Customer Reviews

Furi Rachael Ray TechEdge Pro Knife Sharpening System

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I bought this sharpening system even though I have and do know how to use a whetstone and steel...and this thing isn't cheap, so it has to earn its mettle or it would be returned. I'm keeping it.

The whetstone is still going to be used for Single-edged blades like japanese sushi knives...this system doesn't have much to offer for those. The edge restorer *might* be able to be adjusted to cut those but it's not clear if it will...and I'm not in a rush to try it on any of mine.

The edge restorer is very efficient but suffers from a couple of pitfalls: most important of these, perhaps, is given the amount of force you need to apply to get the blades to cut your knife, as you near the tip of the knife, it can flail downward as soon as it goes off the end and bang into the metal base of the edge restorer. This will of course blunt the very tip until you learn to let up on the pressure, and increase the pitch angle as you approach the tip. This problem happens with all three parts of this system, and you need to sharpen at the edge of a countertop as a result so the knife will swing into empty space. It's especially bad with the restorer, which they could have made taller to ease the problem by giving more swing room above the base.

The other problem with the restorer is that your knife can "bounce" or skid as it's being cut...this will induce a pattern of serrations onto the blade. So you need to apply the right amount of force evenly as you pull the knife through...such skidding may come from too much force or an already uneven blade. In any case, it's not foolproof.

The diamond stage cleans up what's left from the restoring stage, and you don't need to use the restorer anyway unless your knives are in bad shape already. The diamond stage does "micro-serrate" the blade, which will make it magic on tomatoes but will tear apart e.g. tuna. So the honing stage smoothes that out to a high polish.

I find the grip too small to use all day. I would want a more solid mount if I used this often...I understand they sell a knife block with a mount for these things and that might be better or it could be a disaster if you tip it... The three-section storage pouch that comes with this doesn't fit the four parts very naturally...but you can squeeze them in.

With those caveats I am actually going to use this instead of the stone and steel if only because I'm lazy and this gets it right easier and cleaner.

Their knives look like good value as well.

I am a confirmed sharp knife-aloholic and have experimented with nearly every tool to keep a razor sharp edge on all the knives in my collection. The things I look for in a sharpener in order of priority are:

1. ease of use

2. will it maintain the proper angle without requiring an apprenticeship?

3. will it consistantly produce a razor sharp edge from heel to toe?

4. can it go from dull to razor sharp?

5. can I change angles for specialty knives?

6. overall system design including packaging.

I have never seen a 5 star yet and maybe that system can never be built. I found a Furi to be relatively intuitive to use and easy to switch from one phase to the next.

Unlike a previous reviewer, I had no problem using the system and found that the diamon 'finger' design maintained the correct sharpening angle for both my 22.5 degree and 15 degree knives.(I still have not tried it on cleavers or hunting knives)

Overall sharpening abiliity was much better than the average sharpener with only minor discrepancies(rollovers) along the blade length (which may be operator error). The system did well transforming dull knives to sharp. I have never been a real fan of diamond coated syatems and still fell that a real 'razor' finish on specialy knives(like fine Japanese knives)requires a ceramic touch up.

Overall system design appears well thought out with the exception of the carrying case which is made of cheap plastic and is almost useless for convenient storage. Considering the cost, they could have come up with a much better design.

I will definitely keep the Furi system and find it to be the best sharpener available on the market considering the above criteria.

I am sorely tempted to give this gangly gear five stars, but its somewhat ungainly appearance and slightly--only slightly--"unease of use" detracts from its perfection. We'll call it 4 1/2 stars.

When you open the box, this unit looks like something Rube Goldberg might have thought up when he had too many spatulas. Shiny fingers of metal are everywhere and you being to wonder what it is that you bought. Fear not. A quick read of the simple instructions and you're off and sharpening, chuckling at the now-explained simplicity of the piece: figure 30 seconds to begin putting a good edge on your knives, 45 seconds if you are very slow or super methodical.

And this is where the gadget shines as a total no-brainer. It's fast, does a bang-up job and you will have every blade in you kitchen honed, correctly, in minutes. Then go to work on pocket and steak blades. The instructions also make you aware of the problem of knife "steels," those diamond-edged round things that have a special slot in your knife block. They have their uses, but tend to "curl" an edge. The Furi Techedge takes care of this all-too-common problem in a jiff.

Having tried just about every knife sharpening/honing doo-dah out there, I can honestly say that this one tops 'em all. It's worth the money, folks.

The Edge Restorer, using two tungsten carbide cutters to restore new angles to a rounded edge, works well, but has trouble with thicker knife blades. The Diamond Fingers Sharpener and the Tech Hone Fingers don't seem to work well at all. I've followed the directions closely and even gone to the Furi website to watch a sharpening video, but without much luck. The Tech Hone Fingers does not touch up the edge as a Chef's Steel does and the Diamond Fingers Sharpener seems to make the blades duller. I get a good initial edge with the Edge Restorer, but it seems to get ruined when I use the other two parts of the system. I've gone back to using a steel to maintain the edge.

I bought the Furi knife sharpener to keep my Furi 7-Inch Gusto Grip knife sharp. I also used it on my old knives and what a positive difference it made! Even my cheapo knives are sharp. I used to use one of those electric sharpeners that you pull the knife through but always got poor to mediocre results. The Furi sharpener is so easy to use and does a great job every time I've used it. I'm very pleased with this purchase!

The sharpening system works very well on my good knives and even made my mediocre knives much better. It is expensive but good quality.

Reading some of the other reviews makes me believe that I'm probably the least experienced in sharpening tools. I'm just a home cook; not a professional or expert. But I found this product extremely easy to use and I have to say, it took my most damaged knife and put it razor sharp in no time at all. The instructions are easy to follow. If I have one (very minor) concern, it would be the plastic handle. It catches when I try to rotate it open and I'm afraid it might break fairly easy. I just leave it open all the time. Other than that - I would recommend this sharpener absolutely!

This product is supposed to take the guesswork out of knife-sharpening by properly controlling the sharpening angle. Unlike the standard-issue sharpening rod included with most knife sets, this gadget is designed to guide the knife perfectly at the correct angle to ensure a uniform, precision edge every time.

While the concept is a real winner, its creators chose to ignore one prominent flaw - the user is still required to freehand the knife across the spring-loaded sharpeners. This leaves the knife wide open to variances in travel angle, pitch, arc, etc., leading to a less-than-perfect edge. There is literally nothing to guide the knife accurately across the sharpening fingers, defeating the chief purpose of the $100 contraption.

After realizing mediocre results, I promptly returned my unit. Do yourself a favor; save your money until Furi gets it right.

I found the Furi Pro Knife system to be a little intimidating when I first removed it from the box. However, I took the time to watch the included 'Rachel demo video' which showed how extremely easy it was to use. Not only was it easy, but it really does work. Knives I've had for ages were given new life, as well as my Furi knives which was my initial reason for purchase. I wish it came with a better case to store it in though, I don't foresee it lasting too long.

After trying many different types of knife sharpeners, both manual and electric, over the years with mediocre results I decided to give the Furi a chance. I think I've found my "lifetime" sharpener. It's easy and quick and requires little skill to get a perfect edge on all the knives in my drawer. Highly recommended!