On the Edge: Chantry Knife Sharpener

Reaching to your knife rack, you grab your chef's knife. With your other hand you pull out the steel and, with a few quick strokes, realign the knife's edge. Over time, using the steel becomes a habit. The habit keeps your knives safe, easy to use, and extends the time before you have to actually sharpen your knife. And if you're like me, knife sharpening is a PITA.

Back when I used to watch TV in the evenings the chore wasn't too bad. I'd get out my stone, collect my knives, and sharpen them while watching MASH or Happy Days. Neither activity required my undivided attention and together they allowed me to relax and accomplish something at the same time. (Polishing copper is another good TV task.)

Unfortunately I don't watch TV most evenings anymore -- I have better things to do -- and keeping my knives sharp has become more of a chore. Some years ago I bought a Chefs Choice sharpener based on recommendations from several fellow cooks. Although the results couldn't compare with the edge I achieved by hand using a stone, it wasn't a bad choice: fast, easy, and simple. It was "good enough" but I wanted an unconditional "good" if not an outright "great."

I knew one of the food service companies offered knife sharpening to restaurants and that most chefs relied on it to sharpen their personal knives, but that wasn't a practical solution for me. Then, a few weeks ago, I was chatting with the executive chef for one of Knoxville's best restaurants and asked him if he knew of an alternative. He said he used the Chantry sharpener at home. In fact, he said it was "great."

What the hell? I bought one.

As you can see, it consists of two round bars with ridges (similar to small steels) forming a V and set at a predefined angle. The bars are spring-loaded and free to rotate in place. To use it you simply draw the blade through the V several times.

It works. Unlike ordinary steels, which straighten the edge but don't actually remove any metal and so can't sharpen the blade, this gadget does sharpen quickly and effectively. It's faster than the Chef's Choice and I would rate the resulting edge as "good."

However, the edge is different from that produced by a stone or the Chef's Choice. The device creates micro-serrations.

Pete Thibodeau, who tested the Chantry for the LA Times said, the Chantry turns knife blades into "hacksaws." That's a colorful turn of phrase but, although it's intended as opprobrium, I'm not sure it is.

A smooth knife blade works essentially by wedging the item being cut apart at a microscopic level. On the other hand a serrated knife, like a saw, works by removing material. A serrated blade can make a mess of carving a roast, but is perfect for getting through a hard bread crust. A smooth blade is perfect for roast, but will crush a dense crust. Each blade type has its uses.

However, the serrations produced by the Chantry sharpener can't be seen. They can be faintly heard by drawing the knife across a wooden cutting board. The edge works perfectly well for slicing roast or cutting a pocket in a raw chicken breast -- far better than an ordinary serrated blade. I haven't tried it on a hard crust of bread, so I don't know it's superior in that application to a smooth edge.

Frankly, if a hacksaw could do as good a job of dicing an onion as my Wusthoff Santoku blade, I'd use a hacksaw. I'm more interested in what works than how it works. But I do have a concern about this sharpener.

I don't know how much metal the Chantry is removing from the edge. There isn't a noticeable dust below the sharpener after using it so it doesn't seem to be great, but if the edge doesn't hold up and I end up sharpening more often then I may be shortening the life of my knives. This isn't as great a concern with the Wusthoffs, which I can easily replace five or ten years from now. But I have two nameless Spanish blades and one of them is my absolute favorite knife. It would be impossible to replace short of making a trip to Spain -- which would add considerably to the replacement cost.

If you're looking for a new knife sharpening solution, I'd recommend giving the Chantry a try. At $40 it's worth checking out and forming your own opinion.

Chantry Knife Sharpener, Model 550.

(Update: I wrote this review last August and have used the sharpener twice since then (I told you that using a steel cuts down on sharpening) on my main blades and I'm still reasonably pleased with it. Recommended.)

Kevin Weeks is a Gather food correspondent (Paisano), personal chef, cooking teacher, and writer in Knoxville, Tennessee who spends too many hours on his feet, cooking. "Paisano" is a column focused on peasant dishes from around the world. To read more of Kevin's writings or connect to him click here. His blog, Seriously Good, is read by 75,000 cooks a month and in addition he writes a weekly column for Spot-On.