I got my GATCO knife sharpener!

The kit is in a very satisfying format. It’s a nice solid blue plastic box, and there’s a snug place for everything to nestle inside.

I haven’t actually sharpened my chef’s knife yet, because I wanted to practice on a knife I would mind ruining. That would be one from the Chefmate steak knife set we got at Target a while back. They’re not terrible knives, but they’re not very sharp, and they’re sharpened only on one side. Could the GATCO and I give this a sharp, double-sided edge?

The answer is: yes, eventually.

There are three caveats to using the GATCO, two of which probably applies to any sharpening method.

1. If you’re starting with a very dull knife or changing the sharpening regime (such as adding a back bevel), it will take a really long time. I spend over twenty minutes last night and got two inches of the steak knife done. It now looks pretty ridiculous. I’d better fix it tonight, or at least before eating steak.

2. The GATCO works so well that it’s easy to take off too much metal. I may need to have the bolster ground down on this steak knife. Actually, since the knife cost like $5, I may just throw it out.

3. The GATCO knife brace is supposedly designed for handheld comfort, but I couldn’t figure out a genuinely comfortable way to hold it. It wasn’t that bad, though. And at no time did I feel like I was in danger of poking myself with the knife. I’m sure I’ll feel just as secure and relaxed right before the ambulance pulls up.

So I have no definitive verdict on the GATCO yet. I’ll let you know after I have the guts to use it on my good knife.