Kitchen Review: Chef's Choice 316 Diamond Sharpener for Asian Knives

Were a certain famous pro wrestler asked to sum up the quality of this Japanese knife sharpener from Chef's Choice, he might say, "Chef's Choice 316 means 'I just sharpened Japanese knives fast!'" and then, perhaps throw someone through a table.

If you've purchased a top-of-the-line knife, maintaining the quality of the blade ensures maximum value of your kitchen investment. This Chef's Choice knife sharpener performs professional-quality sharpening on any knife, from hunting knives to gourmet food knives. Much to my delight, even serrated knives can be sharpened with this machine. To give your knife top-quality edges, there are two sharpening and honing stages in the Chef's Choice 316 Knife Sharpener, which use 100 percent diamond abrasives, and a final polishing stage. Each stage uses precision angle guides to create a keen edge for maximum sharpness and durability, while a magnetic pad collects residue so the machine is easy to clean and maintain (and remember, while a sharp knife is indeed a safe knife, it's wise to use caution with your newly-sharpened knives, as they'll be sharper than you expect).

What do I think? I think that if you take pride in your Japanese knife set, and want a keen edge to your blade, you'd do well to pick up this electric knife sharpener for all your Asian-style knives. Whether you're making thinly cut sashimi, or filleting the catch of the day, the Chef's Choice 316 Knife Sharpener will sharpen and polish your Japanese knives to a razor's edge.

This knife sharpener can handle both single-bevel and double-bevel knives. I was quite happy to see a model of knife sharpener that gives you a 15-degree bevel. However, the grit for the finer disc is still plain too coarse. To get a razor-sharp result, you need the polishing disc to be in the range of 4000-6000 grit. It seems like the disc is only about 1000 grit, which I consider to be medium. Most Japanese knives are double beveled, but if you have the thinner, sharper single-bevel style Japanese knife, then this model of Japanese Knife Sharpener is for you.

A word of caution- this sharpener can't properly handle thick Japanese knives, like the Deba knife. For that kind of knife,you'd be better off trying the 315 series knife sharpeners- those have an adjustable spring that can adapt to thicker blades.

And that's the bottom line, 'cause Shawn Struck said so!