8 Tips on Knife sharpening By Master Chef Erik Blauberg
Tip #1
It’s so important to always keep your knives sharp. Your knives will cut well, and you will spend less time when you are using them.
Tip #2
A Sharp knife is safer than a dull one. When using a dull knife you have to apply extra pressure to make a cut – it’s easy to lose control, causing you to slip with the possibility of cutting yourself.
Tip #3
Hand wash your knives with warm water and mild detergents then dry them. When your knives are not in use keep them dry and oiled with a food grade lubricant. Do not wash in a dishwashing machine, as the detergent will ruin the handle and corrode the edge of the blade.
Tip #4
Learn to use the fingernail test for sharpness. It’s fast, safe and foolproof. Don’t test an edge by rubbing your fingertips or skin against it. That is not safe.
Tip #5
Kitchen knives cut well with a rough edge vs. a polished edge.
Tip #6
Sharpening Stones– use plenty of lubricant to wash away metal particles.
a.) Water stones submerge in water let the stone absorb the water wait until the air bubbles stop. While sharpening your knives keep the top of the stone moist with a thin film of water.
b.) When you’re sharpening using an oil stone it’s important to keep it coated with mineral oil.
c.) Diamond and ceramic stones don’t require lubrication.
Tip #7
It’s important when sharpening your knives to keep the bevel straight and even on both sides. Count each stroke and use the same number of strokes on each side. I prefer to stroke the blade against the honed edge first for bevel grinding and honing. I pull the edge away from the hone for the last step therefore it removes the wire edge.
Tip #8
When you are sharpening thick blades for heavy-duty application such as cleavers, survival knives, axes, hunting use a more obtuse angle. When sharpening a thinner blade for light duty application such as pocketknives, kitchen knives, tactical knives etc. use a more acute angle. (See the above sharpening gage)
