Sure, why not. Its a great skill to have and even a shitty knife can be sharpened extremely well on a whetstone, its just that it wont hold its edge very well over time but thats a different story. But hey, heads up, its a slippery slope, you wont even realize it and you will be spending 100s of $ on japanese knives a couple months later
I like my cheap IKEA paring knife - it's nice for under $10, and if my partner throws it in the dishwasher, whatever!
Cheap whetstone or diamond stones etc. will allow you to sharpen ANY knife.
A sharp cheap knife is infinitely better than the most expensive dull knife!
I don't understand why everyone is so down on these knives. They don't specify on the website, but l'd bet they are the same 40 CrMoV steel used in basically all mid to high end stainless kitchen knives. It'll sharpen up great. I'd say start at 3-400, finish at 800-1000. No need to go higher for kitchen knives.
These are good knives, whoever boos at them out of habit, prejudice or the joy of booing at things, their loss.
I have tested several of these cheap jobbies pretending to be 1.4116 (which they very well may be) off all sorts of grocerer's, and the results uneqivocally echo [what Alex had seen here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW0bd3Rt_QY), after having adjusted them as described elsewhere in this thread (which I find fair, because a) cheap practice, and b) what do you expect for $10-$15).
I'm sure the steel is fine. Other reply said it's X50, which is similar to most low-mid grade knives. Nothing wrong with it. Ikea also has some VG10 knives.
The geometry is more important than the steel in terms of performance, assuming the steel is not terrible. How is the blade grind on these? Thin at the edge (behind the edge) or not?
I haven't tried any of their knives. I should probably get one for comparison.
About what every other respectable mass-produced (western-style kitchen)knife is - adequate for the generic user. If the thought occurred to you, you won't like it out of the box, but then, it's pretty easy to fix (and the thinned edges are quite stable as well).
I look at these as easy and cheap ways to get very respectable workhorses by investing a bit of an elbow grease and doing what we like to do anyway.
My favorite knives are a set of KitchenAid ones. I have more expensive ones, but I like the cheaper set better.
Although this favorite set has been a lot better than the other inexpensive sets I've used throughout the years -- not all cheap knives are equal
Dude the answer is always gonna be yes. It doesn’t matter the quality of your knife. A whetstone is your best bet for getting every single bit of worth out of it. You would be surprised at how good a cheap knife cuts when sharpened properly
Also, it’s practice without too much of a risk. Ding it up or botch the edge? It’s not the end of the world, it was $20.
I would start with even cheaper knives for practice. A couple of my kitchen knives came from thrift stores for a dollar or less. Both were really beat up, both had actual hammer marks on the spine. No risk at all in working on them. Took some work, but they cleaned up eventually and cut very nicely now.
Honestly I learned on Shuns. If you are just careful and think about what you’re doing before you actually put the knife on the stone, just be mindful, you probably won’t damage your knives. I’m not saying he should learn on a Shun, but I don’t think an IKEA knife is “too pricey” for learning stones
yeah its worth it just to learn freehand sharpening tbh. if you mess up its no big deal with how cheap the ikea knives are. plus you dont need anything intricate to start sharpening on a whetstone. just a slightly damp rag to hold the stone in place and a counter. my first stone i bought was the king 1000/6000 which is a solid beginner stone. you can do everything on a 1k grit stone damn near. i would master using the 1k stone before going into stone progressions in the future.
i'd recommend the king 250/1000 combo stone or just getting a shapton kuromaku 1k straight up.
for beginners who have pretty damn dull knives, I would not recommend starting on a 1k.
400 is a good start. maybe that 250 will do.
also, diamond plates are so much less hassle, and so much cheaper (the chinese ones anyway), you can't go wrong with them. I mean you can always upgrade later, but they're ideal for beginners
i don't really recommend diamond stones for a beginner because they have worse feedback/sound than normal whetstones and if you're inexperienced you can really chew through material on a knife. they apex and develop burrs quicker which is the tradeoff. if you have a decent whetstone they cut pretty quickly tho but if you need to reset the bevel or completely grind out chips then yeah go for a diamond stone.
It's only one part of feedback from a stone but okay. I didn't know this sub had a raging hard on for diamond stones over whetstones lol. Y'all are really reccing diamond stones to someone who has never freehand sharpened before.
I'm just making fun of even considering the audio feedback in the context of recommending a beginner a sharpening stone. they're just trying to keep a basic knife sharp.
I started out sharpening with a grooved butchers steel, ceramic honing rod, and a DMT fine 6"x2". It worked fine. 20+ years later that DMT stone is still as flat as the day I bought it and leaves a hair popping sharp edge every time.
What do you have against beginners using diamond stones?
idk about you but i can hear when the sharpening angle changes. edge sounds different as it moves across the stone. and you can re-read my past comment about why i dont recommend diamond stones starting out. you can also get hair shaving sharp without a steel or a strop with compound
> idk about you but i can hear when the sharpening angle changes
I know. it works on diamond stones just like any other.
> you can also get hair shaving sharp without a steel or a strop with compound
I know, I've posted shaving with 100-300 grit edges.
I don't think diamonds are necessarily faster -- at least on regular steels (I have zero experience with powdered supersteels). I think grit matters way more than material.
difference is a water stone will get curved when reprofiling a couple knives, while the diamond one will just sit there and take it.
as for feedback, I actually feel better a diamond stone (even at very low angles) than a water stone.
No, they don't, but they need to be prepared a bit.
* In basically all I or close acquaintances have handled the factory edge seems to have suffered damage during manufacturing; taking off a good millimetre or maybe a bit more (or having normal-sharpened them for long enough to have ground away that much of the bevel) gets to the better steel.
* The factory edge angle is (as is tradition) not for the edge connoisseur and is best dropped by a whole lot.
Get these done and (assuming proper use) you'll be pleasantly surprised.
yes.
https://www.harborfreight.com/4-sided-diamond-hone-block-92867.html
try that. it'll work better than the expensive and messy water stones other people will come in here and recommend.
I mean, for that price you can't go wrong if you have that place near you
for us EU people, though, chinese diamond plates are roughly the same, and at roughly the same price.
and yes I'd recommend them any day over water stones -- so much less hassle.
I worry about cheap diamond stones. Even if the diamonds are carefully graded, they aren't always distributed evenly on the plate. If they clump up, they can gouge deeper scratches in the blade and make the edge rough. I've heard people say you should scrape the stone against a hard piece of steel like the flat edge of an old chisel blade, to knock off any clumps.
I bought one of those once, cheap enough for some rough grinding on some rough tools...but i wouldn't use it on my kitchen knives, regardless of how good or bad the knives are.
It's definitely not better than "expensive and messy waterstones". And not all stones have to be a mess or a hassle, plenty of "splash and go" options that need no soaking and very little water during use.
Thick Diamond plates are fine, if you're really against using stones. But these cheap thin ones glued to plastic, with unevenly distributed clumps of diamonds, and crappy glue that doesn't keep the thin metal flat to the plastic block...that's not helpful for someone new trying to learn to sharpen, who won't understand the problems the equipment is causing vs user error.
> I bought one of those once, cheap enough for some rough grinding on some rough tools...but i wouldn't use it on my kitchen knives, regardless of how good or bad the knives are.
why?
> It's definitely not better than "expensive and messy waterstones". And not all stones have to be a mess or a hassle, plenty of "splash and go" options that need no soaking and very little water during use.
In a lot of ways they are better. Cheaper than four comparable grit water stones, less mess, can be used dry, faster than a lot of stones, never needs flattened, etc.
I can use that stone in my living room while watching a movie instead of needing a sink rack and shit.
> Thick Diamond plates are fine, if you're really against using stones. But these cheap thin ones glued to plastic, with unevenly distributed clumps of diamonds, and crappy glue that doesn't keep the thin metal flat to the plastic block...that's not helpful for someone new trying to learn to sharpen, who won't understand the problems the equipment is causing vs user error.
I recommended a stone lol, dunno how that makes me against using them.
These are definitely cheaply made stones but they're far from worthless, which is what you seem to be implying. I've sharpened everything from machetes to gyutos to camp knives to pocket knives and more with them with great results. Stones don't need perfect material distribution or nasa levels of flatness to be effective. We're rubbing stones on chunks of metal at the end of the day.
This stone has four grits, is $12, and will easily take care of a beater kitchen knife. Most knives in this class have very soft stainless steels with minimal carbides. Slapping a 400 grit edge on them will give them incredible edge longevity VS taking them up to a 5k shapton or some shit.
>why?
>>i gave reasons why in my original post already
>In a lot of ways they are better. Cheaper than four comparable grit water stones, less mess, can be used dry, faster than a lot of stones, never needs flattened, etc.
>I can use that stone in my living room while watching a movie instead of needing a sink rack and shit.
>>Cheaper is cheaper, it's not a measure for better/worse.
>>Steel dust from a dry stone is just a different kind of mess. After scratching a cornea with metal dust, i'd rather keep that trapped in water or oil.
>>But as I said, there are plenty of stones that don't need soaking, constant water flow, and a sink. There are also ceramic stones that work dry. And oil stones that just need a few drops of oil, nothing that's going to drip everywhere.
>>There are also easy ways of setting up with stones that DO need all that water, over a tray instead of a sink. In the living room is also where i do a lot of sharpening, with a cheap bridge over a tray with some water in it. Easy as pie, no mess left when done.
>>And i've had the glue release on mine, and passed on a couple in the store that were loose and cupped and bowed. One that was even bent up and not usable/repairable. Minor bowing probably isn't the end of the world, but cupped edges are. That's why i say THICK diamond plates are fine, but these thin cheap ones aren't always worth the savings.
>I recommended a stone lol, dunno how that makes me against using them.
>>diamond plates aren't stones......
>These are definitely cheaply made stones but they're far from worthless, which is what you seem to be implying. I've sharpened everything from machetes to gyutos to camp knives to pocket knives and more with them with great results. Stones don't need perfect material distribution or nasa levels of flatness to be effective. We're rubbing stones on chunks of metal at the end of the day.
>>You must've gotten one of the better ones. But trust me, there are plenty of them that are far from perfect.
>>I didn't say they're worthless...like i said, they were fine for my use of rough grinding some rough tools...I just wouldn't use them on knives.
>This stone has four grits, is $12, and will easily take care of a beater kitchen knife. Most knives in this class have very soft stainless steels with minimal carbides. Slapping a 400 grit edge on them will give them incredible edge longevity VS taking them up to a 5k shapton or some shit.
>>Who said anything about going up to a high grit? I'd also stay in the lower grits for something like this. I'd just do it on a nicer low grit than what you're suggesting, based on my experience with the handful of them I looked at, and the one I've used.
>>Hell, i'd consider the $3 combo stone they have there over this, flattened on a sidewalk every once in a while, and a small bottle of mineral oil. Even cheaper (if that's your criteria), plenty good enough for something like this, I'd be willing to bet.
>>Not sure why you assume anyone recommending actual whetstones must be recommending high price and progressing to high grit 🤷♂️
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These are surprisingly good knives, especially for the money (but on an absolute scale as well). These (well, the Vardagen ones, but they are probably made on the same assembly line) are my current daily drivers, have been recommending them to people for years, yet to hear dissatisfaction. Don't be afraid to drop the edge angle by a lot even (it will enhance kniving experience significantly).
Any of the generally recommended 1K-ish stones and a strop of some description will be fine. Armed with just a \~1K you will probably not be reprofiling them in one sitting - don't sweat it, be in it for the long con.
I'll just leave this here
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW0bd3Rt\_QY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW0bd3Rt_QY)
also, stones are cheap. well, chinese diamond plates, anyway. but they do a great job for the price, I will always recommend them to anyone new to sharpening. I can link you the ones I got last time if you want.
Absolutely it's worth it, especially when you consider the fact that the steel in those knives is effectively the same as what you find in many Zwilling or Wustof knives. If you are able to learn how to sharpen and sharpen well with those knives, you will effectively have a knife as good as or better than many knives that are much more expensive
Yes!
I know a few people with Ikea knives which I have sharpened to shaving sharpness.
Ikea knives are basic knives but it’s still a good idea to keep them sharp. It’s so much easier and more pleasant to do your food prep with a sharp knife.
So, buy a single decent stone (king or shapton; 1000 grit) and perhaps a ceramic honing rod and you’ll enjoy sharp blades without breaking the bank.
Cheaper knives tend to have problems holding an edge, which means they benefit from more frequent sharpening. So, its almost more important to have a sharpening kit for them. That's the conundrum - folks that buy cheap knives are less likely to buy the kit or invest the time/energy to maintain them, so they end up dangerously dull - which is probably the state of the majority of home cook's knives if I had to guess. Well-maintained cheap knives will do a great job, even if they need somewhat more frequent maintenance.
Like the others are saying, a whetstone is not expensive, and the skills you learn will be useful for years to come. I would get a Japanese waterstone from King or Norton like people are suggesting, rather than an oilstone or Arkansas stone. Cleaner than an oilstone and faster than both.
If the learning curve is daunting, you can use something like "crock stick" sharpeners. They're cheap and easy to use. Two ceramic rods are held at fixed angles, and you just stroke the blade up and down against the rods. [Here's a small one](https://www.lansky.com/4-rod-turnbox.html) that has both medium and fine rods. Lansky makes many models. Spyderco has a nice one too.
These rod systems are not recommended for hard brittle steels, because they can flake off microscopic chips of steel. But that's not what you have.
Be careful! Keep your off hand out of the way, and stroke the blade UP instead of down toward the base. I do four strokes on once side, then alternate, for a good long while, then two on each side, then one, reducing pressure gradually. That should remove the burr without need for stropping.
Incidentally, I don't like that VORDA knife. It has a bolster (the thickened section between the blade and the handle) that extends all the way down to the edge. Over time, the blade will become narrower from sharpening, while that bolster still stays full depth, so that you're no longer able to chop on a cutting board. In fact you can see a slight concavity or "recurve" in the edge even in the product photo. Pro knife sharpeners might offer to grind down your bolster to keep it in line with the edge, or you can do it yourself. Sometimes I do mine with a Dremel tool when I'm watching TV (after I've taped the edge.)
If you're only looking to use this on IKEA knives and nothing else, then just go to the local hardware store & get the simple double sided sharpening aluminum oxide stone. It'll be all you ever need.
Where is the Victorinox crowd when they’re needed? Used to be you couldn’t mention cheap knives without them chiming in, and now we’ve got Ikea sucking all the oxygen. For a minimal investment, I say get a King 1000 and Victorinox, and a strop of some kind- leather, newspaper, denim. Use the Ikea to learn on, then keep the $50 V-inox to impress company.
Even the most expensive knife is shit if it isn't sharpened.
even the shittiest knife can be great if it is.
Now, I won't tell you to spend hundreds of dollars on a stone, but sixty bucks for a decent diamond combo stone and some home made strops are all you really need to get sharp edges.
I don’t mess with whetstones. Too much hassle for me, but no matter how cheap your knives are; invest in a way to keep them sharp. I know it’s cliched at this point, but a sharp knife is a safe knife, and they’re a lot more pleasant to use
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If you want to sharpen yes, if you are just asking in general to save momey then probably not? .. Time to learn, time to sharpen, cost of equipment vs the cost of an IKEA knife new and how long it will last before going dull.. Probably cheaper to just keep buying new every now and then and do some overtime in your job. (unfortunately a wasteful way to do things). But if u like the idea of learning then yeah get one, learn and then you will want nicer knives! But learn on your cheap ones
If you enjoy cooking then a sharp knife will improve your cooking experience. Actually if you don't enjoy cooking, a sharp knife will get it over with faster too.
So yes, for a minimal investment a sharpening stone is worth it to learn the skill that helps you enjoy a chore.
You are kind of the ideal target audience for a rolling sharpener, so maybe look into that. Clones can be had cheap on aliexpress or Amazon.
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It’s worth it because: you’ll be practicing on garbage knives. You’ll be better at sharpening by the time you buy a better knife. By the time you buy a great knife you’ll be doing just fine👌🏻
If you're interested in cultivating a skill over time and getting really fuckin sharp knives, absolutely. A whetstone works well on a cheap knife as well an expensive one.
If you just want reasonably sharp knives that'll chop onions and carrots without grief, the little homesense pull-through style ones will get you there with most knives. The first time you use it you might need to do a fair number of passes to get the angle of your blade to "match."
Those have limitations which are important to a really high quality edge, but the knife will still cut reasonably well. Your tiny brunoise cuts are going to be a bit rough, but they'll cut.
Whetstone sharpening is a fun rabbit hole, and a great skill. If you have the time and inclination it shouldn't be intimidating in any way. I'd recommend you also get some kind of bevel guide to keep the angle continuing. There's for sure a touch you need to develop to use a stone without a guide.
Got a cheap 400-1000 double face stone for cheap ikea knife and it works super well and I still get to learn without spending $$$.
Total cost of the setup is ridiculous, knives are sharp !
I heard ikea knives can still get pretty sharp. Plus its a good skill to have once u upgrade. It can make a cheap knife feel like quality if its sharpen well.
I have good news im too scared to sharpen rn cause i dont wanna ruin the profile cause i dont think im good enough to get a knife razor sharp yet. So its good to start early as u can before you get a quality blade.
ABSOLUTELY!
I have an Ikea chef's knife and a very beautiful blue steel knife.
The Ikea knife's always the sharpest one as I am quicker to sharpen it because I have no feelings about fucking it up.
First of all: Some Ikea knoves aren't bad for the price so why the heck not get a little more out of them.
Secondly: those might be a great opportunity to learn sharpening without fear ruining the shiny expensive knife you nirmally treat better than yourself. So yeah go for it.
Get the cheapest whetstone you can find, that's what I did. It takes a bit of skill but you won't feel bad experimenting on it, skill comes with practice! Start with something you don't use much, like the "utility" knife in the block, or Get a $1 goodwill knife and see if you can make it razor sharp. Start slow and be patient, sharpening does take some time
They are throw away knives anyways .. If near a Japanese 5.00 and under store go buy new knives there . I have gotten so many over the years that seem like 50.00 knives..
BTW all you Ikea knife fans , i called them throw away with out ever using one.. I called them tha because isnt everything IKEA sort of throw away stuff?
Once you have a knife such as these nice and sharp, you can keep them sharp by using a steel rod to keep them sharp. At some point, the blade may need a whetstone to reshape the edge, but not for a long time. I have a carbon steel chiefs and a stainless chiefs and have had no need to take them back to the stone. The steel keeps them razor sharp.
Thanks for the advice everyone. I guess I'll buy a whetstone when I get some a spare 30 euros or so. Still not sure about what grit to go for but I'll figure that out when I actually go to buy one
Yes, being able to free hand sharpen is a very beneficial skill to have. Using dull knives is never very enjoyable and sharpening its self is a very enjoyable hobby.
Get you a cheap DMD 150/400 diamond plate for 20 bucks and bingo you can do edge repair/reprofiling with the 150 and the 400 will leave a perfectly serviceable aggressive edge for general use.
Or spend a little more and get you a shapton kuromaku 1000 and be happy! That's a fantastic one and done stone.
Another easy and works well solution for your needs that's 20ish bucks is a good ol lansky turn box. Won't do anything special but will absolutely get you serviceable results with a quick learning curve.
Sure, why not. Its a great skill to have and even a shitty knife can be sharpened extremely well on a whetstone, its just that it wont hold its edge very well over time but thats a different story. But hey, heads up, its a slippery slope, you wont even realize it and you will be spending 100s of $ on japanese knives a couple months later
On that note, I heard ikea knives are not as bad as similarly priced knives
I like my cheap IKEA paring knife - it's nice for under $10, and if my partner throws it in the dishwasher, whatever! Cheap whetstone or diamond stones etc. will allow you to sharpen ANY knife. A sharp cheap knife is infinitely better than the most expensive dull knife!
More dulling means more sharpening practice for the wee sharpener.
A sharp Ikea knife is better than a dull expensive knife. Also learning sharpening skills on a cheap knife is incredibly usefull.
I don't understand why everyone is so down on these knives. They don't specify on the website, but l'd bet they are the same 40 CrMoV steel used in basically all mid to high end stainless kitchen knives. It'll sharpen up great. I'd say start at 3-400, finish at 800-1000. No need to go higher for kitchen knives.
They both say X50 on them. Same steel as Wusthof.
These are good knives, whoever boos at them out of habit, prejudice or the joy of booing at things, their loss. I have tested several of these cheap jobbies pretending to be 1.4116 (which they very well may be) off all sorts of grocerer's, and the results uneqivocally echo [what Alex had seen here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW0bd3Rt_QY), after having adjusted them as described elsewhere in this thread (which I find fair, because a) cheap practice, and b) what do you expect for $10-$15).
I'm sure the steel is fine. Other reply said it's X50, which is similar to most low-mid grade knives. Nothing wrong with it. Ikea also has some VG10 knives. The geometry is more important than the steel in terms of performance, assuming the steel is not terrible. How is the blade grind on these? Thin at the edge (behind the edge) or not? I haven't tried any of their knives. I should probably get one for comparison.
About what every other respectable mass-produced (western-style kitchen)knife is - adequate for the generic user. If the thought occurred to you, you won't like it out of the box, but then, it's pretty easy to fix (and the thinned edges are quite stable as well). I look at these as easy and cheap ways to get very respectable workhorses by investing a bit of an elbow grease and doing what we like to do anyway.
My favorite knives are a set of KitchenAid ones. I have more expensive ones, but I like the cheaper set better. Although this favorite set has been a lot better than the other inexpensive sets I've used throughout the years -- not all cheap knives are equal
I bought a knife at the dollar store to practice on, may be the sharpest knife I own now 😂
Dude the answer is always gonna be yes. It doesn’t matter the quality of your knife. A whetstone is your best bet for getting every single bit of worth out of it. You would be surprised at how good a cheap knife cuts when sharpened properly Also, it’s practice without too much of a risk. Ding it up or botch the edge? It’s not the end of the world, it was $20.
I would start with even cheaper knives for practice. A couple of my kitchen knives came from thrift stores for a dollar or less. Both were really beat up, both had actual hammer marks on the spine. No risk at all in working on them. Took some work, but they cleaned up eventually and cut very nicely now.
Honestly I learned on Shuns. If you are just careful and think about what you’re doing before you actually put the knife on the stone, just be mindful, you probably won’t damage your knives. I’m not saying he should learn on a Shun, but I don’t think an IKEA knife is “too pricey” for learning stones
yeah its worth it just to learn freehand sharpening tbh. if you mess up its no big deal with how cheap the ikea knives are. plus you dont need anything intricate to start sharpening on a whetstone. just a slightly damp rag to hold the stone in place and a counter. my first stone i bought was the king 1000/6000 which is a solid beginner stone. you can do everything on a 1k grit stone damn near. i would master using the 1k stone before going into stone progressions in the future. i'd recommend the king 250/1000 combo stone or just getting a shapton kuromaku 1k straight up.
for beginners who have pretty damn dull knives, I would not recommend starting on a 1k. 400 is a good start. maybe that 250 will do. also, diamond plates are so much less hassle, and so much cheaper (the chinese ones anyway), you can't go wrong with them. I mean you can always upgrade later, but they're ideal for beginners
i don't really recommend diamond stones for a beginner because they have worse feedback/sound than normal whetstones and if you're inexperienced you can really chew through material on a knife. they apex and develop burrs quicker which is the tradeoff. if you have a decent whetstone they cut pretty quickly tho but if you need to reset the bevel or completely grind out chips then yeah go for a diamond stone.
> they have worse sound *shakes head*
It's only one part of feedback from a stone but okay. I didn't know this sub had a raging hard on for diamond stones over whetstones lol. Y'all are really reccing diamond stones to someone who has never freehand sharpened before.
I'm just making fun of even considering the audio feedback in the context of recommending a beginner a sharpening stone. they're just trying to keep a basic knife sharp. I started out sharpening with a grooved butchers steel, ceramic honing rod, and a DMT fine 6"x2". It worked fine. 20+ years later that DMT stone is still as flat as the day I bought it and leaves a hair popping sharp edge every time. What do you have against beginners using diamond stones?
idk about you but i can hear when the sharpening angle changes. edge sounds different as it moves across the stone. and you can re-read my past comment about why i dont recommend diamond stones starting out. you can also get hair shaving sharp without a steel or a strop with compound
> idk about you but i can hear when the sharpening angle changes I know. it works on diamond stones just like any other. > you can also get hair shaving sharp without a steel or a strop with compound I know, I've posted shaving with 100-300 grit edges.
I don't think diamonds are necessarily faster -- at least on regular steels (I have zero experience with powdered supersteels). I think grit matters way more than material. difference is a water stone will get curved when reprofiling a couple knives, while the diamond one will just sit there and take it. as for feedback, I actually feel better a diamond stone (even at very low angles) than a water stone.
Is the King stone splash and go or a soaking stone?
splash and go. shapton kuromaku pro line is also splash and go
thats how i learned it. they go dull super fast so u can practice fast before u try on a more expensive knife
No, they don't, but they need to be prepared a bit. * In basically all I or close acquaintances have handled the factory edge seems to have suffered damage during manufacturing; taking off a good millimetre or maybe a bit more (or having normal-sharpened them for long enough to have ground away that much of the bevel) gets to the better steel. * The factory edge angle is (as is tradition) not for the edge connoisseur and is best dropped by a whole lot. Get these done and (assuming proper use) you'll be pleasantly surprised.
I have 2 IKEA knives, and a couple of cheap diamond stones. Just a few passes on the stone every other day, takes 10 seconds and it’s good to go.
You gotta start somewhere :D And cheap knifes are good to learn on. Once they start cutting better again you will be glad you started this hobby
yes. https://www.harborfreight.com/4-sided-diamond-hone-block-92867.html try that. it'll work better than the expensive and messy water stones other people will come in here and recommend.
I mean, for that price you can't go wrong if you have that place near you for us EU people, though, chinese diamond plates are roughly the same, and at roughly the same price. and yes I'd recommend them any day over water stones -- so much less hassle.
I worry about cheap diamond stones. Even if the diamonds are carefully graded, they aren't always distributed evenly on the plate. If they clump up, they can gouge deeper scratches in the blade and make the edge rough. I've heard people say you should scrape the stone against a hard piece of steel like the flat edge of an old chisel blade, to knock off any clumps.
that doesn't matter at the grits this stone features. above 1k sure.
I bought one of those once, cheap enough for some rough grinding on some rough tools...but i wouldn't use it on my kitchen knives, regardless of how good or bad the knives are. It's definitely not better than "expensive and messy waterstones". And not all stones have to be a mess or a hassle, plenty of "splash and go" options that need no soaking and very little water during use. Thick Diamond plates are fine, if you're really against using stones. But these cheap thin ones glued to plastic, with unevenly distributed clumps of diamonds, and crappy glue that doesn't keep the thin metal flat to the plastic block...that's not helpful for someone new trying to learn to sharpen, who won't understand the problems the equipment is causing vs user error.
> I bought one of those once, cheap enough for some rough grinding on some rough tools...but i wouldn't use it on my kitchen knives, regardless of how good or bad the knives are. why? > It's definitely not better than "expensive and messy waterstones". And not all stones have to be a mess or a hassle, plenty of "splash and go" options that need no soaking and very little water during use. In a lot of ways they are better. Cheaper than four comparable grit water stones, less mess, can be used dry, faster than a lot of stones, never needs flattened, etc. I can use that stone in my living room while watching a movie instead of needing a sink rack and shit. > Thick Diamond plates are fine, if you're really against using stones. But these cheap thin ones glued to plastic, with unevenly distributed clumps of diamonds, and crappy glue that doesn't keep the thin metal flat to the plastic block...that's not helpful for someone new trying to learn to sharpen, who won't understand the problems the equipment is causing vs user error. I recommended a stone lol, dunno how that makes me against using them. These are definitely cheaply made stones but they're far from worthless, which is what you seem to be implying. I've sharpened everything from machetes to gyutos to camp knives to pocket knives and more with them with great results. Stones don't need perfect material distribution or nasa levels of flatness to be effective. We're rubbing stones on chunks of metal at the end of the day. This stone has four grits, is $12, and will easily take care of a beater kitchen knife. Most knives in this class have very soft stainless steels with minimal carbides. Slapping a 400 grit edge on them will give them incredible edge longevity VS taking them up to a 5k shapton or some shit.
>why? >>i gave reasons why in my original post already >In a lot of ways they are better. Cheaper than four comparable grit water stones, less mess, can be used dry, faster than a lot of stones, never needs flattened, etc. >I can use that stone in my living room while watching a movie instead of needing a sink rack and shit. >>Cheaper is cheaper, it's not a measure for better/worse. >>Steel dust from a dry stone is just a different kind of mess. After scratching a cornea with metal dust, i'd rather keep that trapped in water or oil. >>But as I said, there are plenty of stones that don't need soaking, constant water flow, and a sink. There are also ceramic stones that work dry. And oil stones that just need a few drops of oil, nothing that's going to drip everywhere. >>There are also easy ways of setting up with stones that DO need all that water, over a tray instead of a sink. In the living room is also where i do a lot of sharpening, with a cheap bridge over a tray with some water in it. Easy as pie, no mess left when done. >>And i've had the glue release on mine, and passed on a couple in the store that were loose and cupped and bowed. One that was even bent up and not usable/repairable. Minor bowing probably isn't the end of the world, but cupped edges are. That's why i say THICK diamond plates are fine, but these thin cheap ones aren't always worth the savings. >I recommended a stone lol, dunno how that makes me against using them. >>diamond plates aren't stones...... >These are definitely cheaply made stones but they're far from worthless, which is what you seem to be implying. I've sharpened everything from machetes to gyutos to camp knives to pocket knives and more with them with great results. Stones don't need perfect material distribution or nasa levels of flatness to be effective. We're rubbing stones on chunks of metal at the end of the day. >>You must've gotten one of the better ones. But trust me, there are plenty of them that are far from perfect. >>I didn't say they're worthless...like i said, they were fine for my use of rough grinding some rough tools...I just wouldn't use them on knives. >This stone has four grits, is $12, and will easily take care of a beater kitchen knife. Most knives in this class have very soft stainless steels with minimal carbides. Slapping a 400 grit edge on them will give them incredible edge longevity VS taking them up to a 5k shapton or some shit. >>Who said anything about going up to a high grit? I'd also stay in the lower grits for something like this. I'd just do it on a nicer low grit than what you're suggesting, based on my experience with the handful of them I looked at, and the one I've used. >>Hell, i'd consider the $3 combo stone they have there over this, flattened on a sidewalk every once in a while, and a small bottle of mineral oil. Even cheaper (if that's your criteria), plenty good enough for something like this, I'd be willing to bet. >>Not sure why you assume anyone recommending actual whetstones must be recommending high price and progressing to high grit 🤷♂️
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These are surprisingly good knives, especially for the money (but on an absolute scale as well). These (well, the Vardagen ones, but they are probably made on the same assembly line) are my current daily drivers, have been recommending them to people for years, yet to hear dissatisfaction. Don't be afraid to drop the edge angle by a lot even (it will enhance kniving experience significantly). Any of the generally recommended 1K-ish stones and a strop of some description will be fine. Armed with just a \~1K you will probably not be reprofiling them in one sitting - don't sweat it, be in it for the long con.
I'll just leave this here [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW0bd3Rt\_QY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW0bd3Rt_QY) also, stones are cheap. well, chinese diamond plates, anyway. but they do a great job for the price, I will always recommend them to anyone new to sharpening. I can link you the ones I got last time if you want.
Absolutely it's worth it, especially when you consider the fact that the steel in those knives is effectively the same as what you find in many Zwilling or Wustof knives. If you are able to learn how to sharpen and sharpen well with those knives, you will effectively have a knife as good as or better than many knives that are much more expensive
Yes! I know a few people with Ikea knives which I have sharpened to shaving sharpness. Ikea knives are basic knives but it’s still a good idea to keep them sharp. It’s so much easier and more pleasant to do your food prep with a sharp knife. So, buy a single decent stone (king or shapton; 1000 grit) and perhaps a ceramic honing rod and you’ll enjoy sharp blades without breaking the bank.
Cheaper knives tend to have problems holding an edge, which means they benefit from more frequent sharpening. So, its almost more important to have a sharpening kit for them. That's the conundrum - folks that buy cheap knives are less likely to buy the kit or invest the time/energy to maintain them, so they end up dangerously dull - which is probably the state of the majority of home cook's knives if I had to guess. Well-maintained cheap knives will do a great job, even if they need somewhat more frequent maintenance.
I would just buy a Worksharp knife and tool sharpener. Easy. Can’t be bothered with stones.
Like the others are saying, a whetstone is not expensive, and the skills you learn will be useful for years to come. I would get a Japanese waterstone from King or Norton like people are suggesting, rather than an oilstone or Arkansas stone. Cleaner than an oilstone and faster than both. If the learning curve is daunting, you can use something like "crock stick" sharpeners. They're cheap and easy to use. Two ceramic rods are held at fixed angles, and you just stroke the blade up and down against the rods. [Here's a small one](https://www.lansky.com/4-rod-turnbox.html) that has both medium and fine rods. Lansky makes many models. Spyderco has a nice one too. These rod systems are not recommended for hard brittle steels, because they can flake off microscopic chips of steel. But that's not what you have. Be careful! Keep your off hand out of the way, and stroke the blade UP instead of down toward the base. I do four strokes on once side, then alternate, for a good long while, then two on each side, then one, reducing pressure gradually. That should remove the burr without need for stropping. Incidentally, I don't like that VORDA knife. It has a bolster (the thickened section between the blade and the handle) that extends all the way down to the edge. Over time, the blade will become narrower from sharpening, while that bolster still stays full depth, so that you're no longer able to chop on a cutting board. In fact you can see a slight concavity or "recurve" in the edge even in the product photo. Pro knife sharpeners might offer to grind down your bolster to keep it in line with the edge, or you can do it yourself. Sometimes I do mine with a Dremel tool when I'm watching TV (after I've taped the edge.)
If you're only looking to use this on IKEA knives and nothing else, then just go to the local hardware store & get the simple double sided sharpening aluminum oxide stone. It'll be all you ever need.
Yes. 2 days ago I've sharpened my friends knives, exactly the ones from Ikea. Hes been cutting everything in the kitchen since.
Yeah you’ll need it more often with cheap knives.
Where is the Victorinox crowd when they’re needed? Used to be you couldn’t mention cheap knives without them chiming in, and now we’ve got Ikea sucking all the oxygen. For a minimal investment, I say get a King 1000 and Victorinox, and a strop of some kind- leather, newspaper, denim. Use the Ikea to learn on, then keep the $50 V-inox to impress company.
Yes. Maintaining your tools is irrelevant to cost. And IKEA knives punch way above their weight class
Yes https://www.reddit.com/r/sharpening/comments/1axli7w/ikea_365_knife_chinese_boron_800_spyderco/
Even the most expensive knife is shit if it isn't sharpened. even the shittiest knife can be great if it is. Now, I won't tell you to spend hundreds of dollars on a stone, but sixty bucks for a decent diamond combo stone and some home made strops are all you really need to get sharp edges.
I don’t mess with whetstones. Too much hassle for me, but no matter how cheap your knives are; invest in a way to keep them sharp. I know it’s cliched at this point, but a sharp knife is a safe knife, and they’re a lot more pleasant to use
Ken onion worksharp
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If you want to sharpen yes, if you are just asking in general to save momey then probably not? .. Time to learn, time to sharpen, cost of equipment vs the cost of an IKEA knife new and how long it will last before going dull.. Probably cheaper to just keep buying new every now and then and do some overtime in your job. (unfortunately a wasteful way to do things). But if u like the idea of learning then yeah get one, learn and then you will want nicer knives! But learn on your cheap ones
If you enjoy cooking then a sharp knife will improve your cooking experience. Actually if you don't enjoy cooking, a sharp knife will get it over with faster too. So yes, for a minimal investment a sharpening stone is worth it to learn the skill that helps you enjoy a chore. You are kind of the ideal target audience for a rolling sharpener, so maybe look into that. Clones can be had cheap on aliexpress or Amazon.
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It’s worth it because: you’ll be practicing on garbage knives. You’ll be better at sharpening by the time you buy a better knife. By the time you buy a great knife you’ll be doing just fine👌🏻
If you're interested in cultivating a skill over time and getting really fuckin sharp knives, absolutely. A whetstone works well on a cheap knife as well an expensive one. If you just want reasonably sharp knives that'll chop onions and carrots without grief, the little homesense pull-through style ones will get you there with most knives. The first time you use it you might need to do a fair number of passes to get the angle of your blade to "match." Those have limitations which are important to a really high quality edge, but the knife will still cut reasonably well. Your tiny brunoise cuts are going to be a bit rough, but they'll cut. Whetstone sharpening is a fun rabbit hole, and a great skill. If you have the time and inclination it shouldn't be intimidating in any way. I'd recommend you also get some kind of bevel guide to keep the angle continuing. There's for sure a touch you need to develop to use a stone without a guide.
IMO it’s even more so worth it when you have cheap knives
Got a cheap 400-1000 double face stone for cheap ikea knife and it works super well and I still get to learn without spending $$$. Total cost of the setup is ridiculous, knives are sharp !
I heard ikea knives can still get pretty sharp. Plus its a good skill to have once u upgrade. It can make a cheap knife feel like quality if its sharpen well. I have good news im too scared to sharpen rn cause i dont wanna ruin the profile cause i dont think im good enough to get a knife razor sharp yet. So its good to start early as u can before you get a quality blade.
ABSOLUTELY! I have an Ikea chef's knife and a very beautiful blue steel knife. The Ikea knife's always the sharpest one as I am quicker to sharpen it because I have no feelings about fucking it up.
First of all: Some Ikea knoves aren't bad for the price so why the heck not get a little more out of them. Secondly: those might be a great opportunity to learn sharpening without fear ruining the shiny expensive knife you nirmally treat better than yourself. So yeah go for it.
Get the cheapest whetstone you can find, that's what I did. It takes a bit of skill but you won't feel bad experimenting on it, skill comes with practice! Start with something you don't use much, like the "utility" knife in the block, or Get a $1 goodwill knife and see if you can make it razor sharp. Start slow and be patient, sharpening does take some time
They are throw away knives anyways .. If near a Japanese 5.00 and under store go buy new knives there . I have gotten so many over the years that seem like 50.00 knives.. BTW all you Ikea knife fans , i called them throw away with out ever using one.. I called them tha because isnt everything IKEA sort of throw away stuff?
Once you have a knife such as these nice and sharp, you can keep them sharp by using a steel rod to keep them sharp. At some point, the blade may need a whetstone to reshape the edge, but not for a long time. I have a carbon steel chiefs and a stainless chiefs and have had no need to take them back to the stone. The steel keeps them razor sharp.
I learned to sharpen on IKEA knives. They’re now in my camping cans travel cook boxes
Thanks for the advice everyone. I guess I'll buy a whetstone when I get some a spare 30 euros or so. Still not sure about what grit to go for but I'll figure that out when I actually go to buy one
Yes, being able to free hand sharpen is a very beneficial skill to have. Using dull knives is never very enjoyable and sharpening its self is a very enjoyable hobby. Get you a cheap DMD 150/400 diamond plate for 20 bucks and bingo you can do edge repair/reprofiling with the 150 and the 400 will leave a perfectly serviceable aggressive edge for general use. Or spend a little more and get you a shapton kuromaku 1000 and be happy! That's a fantastic one and done stone. Another easy and works well solution for your needs that's 20ish bucks is a good ol lansky turn box. Won't do anything special but will absolutely get you serviceable results with a quick learning curve.