Tool gets nice edge on knives
Published 1:37 pm Tuesday, March 24, 2009
The product: Mini pro knife sharpener from Kuhn Rikon.
Details: 4 inches long, 13/4 inches wide, 13/4 inches deep. Weighs 4 ounces. The sharpening stone slides out when a gate at one end is popped open and locked back as a hand guard. Available in black, red or blue. Comes with a five-year warranty. Suggested price is $20.
The company’s pitch: Designed and engineered in Switzerland, the sharpener is compact, light and convenient, sharpening knives easily in just a few seconds. For use with any nonserrated edge, the high-quality ceramic stone hones the knife to its ultimate sharpness.
Herald test results: Ultimate sharpness? Wow, that sounds dangerous, but we cautiously proceeded to run six knives through the mini pro, following the directions provided. The blades ranged in size from 21/2 to 10 inches. Two were carbon steel, the others were stainless.
The directions call for drawing the knife with light pressure from heel to tip between the ceramic wheels, being careful to keep the blade parallel to the sides of the plastic slot and not to the angle of the stone. Five to 10 repetitions were called for.
It took a while to get the hang of this and get a feel for the right amount of pressure, but we eventually got some nice edges on the blades, more so with the stainless than the carbon steel.
It might take practice, but the sharpener seems to be a useful product and not a bad value at that price.
If you want it: Go to www.kuhn rikon.com or call 800-662-5882 to order or find retailers in your area. It’s also sold by other online retailers, like www.factory direct2you.com (866-233-6587).
Ron Ramey, 424-339-3443, ramey@heraldnet.com.
