Butcher knives are useful for cutting meats or trimming fat. You will commonly see them in meat shops and restaurants. Compared to other kitchen knives, these have a more prominent curve on their edges, and their blades are longer.
Like any other knife, you will need to get a butcher knife sharpener to maintain its edges. Since these knives are used for butchering thick and large amounts of meat, they might dull quickly. Thus, you should invest in a high-quality knife sharpener. Getting one means you can conveniently sharpen your knives at home or in your store; you won’t need to get it sharpened anywhere else.
This article reviews butcher knife sharpeners to give you information on the best knife sharpener you can use. You'll get to see how one product differs from the other.
Read on to know more!
You can choose from numerous knife sharpeners. But we've rounded up some of the well-known brands which you should consider getting. Check them out.
The Presto EverSharp is an all-around knife sharpener. You may use this for sharpening non-serrated kitchen knives of any type.
It has a two-stage sharpening system which makes sharpening easier and quicker. The first stage is for precision grinding, and the second stage is for fine sharpening. This system also makes precise sharpened edges, so you don't have to angle the knife. Although this machine has two stages, it only takes two minutes to have a razor-sharp butcher knife.
It has three suction cups at its base for added stability when grinding. The Presto EverSharp is relatively easy to clean and won't probably need cleaning for quite some time. However, since this is an electric knife sharpener, it's sensitive to water, so you may only clean its exteriors with a damp cloth.
Although this is a fairly reliable device, its warranty lasts only 1 year. This warranty period is relatively shorter compared to other sharpener brands. But with proper maintenance, this won’t be a problem.
What sets it apart: This device uses two sharpening stages, while others only have one. For its features, it’s more affordable compared to other available sharpeners.
Aside from butcher knives, you can sharpen other kitchen knives such as chef's, paring, and santoku knives using this device. Thus, you won't need to buy one sharpener for each, particularly for butcher knives, which are more curved compared to other blades.
What to love about it: Sharpening butcher knives with the Presto EverSharp is very easy. Just place the blade on the slot, wait for two minutes for the two-stage sharpening to finish, and you're good to go!
Unfortunately, electric knife sharpeners are usually pricey, especially for the quality of this make. However, the Presto EverSharp is not as pricey as other electric knife sharpeners, making it a great buy!
This Work Sharp Knife and Tool Sharpenerfalls under the “professional knife sharpener” category. You may use this not only for butcher knives but also for other kitchen knives such as paring, santoku, and carving knives.
It owes its versatility to its premium abrasive belts. It comes with coarse, medium, and fine belts, which you may use for different types of kitchen knives.
Aside from knives, you can sharpen other tools such as scissors, power and hand saws, or anything that's made from iron. It's an all-in-one sharpener that's worth your investment.
The sharpening process is relatively easy, too—you won’t need to find a particular butcher knife sharpening angle. Place the blades on the belt, turn on the device, wait for the sharpening to finish, and that's it!
The power of this electric sharpener is a good thing, but that is also its downside because it produces sparks when grinding the blades. These sparks pose a health and safety hazard and make you prone to burns or electrocution. Thus, it's best to use it in a place away from flammable materials such as table cloths or a gasoline range.
What sets it apart: It's an excellent all-in-one knife and tool sharpener, especially if you're working with these regularly. It's durable and robust and can easily sharpen anything made from iron. The Work Sharp Knife Sharpener is also small for its features and tremendous power.
What to love about it: Even if it's a powerful device with powerful features, it is still reasonably priced. It's also easier to use compared to other manual knife and tool sharpening devices.
The Chef'sChoice knife sharpener is a tool that works perfectly on serrated knives and straight blades. It comes with a three-stage system. The first is for reshaping the edges and preparing the dull knife before the next stage. The second stage focuses on the fine sharpening of the blades, while the last part is for edge polishing and honing. Serrated knives are sharpened in this stage.
Sharpening any knives, particularly butcher knives, won't be a problem as this comes with precise angle guides. The angle guide helps the machine cater to any knife without any adjustments needed, making this sharpening device useful for any knife.
Its downside is the loud noise it makes when sharpening, along with its bulky size.
What sets it apart: Serrated knife sharpeners are pretty hard to find, given it requires a different type of technology to retain a serrated knife’s edge.
The Chef'sChoice knife sharpener is one of the best out there, with the brand's proprietary 100% diamond abrasives. It offers a precise and guaranteed 20-degree sharpening of the knife edges after every use. In addition, it provides three stages of knife sharpening and honing.
What to love about it: Chef'sChoice is a popular sharpener of knives and other kitchen tools. We love that this is not only a reliable device, but it's also backed with a 3-year household warranty. Thus, purchasing this grants you the peace of mind that it's an investment worth making.
Most butchers or people using butcher knives are used to using manual knife sharpeners. One of the traditional ones is the tri-hone bench stone, and an excellent sharpening stone we can recommend is Smith's 50008 diamond bench stone.
Its large design can cater to large knives such as butcher knives. This heavy-duty professional sharpener is made from natural Arkansas stone and diamond. Compared to other sharpeners, this does not operate on a two- or three-stage system, but it has a three-stone system. It has coarse and fine stones, along with a natural Arkansas stone.
This sharpener is not electric, so you have to know how to sharpen a butcher knife manually. However, if you prefer this over the electric ones, this is perfect for you. One advantage of it not being electric is that you can use this even in remote areas. It has a nonskid base which makes the overall setup sturdy when used.
What sets it apart: Natural Arkansas stones are considered the best finishing stones. These can sharpen even the hardest blades or work tools. So if you're looking for a high-quality sharpener for large knives and work tools, this is an excellent buy!
What to love about it: In our list of butcher knife sharpeners, this is the only manual one, but it lives up to our expectations. Its three sharpening stones are great for precise grinding and honing of your knives and work tools. Also, since this is a manual device, you won't have to worry about plugging it in or using it in a place with no access to power.
Often, a butcher block knife set with a sharpener is a bit overpriced, especially for its quality. That said, it would be a lot better if you purchase a separate butcher knife sharpener. The recommendations listed above are some of the best, although the “best” is still subjective and will depend on what you need.
You can choose from two types of sharpeners: a manual and an electric one. Using manual knife sharpeners will require you to know how to sharpen your knives on your own. Electric knife sharpeners, on the other hand, cost more because of their added convenience and features.
Before choosing the best knife sharpener, first, assess what you're looking for. It might be overwhelming for you to select your first device since there are numerous commercially available sharpeners. But once you've narrowed this selection down, it will be a lot easier to choose one that will fit your needs.
