Keeping Your Knives Sharp
A sharp knife is safer than a dull one because it bites into the cutting board instead of skidding across the surface of your ingredients. To maintain an edge, use a honing steel before every session to straighten the metal, and turn to a whetstone or a fixed-angle sharpening system every few months to reform the blade's geometry.
Distinguish between honing and sharpening.
Honing maintains the edge alignment, while sharpening removes microscopic amounts of steel to create a new, acute angle. Do not expect a steel rod to fix a blade that has gone blunt.
- Whetstone (1000/6000 grit combo)
- Honing steel
- Dish towel
- Water
Finding the sweet spot
Maintain a consistent 15-to-20-degree angle throughout the stroke. Imagine you are trying to slice a thin layer of stone off the whetstone with every pass.
The method.
Prepare the stone
Submerge your whetstone in water for 10 minutes until the air bubbles stop rising. Place it on a damp towel on your counter to prevent it from sliding.
Set the angle
Hold the knife handle firmly, placing your fingers on the spine. Tilt the blade to about 20 degrees off the stone. Use your other hand to apply light pressure near the edge.
Stroke the blade
Draw the knife across the stone from heel to tip in a smooth, continuous motion. Repeat this 10 to 15 times on one side, then flip the blade to repeat on the other.
Test for the burr
Run your thumb gently—perpendicular to the edge—across the side opposite to your final strokes. If you feel a slight snag, you have successfully formed a burr; now flip the stone to the finer grit to polish it away.
Hone the edge
Hold the honing steel vertically. Draw the knife blade down the steel at the same 20-degree angle, alternating sides for each stroke. This realigns the edge you just created.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Never wash knives in the dishwasher; the heat and detergent dull the edge and degrade the handle.
Always use a wooden or plastic cutting board. Glass, granite, and marble surfaces will ruin your edge instantly.
Test your sharpness on a sheet of paper. A sharp knife should slice through without tearing the fibers.
The ones that keep coming up.
How often should I sharpen my knives?
If you hone before every use, your knives will likely only need professional-grade sharpening on a stone once every three to six months, depending on how frequently you cook.
Does the angle matter?
Yes. A steeper angle is more durable but cuts with more resistance; a shallower angle is sharper but more prone to chipping or rolling.
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