Knife sharpening

[Chimichangaz]

I’ve got a set of (admittedly bog standard Asda) knives which I’ve only had for a year which are mainly blunt. It puts me off cooking and of course is dangerous! I’ve got a knife sharpening thingy which I’ve tried to use but I’m sure I just haven’t got the hang of it. It’s a long steel rod with a handle and you swipe the blade down each side.

So are there any easy to use knife sharpeners out there which will rescue my knives or are you all going to tell me I should have bought expensive ones in the first place? If you are, recommendations please - budget is under £100.

Knife Sharpener This is the best one that I have used.

Same as bluebells1. Bought mine at Grand Designs show and it is incredible.

Yes we've got one of the Any Sharps too. Excellent device!

And if the AnySharp can't rescue your Asda knives I picked up a set of Sabatiers in TK Maxx that are brilliant. Although I think the Asda knives will be fine once you've got an edge on them again.

I have this one
small, easy to use.
the stick-file thing we use for the bread knife (serrated blade) but it takes some practice.

Whetstone and honing oil.
Old school.
Tried and true.

I have an electric one from Lakeland. Cost me about £65 a few years ago but admittedly I don't use it often because I usually end up cutting myself after sharpening the knives. I never learn

If they are blunt you might need to get them re-edged. There's usually somewhere that can do that for you. Back in the day they used to come round door to door!

Can't recommend a sharpener, but the most important thing is to never ever put them in the dishwasher, it will make them blunt. Always hand wash!

With the steel rod, is it etched like a file or it is more like very fine sand paper? I find the latter much better.

You need the blade to be at an angle of about 20 degrees to the steel rod. Hold the rod pointing away from you and swipe the knife above and below the rod to sharpen. If they've got totally blunt it's gonna take a lot longer than you expect. Knives need sharpening once a week to once every couple of months depending how much and what you cook.

I can almost guarantee it wouldn't be worth re edging Asda knives. TK Maxx sell good knives at good (ish) prices - I'd consider investing in a couple.

I dishwash my knives.

Thanks all - Any Sharp sharpener winging its way to me by the power of Amazon Prime

The steel rod I have is more like fine sandpaper but doesn’t seem to have any roughness at all.

Ive never put these knives in the dishwasher - too worried about ruining them....