Knife Sharpening Steels

A high-quality knife will remain sharp for a long time, if they are used exclusively for the purpose which they were designed (unlike me, who recently used a chef's knife to crack lobster claws and dinged the edge). Knives may be used for slicing, cutting, and chopping (vegetables). Bones (and lobster claws) should be chopped with a cleaver.

I recommend that the surface where you cut be wood or plastic. Harder surfaces, such as marble, blunt knife edges very quickly. The best surface is a an end-grain, butcher-block surface.

Even the best knife will loose sharpness over time, and regular use of a sharpening (honing) steel is recommened. If used correctly, the steel will remove microscopic amounts of metal from the edge until the edge is sharp again. Use the following technique to ensure success:

• Hold steel in vertical position with steel facing up.
• Bring the blade into contact with top section of steel at the start of knife's cutting edge (choil) near the blade's butt.
• Put knife edge on steel at an angle of 15° to 20°.
• Move edge in a wide arc down the the steel in such a way that the knife tip ends close to the handle of the sharpening steel.
• Repeat same using other side of blade—it is important to alternate sides (otherwise a burr will be left along last side sharpened).
• A few times back and forth should suffice—use progressively less pressure from one sharpening movement to the next.

Sharpening steels vary in quality, and the sharpening ridges on low-quality steels will wear thin very quickly. I recommend a commercial-quality sharpening steel, because it will restore quickly your knife edge and last for many years to come.

Click here to view F.Dick Sharpening Steels at 125West.com

Please note that a sharpening steel may be of limited use on a blades that are totally blunt and require the use of a grinding wheel to assume a new edge.