Our grandfathers used manual sharpeners for all their knives and cutting tools for years and decades. Some of them had the skill to sharpen a knife's blade to perfection, creating a razor sharp blade that could cut everything in its way. These sharpening techniques were not easy to learn, and they actually take a lot of time to put into practice.
To sharpen a knife with manual, round knife sharpener, you need a lot of time and patience. The round knife sharpener is the simplest type there is, but it is still popular in home use. Using an electric knife sharpener simply doesn't fit to some people and they feel they have everything they need already. There is something calming in the knife sharpening process and this is also one of the reasons people don't want to finish it quickly.
Electric sharpener does the job right, but sometimes that is not enough. To use a manual knife sharpener, you have to use your skills much more then with electric one. You're gonna need strength and focus to sharpen your knife correctly.
The round knife sharpener is made out of stainless steel and has a handle for you to grab on it. The handle is usually made out of wood or plastic. To sharpen your knife, you have to slide your cutting tool against the stainless steel with a force.
More force you apply, more effective your knife sharpening is. But with more force, you can lose the traction and miss the angle you want to achieve. This is why you need to have patience and focus on what you are doing.
You don't want ti make a mistake and slide your knife in unwanted direction. Because your knife will move fast and strong, you have to be careful not to overdo it and lose control. If you think this is too much to handle, you are probably an electric knife sharpener person. Lots of other people avoid manual sharpeners for that reason too.
You will definitely need time to learn proper manual knife sharpening. Other thing that comes as a minus for these sharpeners is their price. Some of them can cost a lot more than 50 bucks, which is quite interesting.
For this kind of money, you can find electric one and save yourself some time and hassle with learning how to sharpen a knife with round knife sharpener. Of course, there are always cheaper manual sharpeners that you can find and we do recommend them instead of the pricey ones. If you really want a round knife sharpener, you don't need to have expensive, fancy one. Some of the good ones you could use are Tablecraft, Mundial, Cerafuse, Victorinox and Butcher. You can find some great prices with Tablecraft but if you want a fancy, diamond honed knife sharpener, you will find it quite easily for a higher price. At the end of the day, it is your decision and you will decide what to do with your time and sharpening skills.
Electric knife sharpeners are easier to use and you'll learn to use them much faster. But there is that strange attraction in a round knife sharpener and its old ways of work, so if that's your cup of tea, then go for it.
To find a bit more about round knife sharpener and electric Chef's Choice sharpeners, visit our knife sharpeners blog.