Learn How to Sharpen Knives, and review The Best Knife Sharpeners for Your Professional Kitchen Knives.
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If you're not sure how to sharpen knives, I hope that by the time you have read this info and watched the videos that I've helped ease the uncertainty a little and set you on the right path.
There are a few different ways to sharpening a knife. You can ...
do it manually on a sharpening stone
use knife sharpening machines
use a manual hand held sharpener
or pay someone to do it for you
Tips on Keeping Your Knives Sharp
First of all, it's important to understand what makes your knife blunt.
Cutting on a hard surfaces like glass, marble, granite or stone are definite 'knife killers". They're great for presenting food on, but not good for cutting. Using any one of these is a fast track to ruining your knife. So consider using an alternative like timber or plastic. (timber is better!)
A soft surface like a timber cutting board will help retain the edge on your knife for longer.
If you're concerned about hygiene, no need to be. Timber cutting boards are more hygienic than you may have been lead to believe. But that's a story for another time.
Cutting things like frozen foods, bone or such things as lobster shells can also damage your cutting edge. So it's best to keep an older knife for this type of job.
Now you have learnt a few tips on what not to do, lets look at...
How to Use a Sharpening Stone
If you use professional kitchen knives and feel confident about using a sharpening stone, then this is still the original and the best way to sharpen kitchen knives.
However it does take a little technique and skill in learning how to use a sharpening stone.
Using a wet stone with a little lubricant, getting the right angle and movement and technique are all skills to learn. Not sure how to use a sharpening stone?
Watch this video on how to sharpen knives on a stone.
How To Use a Sharpening Stone Online Video Guide
How to Use a Sharpening Steel
Learning how to sharpen knives on a stone and a steel will take time.
Much like a stone, sharpening kitchen knives with a steel also takes skill and practice.
It's also very dangerous if you're not experienced.
When it comes to kitchen knife sharpening, a steel will not actually put a new and proper edge on a knife. A steel will simply realign the bent and damaged cutting edge of the blade.
Using a steel periodically during your food preparation will help keep the knife sharp and avoid the edge becoming too blunt. But if your not confident on how to use one, there other safer options.
Watch this video on how to sharpen knives with a sharpening steel.
How To Use a Sharpening Steel Online Video Guide
Still Not Confident About Using a Steel?
Don't Worry ...
There is an Alternative!
There is an Easier Way...
Below are a few of the best value for money knife sharpeners that I know. These sharpeners are highly reputable for their quality and ability to sharpen well. These are ...
Tried and Tested
I have personally tried these sharpeners and highly recommend them as a viable and trustworthy way to sharpen kitchen knives. As the name says, they are indeed the "Chefs Choice".
I've Done the Research... You Make The Choice.
I Believe These Are The Best Knife Sharpeners
AccuSharp Manual knife Sharpener
...is the best little knife sharpener for anyone not confident with using a steel. The AccuSharp works just the same way as a steel. You'll feel safer using this sharpener, rather than swinging a knife around.
It will keep a sharp knife sharp, and make a blunt knife sharp. This is one of the top selling manual sharpeners on the market. Read more about the best knife sharpeners here.
If your knives are really blunt then you need one of these. Perfect for the home cook.
Safely and quickly gives kitchen knives an incredibly sharp, longer-lasting edge with no guesswork.
You can be confident sharpening your knives with the fool-proof BiLevelŪ magnetic guides.
The Chefs Choice 110 is acclaimed worldwide by serious cooks and renowned chefs.
It comes with a very good instruction manual on how to sharpen knives and a 2 year warranty. Buy it now
Chefs Choice 120 Electric Knife Sharpener
Don't pay someone to sharpen your knives.
With this easy to use unit, your knife will have an edge that is sharp and durable in seconds.
This sharpener suits both straight edge knives and serrated knives. Angle guides remove any guesswork.
It has a ceramic honing wheel to give your knife a fine polished finish.
Very easy to use. There is no need to learn how to sharpen knives with the Chefs Choice 120 machine as it does it all for you. A fantastic portable sharpener that will sharpen kitchen knives, pocket, sporting and fishing knives.
Great value for money and comes with a 3 year household warranty. Buy it Now
Why You Should Never Pay to Have Your Knives Sharpened...
You've spent a reasonable amount of money on your kitchen knives. So don't go giving them to someone else to sharpen.
Most... (not all) so called 'professional' knife sharpeners are not professional at all. Most have little or no training about how sharpen a knife. They call themselves "professional" without any credited training.
Most Are Not Properly Trained
They are in-fact calling themselves "professional" purely because it happens to be their "job"
I hope I'm not sounding too negative here, but it is important that you understand where your expensive knives are going and how they are being handled.
Most "professional" knife wreckers .. (Oopps.. did I just say that out loud?) I meant 'professional knife sharpeners', will do a great job at ruining your good professional kitchen knives.
Believe me... I've seen Chefs hand over knives only to get them back scratched, damaged and often beyond repair.
Save Your Money
Do yourself a huge favor and save yourself a truck load of money by not using a so called professional knife sharpening service.
Here's what happens to your beautiful and expensive kitchen knives when you hand them over to be sharpened.
Don't Ruin Your Knives
They place your expensive knife on a machine that resembles a 'belt sander' mounted upside down. If it is not this machine it will be one similar to it. These machines are very abrasive and apply excessive heat to you knife.
The delicate cutting edge of your knife should NEVER be heated.
That is worth repeating...
The delicate cutting edge of your knife should NEVER be heated.
Why? I hear you ask...
During the manufacturing of your knife it goes through a process called 'tempering'. This process gives the steel it's degree of hardness. The harder the steel, the longer the knife stays sharp (longer edge retention)
Once the knife is moulded and tempered, it then has a 'factory edge' put on. This is done with great precision.
So...
More often than not when you pay someone to sharpen your knives they will at some point (perhaps unknowingly) apply a degree of heat to the very fine cutting edge of the blade.
If you over heat the 'cutting edge' of the blade while attempting to sharpen it, you will actually "de-temper" the steel making it softer. This will result in your knife going blunt very quickly.
When you get your knife back from the sharpening service, you may notice that your knife go blunt over the course of a few days.
Grind Your Knife Away
Once you have your knife back from the sharpening service you will now need to grind your knife back past the de-tempered and damaged steel until you get to the hard steel again.
How do you do this without doing the same thing that caused the problem in the first place?
You Can Sharpen Kitchen Knives
Learn how to sharpen knives yourself. It's easy if you have the right tools and a few basic skills.
There are a wide range of great sharpening devices that can assist you in not only keeping your knives sharp, but also save you money. And we all want to save money! Right?
The knife sharpening machines below are just a few of many that are available. I've seen and used these knife sharpening machines before, so I trust them.
I believe these will do the best job for you.
The Professionals Choice is ...
AccuSharp Manual knife Sharpener
...is the best little knife sharpener for anyone not confident with using a steel. The AccuSharp works just the same way as a steel. You'll feel safer using this sharpener, rather than swinging a knife around.
It will keep a sharp knife sharp, and make a blunt knife sharp. This is one of the top selling manual sharpeners on the market. The packaging gives easy to understand instructions on how to sharpen knives. Read more about the best knife sharpeners here.
...is the best little knife sharpener for anyone not confident with using a steel. The AccuSharp works just the same way as a steel. You'll feel safer using this sharpener, rather than swinging a knife around.
