How to Sharpen A Knife?

It is essential to every kitchen hobbyist or chef to learn how to sharpen knife of different kinds. A knife is basically one of the tools that can complete each and every cooking experience. Having a sharp knife that can cut every appropriate ingredient into small edible units is probably the best tool that you can ever have when cooking. Blunt and less penetrating knives are annoying and can make cutting even the softest vegetable seem like a chore, and you would surely hate that.

Common knife sharpening tools used for Kitchen Knife

For a seamless fun cooking experience, it is a must that you learn how to sharpen a kitchen knife. Here is a step by step walk through on how to sharpen knife with different knife sharpening tools.

Knife Sharpening tip #1: Make Use of Sharpening Steels

Utilizing a sharpening steel in turning that blunt edge into a mean-mean cutting machine is easy. Here’s how:

knife sharpening tools
  1. Hold the handle of the sharpening steel on one hand, preferably your dominant one.
  2. Using your other hand, take hold of the knife by its handle. Make sure you secure it with a tight grip.
  3. This is the part where you ready the knife by placing it under the hand of the sharpening steel, making sure that the hand of the knife touches the bottom part of the sharpening steel’s handle.
  4. Now, once you’ve got the sharpening steel and knife in place, draw the knife’s blade down the entire body of the steel creating friction. While on it, you should make sure that the knife is at ten (10) to twenty five (25) degree adjacent to the steel.
  5. Do this over and over again, making sure that both sides of the knife’s blade runs down the entire length of the steel until you have achieved the desired sharpness.

Knife Sharpening tip #2: Sharpening Stone

A sharpening stone is also a great alternative for sharpening steels in case you are not at ease or don’t really know how to sharpen a kitchen knife with sharpening steels. A sharpening stone is somewhat easier to manipulate in sculpting that sharp edge on your knife, simply follow these steps:

Knife Sharpening Stone
  1. You can either use dry or wet stone, which ever you prefer.
  2. The stone should be placed on a smooth flat surface.
  3. With one hand securely held on the knife by its handle, position its edge (blade) at ten (10) to twenty-five (25) degree parallel to the stone.
  4. For this part, it is a must that you take extra precaution. Draw the knife across the surface of the stone going towards you. To avoid injuring yourself, as mentioned above, be extra careful not to hit yourself with the knife’s edge. Proper Grip and control is the key to avoid getting cut.
  5. Repeat the entire process on both sides of the knife until you have achieved the desired sharpness.

Knife Sharpening Tip, a Breeze

It is quite easy, nothing deeply technical with the entire process. The only risk if it is not done properly is getting a skin deep cut (or even more if done carelessly). Basically, knowing how to sharpen a kitchen knife isn’t much of a chore as long as you follow the steps mentioned above.

Related Reading

Be Sociable, Share!