Trains on Track, Knives on Point, and Wine in Style
Andrew Bluett-Duncan
Director
| A Great Western Railway 0-6-0 Saddle Tank with a drunken chimney! |
Well, I’m back from my weeks holiday, which was entitled “A Summer Retreat For Railway Modellers”.
I took a 5’ section of the layout that I’m building with me (Yeovil Pen Mill set in the early summer of 1922) and also a locomotive, a Great Western Railway 0-6-0 Saddle Tank.
 The chimney has sobered up! | This I’ve been building for the last 10 months, on and off (mostly off) from a white metal and nickel silver kit with a few modifications, such as building in suspension, and adding sound to it.
I finished some ballasting on the layout section itself and got some dummy point rodding added to it as well. |
And although this may all sound unbelievably boring, inconsequential and irrelevant coming from a bloke who’s meant to be selling you pots and pans, I came back very happily content with my progress, so there!
And in fact, just to test your patience a modicum more, I thought I'd share a few shots of my endeavours and a couple of my chums to complete my irrelevant prologue. |  A retired doctor and an ex RAF bomber pilot discussing the merits of an unrebuilt Royal Scot Class in 2mm scale |
This week, if you’re a bit of a knife geek then I’ve got a sharpening treat for you, and if you’re a Sauvignon Blanc drinker, or better not a SB drinker ‘coz its far too acidic for you, then I’ve got another treat in the form of a completely irresistible offer for, you guessed correctly, a pair of Riedel Vinum Sauvignon Blanc wine glasses.
Horl Knife Sharpeners
Horl are a German company, from the Black Forest, that have found a very clever and yet simple way to sharpen knife blades. They hold the blade of the knife at the correct angle (choice of two, for Japanese or European blades) with magnets and a block of wood, and then apply industrial diamond or ceramics to sharpen and hone the blade, in a most unusual way.
I think I’ll let the pictures do a lot of the talking.
Suffice to say that we’ve been trying them out and they are a very effective and precise knife sharpener. You simply put the knife on its back, blade facing upwards, move the knife holder to it, at which point the powerful magnets move the knife blade to the correct angle for sharpening (20 degrees for European and 15 degrees for Japanese). You then move the sharpening surface (mounted on a cylinder on ball bearings) back and forth along the blade. This took maybe a minute or two with my knives, which were already in reasonable condition (it can take a lot longer. It isn’t a completely natural action and I think I’d say it takes a little practice to perfect it. By the time I was doing my third knife, I felt I’d mastered it, I think. The next job is to hone (polish and remove burrs) and this plate is at the other end of the cylinder. This is a much faster process, although the longer you hone the smoother and subtly sharper you knife will get.
Now, being German, designed in Germany, and made there as well, you may not be surprised to hear that they know how to charge for such a thing.
The basic painted finish Cruise model is £119.00.
The better models, in either Walnut or Oak, that have replaceable sharpening surfaces and also allow the use of 3000 grit and 6000 grit honing / polishing surfaces, these are £159.
There is then the top of the range model which by dint of some clever internal gearing, spins the sharpening or honing surfaces at three times the speed of the standard model. So, it does the job three times faster. We are currently waiting for this model to be delivered, but you can pre order it. Delivery will be with us by the end of next week.
At these prices Horl is not for everyone, when you can buy the Mino Sharp, (my current favourite mid-priced knife sharpener) for less than a quarter of the price. But if you’re a bit of geek, like me, or just want the best way to sharpen and maintain your knives in top condition, then the Horl 2 and 2 Pro are worthy of consideration, I think. I’ve just sharpened my 6” Robert Welch Signature Cooks Knife and a little Victorinox parer with it and I loved using it.
Talking of which, I had a long call with Olaf, their sales manager, yesterday and a tip that he passed on to me was that when sharpening small 3”,4” blades always use the 20 degree angle because for the sort of use these little knives get 15 degrees isn’t an advantage and 20 degrees stay sharper longer.
So that it. In summary the three models are as follows:
There is the basic model with a painted finish that has the grinding and honing surfaces permanently attached. It’s called Horl Cruise £119.00
The Horl 2 (in Walnut or Oak) comes with detachable surfaces that enable you to use the finer grit (3000 or 6000) polishers as well (bought separately) and is £159.00
The Horl 2 Pro which is geared and sharpens at three times the speed because of the gearing. At £349.00
Buy any one of these sharpeners this weekend and we’ll send you a £20 voucher to spend on anything else, either now or any point in the future.
The voucher will automatically appear in your cart if you're shopping shopping online or just tell who you are if coming into Cobham or Reigate.
Riedel Vinum Sauvignon Blanc Glasses
These glasses are a particular favourite of mine because they enabled me to really appreciate Sauvignon Blanc for the first time. Before then I’d tended to love the small of the wine but disliked the acidity. So, on tasting it out of a suitable size and shaped bowl, I could suddenly taste what the maker intended, with subtle notes of elderflower or apple. Exquisite.
So, as we’ve got a cracking offer on these glasses this weekend, what I’d like to suggest is that even if you don’t intend to keep them, you pop in and buy pair or two (or three), try them out and bring them back next week, next month, or whenever if they didn’t work for you. We’ll refund you and from now on, whenever I’m waxing lyrical about my wonderful Riedel glasses, you’ll safely be able to ignore me and get on with your Saturday morning in the sure knowledge that he is talking a load of tosh.
My chums at Riedel had an overstock of the Vinum Sauvignon Blanc glasses and bribed me sufficiently to take 100 pairs off their hands. Thank you very much Steve and Martin!
We already have 20% off the RRP of £55.00, but, for this weekend only you can take another £10 per pair off with code ZESTY24 , so £33.95.
I make that almost 40% OFF, or 38.275% to be precise!
Ok that's me over and done with for this week. I hope you have a very good weekend
Warm regards
Andrew
Andrew Bluett-Duncan
Director
So Andrew, I am intreagued!
I have happily used the mino sharp knife sharpener and yer I have an urge (irrational and yet some how overpowering which, as I speak, is being laced with self justification!) to buy the Horl 2.
However reason is putting up a good fight!
So, why is the Horl so much better than competitors who offer a similar product at half the price?
What price do you offer the polisher at?
It would be very handy to offer the polisher in with a price of £159 !
And then there’s the holder…..!
Do let me know your thoughts 😉
Warmest Regards
Bob Barnes
———
Art of Living Cookshop replied:
Hello Bob If you are spend big hard earned cash. Stick with the Mini If you’re feeling adventurous then try the Horl2 plus the 3000 & 6000 grit I think if you’re of that ilk you’ll app the difference…. Super smooth cuts
The basic Horl 2 whilst very good is also agricultural. If you want more chapter and verse, please ring me next week. Warm regards Andrew Andrew Bluett-Duncan. Director. Art of Living (Reigate) Ltd. Tel no: 01737 222559 www.artoflivingcookshop.co.uk
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