Where to Sharpen Kitchen Knifes in Chiang Mai

[HenryB]

Or how to Sharpen Kitchen Knifes myself

[MJCM]

I bought something like this and does IMO a good enough job. Any good kitchen supply shop should carry it

[NeverSure]

^^^ I agree. I have one very similar to that with diamond impregnated steel blades that sharpen both sides at once. With mine, one side is a coarser grit, and then I flip the tool over and the other side is a finishing grit. A few strokes is all it takes.

I don't know how to get a knife sharper or how to do it more quickly.

Cheers.

[NancyL]

I found a whetstone at Chiang Mai Plastic in Warorot Market, large enough to sharpen the biggest butcher knife. There are numerous videos on YouTube that show you how to use one. Much more control than the contraptions you buy at the kitchen supply shops and you can use it on your gardening tools, too.

[FolkGuitar]

There is a device called 'The Sharpmaker' sold by the Spyderco Company that is remarkably simple to use, inexpensive, and can put a shaving edge on a knife in just a matter of minutes without damaging the edge. Although I prefer freehand sharpening when I have the time, the Sharpmaker is something that I keep on a kitchen shelf to do 20 second touch-ups when needed. Here is a link to the instructional video on YouTube;

[eyecatcher]

I have one of those Nancy a carborundum stone...but here they are silicon carbide 90bt. These are actually for chisels and plane blades but we sharpen our knives on them.

They produce a very sharp blade and need some aptitude to stop you losing your fingers

[NancyL]

I have one of those Nancy a carborundum stone...but here they are silicon carbide 90bt. These are actually for chisels and plane blades but we sharpen our knives on them.

They produce a very sharp blade and need some aptitude to stop you losing your fingers

Yeah, we had several that we used when we had a greenhouse/nursery business that we used on everything from shovels (yes, it helps to sharpen a shovel from time-to-time), hatchets and mattocks all the way down to kitchen knives. You're right, the brand name is Carborundum and I was thrilled to find one at Chiang Mai Plastic for 110 baht. I guess I got robbed!

[FolkGuitar]

I have one of those Nancy a carborundum stone...but here they are silicon carbide 90bt. These are actually for chisels and plane blades but we sharpen our knives on them.

They produce a very sharp blade and need some aptitude to stop you losing your fingers

Yeah, we had several that we used when we had a greenhouse/nursery business that we used on everything from shovels (yes, it helps to sharpen a shovel from time-to-time), hatchets and mattocks all the way down to kitchen knives. You're right, the brand name is Carborundum and I was thrilled to find one at Chiang Mai Plastic for 110 baht. I guess I got robbed!

Er.... Although there have been some companies who use the word 'carbuorundum' in their titles. carborundum is just another name for the chemical compound SiC, or what is known as silicon carbide, rather than a brand name. Almost all of the silicon carbide sharpening stones have been factory-made, as the compound is rarely found naturally occurring. The two-sided sharpening stones that are generally sold in hardware stones usually leave a very rough finish (about 400 grit,) even using the 'fine' side, but there is a common stone sold here in Thailand, usually found in the Thai 'kitchen hardware' stores, a large cream-colored block almost the size of a shoe box, selling for about 50 baht, that will put a really nice finished edge (about 1,500 grit) on kitchen knives. (A good sushi knife needs to be sharpened to about 8,000 grit.) At the southern end of Prapakklao Rd, where one is required to bear left for half a block, there is a Thai kitchen hardware store on that little side street selling these stones. You can see them piled up as you drive past.

Edited December 8, 2015 by FolkGuitar

[Paul944]

I got this Spyderco also. Still a lot of work but easier as using a wetstone. You really need to know how to sharpen on a stone else the knife will only get more blunt. The tool MJCM has is the easiest and cheapest solution.

[FolkGuitar]

I got this Spyderco also. Still a lot of work but easier as using a wetstone. You really need to know how to sharpen on a stone else the knife will only get more blunt. The tool MJCM has is the easiest and cheapest solution.

It is very easy, but it also 'rips' metal off the edge rather than grinding it away. It's fine of the kitchen knives one buys in the supermarket, but I'd shudder to see it used on a high quality knife. It reminds me of the grinding wheels that used to come on the back of electric can openers. I think my mother must have burned the temper out of ever knife she ever owned! Then she could never understand why her knives were always so dull!

To make the Spyderco work more easily, instead of alternating sides with each stroke, take 20 strokes on one side, then 20 on the other, then just alternate for 5. This actually results in a better edge as there is less 'wobble' between strokes. It's easier to keep the blade vertical with each movement when you don't swap sides.

The biggest drawback to the Sharpmaker is that if the original bevel doesn't match the Sharpmaker's own angles (30° and 40° inclusive, or 15° and 20° per side) it takes a while to reprofile the edge unless you've bought the optional diamond rods. But once the bevels match, the touch-up take 30 seconds and the blade is ready for another week or two of kitchen duty.

[jobin]

A large and important factor in sharp knives is the hardness of the knife steel. Stainless steel is much harder than soft carbon steel. The stainless edge lasts longer but is much more difficult to make sharp again. Softer steel wears faster but also sharpens faster too. Of course one of the major selling points of the stainless is the 'no rust' feature. A ordinary steel knife will surely rust if not cared for properly. I do not like to use stainless knives.

In a pinch you may use sandpaper of various grits to sharpen an edge. Then use a leather strop (even a belt or shoe) to remove the very fine wire made on the knife edge.

And if you have ceramic knives you may totally forget about getting them sharp yourself. Send back to the factory.

[FolkGuitar]

A large and important factor in sharp knives is the hardness of the knife steel. Stainless steel is much harder than soft carbon steel. The stainless edge lasts longer but is much more difficult to make sharp again. Softer steel wears faster but also sharpens faster too. Of course one of the major selling points of the stainless is the 'no rust' feature. A ordinary steel knife will surely rust if not cared for properly. I do not like to use stainless knives.

In a pinch you may use sandpaper of various grits to sharpen an edge. Then use a leather strop (even a belt or shoe) to remove the very fine wire made on the knife edge.

And if you have ceramic knives you may totally forget about getting them sharp yourself. Send back to the factory.

The 'wet/dry' sandpaper works VERY well for sharpening all but the toughest steels, and is easy to find in every home center. Some water mixed with a few drops of dishwashing soap will help keep the abrasive from clogging up, making it last longer. If you can find knives made with ATS-34 or 154CM steel, you'll have a great kitchen knife! AUS-8 is a great stainless steel that's easy to sharpen and holds its edge due to the vanadium content in the alloy.

The average home-owner won't be able to sharpen ceramic knives with silicon carbide or aluminum oxide stones, but if you pick up some diamond sharpeners (many different sharpening companies offer these at very reasonable cost) they pose no problems. HomePro 'was' selling some of these a few years ago, and I've seen them for sale in some of the camping supply shops. The DMT company makes a guided sharpening kit with guide and coarse, medium, fine, and ex-fine diamond sharpeners for about $60 USD. Very easy to use, as the clamp-on guide does the hard part.

[ilostmypassword]

A large and important factor in sharp knives is the hardness of the knife steel. Stainless steel is much harder than soft carbon steel. The stainless edge lasts longer but is much more difficult to make sharp again. Softer steel wears faster but also sharpens faster too. Of course one of the major selling points of the stainless is the 'no rust' feature. A ordinary steel knife will surely rust if not cared for properly. I do not like to use stainless knives.

Which is why most of the more expensive knives are made with high-carbon stainless steel. It's stainless but easier to sharpen. That said, I like carbon steel blades the best. You just have to be careful to keep them dry between uses.

[Brit_Doggie]

Simple way as my folks did was to sit outside find concrete spit or water then sharpen on said concrete, don't tell me there aint no concrete in Thailand either, no sparks but did the job with ease of course not to be utilized on that expensive set of knives lol.

Edited December 8, 2015 by Brit_Doggie

[FolkGuitar]

A large and important factor in sharp knives is the hardness of the knife steel. Stainless steel is much harder than soft carbon steel. The stainless edge lasts longer but is much more difficult to make sharp again. Softer steel wears faster but also sharpens faster too. Of course one of the major selling points of the stainless is the 'no rust' feature. A ordinary steel knife will surely rust if not cared for properly. I do not like to use stainless knives.

Which is why most of the more expensive knives are made with high-carbon stainless steel. It's stainless but easier to sharpen. That said, I like carbon steel blades the best. You just have to be careful to keep them dry between uses.

The three steels that I mentioned above are all high-carbon stainless. All wonderful to work with. But like you, I still prefer a 1095 carbon steel. Sharpens quickly, takes a great edge and holds it. and touches up in seconds!