For years I labored trying to find the right way to sharpen and hone a kitchen knife.
I bought steel rods, ceramic rods, whetstones, even a 2-wheel carbide grinding device that was supposed to make knife-sharpening child's play!
No matter how I tried, my knife was not really sharp - sure, the honing and sharpening attempts made some difference. But my knife seemed positively blunt each time I went to the wet market and saw how the fish seller sliced his cleaver easily through a thick chunk of tuna. His knife was sharp !
Finally, I came across a method advocated by an expert:
Hold the steel rod vertically, align your knife against the rod handle protector which is made with a 22.5% (for Western knives) and a 16% ( for Japanese knives) angle - depending on which part you align against - then draw the knife against the steel 4-5 times in one direction only. Do the same on the other side of the blade. Ensure you draw the knife in the same direction to give a sharp, even edge to the knife.
Use the steel rod to hone your knife, and a whetstone for sharpening your knife. You only need to sharpen once a year, but you need to hone your knife regularly.
And how do you know the knife is sharp?
I use my thumb !
That was the method used by my dad when I watched him as a kid. He would draw his thumb across the sharpened knife edge (caution: not along the edge or you will cut your thumb!) and his thumb would tell him when to stop sharpening!
I bought steel rods, ceramic rods, whetstones, even a 2-wheel carbide grinding device that was supposed to make knife-sharpening child's play!
No matter how I tried, my knife was not really sharp - sure, the honing and sharpening attempts made some difference. But my knife seemed positively blunt each time I went to the wet market and saw how the fish seller sliced his cleaver easily through a thick chunk of tuna. His knife was sharp !
Finally, I came across a method advocated by an expert:
Hold the steel rod vertically, align your knife against the rod handle protector which is made with a 22.5% (for Western knives) and a 16% ( for Japanese knives) angle - depending on which part you align against - then draw the knife against the steel 4-5 times in one direction only. Do the same on the other side of the blade. Ensure you draw the knife in the same direction to give a sharp, even edge to the knife.
Use the steel rod to hone your knife, and a whetstone for sharpening your knife. You only need to sharpen once a year, but you need to hone your knife regularly.
And how do you know the knife is sharp?
I use my thumb !
That was the method used by my dad when I watched him as a kid. He would draw his thumb across the sharpened knife edge (caution: not along the edge or you will cut your thumb!) and his thumb would tell him when to stop sharpening!
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