What is the best way to sharpen kitchen knives at home?

Question

Sadie · Answer

I have a lot of edged tools, and a while ago I got tired of sharpening everything by hand. I spent about $250 on a belt sharpening system.

What is the best way to sharpen kitchen knives at home?

Ken Onion Edition Knife & Tool Sharpener
Blade Grinding Attachment, Ken Onion Edition
Ken Onion blade grinding attachment instructions
For kitchen knives, I set the edge angle to 20 degrees, which is really easy on this rig. Then just run the blade over the belt until it’s sharp. Now, I’m a bit of a fanatic for sharp knives, so I put more effort into this than is strictly necessary. But my knives are wicked sharp when I’m done.
I also sharpen my mother’s knives about once a year because she won’t learn how to do it. Even after I bought her a nice stone set (coarse, medium, fine) for about $50. My dad’s belt sander isn’t really suitable to knife sharpening.
Worse, for about 15 years my mother thought the honing rod was the same thing as a knife sharpener. She’d grown accustomed to dull knives, and was amazed at how well they cut. She also cut herself a bunch until she got used to knives that were actually sharp.

Original question- What are ways you can sharpen a kitchen knife so it’s pointy sharp?

Wanbasion Black Stainless Steel Knife Set, Sharp Kitchen Knife

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Vivian · Answer

It depends on a lot of factors, my mother used to sharpen her carving knife on the back step, it worked, for a given value of ‘worked’ anyway.
If you have cheap knives, buy a cheap sharpener. There’s a lot of them out there, just search for ‘knife sharpener’ on Amazon and buy any one with a decent customer rating in your price range. They’ll put a decent edge on pretty much anything, but need regular touch ups and remove a lot of material, relatively speaking. Cheap knives tend to be pretty soft steel anyway, but even so with regular sharpening it’s still going to take years before the wear is likely to be an issue.
If you’ve invested in quality knives then the first thing you’ll notice compared to cheaper ones you may have previously owned is just how damned sharp they are, the second thing is how well they hold that edge. I have a Sabatier that I’ve owned about ten years, you could debone a pig with it and then use it to shave! If you have a knife where you’re realistically thinking about razer edges then you’re going to have to invest either some time and money or pay for a professional.
Either way it shouldn’t be prohibitively expensive so the question is whether you want to do it yourself, if not get them done a couple of times a year or whenever you notice they need it.
If you want to do it yourself it can be quite a relaxing and satisfying pastime, but is quite a time consuming process. Quality modern blades are made from very hard steel and very few people are really going to make a good job of sharpening entirely by hand so I’d suggest a ‘sharpening system’ that provides a fixed angle, this means that every stroke contacts the blade the same way so you don’t round the blade or remove material for no reason, it also means you can set the bevel to the angle you want, very narrow angles are very, very sharp but dull more quickly, wider angles are less sharp but hold their sharpness longer.
You want a range of grits, maybe 240 or lower to reprofile a particulary dull blade to start whle on a good knife you want a smooth finish, so at least 600, or even 1000 or 2000 if you want a mirror finish on the bevel (not just cosmetic, a mirror finished bevel doesn’t bind as much). The more grades you have the easier achieving a good result is. Fixed angle sets can range from tens of pounds to thousands depending on the complexity and range and quality of stones.
If you’re interested in sharpening your own knives I think the Lansky Fixed Angle System is a good starting point, the kits are good but get at least a three stone kit, or better yet the five, and one of the mounts. For what that will cost you have a good little set up capable of putting a razor edge on a knife, if you have the patience, and plenty of change from a hundred pounds even if you’ve gone for the five hone kit and C Clamp stand. Take some time, get to know it and how to use it properly and most importantly see if you find it relaxing, satisfying or even worth your time. If not you haven’t lost much, if you do there are other systems out there that you might want to consider that give even better results, but most of them cost way, way more (into the thousands).
***Knife sharpeners are one of those subjects that most people don’t care about, but a small minority take very seriously and have strong, often loudly expressed views on (just like any niche interest). For the record I want to state that I don’t think the Lansky system is the be all and end all of sharpening, but I do consider it a competent system that someone without a great deal of experience can get good results with (and by good I mean ‘a lot better than they would with a draw sharpener’) and do so without investing a lot of money***

Olivia · Answer

I use a whetstone. My grandmothers.   A honing rod has a purpose of alignment that is consequently different from a sharpener. A honing rod is to retain sharpness. You gotta ‘get’ first.         ** Disclaimer: I write in bold face type because I have Multiple Sclerosis . Poor eyesight as a result of Optic Neuritis.** It is for medical reasons. If my need for bold print bothers you in any way, I suggest that you do not respond to my posts.

Julia · Answer

The first thing any knife sharpener should tell you is it is not about how sharp you can get your knife. A knife that will easily cut through leather is a knife that is too sharp for the kitchen. A kitchen knife does NOT need to be sushi sharp. The second thing a knife sharpener will tell you is that storage of your knives is the most important thing you can do to take care of your knives and their edges.
You should know that a 20 dollar sharpening stone like this

will sharpen your knife just as good as a 250 dollar machine. It may take 3 minutes to fully sharpen one knife.
Also

A honing steel is very important. They will extend the sharpness of a blade for weeks or months.
I would suggest you read here for more information.
Bill Smith’s answer to I like the idea of a knife block in the kitchen, but want to use my own knives. What can I do?

Authentic XYJ Since 1986,Outstanding Ancient Forging,6.7 Inch Full Tang

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Cora · Answer

Is it serrated , or straight blade , different techniques and different tools needed. I personally don’t care for serrated blades, if it’s a straight blade go buy a nice two sided whet stone, then get on U-tube for a how to. For serrated go to U-tube first , to find out what you need. While a straight blade doesn’t stay sharp as long they are easier to sharpen . In a pinch a flat rock will work ( I don’t recommend it, but I have done it. ) It’s a good idea to keep a small whet stone in your vehicle , pack or even in a suitcase. My dad carried one in his pocket. Sharpening a knife is a very useful skill, but it takes practice. Like always , these are just my opinions. Good luck and have a good day.

Spring Assisted Knife – Pocket Folding Knife – Military Style

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Elliana97 · Answer

OK. There are several good answers here already, most notably the answer by Xianhang Zhang.
However, there are several mistakes in the first link he added. Most are minor issues in how or why a technique works, but there is no real need for correction since the techniques do work. There is one that I do feel the need to correct:
Using a synthetic stone dry isn’t my preference, but can be done passably with coarser stones.
Using a natural stone dry is a bad idea!
Using it damp is even worse!
You should have almost a puddle of water on top of the stone for optimal results. Use a small plastic bin to store your stones and you can set the stone up for use on the inside of the lid to have a simple spill catcher. Just be sure to anchor the lid, chasing your stone is a good way to get a bad cut.
Damp stones make the slurry of stone dust and ground metal into a paste on top of the stone, which is ok for really coarse grinding on a soft stone but bad for fine sharpening. Dry stones do the same thing, but at least a dry layer can be somewhat better brushed off the stone. Still, any fragment of stone or metal that snags in a pore on the stone surface can maul your freshly honed edge.
A slight puddle keeps the slurry from settling into the pores and keeps the stone fresh.
Being a bit obsessive, I even use water on my diamond faced bench stones to keep the diamond surface from loading up with grinding dust.
Obviously, an oil stone is supposed to be used with oil, but it is very difficult to keep the slurry viscous enough to stay in suspension with oil. So, I greatly prefer water on stones. To convert an oil stone for use with water, soak the stone in “Simple Green” cleaner overnight in an oven safe container. Skim off the oil from the surface, then put it in the oven, still submerged in Simple Green, and bake at 200f for 20 – 30 min. Take the container out and skim off the oil then lift the stone and scrub a bit with a scotch bright pad. Return to the oven. Repeat until no more oil seeps out. Allow to cool, then rinse and start using it as a water stone.
Last piece of advice for the moment; I have replaced my honing steel with a ceramic rod so fine it feels like glass. I find it works much better than plain steel hones at removing the bur on finely sharpened blades. Honing on either of these rods should be kept to just a couple strokes each time! Any more than that has a good chance of chipping the blade (per a study done using a Scanning Electron Microscope to examine edges after each texhnique.)

Lana · Answer

Venkatesh, as much as I love you, you're utterly wrong on this one. It's very, very hard to permanently mess up a knife during sharpening. You may suffer some cosmetic damage if you scratch the sides of the blade but almost any sharpening error can be fixed.  Also, sharpening once a year is sub-optimal and it costs way more than $5 (the standard price seems to be $1 an inch). I sharpen my knives about once every 2 or 3 months and, even then, I notice a substantial upgrade in performance after I sharpen.  You need to read this: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?/topic/26036-knife-maintenance-and-sharpening/ at the very minimum and http://www.amazon.com/Edge-Kitchen-Ultimate-Guide-Knives/dp/0061188484 if you want to read the full length book by the same author.  Also, steels are not sharpeners, they true the blade but do not take any metal off.  My advice would be to start on a cheapie, throwaway knife to get the basic stroke down. Then, just play around with your regular knife. Every time you sharpen, use it to cut using a reference object (I use a carrot) to figure out how sharp you got it. You'll eventually figure out how to get it to optimium sharpness).

Reagan · Answer

If you just want your knives to remain usable you can get a simple pull through sharpener like this.

Using a pull through sharpener or an electrical sharpener will maintain an edge sharp enough for general use but they have a reputation for “chattering” which chews up your edge, your knives will cut but not as well as they could.
If you are interested in learning a new skill and want the potential for fantastic edges I would suggest buying a cheap two sided whetstone and practicing with a knife you don’t care about. You can find helpful videos on youtube to get started and after awhile you can move on to sharpening your good knives, upgrading your whetstone and moving to finer grits.
Your final choices are guided sharpening systems like the Wicked Edge, KME, Tormek and Edge Pro.

KME^

Edge Pro^

Tormek^

Wicked edge^
These all remove an element of human error from your sharpening and lessen the learning curve, however the KME and Edge Pro are both a bit slower than whetstone sharpening and while the Wicked Edge is a bit faster it is very expensive. Tormeks are also a bit more than some folks are willing to spend and have the largest learning curve but they are also probably the fastest.
Finally in addition to sharpening your knives they ought to be maintained between sharpenings with sharpening steels or strops. The goal of these tools is not to grind the edge of your knife but to remove the “burr” where the tip of the edge has curled over. Steels are faster but unless you are a butcher you probably don’t use your knifes enough to justify them. I would generally recommend strops, they are more forgiving than steels, which require a fair bit of practice, and in addition to removing the burr they can be loaded with a fine abrasive compound to polish your edge after conventional sharpening resulting in an even better cutting edge.

12-Piece Color-Coded Kitchen Knife Set, 6 Knives with 6 Blade Guards

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Allison · Answer

I've got a bunch of decent knives including French, heavy German, and light Japanese.    I first tried a Chef's Choice electric sharpener, and it does OK but I couldn't get all the bolster into the sharpener, not good; I gave it away, but should have given it to my mom who's knives are always in terrible shape.  I've tried stones and followed the Razor's Edge book  http://www.amazon.com/Razor-Edge-Book-Sharpening/dp/096660590X/ref=pd_sim_b_4  but don't have the control to get a repeatable angle, even with his angle-setting clips.  I'm now using Edge Pro consumer-level device and it does a fine job:  http://www.edgeproinc.com/  You first figure out what bevel angle's on the blade already, then set the device to replicate this (unless you want to change the profile).  A Japanese knife tends to have a more acute angle than a French/German knife.  Start with the coarse stone, finish with the fine stone.  (ok, you actually finish with a steel). It takes me a while to go through this will all my knives so I don't do it as often as I would like, but I really enjoy the performance when I'm done.  Not the cheapest mechanism out there, but it does work well for me.

Rose · Answer

The same way that you would sharpen cheap kitchen knives or any utility knife for that matter.
I was born into a metalworking skilled trade that once required good freehand knife sharpening skills be learned. I have observed that few persons in the general population or even most metal working skilled trades can properly sharpen a knife to a dry shaving sharpness, freehand.
The underlying principle for successfully doing so is to maintain a constant angle between the knife blade and the abrasive material used for sharpening it. Several “how to do it” videos van be found on You tube.
I will end this answer by noting that ceramic stick sharpeners that are all basically the same thing can be had on eBay for less than $10 delivered. They come in different diameters and lengths, but any of them are excellent for restoring a shaving edge to any steel knife that has not become exceedingly dull or been abused.

Jasmine · Answer

When I received my first knife set in college we were taught to hold the sharpening steel vertically and run the blade down the steel on each side,

Until you can handle knives properly this is the best method.
You can even drill a tiny hole in a corner of a wooden chopping board for the tip of the steel to sit in so it does not slip.

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Faith97 · Answer

I’m a recent convert to sharpening with angled ceramic rods like this.     Cheap, simple, foolproof, and takes off a minimum of metal.

Olivia136 · Answer

For a real beginner I would suggest getting a regular metal file and just filing the edge sharp, I would suggest a 6 or 8 inch mill bastard file is most suitable. If you look face on at the cutting edge and see a line of reflected light it is not sharp. A sharp edge disappears and does not show bright spots.
IMPORTANT: Do not push the file toward the sharp edge because if it slips you could cut your fingers very badly. Sharpen from behind the blade so if you slip your hand just hits against the dull back of the knife.
If you want something more “professional” go to the hardware store and buy a cheap sharpening stone. You want one about 6 inches long and with both a coarse and a fine grit side. You do not want oil impregnated, you do not want anything except the cheapest carborundum whetstone they have. You take that home, put some newspapers on the counter, soak the stone in soapy water and put it on the newspapers, and if the newspaper gets a bit wet it is not going to slide around on the counter on you. Now, with the coarse side of the stone up stat grinding away with your knife. You should be trying to shape the knife edge for a bevel between 20 and 30 degrees. A thin bevel slices nicer, a thick bevel stands up to more abuse. After you have ground a bit on one side of the knife blade turn it over and do the same on the other side. You want to have two nice bevels that meet at the edge with a slight bit of a burr (wire edge) forming.
The reason I say use soap and water instead of honing oil is soap and water is much, much easier to clean up when you are finished.
Now clean off the knife because you should have quite a bit of coarse grit from the stone and you are going to go to the fine side of the stone, you do not want to transfer the coarse grit to the fine side of the stone. Repeat the same thing you did with the coarse grit and the knife. The idea is to get rid of the coarse scratches from the coarse grit and to make the edges sharper at the same time. When you have a fine burr showing at the edge again draw the knife backwards against the newspaper or a towel or a bit of leather. You want to pull the wire edge off and leave a clean edge. Wiping the knife backwards, first one side, then the other helps flex the wire edge and break it free of the real edge.
If the knife is sharp enough to slice a tomato easily it is sharp enough for most things.
If your knife has a clean edge and is sharp enough for you, you are done. Roll up the dirty newspapers, wipe away any extra gritty mess on the counter and do your celebratory happy dance.
You can get finer grit stones, leather strops with buffing compound or jewelers rouge or special honing compounds but for most of us they are not really needed.

Mackenzie · Answer

That's difficult to narrow down. It depends on the skill level of the sharpener. I do it for a living, so I'm very adept at it. I am presently enamored with a dual grit Japanese water stone. Once a knife has the right edge to begin with, it's only a matter of touching it up. The fine side of the stone is 1000 grit. I have 3 knives I use for almost everything and I keep them razor sharp. I touch them up frequently and it only takes a few seconds. I sharpen at very acute angles and dont worry too much about durability. The knives work exactly as they should every time. That's the way it should be.

Anna · Answer

Welcome to that exclusive club that someone may actually want a sharp knife.
According to my wife, there is something as ‘too sharp.’ She uses out 30 YO serrated knives often. These have never been sharpened. However the one sharp knife she uses is a Chinese cleaver. She doen’t even like my sharpest one the most, as it may be too big for her hand. She leaves all sharpening to me.
I have one daughter that does not like to sharpen her one sharp knife, even when I have provided the sharpeners and taught her to use them.
The other daughter does not like to cook, and probably cuts everything with dull knives.
So the best way has been voted on in my family, and ‘no sharpening’ wins hands down.
Sometimes I see a fancy knife in someone’s kitchen, and I can feel it has not much of an edge. ‘No sharpening’ wins again.
Then there is the employee that used my 4.5″ angle grinder to ‘sharpen’ a long blade. Good thing I stopped him after a few seconds. He put a crooked score line on the blade flat, and left most of the blade edge intact. That score line is still there 20 years later.
Finally, I once carried my new J A Henckels knife to the manufacturer’s agent in Markham, Canada to complain about it not being sharp out of the box, and my efforts to sharpen it were fruitless. The guy took it to the back and apparently, based on the noise, used a bench grinder to put a belly on the straight part of the blade. It was a good thing, that I could carry it back to the store for a full refund. I had $1 blades that were harder than that steel.
If you really want to sharpen your knife, then read someone else’s post on the subject, as they all work to some degree. Only a hard blade can keep a sharp thin edge. The softer the blade, the greater the angle of sharpening necessary to balance the sharpness with the time it remains relatively sharp. Too thin and the edge just curls over wit hfirst use.

Morgan · Answer

Carefully. Go to You Tube, do a search for “How to sharpen knives”. Follow the instructions. Simple as that.

Luna · Answer

Purchase a knife sharpening machine that includes a support device to control the angles of the sharpened edge. It should be electrically powered.
Chef’sChoice® Hybrid® 250 Diamond Hone® Knife Sharpener in White
This machine is about $50. Remember that the objective is to produce a properly-sharpened edge on the various knives that you own in minimum time. You are not trying to receive a master’s degree in knife sharpening – that’s a different course.

Elliana · Answer

Whetstone:

A Whetstone is basically a course stone for sharpening your knife blades and can also be used on other cutting tools. Getting the hang of using a Whetstone correctly takes a little practice, but once you have mastered this technique of sharpening your kitchen knives you’ll be able to keep knives razor sharp, and save time and money.

Gerber Gear 22-48485 Paraframe Mini Pocket Knife, 2.2 Inch Fine Edge Blade

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Quinn · Answer

If your knife loses the point, you have two options: grind away at the edge of the blade to meet the spine, or grind the spine away to meet the edge of the blade.
In my experience the latter is much preferred, and how it works is this:
Use the coarsest stone you have (I use a coarse diamond plate), or alternately a grinder wheel. Press the top of the spine of the blade near the tip perpendicularly against the stone or grinder and pull against the stone and towards yourself. You simply grind the spine down gradually until it meets the edge. I’ve done this after breaking the tips off of my knives when I’ve dropped them. I had a $300 carbon steel japanese blade which I broke the tip off and was heartbroken until I tried this. It was good as new in less than five minutes.

Valentina · Answer

Kitchen knives should be sharpened regularly to maximise their functionality and effectiveness. Dull knife is a kitchen’s enemy and it’s very dangerous in use.
You can sharpen your knife with a whetstone and this probably is the best and safest idea, because waterstones will yield a sharper knife while removing less material from the knife.
Use a manual or electric knife sharpener, but we strongly discourage their use due to removal of a tremendous amount of material from your knife’s edge.
You can always take your knives to a professional knife-sharpener.

admin1997 · Answer

I always sharpen my knives with the bottom rim of a porcelain ware. Like a mug or a dish. Make sure the texture of the rim is not too rough.

Eva · Answer

I used to manually sharpen knives with a stone. I’d use oils, water, whet stones with different granularity, etc. I got my stroke down just right and everything was great.
Now I have 4 kids, a house, a dog, we have two full time jobs and I have about 10 knives which need periodic sharpening. I said screw it and bought an electric knife sharpener. I should have had it all along.
I have this model from Chef’s Choice:

Not only do the knives come out sharper than my manual method, but it is about 10 times faster. You simply can not beat an electric motor which…

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Emery · Answer

Well, it depends. Japanese knives should be sharpened with Japanese water stones. You should really research the technique.
I found that the Chefs Choice to work okay if you don’t want to get serious.
I am serious. I use paper wheels: http://www.sharpeningwheels.com/new/
It is the fastest, most reliable way I have found, but it does take up space.
A simpler way is the Spyderco Sharpmaker which is a variation on the crock stick idea. It works well to maintain an edge, but it doesn’t work well to establish one.
It is far easier to maintain an edge than to establish one. I use a butcher’s steel every time I pick up a kitchen knife. Learn to use one and your sharpening sessions will be few and far between – assuming you have decent knives.

Hailey · Answer

I use Japanese water stones, 1000 grit and 8000 grit. I'm a hack, but they get sharp enough in a few minutes to easily shave hairs off my arm (I wash them afterward).

Charlotte · Answer

Available for cheap here...  Robot Check  is important to wear proper hand protection when you sharpen knives! A non expensive alternative is a cut resistant knit glove. Similar to this:       Available here for pretty cheap...  Kaffyad (TM) Level 5 Cut Resistant Kitchen and Work Safety Gloves. Protection from Knives, Mandolines and Graters. EN388 Certified! Great for cutting meat, filleting fish or shucking oysters. Lightweight, Flexible and Food Safe. (Medium, Grey pair) - - Amazon.com

Jasmine · Answer

You could use a knife sharpener like the one below:          I've used this in the past with much success. Basically, you just run the blade on either side down along the rod to sharpen.

Eva · Answer

a whetstone.
google to find one that fits your kitchen. make sure that you can use water for it. it will be the easiest and most effective method.
youtube will have videos that you can use to know how to use a whetstone if you don’t know how. then use a steel (the round rod) when you are done to get the little bits of metal off of it, to keep it sharp.

Adalyn · Answer

For down and dirty quick sharpening where you need an edge that is “good Enough” something like an accu-sharp sharpener is going to get you a quick edge.
Amazon.com: AccuSharp 001C Knife Sharpener: Home Improvemen t
if you are looking to hone an edge,
Try something like the Works Sharp
Amazon.com: Work Sharp Guided Field Sharpener: Home Improvement
I use one of these on my knives, puts an edge that is better than “good enough” and is still easy to use in the field.
If you want to sharpen a knife razor sharp, well then you’re going to have to go the stone route and put in the time and the work, and finly end up polishing it with a leather strop.

Camila · Answer

Be taught, I've worked with many chefs and cooks they all have a different spin on it but use the same concept…  I learned from the Knife store at a mall when I was a Child… I've always had a pocket knife you could shave with…  When I got into a kitchen and learned how to use the steel as a honer ( to bring back the edge )… But, it still needs a stone to get that edge in the 1st place…  And, honesty I'd get Damascus steel knifes they hold an edge longer than any metal currently used…  Our local butcher schools have classes just on that subject if you wanted to drop a few bucks and take a knife care course..

Allison · Answer

The best thing to do is to learn how to properly sharpen a knife on a good whet stone. A good stone can be found in almost any hardware department or possibly in hunting and camping departments. Norton is one of the biggest manufacturers of abrasive stones, whose products are commonly available and reliable. Bench stones 6 x 2 x 1 are a good size, smaller stones are difficult to use and larger ones are more expensive. Only two grits are really necessary for general purpose kitchen knives: Fine India and Soft Arkansas. Oil stones retain their flatness better than water stones which are more frangible, wear away more quickly. The Fine India will restore a dull edge fairly quickly without causing excessive surface irregularities at the edge. The Soft Arkansas is much finer and more frangible, and will smooth out the edge to near surgical sharpness. Seriously, the Fine India alone will produce a very functional edge for most kitchen work. Mineral oil, found in health care or pharmacy departments makes a terrific lubricant and flushing medium for oil stones. It has a great viscosity and is odorless, tasteless, and completely nontoxic.
The proper angle to hold the knife is often dictated by the knife. For a “V” sharpened kitchen knife it can range from 15–25°. Use a black felt-tip marker to color the flat of the edge, the sides of the V. Tilt the knife to create about a 20° angle between the side of the blade and the surface of the stone. Holding that angle, make a single slicing stroke, edge first, down the face of the stone. Look at the colored edge. If the ink is gone only at the very edge your angle is too steep. If it is gone only from the upper shoulder of the V, the angle is too flat. Adjust your hold and repeat the process on the other side of the blade. In the end, minor deviations will not matter much, but practice consistency. That slicing stroke is what will be used to sharpen the blade. With oil on the stone continue the slicing motions, alternating sides after each stroke. Looking at the bottom of the V in good light will show shiny spots where the blade is dull. Continue sharpening until these spots disappear. Clean the blade well before going to the finer stone. Alternating sides with each stroke will minimize the creation of a burr on the edge, and will reduce or eliminate the need for stropping.
Patience and perseverance will pay off.

Ava · Answer

See here’s the thing. There is sharpening and honing. Most of the time, honing with a steel or strop is all that is necessary to restore the edge and are very quick. Occasionally when honing no longer works then you would sharpen them. I use a steel for honing or a very fine stone. For sharpening I use a coarser stone for hand sharpening or an electric sharpener.

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Valerie · Answer

As I've posted before, the process is simple but describing it in words takes too much time. Look up using a whetstone on YouTube.

Ayla · Answer

There are more ways to sharpen knives than you can count. One that I particularly like is on the edge of a piece of 1/4″ thick glass. If you roll down your car window about half way or so and look at the rounded edge of the glass…you can easily sharpen knives on that edge. I went to the local hardware store and purchased a couple small pieces…maybe 6″ x 12″ length of that type glass to use as a sharpening device. Many times this glass is used for decorative shelving…even some in medicine cabinets. It actually amazing how well it works.

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Alisa1993 · Answer

I use a steel to keep my knives sharp, and very occasionally an oil stone. After a while the heel will have worn down less than the rest of the blade. When I find that I can not cut herbs with a rocking movement, because of the heel, I take my knives to a professional knife grinder who visits a local pub every four weeks. He grinds down the heal and leaves the blades a sharp as a cut throat razor.

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Alaia · Answer

Draw the knife towards you at an angle. The proper relationship is akin to trying to peel a thin slice from the sharpening tool. I prefer ultra fine carborundum paper with a bit of oil or water. Next either an Arkansas stone or a diamond plate (for the purpose of sharpening blades). Don’t allow the blade to get too dull, a few licks on both sides should be enough. If you use carborundum paper tape it hardwood or a sheet of glass for flatness. As you pull the blade to you slide the edge to sharpen the full length in one stroke.

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Emery · Answer

There are probably a lot of different techniques and thoughts on this one, but my preferred one is this.
Soak your Japanese whetstones in water for about half an hour, apply equal pressure across the blade and starting at the tip push the blade at the desired angle across the full length of the stone and repeat this 10 times per side keeping the stone wet at all times.
Using a higher grit stone, repeat the process but change to 1 stroke per side.
Using a leather strop, gently stroke the blade equally on both sides.
Don’t forget, practice makes perfect with this one

Alexandra98 · Answer

Personally I use a steel, this gets a good fine edge on the blade. It takes some getting good at and, as most people are physically different, it is best done by only one person to avoid changing cutting angles. My wife prefers to use one of those “multi-roller” type of sharpener…I find this makes a curved blade after some time, not good for board cutting. Using a steel alows one to sharpen at different angles depending on the usage of a blade… kitchen knives need a long cutting edge and frequent sharpening (I do it every use) and “outdoor” blades need a shorter cutting edge rendering them more resistant thus needing less frequent “updates”. Be careful. 😁😷

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Eloise · Answer

A lot of kitchens use a weekly sharpening service and steel the knives as needed. I use a simple grocery store sharpener because it works for me, although I do have a stone and oil for really dull ones. You should be able to find videos on utube to find how to stone and steel. Taking knives to a knife sharpener or store is no sin.

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Elliana97 · Answer

Before getting to the sharpening process, there’s one thing you need to do: look for the dull part of your blade. For example, your knife could be dull near the tip or near the bolster. Once you know where your dull knife’s weakness is, you’ll know what spot to concentrate on.
This will ensure you get a new, perfectly sharp cutting edge where you need it. Keep in mind that the material your knife is made of doesn’t matter for this part. First, you can use a honing rod. Sure, pro cooks will tell you you’re not actually sharpening the blade, but honing it.
In other words, you’re not eating away at the steel of the blade to create a new edge. Rather, you’re straightening the already bent edge (yes, it’s on the microscopical level) so that it cuts more easily through food.
All that to say that, if you’re in a pinch, you can use a honing rod to make your knife cut like it used to. No one has time to sharpen their knives every week, especially not home cooks, so this is a perfectly acceptable solution.
Grab your sharpening steel and hold it with the tip resting on your counter or chopping board. Next, grab your dull knife and hold it so that the side of the blade and the honing rod form a 20-degree angle.
Then, quickly pull the knife toward you and repeat this motion the same number of times for each side of the blade. Keep going until you feel your knife is sharp enough. If you want to invest some money into your knife skills, getting an electric sharpener is a great move.
These small kitchen products and appliances sharpen knives perfectly and are incredibly easy to use. Electric sharpeners great for when you have a bit of time to actually sharpen your dull knives.

Brielle · Answer

I don’t have the skills or patience to deal with a whetstone or even a strop, so I used to use a simple 3 step pull-through sharpener. They cost as little as $4. The 1st slot does a coarse grind to shave off larger pieces of metal. This is only used when the knife is very dull or damaged. The 2nd slot actually does the sharpening. It is smoother than the first so it shaves off less metal. The final slot usually has ceramic rods to hone and smooth out the blade. Some models only have two or even one slot. The entire process takes about 1–5 minutes depending on how dull or damaged the blade was.
I was gifted a set of Asian knives last Christmas so now I have a mix of European and Asian knives. Unfortunately, they are grinded at different angles. Asian edges are generally thinner, thus sharper but less durable. Because of the different angles, I just ordered this adjustable sharpener. Interestingly, the second slot on this model is for serrated edges.
I can’t tell you if this is the “best” way to sharpen kitchen knives at home but I can tell you that it’s the easiest and most convenient. And the online ratings show that many consumers agree.

Abigail · Answer

These two terms are often used interchangeably, but they’re actually different. Honing refers to the act of straightening a blade’s existing edge. Over time, and through ordinary use, the edge of a knife blade will curve over slightly or bend out of its original position.
When you hone a knife, you coax its pointed surface slightly back into position. It’s a gentle fix but when done often, can prevent more serious blade damage. The most common way to hone a knife, is with a honing steel. These inexpensive tools are essentially steel rods with a handle.
The surface of the rod is coarse, and scraping a blade across the rod, on both sides nudges its edge back in place. Sharpening is the practice of aggressively polishing a knife to reform its edge. You’ll need to do this for very dull knives only. In the process, bits of metal are actually shaved away.
That’s why sharpening a metal blade calls for material harder that steel stone or ceramic. It’s also why you should hone often, but sharpen rarely. A honing steel, relied on by many professional chefs and cooks, is a common tool for honing kitchen blades. Using a steel properly though takes practice to get right, so don’t be discouraged if your first results aren’t obvious.
Next, while holding the steel’s grip with your non-knife hand, place the heel edge of your knife onto the steel. Make sure to angle the blade between 15 to 20 degrees in relation with the steel rod. Also rest your fingers, safely on the knife grip. Now drag the blade downward along the steel.
At the same time, pull the knife kitchen products carefully toward you. The motion should move from the back edge of the knife to its tip. Maintain the same angle throughout your stroke. Repeat this action three to four times. Next do the same on the knife’s other side.

Genesis · Answer

A so-called sharpening steel, the metal rod sold with most knife sets, doesn’t really sharpen a knife, but rather it hones the edge of a slightly dulled blade. Sweeping the blade along the steel realigns the edge. Throughout this motion, make sure to maintain a 15-degree angle between the blade and the steel.
To safely use a steel, hold it vertically with the tip firmly planted on the counter. Place the heel of the blade against the tip of the steel and point the knife tip slightly upward. Hold the blade at a 15-degree angle away from the steel.
Maintaining light pressure and a 15-degree angle between the blade and the steel, slide the blade down the length of the steel in a sweeping motion, pulling the knife toward your body so that the middle of the blade is in contact with the middle of the steel.
Finish the motion by passing the tip of the blade over the bottom of the steel. Repeat this motion on the other side of the blade. Four or five strokes on each side of the blade should realign the edge. If your knife is quite dull, you’ll need to reshape its edge.
This requires removing a fair amount of metal more than you could ever remove with a steel. To restore a very dull knife, you have three kitchen products choices: You can send it out; you can use a whetstone; or the most convenient option you can use an electric or manual sharpener.

Savannah · Answer

The best way to sharpen your kitchen knife is with a good sharpening stone. Yes it takes more work then pulling your knife trough a machine. But the results are way better. The machine takes of to much metal and can never get the same results, when you use the sharpening stones in the rights way. It’s takes practice and it’s best to sharp with and old or cheap knife.
And another advantage over something like a ChefChoice is that the edge holds longer and your knife has a longer life!
To me sharpening a knife is like relaxing on the couch. You’ll have to take your time and do it properly. Step by step. But when you see the end result it’s amazing. Especially when you’ve got really dull knives and make them razor sharp again.
If your considering buying a sharpening stone, perhaps you should look at some YouTube video’s, so you get familiar with the process. I’ve found these videos very helpfull, but there are many more on the internet.
http://www.edenwebshops.co.uk/en/ct/video-manual-sharpening-on-a-whetstone.htm

Faith · Answer

Three stages of progressively finer grit using either water stones or a 1' belt sander.  A leather strop can be used on the belt sander if you want to polish the edge of a straight razor or scalpel.

Mary · Answer

For Kitchen knives, I think that the ceramic knife sharpening tool will be the best option which is far better and fast as compared to the traditional sharpening method.
There is always a confusion among knife collectors on how to sharpen knife at home. for them the best knife sharpeners.
http://www.knifeindia.com/knife-sharpeners.html

Raelynn · Answer

Electric knife sharpener - no skills required, consistent results.         Best Electric Knife Sharpener - Best Chef Kitchen Knives  (Don't buy if you want to learn to sharpen a knife by hand.)

Kaka · Answer

I have two suggestions.  If you're looking to spend top dollar, the Chef's Choice Professional Sharpening Station is the way to go. It features several stages that covers a vast range of knife sharpening needs.  Amazon.com: Chef's Choice 130 Professional Knife-Sharpening Station, Platinum: Kitchen & Dining  For an inexpensive yet great sharpener, I often recommend that Rada Cutlery Quick Edge Knife Sharpener. It's a simple sharpener that's just about effortless to use, doesn't cost much, and is conveniently portable.  Amazon.com: Rada Cutlery Quick Edge Knife Sharpener with Hardened Steel Wheels (Designed for Rada Knives), R119: Home & Kitchen

Bolo1997 · Answer

You probably shouldn't try. You can easily cause damage. If your knives are worth sharpening at all, they should be professionally sharpened. $5 every year or so for a $80 Wusthof isn't a bad maintenance investment. If you buy good knives (I have 3 Wusthofs), you should also buy a honing iron to keep the edge straight.  But if you insist on sharpening your knives yourself, try this: http://www.wusthof.com/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-23/52_view-167/categories-167

Eloise124 · Answer

Most will differentiate between “sharpening” (removing metal) and “honing” (re-straightening the edge)
Usually, unless you are abusing them, kitchen knives rarely need to be sharpened using stones or abrasives. Most chefs use a “steel”, or “butcher’s steel”, which efficiently restores an edge that’s not actually damaged:

Olivia · Answer

There are too many ways to sharpen the knife.  If you want to sharpen the knife quickly, I would recommend you to use a household  knife sharpener .

What is the best way to sharpen kitchen knives at home?

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