You’ve just bought a brand new kitchen knife! Congratulations! As a result of your efforts, cooking has become more enjoyable and easier. It will be easier for you to chop and mince with a proper knife. It is not enough to simply sharpen and hone a knife to keep it in good shape.

Photo by Jason Briscoe on Unsplash

During the first few weeks of use, new knives will become dull, requiring more pressure to cut. With this guide to sharpening and honing cutlery, you can keep your knives feeling new and keep your fingers safe. Additional resistance not only mangles meats and vegetables; it also poses a potential hazard for your fingers.

Understanding the difference between hone and sharpen

There’s a difference between these two terms, even though they’re often used interchangeably. Honing involves straightening the edge of a blade. Knife blades will bend or curve over time as a result of ordinary use and use over time.

Refining

Knives are honed by gently coaxing their pointed surfaces back into place. It is a gentle fix, but if done frequently, it can prevent more serious blade damage from occurring.

Honing a knife with a honing steel is the most common way to do it.  They are essentially steel rods with handles ($10 to $30). When a blade is scraped across the rod (at the proper angle), the rod’s edge is nudged (honed) back into place. 

The sharpening process

When a knife is sharpened, it is aggressively polished to reform its edge. The only knives you should sharpen are those that are very dull. The process involves shaving away bits of metal. Therefore, stone or ceramic is needed to sharpen a metal blade.

Make sure your knife is sharp

Chefs and cooks often rely on honing steels to sharpen their blades in the kitchen. To use a steel properly, you must practice, so don’t be discouraged if your first results aren’t obvious. A knife can be honed in the following ways:

The steel rod’s end should be placed on a flat surface (a table, counter, cutting board).

In the next step, you will place the heel edge of the knife on the steel while holding it in your non-knife hand. Ensure that the blade is angled between 15 and 20 degrees in relation to the steel rod. Similarly, rest your fingers on the handle (behind the heel), while holding the knife.

Once the blade is on the steel, drag it downward. Pull the knife tkellknives.com  towards you carefully at the same time. Moving the knife from the back edge to the tip is the proper motion. Your stroke should remain at the same angle throughout. It is recommended that you repeat this action three to four times. On the opposite side of the knife, repeat the procedure.On the opposite side of the knife, repeat the procedure.

Blades should be sharpened

You will need a tougher tool to reform the edge of your knife blade. With a whetstone, you can do it the old-fashioned way. Whetstones are relatively affordable, which is good news.The price ranges from $15 to $20.

On a flat surface, place a square of damp paper towel. Whetstones can be resting on that to prevent them from sliding. A little water should be applied to the knife blade. Friction is reduced as a result. Now place the knife at an angle of 15 to 20 degrees on the stone (its coarsest side). Knives should be pointed away from you. (Except for your thumb), place your fingers on the blade’s flat surface. Hold the handle grip with your thumb.

Keep the angle constant while dragging the knife across the whetstone. Three or four times is enough.Repeat with the other side of the knife. After that, repeat the process on the smoother side of the whetstone. It should now be possible to sharpen your dull kitchen knife.