The first time I took my paring knives to a knife sharpener, I felt almost embarrassed. These are cheap-o little things with plastic handles and stamped-metal blades. It seemed silly to hand them over for professional sharpening along with my big chef's knife.
I'd wager that paring knives are the real workhorse of many kitchens. I know my three spend more time in the dish drainer after being cleaned than they do in the drawer with the other knives. Cheap paring knives aren't that sharp to begin with, and months of slicing apples, cutting sandwiches in half, and sawing through plastic packaging (What? How do you get the plastic ring off the mayo jar?) don't improve anything.
The cost of sharpening these paring knives is probably equal to what I paid for them to begin with. But to me, it's worth it. I like these knives, and replacing them when they get dull seems wasteful. I'll also bet your paring knives will never be so sharp as when they're professionally sharpened. Those stubborn plastic rings on jars don't stand a chance.
In short: even the cheapest paring knives in our drawer deserve love, too. Go ahead and get them professionally sharpened.
Related: How To Cope With Your Parents' Dull Knives
(Image: Emma Christensen)
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Why would you not? If you use it, it's worth sharpening. Much as I love fancy knives myself (I am embarrassed to admit to friends how much I just spent on a carving knife), I honestly think how you care for your knives counts for more than their origin.
I agree, don't feel ashamed! I bring my three two Wustof's to my knife guys along with the P.O.S. Kitchenaid pairing knife I've had for 8 years and the only comment I've ever heard from them is, "Wow, you must really cook." I think it's great that you are taking care of your most-used items and supporting what I assume is likely a small, local business. Plus, you know what they say: the real danger in a kitchen is a dull knife, not a sharp one.
Honning it once in a while (read it as weekend for me) help a lot than ending up with professional sharpner. It's so easy. Yes, every knife needs attention. Else they feel shy on anything.
IKEA has a sharpener that works really well (though I haven't had is long enough to test the edge's durability). It was $7, and I sharpened all my knives and my mom's knives in about 15 minutes.
What brand is the chef's knife pictured above?
Ha! This post is too funny.
My SO got me an awesome Messermeister 8" chef's knife for my birthday several years ago, and while I use it a TON, my cheap-o knives from Walmart (complete with plastic handles and a very sad looking knife block) still get used just as much. The serrated steak knives in that block do a better job slicing tomatoes than the razor-sharp chef's knife, every time.
I will probably never be the kind of person to own an extensive set of expensive knives; I'll raise a glass to all the other folk out there making excellent dinners and impressing people, their shameful Walmart cutlery hidden in plain sight. :) Cheers!
Who sharpens knives and where?