MinoSharp 220/GB Ceramic Wheel Water Sharpener, Grey/Black
by Global
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List Price: Our Price: $44.95 You Save: $0.05 (0%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Category: Kitchen See more product details |
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of MinoSharp 220/GB Ceramic Wheel Water Sharpener, Grey/Black
Customer Review: Perfect tool
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a great aid to sharpen Global knives. I disagree with the review that said it dulled the knives. The tool has ceramic wheels set at the proper angles to get the correct Japanese set to these knives, which have different angles to each side of the blade. After 8-9 passes - with no pressure on the knife - through the rougher and then the finer wheels, the knife is ALMOST back to factory condition. Then, it is necessary to use a fine DIAMOND hone to get that last degree of razor sharpness. And make no mistake, a properly sharpened Global knife is that sharp, and this tool makes it easy to keep them razor sharp. Instead of a diamond hone, you can also use a very fine waterstone to hone them, but trust me, the diamond hone is easiest, although it does not leave the edge quite as polished as the finest waterstones. This tool and a diamond hone let me return my Global knives to scary sharp in less than 5 minutes each. They are so sharp that whenever I sharpen them, I warn my wife that they are super sharp (as opposed to very sharp!), just to make sure that she is extra-careful when she uses them. Now, having said that, the package states that it is recommended for Global knives, and no one should use this tool on anything other than Global knives, or similar Japanese-style knives. It is not meant for European-style knives, whose blades have a different set.
Customer Review: Perfect tool
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a great aid to sharpen Global knives. I disagree with the review that said it dulled the knives. The tool has ceramic wheels set at the proper angles to get the correct Japanese set to these knives, which have different angles to each side of the blade. After 8-9 passes - with no pressure on the knife - through the rougher and then the finer wheels, the knife is ALMOST back to factory condition. Then, it is necessary to use a fine DIAMOND hone to get that last degree of razor sharpness. And make no mistake, a properly sharpened Global knife is that sharp, and this tool makes it easy to keep them razor sharp. Instead of a diamond hone, you can also use a very fine waterstone to hone them, but trust me, the diamond hone is easiest, although it does not leave the edge quite as polished as the finest waterstones. This tool and a diamond hone let me return my Global knives to scary sharp in less than 5 minutes each. They are so sharp that whenever I sharpen them, I warn my wife that they are super sharp (as opposed to very sharp!), just to make sure that she is extra-careful when she uses them. Now, having said that, the package states that it is recommended for Global knives, and no one should use this tool on anything other than Global knives, or similar Japanese-style knives. It is not meant for European-style knives, whose blades have a different set.
Customer Review: Fastest sharpener
Summary: 5 Stars
I used a Henckels TwinSharp before this. It could certainly sharpen knives well but could take hours of work to reshape the edge of a new knife. Once that was done, a few quick swipes every few months would keep my knives really sharp.
I bought the MinoSharp hoping to be able to quickly shape the edges of new knives, then finish off with the TwinSharp. It worked out exactly as I had hoped. I can grind a new edge on the bluntest of knives in a few minutes with the coarse white wheel on the MinoSharp, smoothen the edge with the medium pink wheel, then polish with the Henckels TwinSharp.
The MinoSharp's medium pink wheel should be enough for most people but the TwinSharp does add a final bit of sharpness.
I can't wait to go back to my hometown and sharpen the knives of all my relatives. Wasn't practical before with the TwinSharp - takes hours for one knife. Now I can do the same job in minutes.
Summary: good for quick one-time shaping of new knives, followed by final polishing on a Henckels TwinSharp, and subsequent maintenance sharpening on the TwinSharp.
Customer Review: Indispensable for my Kitchen
Summary: 5 Stars
Most every chef will tell you that the most important tool in the kitchen is a good knife. However, no knife stays "good" very long without proper sharpening. Most real chefs swear by their whetstone that they sharpen at their estimated angle. This is great for them, and maybe it is the best way to preserve the blade of the knife, but I've been using this sharpener for years on my Global and Wusthof knives and it is:
1) Fast (meaning I don't avoid the chore at all)
2) Razor sharp (best way to tell this is slicing tomatoes)
3) Small, easily fitting in my kitchen drawer
4) Not expensive
Perhaps it does shorten the length of life of my knives, but replacing the most important tool in your kitchen every 10-20 years for less than the cost of a microwave is hardly that much to ask when you consider the convenience and effectiveness of this tool.
Customer Review: Works surprisingly well
Summary: 5 Stars
I have had this product for 2 years and it works very well for me - surprisingly, in that I've never before had great luck with DIY "sharpeners".
It brings back the sharpness of my large Global chef's knife very well. Also, it works on some of my other knives (such as a low-cost Oxo that has a thin blade) - even though these other knives do not have the same angle as the Global. On my more traditional knives with thicker blades (and which I had had professionally reground), the results are only OK, but still helpful. (Besides actual food cutting, I judge my results using the "paper test".)
All this said, I do run the blades through the rollers maybe 3X the number of times recommended in the instructions in order to get the best results. Of course, if I used this thing more often, maybe the recommended number would be enough.