A dull or blunt knife is the worst enemy of any cook. It is dangerous to have a blunt knife in the kitchen. Keeping the knife in a tip-top condition is not difficult. You may use certain tools to improve the shine of your knife. Sharpening or honing the knife is not a rocket science. But, before you do knife sharpening, you need to know the difference between the knife sharpening and knife honing. When you use a ‘butcher steel’ or a ‘honing steel’ to sharpen the knife, it is actually honing the knife. When one uses a knife, it is quite natural that the tip of the knife bends to some extent. The entire process of honing straightens the knife as well as sharpens it. What you can do is regularly straighten the tip of the knife so that it functions well. A straight knife tends to feel sharper. But, knife sharpening is to be done only by a professional. You may use a wet stone to rub the knife against the surface. But, the slip and the moisture content must be perfect. Make sure there is no clogging of the surface.
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| Knife Sharpening |
The first and foremost step to sharpening the knife is collecting all necessary tools. You need butcher’s steel or honing steel. If you regularly need to sharpen your knife, it is best to use a honing steel. It can perfectly align the blade of the knife or straighten its point. Most of the knives do come with honing the blade. In fact, the departmental stores do sell the honing blade. To maintain the knife or keep the knife in the working order, you may use a honing blade. Whether you are using a sharpener or honing blade, the procedure of knife sharpening will remain the same.
Should you go for electric sharpener or manual ones?
If you want to sharpen the knives quickly you may use an electric sharpener. Whether you are using an automatic knife sharpener or a manual one, you must watch out for the pricing and the quality. The quality of the sharpener varies as per the brand and the pricing. Do not choose a low-end sharpener as that can cause more damage to the knife.
Setting the angle
Do not use a sharpener and the knife in the air. Set them in a place and properly anchor the blade of the knife onto the slot. The knife should be held perpendicular to the middle of the honing steel. Gently tilt the knife between parallel and perpendicular to the honing steel. In short, your blade should be at a 45-degree angle. The knife must be about 22-degrees from the sharpening tool. When you are sharpening the knife, the angling matters. Even if you use a sharpening stone, the angling is important.
Hone the knife edge
After you have properly angled the knife, the time is to hone the edge. Move it forward such that the knife heel is simply touching the sharpening steel. Keep repeating the process till done. The process must be repeated for 7-8 times.
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| Knife Sharpening |
Find a professional
If you feel that you are unable to sharpen the knife, you may take professional help. A professional will be able to assist you in this respect. You may even take the knife to the local butcher market for sharpening. Send an enquiry online for sharpening while the professionals get back to you.
So, we can say that the process of knife sharpening is easy and quick. When you are doing it yourself, make sure to exercise caution. It is also important to maintain a sharp knife.