Sharpening Pizza Cutters?

[norma427]

Does anyone know the best way to sharpen pizza cutters?  I have used this diamond chipped file in this photo with some good results and have a man next to me at market that sells knives and different sharpening tools, but was wondering if there are any other betters ways to go about sharpening a pizza cutter?

Thanks,

Norma

[BrickStoneOven]

Is that a Dexter cutting wheel? If it is you can buy replaceable blades for it.

[norma427]

Is that a Dexter cutting wheel? If it is you can buy replaceable blades for it.

BrickStoneOven,

The pizza cutters in the picture are just the pizza cutters I have here at home.  I am not sure what brands they are or the ones I have at market. 

Thanks for telling me about replacement blades.  I guess I am cheap and believe in using something as long as it still works..lol

Norma

[Pete-zza]

Norma,

I don't know if this will help, but see the PMQ Think Tank threads at http://thinktank.pmq.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=7409&start=0 and http://thinktank.pmq.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5837&start=0.

Peter

[norma427]

Peter,

Thanks for the links.  I think I will try a 4" sharpening stone and see what kind of results I get with a stone.  The diamond chip file does work for the pizza cutters and the grater for the cheese.  I guess because I cut mostly on the pizza pans, that explains why my pizza cutters get dull so fast.

Norma

[scott123]

Sandpaper. Medium to coarse grit.

Pizza cutters are stainless steel, which doesn't sharpen very well to begin with and the fact that they're round makes sharpening even more difficult.  They aren't Henckels Maybe someone might sell an expensive carbon steel pizza cutter, but, for cheap stainless, a sharpening stone is overkill.

If you examine a brand new cutter closely, you'll see that the edge is rough and has been coarsely machined.  Sandpaper will mimic this effect. Just make sure to do maintain the same angle and sharpen it as evenly as possible.

I wouldn't sandpaper them too many times, but I think a handful will extend their life considerably.

[PizzaHog]

Wow Norma, my first thought is what a pain it must be to sharpen a circular blade that freewheels.  I know a bit about knife steels, techniques, and apparatus, but that either doesn't apply or seems like overkill.
There are places around here that will sharpen anything up to a machete for $3 so you might take a peek at your yellow pages.  Once a sharpened edge is established it would be easier to just touch it up to maintain it like with one of those cheap hand held devices with crossed rods.  Since you have already sharpened your cutters this might work now.  Same general principal as when a chef runs his knife across a "steel" , or a barber his razor over a leather strop for a few seconds each morning.  And the best prices on these devices are always at gun & knife shows or flea markets so that might work right out.  At worst, these work well on kitchen knives for touching up so all would not be lost if you decide to give on a try.

[norma427]

Sandpaper. Medium to coarse grit.

Pizza cutters are stainless steel, which doesn't sharpen very well to begin with and the fact that they're round makes sharpening even more difficult.  They aren't Henckels Maybe someone might sell an expensive carbon steel pizza cutter, but, for cheap stainless, a sharpening stone is overkill.

If you examine a brand new cutter closely, you'll see that the edge is rough and has been coarsely machined.  Sandpaper will mimic this effect. Just make sure to do maintain the same angle and sharpen it as evenly as possible.

I wouldn't sandpaper them too many times, but I think a handful will extend their life considerably.

scott123,

Thanks for the idea of using medium to coarse grit sandpaper.  I have plenty of sandpapers at home, so I will give that a try.  I have never looked closely at a new pizza cutter.  I only put my finger on the blade to see if it is sharp.  It will make me look at new pizza cutters in a new way. 
Sounds like a great idea to extent the lives of pizza cutters.

Norma

Wow Norma, my first thought is what a pain it must be to sharpen a circular blade that freewheels.  I know a bit about knife steels, techniques, and apparatus, but that either doesn't apply or seems like overkill.
There are places around here that will sharpen anything up to a machete for $3 so you might take a peek at your yellow pages.  Once a sharpened edge is established it would be easier to just touch it up to maintain it like with one of those cheap hand held devices with crossed rods.  Since you have already sharpened your cutters this might work now.  Same general principal as when a chef runs his knife across a "steel" , or a barber his razor over a leather strop for a few seconds each morning.  And the best prices on these devices are always at gun & knife shows or flea markets so that might work right out.  At worst, these work well on kitchen knives for touching up so all would not be lost if you decide to give on a try.

PizzaHog,

Thanks for your ideas, also.  Anything to extend the life of a pizza cutter.    I have some old steels that my dad did use on knives.  He was very picky about his knives being sharp.  I just can never get the hang of getting knives sharp when trying to use a steel.  What is the device you are talking about- cheap hand held devices with crossed rods?  I never heard about them.  I also have some old leather strops, so might also give them try.  I will have to look around our local flea markets this spring to see what they might have.

Thanks to everyone for the great ideas!

Norma

[PizzaHog]

Here is one I have used for prob 15 years.  I have collected hundreds of $$ worth of knife sharpeners over the years and this little $5 marvel works excellent, just like a steel, and I use it all the time.  The little rods can be removed after softening the plastic handle in boiling water and rotated to expose a fresh surface.  These come in smaller versions about the overall size of a credit card with one set of rods, with either steel or ceramic rods.  The dual rod like mine has coarse and fine rods.  Remember these will not put an edge on but will maintain one for a long time if used regularly enough to prevent the blade from going dull and it only takes a few seconds.  Well, prob a few minutes on the more difficult to manipulate circular blade. 
The single rod set would be enough for the cutter since a fine edge is not needed nor possible with whatever they are made of so if you try it look for one labeled coarse.  The metal rod coarse version looks just like a steel with grooves. 
In fact, I know I have Buck Knife sharpening kit with 4" and 3" stones laying around here somewhere that I haven't used in many years.  I don't know what these things cost nowadays but for $4.95 USPS priority small box flat rate I would be happy to ship it to you.
Edit:  Don't bother with the strop as that is such a fine finishing polishing process I doubt it have any effect at all on a cutter.

[norma427]

Here is one I have used for prob 15 years.  I have collected hundreds of $$ worth of knife sharpeners over the years and this little $5 marvel works excellent, just like a steel, and I use it all the time.  The little rods can be removed after softening the plastic handle in boiling water and rotated to expose a fresh surface.  These come in smaller versions about the overall size of a credit card with one set of rods, with either steel or ceramic rods.  The dual rod like mine has coarse and fine rods.  Remember these will not put an edge on but will maintain one for a long time if used regularly enough to prevent the blade from going dull and it only takes a few seconds.  Well, prob a few minutes on the more difficult to manipulate circular blade. 
The single rod set would be enough for the cutter since a fine edge is not needed nor possible with whatever they are made of so if you try it look for one labeled coarse.  The metal rod coarse version looks just like a steel with grooves. 
In fact, I know I have Buck Knife sharpening kit with 4" and 3" stones laying around here somewhere that I haven't used in many years.  I don't know what these things cost nowadays but for $4.95 USPS priority small box flat rate I would be happy to ship it to you.
Edit:  Don't bother with the strop as that is such a fine finishing polishing process I doubt it have any effect at all on a cutter.

PizzaHog,

Thanks for talking the time to show me a picture of the device with the crossed rods.  That device looks really interesting.  I will look for the device with both rods.  The tool lady across from me at market sets up at many guns shows and sportsmen shows. I will ask her to be on the lookout for device with crossed rods, also.
If you ever come across your Buck Knife sharpening kit, let me know.  You are kind in offering it to me. 

Thanks again for your help,

Norma

[PizzaHog]

Norma, if you would like the stone set just let me know.  No big deal digging it up or shipping it.  Would like to see it find a new home since it is just gathering dust around here and I have plenty of others. 

[Art]

http://edgemaker.com/  makes these sharpeners. I bought the 3 tool set some years ago when they were 21.95 +shipping. The single red tool you picture is now 16.95. Check out the website. I love these for my knives but using one for my pizza wheel was a bit tedious.

[norma427]

Norma, if you would like the stone set just let me know.  No big deal digging it up or shipping it.  Would like to see it find a new home since it is just gathering dust around here and I have plenty of others. 

PizzaHog,

Sure I would like the stone set, just PM me.  I will give it a good new home, maybe even get all my knives sharp. 

Norma

Art,

Thanks for the link and information.  That one tool just looks like the device with the cross-rods PizzaHog was telling me about.  Both of those tools look great.

Norma

[PizzaHog]

Art, you are correct sir, it does say Edgemaker Pro on it.  Never noticed that before!  When I bought this I ended up picking up a few more and gave them away as gifts cause it works so well and was too cheap at $5 which is what I paid at a gun & knife show.  I have seen them many times since at such shows but never bothered to see what they are going for now but I bet still way less than the MSRP.

[xsosx]

I have used my favorite knife sharpener, the AccuSharp 001, to sharpen my pizza cutter. I probably had to go around the wheel 10 times, but it removed all the burs and straightened the edge.

[norma427]

xsosx,

Is the knife sharpener the one you use shown on the left in this link?

http://www.accusharpknifesharpener.com/

It sounds like it works well for users that gave reviews.

Thanks for helping me in my quest to find a good pizza cutter sharpener,

Norma

[xsosx]

Yes, that's it. I bought mine from Amazon for about $9.

It uses tungsten carbide sharpening blades in a V formation. The only thing I am unsure is if the angle of the blades match the angle of the edge on pizza wheels.

[norma427]

Yes, that's it. I bought mine from Amazon for about $9.

It uses tungsten carbide sharpening blades in a V formation. The only thing I am unsure is if the angle of the blades match the angle of the edge on pizza wheels.

xsosx,

Thanks for your help! 

Norma

[dms]

Sandpaper. Medium to coarse grit.

Pizza cutters are stainless steel, which doesn't sharpen very well to begin with and the fact that they're round makes sharpening even more difficult.  They aren't Henckels Maybe someone might sell an expensive carbon steel pizza cutter, but, for cheap stainless, a sharpening stone is overkill.

If you examine a brand new cutter closely, you'll see that the edge is rough and has been coarsely machined.  Sandpaper will mimic this effect. Just make sure to do maintain the same angle and sharpen it as evenly as possible.

I wouldn't sandpaper them too many times, but I think a handful will extend their life considerably.

There are plenty of stainless steels that take, and keep, a wonderful edge (what do you think that henckels is made of?).  Regardless of what they're made of, pizza cutter wheels are not made with a terribly keen edge.  Force is used to cut pizza, not a keen edge.  Most of commercial style (with replaceable wheels) ones I've looked at have only one bevel ground into them, which fails to meet the other flat side, by a good half millimeter or so.  Fastest and easiest way to sharpen them is to take the wheel out, touch up any knicks on the bevel, and then put the flat side on a suitable large stone (or a piece of sandpaper on a really flat surface.) and knock the burr off.  They last longer if you can keep from running into the side of the pan. 

[norma427]

There are plenty of stainless steels that take, and keep, a wonderful edge (what do you think that henckels is made of?).  Regardless of what they're made of, pizza cutter wheels are not made with a terribly keen edge.  Force is used to cut pizza, not a keen edge.  Most of commercial style (with replaceable wheels) ones I've looked at have only one bevel ground into them, which fails to meet the other flat side, by a good half millimeter or so.  Fastest and easiest way to sharpen them is to take the wheel out, touch up any knicks on the bevel, and then put the flat side on a suitable large stone (or a piece of sandpaper on a really flat surface.) and knock the burr off.  They last longer if you can keep from running into the side of the pan. 

dms,

Thanks for your ideas on how to sharpen the pizza cutters. It's helpful to know you just have to take the burr off. I have both kinds of commercial pizza cutters.  Some you can't take apart and some you can.  Some only have a beveled edge on one side and some have bevels on both sides.  I think one of my problems is cutting all the pizzas on the pan. 

This is a picture of how my pans look.  I am not sure, but think once the pizza cutter hits that lip, that might be what is making mine dull.

Thanks,

Norma