I get the impression that some here are handy in the Culinary Arts so here goes :

I used to have good cutlery , my ex wife deliberately ruined it all and then complained about my old American, Japanese and German knives .

Now I have Chinese knives and need to sharpen them every few weeks, this seems incorrect to me but I don't cook, I'm talking about the few knives at my Sweet's house .

We're not supposed to have any knives with Foster children in the house (?! WTH ?!) but cooking cannot be done without a knife .

I use a simple sharpener I got at Harbor Freight, it has two crossed ceramic dowels, you draw the knife blade acroit a few times and presto ! .

It is sharp again for a while .

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

What kind of handles? Plastic, steel, wood? I ask because you can try to harden and temper them. I've had varying amounts of success with Chinese steel.

Here's a good read.

https://www.primitiveways.com/pt-knives-1.html

I prefer using charcoal, natural stuff NOT the chemical impregnated "self lighting" stuff as it adds a LITTLE bit of carbon into what is usually low carbon steel.

Melted a few Hibachi's doing this. One of these days I'll get around to making a real kiln/forge.

"Tempering" or "normalizing" the blade is a key step which many people skip. DON'T SKIP IT!

__________________
“Whatever story you're telling, it will be more interesting if, at the end you add, "and then everything burst into flames.”
― Brian P. Cleary, You Oughta Know By Now

Thanx, that sounds reasonable, they're all cheap plastic handles and I'm sure if I took them out side SWMBO would never touch them again even if I didn't dis color the blades .

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

Oh, THOSE kind of knives! Yeah, you're never going to get that low carbon steel to hold an edge.

Pick yourself up a honing steel to use between sharpening's. Don't get one of the ceramic ones. They break way too easily when dropped.

One like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Utopia-Kitchen-Steel-Knife-Sharpening/dp/B019CEWA9S

The problem with the low carbon steel knives is the edges roll over like tissue paper when you get them the proper sharpness. Steeling them gets them back into alignment. The edge won't last long but it does help. I use one every time I clean and put away a knife.

__________________
“Whatever story you're telling, it will be more interesting if, at the end you add, "and then everything burst into flames.”
― Brian P. Cleary, You Oughta Know By Now

So far I've not dropped the ceramic one and it seems to work well.....

No one else has any thoughts here ? .

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

Since you said cheap...
You cannot go wrong with this set of Ginzu knives. You would be surprised how well they work and they cost a lot less than a single 6" chefs knife, it is worth trying them out.

https://www.amazon.com/Ginsu-Essential-14-Piece-Stainless-Serrated/dp/B07VS4PWJC/ref=sr_1_1?crid=4UIK8VNSMIFI&dchild=1&keywords=ginsu%2Bknife%2Bset&qid=1587690157&sprefix=ginsu%2Caps%2C249&sr=8-1&th=1


They are dishwasher safe, they come with a block to store them and when you move on to a nicer set, these are great camp knives.
I had a set of the older cheaper base knives and I always was surprised how well they cut. They won't impress anyone, but if you need a full set of knives on the cheap...

Wow, I remember these from the late night T.V. commercials in the 1970's .

Thanx for the heads up .

We're not allowed to have a Butcher Block but I always have two knives stashed in the back of a cupboard...

I'll see if SWMBO will go for these .

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

we never buy anything hard to cut.both my wife and I don't wear our teeth,so ground meat,chicken. To expensive to buy veggies and fruit,always green here,from california.

__________________
1999 w140, quit voting to old, and to old to fight, a god damned veteran

I am surprised to hear anyone recommend the Ginsu knives because they are so cheap. I am embarrassed to admit that we bought a set of serrated Ginsu knives from something like K-tel from a tv add in about 1975. They have flimsy blades and plastic handles.

But believe it or not to this day they are the best cutting knives in the drawer. We have the German knives with twins holding hands and standard knives with wood handles and I continuously have to hone them to keep the edge.

But those silly plastic handle Ginsu knives have never been sharpened and still outperform everything else I have. Including my new Cuisinart knives with the fancy plastic blade covers.

Who woulda thought????

Most "modern" kitchen knives are made of stainless steel. That is one of the worst materials to make a knife of because it is brittle and impossible to keep a smooth cutting edge on. It always looks good though and that is why most people buy them. If you look at the edge with magnification, you will see it is jagged and that is why it seems to cut so well.

The best material to make a knife of is high-carbon steel and every pro chef knows this. It can be sharpened and honed to a fine edge. The edge however does not last long and it must be often resharpened and honed. Too much trouble for your average home cook and it discolors.

We have a Calphalon set that is excellent. It has sharpeners in the block (the ceramic V type) which is handy and actually does work quite well. The chef and santoku knives are nicely balanced. The set isn't cheap but well worth it -- kitchen knives are one thing that are worth spending a bit of money on if you do any cooking.

__________________
TC
Current stable:
- 2004 Mazda RALLYWANKEL
- 2007 Saturn sky redline
- 2004 Explorer...under surgery.

Past: 135i, GTI, 300E, 300SD, 300SD, Stealth

So if you like me have crappy teeth, make puree's or do whatever you have to to remain healthy .

Greens , fruits and veggies are critical .

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

I'm not sure what we have but the large knives I prefer for chopping veggies need periodic sharpening....once a month or so. The Mrs. never complains about the dullness but when she asks me to cut things I always end up sharpening them before cutting.

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

*This* .

When I cut up a watermelon I usually need to sharpen the long knife first .

Oh, well .

I have one Heinkel at my house, no one touches it except me .

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

I have aquired over the years several dozen various knives. A few Heinkels, <- one really old one, carbon steel. & one ss. Good japanese & french & american knives, all from thrift stores & yard sales. Most are carbon steel,those really thin flexable ones, which acyually are made with really good steel. Years ago, I bought a (Delta) slow turning wet bath stone for sharpening tools knives etc. I allus grind a 'keen' edge, & use a 'steel' occaisionally, those 'scrapers' you describe make sharp but blunt edges. They dont have to get too dull before feeling dull.

-c-

__________________
"I applaud your elaborate system of denial"