# Under $100 maintenance for MAC Knife



## fingermark (Oct 29, 2011)

I have a MAC MTH-80 that I like a lot.  I've been using it for about a year now and can kind of feel the burr with my fingernails when I pick at one side of the knife.  There are also some nicks on it.  I hone (without knowing what I'm doing) with some cheap steel I found in my parents place -- think it came with a knife set.

How do I fix all my current knife issues, sharpen my knife, and then maintain my knife for all under $100.  Do I get some new honing rod and a sharpener?  Or is it recommended that I do something like the ChefsChoice ceramic pull that does both? ''

p.s. I've been reading BDL and Pete's post and trying to figure all this out, but am hoping a more direct question will help.

Thanks,

Bradford


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## petemccracken (Sep 18, 2008)

I've kept my MACs in reasonable shape, not ultimate but PDS, using a Fisker Roll-Sharp as recommended by Harold at MAC Knives USA


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## petemccracken (Sep 18, 2008)

Oh yes, PDS = pretty darned sharp


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## fingermark (Oct 29, 2011)

Thanks.  I think I read in another thread that you also use this as a replacement for honing.  Is that correct?  If so, what how do you use this?  A few pulls before you start cooking?


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## petemccracken (Sep 18, 2008)

fingermark said:


> Thanks. I think I read in another thread that you also use this as a replacement for honing. Is that correct? If so, what how do you use this? A few pulls before you start cooking?


With fair regularity, I wash the knife, dry, then, maybe, 5 full, back and forth swipes on the Roll-Sharp, with *very* light pressure. Sometimes I don't /img/vbsmilies/smilies/crazy.gif

If the knife feels like it needs it, i.e. I cannot shave the skin off a tomato, maybe 10-20 full swipes as necessary.


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

You're trying to find a one step solution which really doesn't exist.  It's a question of what you want and to how much trouble and expense you're willing to take to get there.

The MAC Rollsharp is a rebranded Fiskars Rollsharp.  It's a decent, although not particularly fast way, of getting a moderately coarse edge on a knife.  It's not a bad method for a MAC Original or Chef's, but your MAC Pro is capable of taking and holding a finer, more polished edge than the Rollsharp can produce. 

A Pro will feel smoother, stay sharp longer, and generally perform better with the more advanced edge, or I wouldn't bother mentioning it.

A really good sharpening kit, including hone, would come in at just under $200.  You could do fairly well for less.  For instance, a good rod hone runs around $30, and you could add a decent, two face combination -- such as a King 1K/6K -- for under $70 and stay within your budget. 

If bench stones are too much for you in terms of difficulty and/or expense, consider a Minosharp three stage pull through (around $80) or a Chef's Choice Model 316 (also around $80).  Either method will get you a finer edge than a Rollsharp.  Neither is as tough on your knife.

Honing with a fine hone, puts a lot less wear and stress on an edge than sharpening; but it's not a substitute for sharpening either.

Hope this helps,

BDL


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## fingermark (Oct 29, 2011)

It does help a lot.  Thanks.  So, would I still need to hone the knife with the Minosharp three stage pull through?  Or is that what the finest grit is for?


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

You still hone (or steel) the knife between sharpenings, to keep the knife off the stones.  You won't need to use the rod when you've just finished sharpening because the sharpener will also true the edge.  But you don't want to sharpen every time you need to true; it's time consuming and tough on the knife.  The exceptions to truing with a rod are knives which shouldn't or can't be steeled for some reason (doesn't apply to you); and machines which have barely-abrasive, floppy discs for their final stage.

I think one of the inexpensive Chef's Choice machines has a set of wheels, and am sure one of their more expensive "Asian" machines does.  A lot of knife guys are very disapproving when it comes to the CCs, but I like them for a great number of people.  Because they are so easy and convenient to use, they get used.  They aren't without drawbacks, though.  The biggest of which is that the stones get dirty and load up, and are very difficult to clean, the stones also wear fairly quickly. 

A manual pull through like the Minosharp is really a stone holder for people who refuse to learn bench stones.  They are inexpensive and don't require much learning, but have their limitations -- just not as many or as severe as a Rollsharp.  The three stage Minosharp is roughly competitive with one of the more expensive CCs.  It's not nearly as fast (which means it won't profile or repair easily), it's nowhere near as  convenient, but it's easier to keep the stones clean, should last longer, and costs less. 

Pete, whom I respect hugely, feels that I'm judging his Rollsharp negatively.  I've got nothing against it.  It's a decent system which will give you a sharp knife without too much effort if you use it frequently -- good for a great many knives and a large number of people.  But it's only a single stage pull-through.  It's not fast enough for repairs or re-profiling without a LOT of work, and it's not fine enough to put an appropriate polish on a knife like your MAC Pro.  The three stage Minosharp just barely covers the bases. 

You've already made your budget limits clear, and we're talking about sharpening just one knife.  If the parameters weren't so constrained, I'd be talking about more expensive and powerful systems.  I know $200 seems like a lot of money, but it's very close to the price of admission for a kit with three good, Japanese, synthetic water stones, a good hone and a flattener.   For a little more, you could avoid most of the learning curve and pick up an Edge Pro, rod and flattener.  

BDL


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## knifesavers (Oct 5, 2011)

You can get a Spyderco Sharpmaker and a set of ultra fine triangles on Amazon for about $80 total. For J knives only use the 15 degree slots though. They are not going to exceed waterstones or be faster than other systems but will do an adequate job and can go anyplace.

As BDL said a King 1K and 6K will do beautifully for similar money and are faster cutting but can't compete with the Sharpmaker for less muss and fuss. The Sharpmaker edges are about like a 1K and 3K waterstone as is. The ultra fine triangles get about 5K.

I have many a tool to sharpen with but the Sharpmaker is a staple. It sits between a honing rod and stones in the ladder of sharpeners. It does good on serrated blades also.

Jim


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## fingermark (Oct 29, 2011)

This forum is great.  KnifeSavers, how well does the SharpMaker do on an 8" blade?


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## fingermark (Oct 29, 2011)

Well, I pulled the trigger and bought the Minosharp 3 and the Idahone.  Pete seemed to be using a similar system successfully.  And BDL gave me good advice on why the Minosharp is an improvement of that system.

The Edge Apex seems awesome, though.  And if I had more knives and cooked more, I would have bought that system with the upgraded stones, but couldn't justify the $280 purchase.

Update:  bought my stuff from chefknivestogo.com and was very pleased with the fast processing and delivery.  The Minosharp is definitely simple to use.  I did notice that it left some scratches at the tip of my knife.  It was probably my fault, though.  Who knows.  Anyway, thanks again.

Thanks!


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