Knife Sharpening Tips

Read Chef's Armoury's tips on knife sharpening ...

• Sharpening steel or sharpening stone - Which should I choose?
• How to use a sharpening steel
• Sharpening stones - All you need to know
• The truth about pull through knife sharpeners
• Knife sharpening classes
• Knife sharpening service
• Knife sharpening tips
• Knife sharpening video

 

Knife Sharpening - An introduction

 In a perfect world we would all have time to spend 5-10 minutes everyday (or every week for home chefs) to sharpen our kitchen knives to a razor's edge on a Japanese waterstone. This is in fact how the very best Japanese or French chefs finish their shifts – They sharpen their knives religiously at the end of each day. Remember the best time to sharpen your knife is when it’s still sharp. If you wait until it’s blunt, it will take much greater effort and time.

A sharp knife is important in order to preserve the true flavours of fresh ingredients. Cutting with a dull knife will damage food on a cellular level and alter it's taste and appearance. The quality of the cut is becoming an increasingly important issue in professional cooking.

A sharp knife is also important for safety. A dull knife is more prone to slip on food and may result in bodily injury. Sharp knives are also important for kitchen efficiency. It will take more time and effort to cut with a dull knife than a sharp knife.

Using a sharp knife is also undoubtedly much more enjoyable.

 

Knife Sharpening Options

To sharpen a knife you really only have two options: Give to someone to sharpen or sharpen it yourself.

A quick look in the directory will unearth a wide selection of people advertising a knife sharpening service. Many hard and fast methods can quickly deteriorate the quality of your knife so be careful.

Owner and togishi - Leigh Hudson has trained extensively in knife sharpening under Masters of kataba and ryoba blades in Japan. Chef’s Armoury knife sharpening is done on our premises in Sydney. Read more about Chef's Armoury's knife sharpening services.

 

Sharpen it yourself

There are many options available when sharpening knives at home. Although it is tempting top go for a quick fix you really should read – the truth about pull through knife sharpeners.

Sharpening, or honing on a steel is a good in between measure. Read our advice on How to use a sharpening steel.

If you are really keen to learn more we run regular knife sharpening classes where you will learn how to use Japanese waterstones.

Got the stones and just itching to have a go at sharpening your own knives, don't do anything until you watch this video on how to sharpen a chef's knife.

 

Knife Sharpening Classes

Chef's Armoury offers hands on knife sharpening classes in Sydney. Small class sizes and expert tuition by Leigh Hudson will give you the skills needed to sharpen kitchen knives using Japanese sharpening stones.

Prices start at $95pp and ideally you'll need to have a ~200-400 grit stone as well as a ~1000 grit stone to participate (we can lend you some if you'd like to try them out). If you are excited about getting your hands dirty for a few hours click here>> Knife sharpening class - Sydney.

 

Knife Sharpening Service

For those that prefer to leave it to the experts, Click here>> for information on the Chef's Armoury knife sharpening service.

 

KNIFE SHARPENING TIPS

 

Don't Buy Cheapie Stones

There is a vast difference in the quality of sharpening stones on the market.

Just because a sharpening stone is stamped with the name of a famous brand it does not mean it will live up to the quality of the knives. Most times a local country distributor has sourced cheap stones from China and printed the name of the brand they distribute on the stone – with or without the endorsement of the knifemaker.

Buy only high quality sharpening stones from a company who is able to offer good advice on how to use them. A good stone will last from 2 – 10 times longer than a cheap stone and will be a lot less frustrating to use.

 

 
Japanese waterstones

Using Japanese waterstones is our preferred method of knife sharpening because it will give a superior edge to your kitchen knives. Although like anything it will require practice to perfect.

The method of sharpening single bevel knives and double bevel knives is different but the tools are the same. All western knives are double edged. The vast majority of Chef’s Armoury knives are also double edged.

We recommend buying 3 different grades of sharpening stone:

1. “Arato” – A rough stone (200 – 800 grit). This stone is used for repairs and creating a new bevel on badly worn knives. Improper use may lead to a weak edge caused by making the edge too thin and sharpening incorrectly at varying inconsistent angles. 

2. “Nakato” – A medium grade stone (800 – 1500 grit) used for very minor repairs and creating an even burr, which is the first step in sharpening.

3. “Shiageto” – A superfine stone (1500 – 3000 grit) is used for creating a highly polished edge and removing the coarser scratches left by the medium stone. This is the stone that gives the feeling of smooth & sharp as opposed to just sharp.

Some knife enthusiasts will also buy a finer 5000 - 12000 grit stone but this is unnecessary unless you really love your knives.

 

Stone prep

Different sharpening stones are prepared in different ways. Some stones like ceramic stones are porous and need to be pre soaked. Naniwa Superstones on the other hand don’t need soaking but you need to keep the surface well lubricated with water.

Rule of thumb is put your sharpening stone in water and if bubbles come to the surface it needs soaking. Soak until the bubbles stop (maybe 10-20 minutes)

Also it’s best not to leave your stones in water for long periods as this may damage them.

One essential thing to do is to keep you sharpening stones flat. Use a stone flattener or some wet and dry sandpaper on a flat bench top. After flattening put a slight bevel on the edges to prevent chipping. It is best to flatten your stones little and often. We recommend to lightly flatten your stones after each sharpening session as opposed to waiting until there is a big bow in the stone.

 
Sharpening double bevel knives

There are a number of different methods for sharpening on waterstones but we will concentrate here on a method most suitable for beginners. Assuming there are no repairs needed and your knife has a basic bevel of sharpness, start with the medium grade stone - nakato. The most important things to remember are 1) technique and 2) keeping a constant correct angle.

Depending on your knife you will need to hold the blade at a 10° to 20° angle to the stone. Rule of thumb is a German knife or a thicker blade requires a 20° angle.  Thinner Japanese blades can go down to 10°, but unless you have a lot of experience with thin blades, a minimum of 15° is recommended.

A smaller angle gives a sharper edge. A greater angle is not as sharp but the blade is less prone to chipping, so think about the purpose for which the knife is used for before deciding on the angle. Remember only very good quality knives with a high HRC (hardness rating) can hold a small angle, so don’t sharpen your Wusthof or Zwillings knives to less than about 18°.

 

Knife sharpening video

If you'd like to learn how to use professional sharpening stones, watch our instructional video on knife sharpening.