Sharp kitchen knives right out of the box?

May 12, 2009 10:18 AM

Are any kitchen knives truly sharp when they're new? I've heard that newly purchased knives need to be sharpened by a pro for a razor-sharp edge, but is there a company that provides the optimal edge right out of the box?
posted by markcmyers to home & garden (24 comments total)

Depends on the manufacturer. As a whole, Japanese knives are usually as sharp as they can get when they arrive. I learned this by naively checking the edge of a blade upon arrival, to be surprised as the blade sunk right into my thumb.
posted by Dmenet at 10:27 AM on May 12

We recently bought some Wusthof knives by mail-order that were incredibly sharp right out of the box.
posted by Night_owl at 10:29 AM on May 12

The chef knife I bought from Korin was terrifyingly sharp when it arrived. The only annoyance I've had is that it, like most other Japanese knives I own, has too low of an angle for the knife-sharpening place I normally use to know what to do with it. In an effort to keep it from being ruined, I've had to learn to sharpen my own knives.

I suppose that's not really a problem, though, as it's one of the more satisfying chores I have.
posted by Phineas Rhyne at 10:32 AM on May 12

Yeah, don't use your flesh to test knife sharpness. Use one of these techniques.
posted by aubilenon at 10:32 AM on May 12

I bought a Wusthof Grand Prix II which cut my fingers when I touched the blade. It was so sharp it didn't even feel like a cut, it felt like a line of burning.

Then there was blood.
posted by Comrade_robot at 10:46 AM on May 12 [4 favorites]

My Global knives, also Japanese like the Korins, were unbelievably sharp when new. Fortunately for me, I have a fantastic sharpening shop a few minutes from where I live and that specializes in Japanese edges.
posted by bz at 10:54 AM on May 12

I had good luck with Forschner Fibrox kitchen knives, and would consider myself as fairly picky.

They came with a good edge and kept it well.
posted by OilPull at 10:57 AM on May 12

Thirding Dmenet and Phineas re Japanese knives. We've been given a couple of beautiful Globals as gifts, and holy benihana they're sharp!
posted by jalexei at 10:57 AM on May 12

Ooops, missed bz on preview....
posted by jalexei at 10:58 AM on May 12

Comrade_robot, I forgot to mention that our Wusthofs were also all Grand Prix IIs.
posted by Night_owl at 10:59 AM on May 12

Ceramic blades cannot be field sharpened. (Sharpening requires special equipment which is not common.) So they come rom the factory with the best edge they'll ever have. (And reportedly that's a very good edge indeed.)
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 11:10 AM on May 12

I got a Global for Christmas 2 years ago. I put it in the sink in warm water and soap to remove any oil and told my GF, "be careful, don't out your hand in there", then I forgot and stuck my hand in...

It barely touched the knife but boy did it bite me. Pink water and a wound that didn't stop bleeding for 4 or 5 hours.

The only complaint I have with the Global is it doesn't take a good edge unless you have a very good (and very expensive) ceramic steel.

My Wustofs however, when sharpened on a diamond steel are a joy to use, the balance suits me.
posted by hardcode at 11:12 AM on May 12

I don't know about all Japanese knives being sold as sharp as they can be. A friend who is a sushi chef bought himself a damn sweet knife when he was visiting Japan a month or so ago. As of last week he hadn't used it yet because he hadn't felt like taking the time and care to give it a proper sharpening.
posted by Good Brain at 11:13 AM on May 12

Given the volume in which brand name knives are sold (millions), and given consumer culture in most of the rich world (assumption of return & refund for faulty goods sold), it would be business suicide to manufacture knives which aren't sharp out of the box and, used correctly, don't hold their sharpness for a long time.

It is the guy at your neighbourhood knife-sharpening business (or some late night ad for a sharpening gadget) that has planted this seed of doubt in your mind.
posted by randomstriker at 11:15 AM on May 12

Oh and chefs use their knives a thousands times more often than you do, so naturally they'll be obsessive about sharpening regularly.
posted by randomstriker at 11:18 AM on May 12

Problem is, the definition "sharp" is so stretchable. By the standard everyone is used to, new Wusthofs are a-don't-believe-it-even-if-you-put-the-bandaid-on-mazing
But when checked with a good magnifying glass, the edge (at least on the pair we got) is sort of micro-serrated. This sure gives the impression of a certain cut-alertness, and easily can harm an fresh owner, but it is only make-believe sharp. I keep them much sharper now (using a bunch of honing stones and some experience).

Geez, I even got cut by a silly little imitation-wannabe-professional paring knife - First thing: they jump out of their plastic jacket and get you. (That's their style: make a bit of an impression. That knife turned out to be utterly useless and I threw it away). Good Japanese knives do come really sharp, yes.

Test sharpness on your thumb nail: set the edge at a 45 degree angle on the nail without pressure. If it doesn't immediately get caught in the nail, but skids, its not sharp.

It is a myth that good knives hold their edge for a reaaaaly long time. They stay "okay" for months, that's right, and cheap knives don't.
posted by Namlit at 11:29 AM on May 12

I have a Mac knife which held an edge for almost a year, and by edge I mean sharp enough to easily cut through a soft tomato (and serrations would be cheating). Anyway, every decent knife I have ever bought came razor sharp. Perhaps a dedicated sharpener with the stones etc. could improve upon them, and perhaps not.
posted by caddis at 11:47 AM on May 12

I don't know if this helps but this is a good knife sharpening article I've kept bookmarked for a couple of years.
posted by crapmatic at 12:02 PM on May 12 [3 favorites]

Also: A way to fool the consumer is to put a "wire edge" on the knife. Essentially a really really sharp but really really weak edge that bends & breaks almost right away. It would be a great way to fool a consumer into thinking they have a better edge then it is possible for the knife to authentically hold.
posted by Dmenet at 12:02 PM on May 12

My Henckels (3, 4, 5-star) came only with a ground edge, which was serviceable coming home from the store, but I did have to sharpen it later and it got much sharper than the factory state.
posted by rhizome at 12:05 PM on May 12

it would be business suicide to manufacture knives which aren't sharp out of the box and, used correctly, don't hold their sharpness for a long time.

This is not true. Yes, knives come "out of the box" with a good, serviceable edge, but it wears quickly with consistent use. Knives take one hell of a beating even when used correctly. Blades cut everything from food to bone to plastic mats to granite counter tops to stainless steel prep tables. I have two knives that I use every day, one is a $6.00 Walmart paring knife, and the other is a $75.00 Global vegetable knife. They both need regular tuning. I can tell when either one hasn't been honed in the last two weeks.
posted by mrmojoflying at 12:49 PM on May 12

My Shuns were pretty damn sharp when they were new. Still are.
posted by workerant at 1:20 PM on May 12

Seconding Shun knives. Holy crap are they sharp.
posted by sickinthehead at 4:09 PM on May 12

My Global paring knife and my Shun chef's knife was sharp as all hell right out of the box.
posted by like_neon at 5:27 AM on May 13