How do professional chefs sharpen and maintain the sharpness of their knives? I’m desperate, the sharpener I have lately started to simply reduce my knife, not sharpen it. And it no longer has that slight bulge in the middle.
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The key to understanding sharpening is the burr. Run your thumb up both sides and feel which side it’s on. Then sharpen on that side until it feels the same both sides. If you do too much, go light on the other side.
It’s important to know where your angle is. Start with a coarse stone to set the angle.
Then polish with a finer stone, and move more along the edge than perpendicular. Final polish is easiest with a piece of printer paper on a flat counter. Pull away from edge, rolling up until you just feel the edge.
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I used to sharpen my knives with a whetstone. Every few months for years, I would sit at the kitchen counter for an hour and sharpen our knives. The problem was that they never got as sharp as I wanted and the labor of sharpening the knives got to be monotonous.
I went to youtube to see if I could find a way to make them sharper and how to keep them sharp longer. As I searched, I found a couple different videos of guys who used a belt sander to sharpen their knives. One of them recommended going to Harbor Freight and buying a $40 1×30 sander.
After buying the belt sander, sandpaper belts and a leather strop, I found a couple of old knives to practice on and spent about 20 minutes sharpening them. The majority of that 20 minutes was spent changing the sandpaper to a higher grit and fitting the strop onto the sander.
When I was finished, the knives were sharper than any knife I had sharpened in the past. Also, I had a perfect bevel on every knife, which never happened with the whetstone.
I was absolutely giddy when I was finished – and still giddy thinking about it.
I ended up sharpening all of our kitchen knives as well as some of my gardening tools. It was the best $40 investment (plus $20 for 15 sandpaper belts and $20 for a 1×30 leather strop).
I don’t think I will ever have a use for a whetstone again.
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When using a whetstone the most important thing is to maintain the same angle. Changing the angle while sharpening is detrimental to sharpening.
For those who have difficulties in holding the same angle there are kits made that help make it virtually foolproof to sharpen your knives. My favorite is the Lansky knife sharpening kit. It holds the knife in a clamp and you pull the stones across it using angle holes that a rod connected to the stone fits into. Quick and simple.
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Not a pro, but an experienced home cook with good knife skills. I fall into the same canp as Alton Brown on this issue.
I hone each knife before each use. It takes only seconds. I sharpen my knives twice a year or so. It takes as long as it takes.
Other home cooks tell me my knives are scary sharp. Experienced cooks tell me they are pleasantly sharp.
These are 40 year old knives that cost $50 to $75 each when new. They still have lots of life left in them.
I would change out your cutting board for something softer. I now use poly cutting boards and replace them every 6 months or sooner.
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I know a lot of chefs socially and according to them, many kitchens will regularly use a knife sharpening service. Often they’ll come to the kitchen to sharpen knives. For whatever reason, most of the chefs I’ve talked to just don’t seem all that obsessed with sharpening their knives.
Then again, they tend to keep their knives well maintained, including honing regularly. Get and learn to use a steel aka hone, and importantly, make a practice of using it every single time you pick up your knife. This will dramatically reduce the number of times you need to actually sharpen your knife.
Get a decent, basic diamond stone and learn to sharpen a knife properly. It’s not that complicated, I think the main problem is that there’s so much conflicting advice out there, and that doing it “by hand” rather than with a gadget seems intimidating. But with a very little practice you’ll find you’re much better at it than the gadget is.
I wrote a couple answers that you may find useful:
Steven J Owens’s answer to What is an effective technique for sharpening stainless steel kitchen knives?
Steven J Owens’s answer to What grit and brand of whetstones should I buy to sharpen my kitchen knives?
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What kind of sharpened do you use? “V” shaped sharpeners, whether mechanical or stationary will wear out, creating a “U” shape, and will ultimately destroy a blade.
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The Spydercon Tri-Angle sharpening system works great. I only have one Tri-Angle stone, the medium grit gray stone but I keep my knives tomato slicing sharp with just a few strokes from time to time.
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You should invest in a good set of whetstones,
Every knife has a usable lifespan, and eventually it will be worn down, but any decent knife can last for years even with constant use
I really like the king brand stones, they’re not too expensive, around $80 i think when I last checked
Typically you use a lower grit (more coarse) stone first and then finish with higher, most chefs have a preference and it has a lot to do with their knife.
For instance my old wusthof was German steel, which is generally harder than Asian steels, additionally it had a harder outer coating to prevent corrosion or rust, so I typically used a 200 grit stone first to remove the outer metal, then switched and went through a 4000 then 6000 grit stone and finished with an 8000 or 1000.
Most stones are dual sided and will typically have a coarse and fine side. My other knives that were Japanese were softer metal, they don’t need much to ReSharper, so I would just used the 6000/8000 combo, use the polishing stone (1000) and be on my way
There are a lot of good videos out there to show you how to use the stone, you don’t need to take too much off the edge unless its really dull or damaged, if you regularly use the stone re sharpening will be quick and take a few minutes. When I was actively using my knives in the restaurant I sharpened typically once a week.
Good luck
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I use a steel before I use a knife. The secret to the steel is make sure the steel is clean. Most people don’t even know they need to be cleaned. Don’t press hard and try and keep the same angle around 20 degrees for six passes along the steel on both sides of the knife. I used to replace my steel around every three years but I do less cooking now and at my age I will not have to do any replacement.
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This below is a whetstone. It is used by professionals to sharpen their knives. It takes skill and experience to use it properly. But it is worth learning how.
Look up sharpening stone/ whetstone on Google. Ditto on YouTube and see how to use it.
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Buy a Chef’s Choice knife sharpener. Learning to sharpen a knife is mostly practice. Most butchers and chef’s use a steel. Wood and metal workers use stones, which can get things much sharper, but they take some learning and practice.
Chef’s Choice is cheapish ($100) and designed so any idiot can use it. And use it regularly. And also of course read the directions.
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Oilstone App for the iPhone
by VAST (Virtual Abrasive Software Technologies)
There is a new app in the App Store that would be of interest to hand tool woodworkers. It’s called “Oilstone” (one word), a virtual oilstone. Right now it is only available for the iPhone. It is not programmed for use on the iPad and is not yet available for android phones, maybe soon.
The download is free but in-app purchases are heavily promoted within the app. “Oilstone” comes free with three stones … course, soft, and hard … mimicking, I presume, the soft and hard Arkansas. You can purchase, within the app, additional stones … including the black and translucent stones (you shouldn’t need both) and a leather strop with the addition of Jeweler’s Rouge and other abrasives at an extra charge (each abrasive is promoted as good for a number of stropings per purchase).
Each of the three stones plus any in-app purchases can be accessed by rotating the iPhone (or swiping left) or in the case of the leather strop, by tapping to apply an in-app purchased abrasive. The rotation lock must be on when using Oilstone. Actual oil is not necessary or recommended in spite of the name, Oilstone. Instructions that come with Oilstone recommend an occasional water spritz followed by wiping the screen with a soft cloth to remove metal particles.
Instructions for sharpening a plane blade or chisel are included but do not differ substantially from traditional oilstone instructions, generally a figure eight motion along the length of the iPhone is recommended. Sharpening jigs are not supported or recommended.
I found that I had to take the case off my iPhone as the case rim rises above the screen slightly. If yours is not raised I’d suggest leaving the case on as removing and replacing the case may eventually cause your case to crack.
The iPhone, in use as a virtual oilstone, is a bit small. It would be better if the program worked with the iPad … maybe later. I have not tested Oilstone with the larger iPhones. I assume they work just fine. Otherwise, “Oilstone” works, well, just like an oilstone.
I’ve read that VAST has Virtual Bench Grinder under development and that it will be out this spring.
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I have very good quality Japanese steel. I use a whet stone about every six months or so. They only need occasional honing with a quality steel rod and they are like razors.
Also cutting technique helps. The only part of the blade that regularly touches the cutting board is the tip, not the length of the blade.
Using a whet stone every time someone uses a knife is totally unpractical and unnecessary.
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My second oldest knife (Old Stumpy) is no longer the shape it came as, hasn’t been for years. My oldest knife is still the right shape because I replaced it with a Japanese folded steel knife that resists wear and holds it’s edge longer (but is also a pain to sharpen) though it too is slightly straighter than factory standard.
The reason, of course, is how I sharpen my knives. Old Stumpy is German steel sharpened on a stone over 15 years so has taken the form of the shape I draw it across the stone. It’s also quite sharp. My Japanese knife is the same but less obvious.
I use a combination stone for sharpening and a ceramic stone for finishing and maintaining. My combo stone is getting a bit worn so should be replaced soon.
Chefs rarely use sharpeners for one very important reason, which I already hinted at. It’s impossible to see when the stones need replacement. The reason your tool isn’t sharpening anymore is likely because the stones have worn out, so aren’t actually doing anything and now your knives are scraping against the frame.
My stone is from the hardware store, cost about $10 and is 10 years old (5 out of industrial service, but still)! My ceramic stone is much more expensive but is also nearly as old as Old Stumpy. Yes, stone sharpening is a skill but it’s not difficult to learn and gives better control. It also means your knife is always sharpened as you like it. Another word of advice, never get an oil stone, they’re dirty and annoying!
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Diamond fixed dust hone rod.
Rest tip of hone rod, to support the rod, on a counter top edge or like surface.
Constant edge angle of blade edge to hone.
Consistent stroke and pressure.
Equal number of alternating passes per edge side.
Practice mindfulness, focus, avoid distractions, and do not get in a hurry.
Listen to the edge passing over the honing material.
At least wipe the blade or wash it, before using it to prepare food.
Store blades edge up in a quality block.
Clean the hone by hand with liquid soap and water, rinse well, air dry.
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General maintenence of the edge with a sharpening steel – that takes out any minor bumps that appear during normal use.
And occasional shaprpening with a whetstone. That’s a bit more skilled, but you can do it yourself – therea re some very good videos on youtube by knife makers on how to use a whetstone (and do it safely, because if you don’t take the safety precautions, you could easily take a finger tip off).
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How do professional chefs sharpen and maintain the sharpness of their knives? I’m desperate, the sharpener I have lately started to simply reduce my knife, not sharpen it. And it no longer has that slight bulge in the middle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBn1i9YqN1k
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To add to the other excellent answers here, I’d like to recommend a leather strop instead of a honing rod. Horse leather has a natural fine grit to it so stropping compound is optional.
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What you need is to hone your knives. Honing is the process is straightening your blade back to original.
Generally you want to hone good knives until the edges go dull, then you will need to reshape em.
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You need a whetstone. Preferable a 3 sided one with coarse medium and fine grit. Those blasted things they sell as sharpener are a waste. Do not confuse the steel (long steel rod with ridges as a sharpener. It is only a blade edge straightener. You only sharpen by removing metal from the blade at a 20 degree or so angle. You can either use sharpening oil or water with the whetstones. Either works fine but you do need moisture on the stone for best results.
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most use a honing steel to maintain the edge and send them off every so often to have them professionally sharpened
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Others have mentioned whetstones and you can of course get fantastic results with them. I must confess that I lost the patience and looked for a simpler and faster way of doing it.
I bought a Work Sharp Ken Onion edition, it basically a small belt sander with an angle guide on it. It can take a blunt edge to sharp quickly and now all my knives are sharp, when I want to touch them up, it’s rapid.
I think it boils down to if you enjoy sharpening knives or if you just enjoy using sharp ones.
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Do this:
Buy a set of inexpensive water stones. Pick it up from Amazon for $25 and $45 respectively.
and
The first is 220 grit (really rough.) You’ll use it really infrequently, as the starting point to rescue really badly treated knives. You’ll be using the latter, 1000 and 6000 grit combination stone for routine sharpening.
Then, do as this guy:
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I’ve read other answers that were on track. However if you have a knife that is dull and not responsive to stones, it’s time for a regrind. Line chefs use leased knives that are swapped each week. They are commercial Dexter that have molded handles but have high carbon content and not too hard. This allows regular regrinds on large soapstone wheels and are sharpened with new primary angles in about 60 seconds. They then get finished on wet stones and stropped on leather to finish.
I use a 1 x 30 belt sander for regrinds. Starting at 400 and working up to 1000. I could strop it and be done, but I then go to soaked wet stones starting at 1000 and finishing at 8000. It is an art and tactile technique. The angle and direction are important. Kitchen knives are thin, low angle and typically become wavy with use. This is corrected by a knife steel. It can straighten the edge and hone it but will not further sharpen it.
I keep a carbon plate sharpen surface on a block in my kitchen tools drawer and maintain daily and weekly use with a dozen or so strokes on each side. Japanese wet stones require a technique to maintain angle and draw the knife edge in an arc to maintain the angle. I use them to refine the edge from the belt sander and this makes scary sharp knives.
In our culture we tend to draw the ent…
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Here are a couple of video’s that might help by people who really know their stuff!
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As a cook in a restaurant I learned that we sent them out to a knife sharpener. He came and picked up all the dull knives and replaced them with sharp ones. I’m sure this service has a price.
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I am a bit of a sharpening geek, but it really isn’t that hard. First you need something with grit. There are two approaches I can recommend. The cheap way is to get piece of 1/4″ glass…..12″ square is fine. Now, tear strips of black wet or dry sandpaper and mount them to the glass with 3m Super 77 spray mount glue. The grits can start at 220 or so and go up as fine as you’d like (220–400–600–1200 is fine. There are some papers that are so fine they produce a mirror finish. Always use water if you use the sand paper. The method I use is to get some Japanese water stones. I have some basic ones from King. If you get a combination 1000–6000 stone, that will serve you well. You can also get a coarser diamond stone. That is nice for changing the edge geometry, taking out large nicks and flattening the other water stones. Finally, I recommend getting or making a strop to give a shaving sharp finish. I have a piece of leather on a board (mounted with the Super 77!) that has honing compound in it. I hone it maybe once a week or a couple of times per month. I sharpen it maybe once a year.
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MANY CHEFS I KNOW /JUST TOUCH THEIR BLADES ON IRON //NOT A REAL SHARPENING IT S MORE POLISHING TAKING NEEDLE OFF// TO MAKE BLADE GEOMETRY ETC THEY HAVE THEIR OWN SHARPRNERS HONERS// IT IS A LIFE TIME LEARN AND IMPROOVE CRAFT /SO TO BE TOP MICHELIN CHIEF PLUS CERTIFIED BLADE SHARPENER/SHAPER HONER //IT S LIKE YOU D PLAY GUITAR FOR GN ROSES PLUS DRIVE NASCAR //CAN IT BE DOONE SURE //TIME IS WHAT YOU NEED AND FAMOUS RICH GOT MORE TIME TO LEARN WHATEVER VS ONE WHO FLIP BURGERS 9 HOUR PER DAY NO CASH TO BUY KATANA IN 5 YEARS LET ALONE ALL TO SHARPEN IT//F ITS LIFE
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