Edge Experts

We love hearing such nice comments from our happy customers. Thanks Dan, for a great review!

I have always sucked at sharpening knives no matter what type of sharpener I tried. I finally gave up on buying them. The other day I was in my favorite toy store (Lowes) and spotted a Smith’s Precision Sharpening Kit. I thought oh what the heck I have already tried them all from hand held to electric I might as well give this a shot. WOW! What a difference, I am now a pro. My wife thinks I went to knife sharpening school.

Finally a product that does what it says it will.

Kudos and thanks to Smith’s,

Dan Fredenburg
Plano, TX

In an excellent debut article in HOMEWORLD BUSINESS® • NEWS (January. 4-17, 2010), Senior Editor Lori Schneider introduces Smith’s new line, EdgeWare, to the general public. Schneider starts,

With the goal of broadening its kitchenware presence, U.S. manufacturer Smith’s is debuting its first-ever food-preparation products under its Edgeware brand this year

The company’s new mandoline slicer, which will make its international debut at Ambiente, is the first product in the company’s migration beyond edge-related products and is the first of the company’s line of food-prep tools. Pre-orders are being taken now and more tools will be available toward the end of 2010.

“We were growing very well in our existing business, which is sporting knives, and were looking for new interesting opportunities,” CEO Dan Glidden said. “The gourmet housewares category made sense to us.”

Smith’s had already been in the segment via private branded products, but the company felt there was a void in the mid-range market for sharpening tools.

To support launch of these products and the Edgeware brand, Smith’s will feature new product packaging reflecting the name, as well as special instore displays, a new housewaresfocused website, consumer advertising and a social media presence with The Edge Experts blog and pages on Facebook and YouTube.

Download the full article here.

Question via Ask the Expert:

Do you have any report on the Smith sharpener 50006? Any information would be helpful.

Thanks,

Gary

Hi Gary,

The 50006 - Diamond Edge Gourmet™ Electric/Manual Knife & Scissors Sharpener offers the flexibility of both electric and manual sharpening together in one unit. With this one product, you can easily sharpen extremely dull blades, maintain razor sharp edges on both straight and serrated edges, and sharpen common household scissors.

The unit’s unique features include: interlocking diamond abrasive wheels for fast and precise sharpening of both sides of your blade at the same time and guarantees factory edge results every time no matter your blade type or edge condition.

The 50006 also features a manual finishing slot for polishing a freshly ground edge or for sharpening serrated blades. The unit assures equal treatment of both sides of the knife blade and incorporates a retractable scissors sharpener.

Electric Features:
• Interlocking Diamond Abrasive Wheels Sharpen Both Sides of the Blade at the Same Time to a Factory “Hollow-Ground” Edge

Manual Features:
• Triangular Shaped Ceramic Stones Provide Final Edge Honing for Straight Edge or Serrated Edge Blades
• Pull-2-Lock Scissors Sharpener for Right or Left-Handed Scissors

Additional Features:
• Rubber Hand Grip for Comfort and Control
• Non-Slip Rubber Feet for Safety
• Clean Out Slot Under Machine

Hope this answers your questions. Let us know if you need any additional information.

We love our simple and budget friendly Edge Grip 2 step knife sharpener- and so does everyone else! It was just awarded the best 2-step Knife Sharpener from the expert review site, Bestcovery.com.

Why is it the best? Here’s what they had to say…

This is a small and lightweight sharpener, but it’s also sturdy and well made. It has a carbide blade on one side for edge-setting, and a fine ceramic rod on the other for final honing. Rubber feet keep it fixed to the surface, and a rubber handle makes it easy to hold and use, either on a flat surface, or on the edge of a table or counter.
It works really well without too much effort, and at around $7 it’s an incredible bargain.

Check it out online at SmithsEdge.com. (It makes a GREAT stocking stuffer too!!!)

The web is a fast and changing world and we at Smith’s try very hard to keep up with it as best we can. We love the opportunity to connect with our customers on a more personal level, especially through feedback, questions, and new product ideas. Smith’s blog gets some really great “Ask the Expert” questions and lots of comments are posted on our YouTube videos and Facebook fan page as well.

However, because of the openness of our online policy, we often come across feedback on which we’re not quite sure how to respond. As a rule, we always respond to comments that involve our product being defective or malfunctioning. In those instances, we make sure the customer knows that we warrant our products against defective materials or workmanship and will replace them at no cost. All they have to do is contact Smith’s at 800-221-4156 or via the website.

As for negative comments that our product “messed up my knife” or “I hate it, it doesn’t work,” we would really like to provide an informative and helpful response, but it is difficult to do so when we don’t know if the sharpener was being used properly or if it was even the right sharpener for that style of blade. As you may know, there are lots of factors that impact the use of sharpening products, e.g. type of sharpener, type of knife, hardness of the steel blade, double-bevel or single bevel, sharpening experience, sharpening knowledge, proper use, definition of “sharp”, user’s expectations, etc. Therefore, please help us correct any problems with our products by providing as much detailed feedback you can regarding any or all of these factors. The end result will, in turn, prove beneficial to you as well.

In addition to educating consumers about our products and knife sharpening in general, one of our primary purposes of posting our photos, videos, etc. on the internet and maintaining our blog is to gain feedback that will help us improve our products. We strive to be perfect, but, like everyone else, we rarely achieve that. This is why it is so important for you to provide us with as much constructive feedback you can.

Our goal is to consistently provide the best sharpening products on the market to our customers. Providing outstanding customer service is also of the utmost importance to us. We welcome all feedback and will try to respond to every question that comes our way. But please help us help you, by providing feedback we can learn from.

Dan Glidden
CEO, Smith’s

Question via “Ask the Expert“

What is the difference between model 50023 in the EdgeSport catalog and model 50006 in the EdgeWare catalog?

Thank you for your help,

Peter Lohr

Edge Expert Response:

Mr. Lohr,
Thanks for your inquiry and your interest in Smith’s electric knife sharpeners. To answer your question, I have provided a quick comparison below.

Differences:
The 50023 Edgesport electric knife sharpening model has two manual sharpening slots as opposed to just one manual slot on the Edgeware 50006 model. The additional sharpening slot is a manual edge-setting slot that uses crossed carbide blades to quickly re-set the edge on very dull or damaged blades. Carbide Blades are very aggressive and remove lots of metal from the blade which has more application when it comes to Hunting/Fishing and Outdoor Sports knives. These types of knives are normally used for strenuous activities and receive more abuse than kitchen type knives used to cut soft foods and properly stored in wood blocks or drawer organizers.
The 50023 model provides you the opportunity to use Adjustable Speeds for precision sharpening. Adjustable speeds allow the user of the sharpener to match the level of metal removal to the condition of his or her knife blade. The low speed is used for the majority of the sharpening performed. However, if the blade is proving difficult to sharpen on low speed because of a harder steel or an uneven grind, the high speed will sharpen quicker and reduce the need for excess grinding at low speeds.

The exterior housing on the 50023 model is designed with a more rugged, hardware feel for the Sporting Goods market, whereas the 50006 is more elegantly designed to fit in the most gourmet kitchen. It has a softer, curvy feel to better appeal to females. The 50006 was designed to sit out on the kitchen counter, while the 50023 is normally stored in a cabinet until ready for use.

The 50006 model has a newer version of the interior motor, which makes it not as noisy as the 50023 model.

Similarities:

• both models utilize Interlocking Diamond Wheels in the mechanical sharpening slot. This is the newest technology on the market for electric sharpeners.
• both models feature both mechanical and manual sharpening slots.
• both models incorporate a retractable scissors sharpener in the side of the housing. This patented design sharpener sharpens both left and right-handed scissors.
• both models use ceramic stones for manual finishing or a quick touch up of already sharp blades. These specially shaped stones will also lightly hone SERRATED blades.
• Their overall dimensional footprint is basically the same.

I hope this helps in your understanding of our most advanced electric sharpeners. If there is anything else you need or would like to know, please feel free to contact me.

Thank you again for your interest in our products.

Question via “Ask the Expert“

My kitchen knife blade has become damaged. It has knicks in the blade. It does not look like normal sharpening will repair it. How do I fix this?

Thanks

Khris

Edge Expert Response:

Hey Khris,

It really depends on the severity of the knicks in the knife’s blade. Since normal sharpening is not working, then we recommend you first run the knife thru a manual sharpener with fixed carbide blades like our Straight Edge Pull Thru Sharpener ( Item # 50032) or Edge Grip ( Item # 50009). The carbides will remove quite a bit of metal but it may take several pulls thru the sharpener to remove enough of the metal depending on the damage.

You should then run the knife thru an electric sharpener such as our Diamond Edge Gourmet ( Item #50006) to remove the remaining damaged metal and give the new edge a consistent, quality sharpening on both sides. Are these knicks on both sides of the blade? One of the best features of our Diamond Edge Gourmet Electric Knife Sharpener is that it sharpens both sides of the knife at the same time with its diamond interlocking wheels which will save you some time. Depending upon the damage to the knife this could require several passes thru this sharpener as well.

Follow this up by running the knife thru the ceramic stones of the sharpener to polish the blade.

Keep in mind though that if these knicks are too severe these steps still may not completely remove them.

Please let us know if you need any additional help or information.

Thank you,
Melissa Moore
Housewares Marketing Manager

CookingGadgets.com is a great review blog filled with product tips, recipes, advice, and of course, fabulous kitchen accessory reviews! So we just had to have Cyndi check out our award winning Diamond Edge Gourmet Electric Knife & Scissor Sharpener. Here’s a preview of what she had to say…

For a high grade professional quality sharpener, this machine is extremely easy to use. I am very happy with the manual 2 Step Sharpener that I already use, so I wasn’t very excited about what I supposed was going to be a complicated machine. Not so. It has a manual honing station and an electric sharpening station, both of which are super simple to figure out. On the side is a manual scissor sharpening station, and beneath the machine is a small drawer which collects the filings for easy cleanup…

To be registerd for the free giveaway (a $125.00 value!) simply tell Cyndi what your favroite brand and style of knife is (in her blog comments) and you’ll be in the mix to win this great product!

Good luck guys- and thanks CookingGadgets!

Question via “Ask the Expert“

I own a Tri-Hone Knife Sharpener.

I am wondering what is the purpose of each type of stone that is provided. There is no explanation as to when to use each. I would love to learn more.

Also can i use this kit for sharpening S30V knifes?

Please help.
Chris

Edge Expert Response:

Chris,

Thank you for your inquiry and your interest in Smith’s Sharpeners. The Tri-Hone Sharpening System is a classic multi-use sharpener for all your knives and tools with cutting edges. The three stone system provides a broad capability to sharpen all edge conditions, from extremely dull to a quick touchup of already sharp blades. The purpose of each stone is provided below.

COARSE – This coarse grit synthetic stone removes large amounts of metal. It should be used for quick, aggressive sharpening on extremely dull or damaged blades. This stones takes a very dull or damaged blade and restores a good working edge to the blade. You should start the sharpening process with this stone only if your blade is extremely dull or damaged. It should only be used on straight edge blades only and honing solution is required.

MEDIUM (soft) Arkansas Stone – This general purpose sharpening stone is the most used of all the natural Arkansas stones. It removes moderate amounts of metal while polishing the edge of your blade at the same time. It should be used to the start the sharpening process for blades that are somewhat dull and still have a consistent edge. It should be used on straight edge blades only and honing solution is required.

FINE (hard) Arkansas Stone – Removes the least amount of metal of the three stones. It produces an extremely fine edge on your blade and is used for finishing, polishing, or smoothing your cutting edge to razor sharpness. These stones are excellent for maintaining (or touching up) already sharp edges before each use. We also recommend always using the Fine Arkansas stone after sharpening on the COARSE or MEDIUM stones to finish and polish the edge.

Note: Natural Arkansas Stones are unique sharpeners because they hone and polish the edge at the same time. No other sharpening apparatus can perform both these tasks simultaneously. They are perfect for sharpening pocket knives, hunting/fishing knives, hobby knives, tools, and kitchen knives.

HONING SOLUTION: Always use a lubricant when sharpening with the two natural Arkansas stones. It protects the stones and the blade of the knife or tool by washing away the particles of stone and metal created during the sharpening process. Without the lubricant’s washing effect, the particles are forced into the pores of the stone and it “glazes” over, reducing the stone’s sharpening effectiveness. We recommend Smith’s Premium Honing Oil as the best lubricant. It is mineral-based and is completely safe. If necessary, water can be used as a substitute.

CARE & STORAGE: You must wash your stone after each use. Just clean it off under running water, then store it in a safe place where it won’t get broken. We strongly suggest cleaning your Arkansas Stone by vigorously brushing it with soap and water and using a nylon, stiff brush after every three or four times of sharpening. This will keep the pores of your stone clean and it will last for many, many years.

The answer to your question regarding use of the Tri-Hone system to sharpen “S30V” knives is YES.

You can use this system to sharpen any type of straight edge knife, but you may have to repeat the process several times and/or make numerous strokes over the sharpening stones. For knives made of tempered steel, which are extremely hard, you need to use the same process as you do with regular steel but do it longer. If it takes you say 10 strokes on each side of the blade on both the Medium and Fine Arkansas stones to get a regular knife sharp, then it may take you 30 or more on each side on a combination of all the stones to get harder steel knives like S30V knives sharp. Just be patient and consistent. Remember, the key to obtaining a sharp edge is consistency of angle and doing the same number of strokes on both sides of the blade.

(Read a good post we did a while back on angles and consistency.)

Thank you again for your interest in our sharpening products. If there is anything else you need or would like to know, all of us at Smith’s would love to help.

Question via “Ask the Expert“

Can the Arkansas tri stone be use to sharpen a lawn mower blade. If so do i need to detach the blade from the mower?

Edge Expert Response:

Thanks for your inquiry. Yes, the COARSE stone mounted on the Tri-Hone Sharpening System can be used to sharpen a lawn mower blade although it will require numerous strokes to achieve the results you are looking for. Yes, you will need to detach the blade from the mower for sharpening. Also, don’t forget to use honing solution or water as a lubricant when using the sharpening stones.

We do make a product that is designed specifically for sharpening loppers, trimmers, axes, and lawn mower blades. The product is called the Edge Eater and you would not have to detach the blade from the mower to sharpen it. If you are interested, you may call our Customer Service Department (800-221-4156) and they will take care of you, or visit the Customer Service section of our website, www.smithsedge.com, and complete the contact form.

Smith’s 6″ Three Stone Sharpening System

Smith’s 3-Stone Sharpening System features a 6” Medium Arkansas Stone, 6” Fine Arkansas Stone, and 6” Coarse Synthetic Stone mounted on a moldedplastic triangle with handles on the end for easy stone rotation and easy to read stone identification. The sturdy molded plastic base has nonskid rubber feet for safety, “V” trough to catch the oil drippings, and is easy to clean. A bottle of Premium Honing Solution and a sharpening angle guide are also included.

Purchase online at SmithsEdge.com for only $29.99