Knifemen, knifewomen, downvoters, upvoters, it's time to update you on the salvation of this kitchen knife. Mr. McKay, based knife sharpener, did the best he could do to restore the edge to something like symmetry. I expected a salty comment or two on the topic when I picked it up, however, he did not offer any, only a pitying silence as he gave me a meticulously handwritten receipt. Yet, his silence was full of kindness. Cost: $4.00 USD Many have asked, how did I achieve the ragged edge seen in my previous post? I wish I had a better answer for you, except that I used a shitty Coghlan's sharpener that was probably full of metal filings and dirt. That one is going in the trash. Any suggestions for buying a beginner's sharpener for $30.00 or $40.00 ? I don't know how to use a file or a stone.
Breaks your price point but the Spyderco triangle sharpmaker was my gateway into less horrible treatment of my knives. Stupid simple to use and can kinda switch to being a flat sharpening stone for when you are ready to try some more fancy things.
The lanksy kit is what I currently use. More involved but more flexible. Also extremely beginner friendly.
Thanks!
My advice on the Sharpmaker is that you absolutely must also purchase the diamond stones for it. The included stones come in two grits: Extremely fine, and unrealistically fine. It's capable of sharpening only 30° combined and 40° combined angles and nothing else whatsoever. If your knife is already one of its built in edge angles it is capable of making it worryingly, dangerously sharp in extremely short order. But if you need to use it to bully a knife into either of those two angles to begin with that's not a task that can realistically be accomplished on its included stones. I've done that exactly twice in my life, and the process was rather more akin to some manner of obscure monastic penance ritual than a sharpening job.
"Disciple! Two thousand lashes on the stones!"
It takes hours. Forget it. You need the diamond stones, which are still pretty fine but are at least theoretically capable of removing material on a non-geological time scale.