How To Sharpen A Knife

A sharp knife cuts easily, so it can reduce your preparation time in half. It is a lot safer to use too, since it is less likely to slip. Having a sharp knife is tantamount to giving you an enjoyable cooking experience. But if you do not know how to sharpen a knife, then read on.    

Things Needed in Sharpening a Knife:

·         Sharpening stone

·         A bowl of water

·         Kitchen towel

·         Knife

·         A honing steel or ceramic sharpening rod

Procedure:

Depending on the sharpening stone you are using, soak it in water for 5 minutes (sharpening stones with grit #3000 and above cannot be soaked or it will break!). After 5 minutes, remove the stone from the water and place it on a kitchen towel on a flat surface. If you are using a two-grit stone, ensure that the coarse side is facing up.

Holding the knife in semi-parallel position against the sharpening stone, your one hand should be on the handle and the other on the top part of the blade. Starting from the heel (base of the knife), slide the blade all the way to the tip  in a slanting direction against the stone toward you. To maintain the angle of the blade, keep your fingertips on the top edge. Use moderate pressure while working on the coarse side of the sharpening stone.

Go over this motion in the following guide: 10 times on each side, then 5, then 3. After which, do single strokes alternating between right and left for another 6 times. Once done with the sequence, by this time, you should feel a slight “burr” when you touch the blade, but be very careful in doing this. Turn over the sharpening stone to buff up the blade. To do this, repeat the sharpening motion over, using a slighter pressure. 

Rinse the Blade

To give your blade that extra polished edge, make some draws using a honing steel. Just like the motion you used in the sharpening stone, draw the blade at the same angle.

Often times, we do not give attention to the sharpness of our knives that we use at home. When it is still sharp, we use and keep it, but once it turned dull, we throw it away and buy a new one. And that practice is not practical. That’s why we need to know how to sharpen a knife.


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