# Okay, so how do you DO sharpen knives?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-so-how-do-you-do-sharpen-knives/594596
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [August 30, 2011, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-so-how-do-you-do-sharpen-knives/594596 "2011-08-30T06:09:28Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2011, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-so-how-do-you-do-sharpen-knives/594596/1 "2011-08-30T06:09:28Z")
Inspired by [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=622060).
**Bump** said:
> [@](#):
>
> Why don’t people keep their knives sharp? There are innumerable gadgets and gizmos out there to keep them sharp- just use one of them with some regularity and they’ll be fine. Instead, the knives are sharp when they got them as a wedding gift in 1968, never to have been sharpened again.
Then **chaotic bear** said:
> [@](#):
>
> ..their idea of sharpening a knife is running it through one of those V-shaped tools with as much force as humanly possible in order to “sharpen” it. Thank goodness I am not their knives.
Okay, I’m guilty. I use [this little foolproof sharpener](http://www.amazon.com/Fiskars-7861-Axe-Knife-Sharpener/dp/B0000950Q4/ref=sr_1_20?ie=UTF8&qid=1314684464&sr=8-20). The directions are simple: pull knife through five times, rinse, dry, ready. It does sharpen my knives, but yes, I do need to use a bit of force and yes, it gets tiny nicks on the blade. So what _am_ I supposed to use then ? Those sharpening irons just seem to difficult to use.
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### Author:  [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2011, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-so-how-do-you-do-sharpen-knives/594596/2 "2011-08-30T06:16:11Z")
Nitpick - what you’re talking about is _honing_, not sharpening. Honing you can do at home with any number of gizmos; sharpening requires an actual grindstone and is best done by professionals.
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### Author:  [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2011, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-so-how-do-you-do-sharpen-knives/594596/3 "2011-08-30T08:27:24Z")
Hmm…so Wikipedia offers [the theory of knife sharpening](http://http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knife_sharpening).
I guess I should check youtube next for [instruction video’s.](http://http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=honing+a+knife&aq=2&oq=honing+a+)
I thought I was done by having and using an honing gizmo, but apparently, anything worth having, like a reallyreallyreally sharp kitchen knife, requires some effort.
The trouble is that honing and sharpening are the kind of activities that don’t offer feedback if you are doing it wrong. I have seen whetting stones used in my youth, and have tried them. But I soon found out that however what I do looks like what a pro does, it still doesn’t result in a sharp knife, and often in a knife that is actually duller or has little nicks.
So I guess I have to find a weathered old wise man somewhere and ask him to teach me how to whet/hone a knife and when to take it to a pro for sharpening.
:: hums The Bride goes to Hanzo tune from Kill Bill::
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### Author:  [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2011, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-so-how-do-you-do-sharpen-knives/594596/4 "2011-08-30T11:11:13Z")
When I sharpen a knife, I usually use a whet stone. that said, it’s rare for me to need a terribly sharp knife since the main things I ever cut with my pocket knives are bits of string or cardboard boxes.
My kitchen knives, on the other hand, tend to be of the unsharpenable variety.
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### Author:  [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2011, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-so-how-do-you-do-sharpen-knives/594596/5 "2011-08-30T11:16:25Z")
I use a granite core sample.
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### Author:  [@kiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiz)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2011, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-so-how-do-you-do-sharpen-knives/594596/6 "2011-08-30T11:24:01Z")
I bring mine to the local hardware (i.e., non-big box) store. They’ll sharpen all mine for a flat fee. I take them there maybe 3-4 times a year?
I also have one of those V-shaped tools I use in-between times. The only way I can tell if they’re working is if I immediately try cutting something that’s been “difficult” after pushing it through there a few times.
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### Author:  [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2011, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-so-how-do-you-do-sharpen-knives/594596/7 "2011-08-30T11:32:50Z")
I use [this](http://www.amazon.com/Chefs-Choice-110-Professional-Sharpener/dp/B00004S1B9/ref=sr_1_6?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1314703646&sr=1-6). My understanding is it has two graduated honing plates, that you can use pretty regularly, and then it has the actual sharpening plate, to be used on occasion. Typically I use the steel that came with my knife set before each cutting task, and when I notice I’m having trouble slicing neatly through things, I use my sharpener. It most definitely restores that “bite” that allows me to laugh derisively at tough tomato skins.
My dad is hardcore and uses a whetstone. But I know I’d never be able to maintain the proper angle myself. I like my little magnet-guided idiot-proof gizmo. Having them sharpened by a professional would no doubt be the best, but the Chef’s Choice does a nice job with less complications.
Oh and you absolutely are not to use pressure with it. The instructions are very clear about using a light touch to simply draw the blade through the mechanism - NEVER press down!
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### Author:  [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2011, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-so-how-do-you-do-sharpen-knives/594596/8 "2011-08-30T14:00:46Z")
I have quite a few sharpening options…
I have 2 whetstones; a Norton India/Crystolon combination stone, and an extra fine green stone of some sort. My grandfather (a butcher at one point) taught me how to use them.
I also have one of those carbide gizmos that you can sharpen scissors with (why I bought it) and that you can sharpen knives with. It’s hell on the blade, but does leave a sharp edge. I use it on the cheaper knives.
I have another gizmo that’s a pair of crossed ceramic sticks- it’s good for keeping a decent edge.
Finally, I got a Waring pro motorized knife sharpening appliance- it works very well, but can thrash your blades if you’re not careful.
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### Author:  [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2011, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-so-how-do-you-do-sharpen-knives/594596/9 "2011-08-30T14:09:58Z")
I hone my knives (not as often as I should, but more frequently than most) myself, and every couple of years I take them to a pro to get them resharpened. I have toyed with the idea of learning to sharpen them myself, but I cook a lot and don’t want to mess around and ruin one of my few good knives. It’s like $2 a knife and 3 days wait to get the guy to do it for me. Way worth it.
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### Author:  [@FordPrefect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordPrefect)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2011, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-so-how-do-you-do-sharpen-knives/594596/10 "2011-08-30T14:42:14Z")
I have one really good chef knife that I use almost exclusively and I sharpen it with a 1000 grit Japanese waterstone from Lee Valley.
I sharpen as often as I need to, depending on how much abuse it has received, it can be 2 - 3months between sharpenings. As soon as the knife indents a tomato as part of the cut I haul out the stone. It takes longer to wet the stone than it does to sharpen the knife.
It’s not rocket science… stainless steel, which most knives are, grinds very slowly so it’s very difficult with typical sharpening stones to do any real damage to the cutting bevel. The fancier Japanese knives or carbon knives are likely a very different story but the typical SS knife is hard enough to be forgiving on a newbie sharpener when learning to find the proper angle for the knife.
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### Author:  [@Chopper9760](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chopper9760)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2011, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-so-how-do-you-do-sharpen-knives/594596/11 "2011-08-30T14:42:15Z")
The best luck I’ve ever had is with a [Bark River Knife and Tool leather double-sided strop.](http://www.knivesshipfree.com/product_info.php?CDpath=&products_id=6348) The compound and strop yield better results than my aged whet stone or my Lansky.
I just got some FFG Delicas that are way sharper than my strop knives, though I think that’s just a reflection on my technique and inexperience.
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### Author:  [@justrob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justrob)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2011, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-so-how-do-you-do-sharpen-knives/594596/12 "2011-08-30T14:45:42Z")
There is a guy that goes to local farmers markets (local fabric stores during the winter) that will do them for $2-3/knife while you wait.
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### Author:  [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2011, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-so-how-do-you-do-sharpen-knives/594596/13 "2011-08-30T15:04:55Z")
I take mine to the hardware store. It’s cheap.
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### Author:  [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2011, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-so-how-do-you-do-sharpen-knives/594596/14 "2011-08-30T15:15:25Z")
I hone my knives before every use (because my wife and mother-in-law can’t be bothered to do so - else I’d hone them every other use). I use [this sharpener](http://www.amazon.com/AccuSharp-1-001-Knife-Sharpener/dp/B00004VWKQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1314716987&sr=8-1) for quick, one-off sharpening touch-ups, when honing just isn’t cutting it anymore. It’s quick, easy, and was the highest rated by America’s Test Kitchen for manual knife sharpeners. About every six months, I lug out [this electric sharpener](http://www.amazon.com/Chefs-Choice-110-Professional-Sharpener/dp/B00004S1B9/ref=sr_1_7?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1314717072&sr=1-7) and do all of my knives.
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### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2011, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-so-how-do-you-do-sharpen-knives/594596/15 "2011-08-30T15:35:06Z")
Every so often I take our knives, chainsaw chains, etc to a guy who sharpens things.
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### Author:  [@Turble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turble)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2011, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-so-how-do-you-do-sharpen-knives/594596/16 "2011-08-30T15:50:25Z")
[Spyderco Sharpmaker](http://www.amazon.com/Spyderco-Tri-Angle-Sharpmaker-Sharpener-204MF/dp/B000Q9C4AE?tag=duckduckgo-d-20)
This really works – scary sharp knives – also sharpens scissors and serrated knives.
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### Author:  [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2011, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-so-how-do-you-do-sharpen-knives/594596/17 "2011-08-30T16:09:45Z")
I take mine to the hardware store, too. I use a steel before (almost) every use.
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### Author:  [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2011, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-so-how-do-you-do-sharpen-knives/594596/18 "2011-08-30T17:19:50Z")
> [@Chopper9760](#):
>
> … Lansky. …
This, or any other jig that maintains a constant angle. I’ve spent too much time resettting the bevel on other people’s knives that were sharpened on a bench stone. They ALL looked more like this **U** than this **V**. Finishing with the [white ceramic](https://lansky.com/index.php/outdoor/ultra-fine-hone/#1) “stone” (IIRC 1000 grit) or better the [sapphire](https://lansky.com/index.php/outdoor/super-sapphire-hone/#1) “stone” (IIRC 2000 grit), scary, hair popping, sharp!
> [@bump](#):
>
> … gizmo that’s a pair of crossed ceramic sticks …
The little finger held ones with either two white (fine) or two white and two grey/black (coarse) ceramic rods, like [this](https://lansky.com/index.php/outdoor/mini-crock-stick/)? Five or ten very light passes on the white every time I use a knife in the kitchen.
The tungsten carbide are nice for starting a ruined edge, and ruining a nice edge. ☹
(The trick to using them is also a light touch)
CMC fnord!
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### Author:  [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2011, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-so-how-do-you-do-sharpen-knives/594596/19 "2011-08-30T20:00:00Z")
> [@Turble](#):
>
> [Spyderco Sharpmaker](http://www.amazon.com/Spyderco-Tri-Angle-Sharpmaker-Sharpener-204MF/dp/B000Q9C4AE?tag=duckduckgo-d-20)
>
> This really works – scary sharp knives – also sharpens scissors and serrated knives.
This or a Lansky set. I use both.
A sharp knife is a safe knife, whether it’s in your pocket or in your kitchen.
I’m a knife nut, and keep [everything](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v677/ural/misc/Picture.jpg)I carry razor sharp.
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### Author:  [@cuberdon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuberdon)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2011, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-so-how-do-you-do-sharpen-knives/594596/20 "2011-08-30T20:15:11Z")
I took a class the price of which included my very own stone.
I have some expensive chefs knives that I never use. One was sharpened past the tang, i.e., trashed, the other chefs knife is just too big for my hand. My everyday cooking knives, and I cook a lot, are the $2 thin stainless mini cleavers bought in Chinatown plus quite a few paring knives accumulated from various sources. I use the stone + oil to sharpen them, five strokes to a side, then checking if it’s sharp enough, usually takes a few repeats. A quick once over with sponge & soap to get the oil & metal particles off and I’m done for the moment.
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-so-how-do-you-do-sharpen-knives/594596.md?page=2)