses a suction cup to lock in place on a smooth surface. It has two grooves for sharpening – a carbide, coarse grind when your knife is in the “won’t cut warm butter” condition and a ceramic edge for finishing. It also has an edge for whetting kitchen scissors which is pretty neat.
I like the lock down feature, which makes it safter and easier to use. It’s a neat little gadget and now has a permanent place on the counter beside the kitchen knives. Now, I can sharpen with confidence.
Sharpal. Check it out online.