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PRODUCT REVIEW KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW n FEBRUARY 2018 n www.kitchenwarenews.com 14 Product Review Getting Gritty with DMT's Diamond Sharpeners BY GREG GONZALES Before December 2017, I'd never sharpened a knife. As a kid, I used to mimic the motion, but I didn't know the finesse and subtlety that went into perfecting a blade's edge. So when DMT's DuoSharp® Bench Stone with Base and the Diamond Steel™ arrived in the newsroom, I jumped at the chance to get myself a crash course and see what sharpeners are all about. Out of the box, I could tell there was a steeper learning curve for the bench stone than there was for the steel. Not that the bench stone was complicated — it came with 12 rubber feet to place on the bottom for stabilit y. The edge had two grits already locked into the base by two clips, and removing the clips to change grit was as easy as giving them a pinch f rom the bottom. The steel was even less complicated: remove f rom box, then rinse. In minutes, I was ready to sharpen, and test out the results with carrots, onions and paper (after a few YouTube instructional videos, that is). The Tomodachi All-Purpose 6-inch knife f rom my childhood wasn't looking so hot when I first got to it. Tiny dents, dulling and other imperfections made slicing through even the softest foods a bit rough; the blade would snag on food and then aim for my fingers. After about 10 minutes of sharpening on the fine grit, I ran the onion test to test basic sharpness; onion skin is oily and slick, so I was impressed to find that my knife could now catch on the skin with relative ease. The movement wasn't quite as smooth as I would have liked, though. Each slice still caught a little bit, and I could tell that the blade was uneven. After about five minutes more of the fine grit on each side, and another five on each side with extra fine grit, the Tomodachi was slicing paper-thin tomatoes and cutting carrots like butter. When I did the paper test, the knife slid just as easily through the page as carrots, like I'd expect f rom a crafter's razorblade. The DMT Bench Stone ( W8) had my knife slicing like it was 2008 instead of 2018. According to the instructions, I could have sharpened dry, but I went wet because the fluid floats away the swarf (waste material), which keeps the stone f rom clogging. Though my results were exactly what I was looking for, my only regret was that I couldn't repair the worst of my knives, which was rife with dents and extensive damage f rom drawer storage and misuse. For that, I'd need more than the fine and extra fine grits that came in the package. DMT's Diamond Sharpener grits come in extra-extra coarse, extra coarse, coarse, fine, extra fine and extra-extra fine, all color- coded on the package and on the edge itself to help users stay organized and efficient. For home cooks and chefs who are serious about keeping their knives in perfect working condition, I recommend getting a wider range of grits. The Diamond Steel was a cinch to use, even for a beginner like me. All I needed was a cutting board, the steel and a slightly damaged Hoff ritz knife. Again, getting the stroke right f rom heel to tip took a bit of practice and some direction from strange YouTubers, but I had it down in less than 10 minutes. Since my knife wasn't too badly damaged, it was slicing paper-thin tomatoes by the time I finished practicing! Nice as the bench stone was for sharpening, I rarely have damaged knives to fix, so it takes a little too much space in my studio-style apartment. However, DMT's sharpeners proved to be just what I needed to get a couple knives back into working condition. These are a must-have for anyone who uses a knife every day, though most of us home cooks and small- living folks will be fine with the Diamond Steel on its own, which fits in my knife block or kitchen counter carousel. KN FUSION WOODS BY PACIFIC MERCHANTS Fusion Woods modern design is an innovative concept based upon the functionality of traditional cutting boards, cheese boards and wooden serving trays. Made from up to five different exotic wood varieties, striped wood patterns are melded together into a rich palette of natural wood grains and vibrant colors. Fusion Woods serving boards, paddles and serving trays have a rich modern feel and offer an elegant presentation when entertaining. Each board or tray comes with an attractive hang-tag attached to a crossed- tied natural raffia string. A compact wooden counter display is available free with minimum purchase. Pacific Merchants 888.207.8999 info@pacificmerchants.com www.pacificmerchants.com ZWILLING J.A. HENCKELS PRO 17-POCKET KNIFE CASE Daily knife users don't want their knives floating around, unprotected, in kitchen drawers — they want their carefully- selected, fine blades to last. A good knife block will usually do the trick, but for the traveler and knife collector, Zwilling J.A. Henckels offers a case that allows users to store and travel with up to 17 knives and utensils. Great for culinary students, chefs, or for culinary bliss on vacation. Includes a nylon zipper pocket for extra storage. Zwilling J.A. Henckels 800.777.4308 www.zwillingonline.com LANSKY CONTROLLED-ANGLE KNIFE SHARPENING SYSTEM Angle constancy is the most critical and the most elusive element of hand sharpening. The Lansky Controlled-Angle System is a guided knife sharpening system that ensures that the knife edge sharpens to the exact bevel specified. Designed to give blades a professional, razor sharp edge every time, regardless of sharpening ability. It is excellent for beginners and advanced users alike. The system includes Serrated Medium Hone, Coarse Red Hone, Medium Green Hone, Fine Blue Hone, Ultra-Fine Ceramic Yellow Hone, Honing Oil, a clamp for the blade and guide rods. Suggested retail price: $55.99 Lansky Sharpeners 716.877.7511 www.lansky.com