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Aug 28, 2023 · In this essential beginner’s guide we go over the best ways to keep your knife sharp, the main tools you’ll need to sharpen your knife, how they affect the performance of your knife and the step by step on how to use sharpening tools to maintain your knife in top condition.
Jun 3, 2024 · How to sharpen knives properly. Knives are one of the most important tools in the kitchen, so it’s vital you keep them sharp – not only will sharp knives make you more efficient, they’re safer, too. All knives, no matter the brand, will dull after a certain amount of use.
Want to learn how to sharpen a kitchen knife? Follow our step-by-step video to learn the basics of kitchen knife sharpening with sharpening stones. Our Beginner's Guide to Knife Sharpening will teach you in small, easy steps, how to sharpen your knives so they will always be razor sharp.
- Overview
- Using a Whetstone
- Using a Honing Rod (Sharpening Stee
- Using a Coffee Mug or Sandpaper
- Using a Stone
- Using a Coffee Mug
Give your dull blades a razor-sharp edge with a honing rod, a whetstone, and more
Whether you’re a culinary whiz or especially outdoorsy, your knives probably endure a fair amount of wear. Not only is a dull blade a challenge to cut with, it can be dangerous: having to work harder to slice through whatever you’re cutting means you’re more likely to cut yourself. Fortunately, it’s easy to hone and grind a knife yourself with traditional sharpening tools like a whetstone or a honing rod, or with less traditional tools like a mousepad, sandpaper, or even a coffee mug. Keep reading to learn how!
Grind the blade by dragging it against a
to hone the blade after every usage. This will limit the number of times you need to sharpen the blade.
In a pinch, use a ceramic coffee mug to grind your blade: flip the mug over and drag the blade against the rough edge of the mug’s bottom.
Always wipe down your blade after grinding or honing to eliminate any steel residue.
Apply honing oil or water to your stone, if appropriate.
Check your manufacturer's guidelines to see if your
needs to be lubricated, and with what. Depending on what type of sharpening stone you’re using, it may need to be lubricated with oil or water, or with nothing at all. Cover the whole stone with the lubricant and keep it wet while you sharpen your knife.
Lubrication will make it easier for the blade to pass over the stone, as well as keep the steel shavings (the by-product of sharpening) from clogging the stone's pores.
, you can use mineral oil, vegetable oil, or window cleaner as a substitute.
Sharpen your knife at the same angle it was previously sharpened at. To find out the angle of your blade, ask the manufacturer of your knife or inquire at a knowledgeable knife shop to determine what angle is appropriate for your knife. If you have to make a gut decision, choose an angle of 10° - 30° per side.
Hold the honing rod in your non-dominant hand with the rod facing away.
Grip the handle, making sure to keep the rod at a comfortable angle facing away from your body. Keep the rod tip elevated above the rod handle.
If you’re new to honing, consider placing the tip of the rod against the surface of a cutting board or work table for stability. It’s slower than holding the rod out in the air, but much easier.
Honing and sharpening aren’t the same thing. A
realigns the metal in a blade, massaging small nicks, indentations, and flat spots away.
regularly delays the need to use a whetstone. The less you use your whetstone, the longer your knives will thrive.
Lay sandpaper out flat, or place a mug upside down.
If you're using sandpaper to sharpen your knife, pick the finest grit sandpaper you can and tape it flat on top of a cutting board or work table (or any surface you wouldn't mind damaging with your blade). You can also use a coffee mug: start by placing it upside down so that its coarse bottom is right-side up.
If you want to sharpen your knife without any fancy equipment, a coffee mug can serve as a surprisingly effective sharpening tool in a pinch. The ceramic material of a mug is a material coarse enough to get good results.
In fact, some honing rods even use ceramic material to keep a blade honed in between sharpenings!
You can also lay your sandpaper down atop a mousepad, which will prevent it from slipping.
Sweep each blade edge across the grit 20 times at a 20° angle.
such as a whetstone, water stone, or oil stone
Sharpen a Knife With a Stone
How to Sharpen and Maintain a Serrated Knife
Chop Food Like a Pro
This article was co-authored by
and by wikiHow staff writer,
Ollie George Cigliano is a Private Chef, Food Educator, and Owner of Ollie George Cooks, based in Long Beach, California. With over 20 years of experience, she specializes in utilizing fresh, fun ingredients and mixing traditional and innovative cooking techniques. Ollie George holds a BA in Comparative Literature from The University of California, Berkeley, and a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from eCornell University. This article has been viewed 2,650,997 times.
Mar 29, 2024 · Sharpening a knife may seem like a daunting task but fear not! We will guide you through the process step by step, debunking common myths along the way. From understanding the different types of knife sharpeners to mastering the correct angle for sharpening, we’ve got you covered.
Sep 28, 2023 · (1) Find Your Perfect Grip. The first step towards cutting with confidence is finding the right knife grip. There are two grip techniques favored by culinary experts: the handshake grip and the pinch grip. The Handshake Grip. To use the handshake grip, wrap your fingers around the handle of the knife and let your thumb rest against the side.
Jan 27, 2021 · What is sharpening a knife? Sharpening a knife is the process of removing a portion of the knife’s surface steel to rehone the blade. By removing a bit of the steel, you return the edge to...
