If you are used to spending time in the kitchen, as I am, you will agree with me that a sharp knife is a must. Pick one out of the draw to cut cheese, slice bread, cut up meat, and also for the many other uses there are for kitchen knives. A blunt knife is not a useful knife.
I noticed recently that I have been using all the sharp knives we have in the kitchen, and when they become a bit less sharp, as they do when you keep using them, I have a habit of not using them again. Nor do I sharpen them either, as you are supposed to.
The fact is, I do not have any more sharp knives, so I have had to get myself a kitchen knife sharpener. I almost feel guilty for not having one around the place. Last time I used a kitchen knife sharpener, it was so long ago I can't even remember. Kitchen knife sharpeners have kept changing over the years, the technology, that is.
The last one I saw, you had to hold it still with one hand, and slide the knife through the sharpener with the other hand. That was a bit dangerous as I imagine a person could easily cut a finger using one of those.
But now the design has changed once again so that you do not have to hold the knife sharpener steady with one hand. The gadget is placed on a flat, level surface and is fixed there by suction, while you sharpen the knife one-handed. This is a much safer method of sharpening kitchen knives, in my opinion.
Another concern I had with kitchen knife sharpeners, was the angle you pass the blade through the sharpener. You had to get that just right with the old sharpeners otherwise you risked spoiling the knife, but apparently, the new ones take care of that for you. The correct sharpening angle is built into the sharpener, so you can only do it right.
A good example of the latest technology making life a lot easier in the kitchen.
