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I've tried sharpening knives a few times in my life and I've never been able to tell the difference. I agree with the principle, but in practice I simply haven'

I've tried sharpening knives a few times in my life and I've never been able to tell the difference. I agree with the principle, but in practice I simply haven't witnessed it matter.

idiotsecant 1y ago
I think you might be bad at sharpening knives. There is no shame in that, almost everyone is very bad at it, it's difficult to do it properly.
- kleiba 1y ago
  > almost everyone is very bad at it [citation needed] It's more that sharpening a knife - like many other skills - takes practice.
  - idiotsecant 1y ago
    Yes, and like all other skills that take practice, most people are miserable at it. If you honestly think the opposite, I think maybe we live on different planets.
  - fernandotakai 1y ago
    most people don't even know how to properly hone a knife since there are specific movements. i would recommend anyone sending their knives to a professional for sharpening -- you will feel much more confident cutting, and everything will be safer.
    - kleiba 1y ago
      It's not really that hard to learn how to hone a knife. There's different techniques that work and I'd think anyone who loves to cook regularly hones their knives anyway. Now, sharpening is a bit of a different story but also totally achievable with a little investment (money for some stone(s) and time for practice). But you're right, if you cannot be bothered to do that yourself, it's definitely better to have your knives sharpened professionally than to use dull knives in the kitchen.
- herpdyderp 1y ago
  No doubt there! But since I can get a (cheap) knife set from Walmart for under $10, I simply don’t care to bother improving.
tdeck 1y ago
I've had the same experience with the pull through sharpeners, but I bought a cheap 2-sided Japanese waterstone and learned to use it (not very well) and the difference it makes is very noticeable despite my lack of skill. It does however take me maybe 15 minutes to sharpen a knife.
balls187 1y ago
It matters most for two things: safety and efficiency. Unsharp knives cut well enough, and I would assume that people's knife skills and/or cooking skills may not notice the difference. Do you follow a mise en place approach to cooking?

I've tried sharpening knives a few times in my life and I've never been able to tell the difference. I agree with the principle, but in practice I simply haven't witnessed it matter.

idiotsecant 1y ago

I think you might be bad at sharpening knives. There is no shame in that, almost everyone is very bad at it, it's difficult to do it properly.

kleiba 1y ago
> almost everyone is very bad at it [citation needed] It's more that sharpening a knife - like many other skills - takes practice.
- idiotsecant 1y ago
  Yes, and like all other skills that take practice, most people are miserable at it. If you honestly think the opposite, I think maybe we live on different planets.
- fernandotakai 1y ago
  most people don't even know how to properly hone a knife since there are specific movements. i would recommend anyone sending their knives to a professional for sharpening -- you will feel much more confident cutting, and everything will be safer.
  - kleiba 1y ago
    It's not really that hard to learn how to hone a knife. There's different techniques that work and I'd think anyone who loves to cook regularly hones their knives anyway. Now, sharpening is a bit of a different story but also totally achievable with a little investment (money for some stone(s) and time for practice). But you're right, if you cannot be bothered to do that yourself, it's definitely better to have your knives sharpened professionally than to use dull knives in the kitchen.
herpdyderp 1y ago
No doubt there! But since I can get a (cheap) knife set from Walmart for under $10, I simply don’t care to bother improving.

tdeck 1y ago

I've had the same experience with the pull through sharpeners, but I bought a cheap 2-sided Japanese waterstone and learned to use it (not very well) and the difference it makes is very noticeable despite my lack of skill. It does however take me maybe 15 minutes to sharpen a knife.

balls187 1y ago

It matters most for two things: safety and efficiency. Unsharp knives cut well enough, and I would assume that people's knife skills and/or cooking skills may not notice the difference. Do you follow a mise en place approach to cooking?