Keep Your Edge – Proper Knife Maintenance

Jun 20, 2024 by Chef David

By Chef David

Maintain your knife properly and it can last a lifetime. Keeping your kitchen knife sharp is not complicated and it only takes minutes.  There are some basic principles for good knife care.  First, recognize that the blade will get dull over time from everyday use.

Your kitchen knives are made to cut food, they are not designed for cutting hard materials like bones, frozen food, or ice. Cut on a plastic or a wooden cutting board, it is more forgiving than glass or marble cutting boards, and never use the knife blade as a scraper. Hand wash and dry your knives to avoid damage from the dishwasher and store them carefully. We recommend using magnetic knife bars or blade guards.

Proper technique will keep your blade sharp longer. But it will still need to be sharpened and honed.

Know the Difference – Honing and Sharpening

A honing rod keeps the edge straight, while a knife sharpener removes material to make the knife sharp. Honing maintains the edge that is already sharp by pushing the edge of the blade back into alignment, called “folding back the burr.” Sharpening removes material from the blade’s edge by grinding it to create a new sharp edge. Honing is done frequently, sharpening is not.

Honing is a process where the knife’s blade is run along a special rod called a honing steel or honing rod. There are three basic types of honing rods, steel, ceramic, and diamond grit. Steel and ceramic rods are a gentle way to touch up your edge, whereas diamond grit rods are coarser and remove more material.

To hone, hold the knife in one hand and the rod in the other and make big sweeping motions with your knife at a 15- to 20-degree angle across the rod depending on your desired angle. Make between six to eight passes on each side.

The shape of the blade’s edge, also known as the bevel, refers to how much the blade is sharpened on each side. A knife with a blade sharpened at a 20-degree angle will have 40 degrees in total. A wider blade angle is more durable but less sharp.

Sharpening is a process where the knife’s edge is ground down, and physical material is removed to create a thinner, sharper edge. Two common ways to sharpen your knives are with a tabletop electric sharpener or with a whetstone.

A whetstone is an abrasive stone used to manually grind down each edge of a knife. This is the traditional way to get a sharp blade without removing too much steel. However, using a whetstone properly requires practice and precision. Hold the edge of the blade against the stone at the desired angle. Apply pressure with your other hand, as you guide the blade across the stone from the heel to the tip.

Electric sharpeners are easy to use and produce consistent and accurate sharp blades. Over time, electric sharpeners can remove more metal, but they are perfect for basic knife maintenance.

Honing Rods – Dexter and Work Sharp

Honing rods are deceptively simple, consisting of a rod with a handle. Practice makes this process of blade alignment quick and simple, professional chefs do this at least daily.

We tested honing rods from Dexter and Work Sharp,  two highly respected US brands that produce quality products.

• Dexter was established in 1818 by Henry Harrington it was the first American cutlery company in Southbridge MA. They make high-quality knives, for the kitchen as well as for fishing, hunting, and sharpening systems. They are known for using 100% recycled plastic for handles and being able to deliver with short notice. After 200 years, Dexter is still a family-owned.
• Work Sharp specializes in sharpening products, they design, engineer, and calibrate high-precision sharpening tools. Work Sharp is part of Darex, a 4th-generation family-owned company based in Ashland, Oregon.

Work Sharp Ceramic 9″ rod, comes with a 20-degree angle guide and a rubber tip to keep the rod sitting firmly on the stable surface. Work Sharp’s fine ceramic honing rod is gentle on your blade. The 20-degree angle guide makes it simple for a home chef to use. Note: some higher-end knives use narrower angles, always check the manufacturer’s website for specifications.

Americas Test Kitchen recommends cleaning ceramic rods using a pencil eraser to remove the metal shavings which can degrade the performance of the honing rod.

We also tested the Dexter DDS-10C SANI-SAFE 10” Diamond Sharpener the handle which is made from 100% recycled material is slip-resistant and sealed to prevent contamination. The blade is made of American DEXSTEEL, developed to provide strength, durability, and corrosion resistance. This is a diamond honer so it does remove more metal than the ceramic honer and therefore will sharpen your knives as well as hone.

Electric Knife Sharpener

Work Sharp Kitchen Knife Sharpeners CPE2 is an electric kitchen knife sharpener recommended for kitchen knives, scissors, pocket knives, and shears. It is compact and lightweight, roughly the size of a stapler. The CPE2 is designed for easy storage with a hidden space underneath to hide the power cord.

CPE2 is a sharpener for novice first-time knife sharpeners. It has a built-in 20° angle guide which guarantees consistency throughout the sharpening process. To begin sharpening push the bottom and slide the knife back and forth through the slot.  They have eliminated the guesswork. The unit sharpens for cycles of 50 seconds each before it automatically shuts off to prevent you from oversharpening.

The CPE2 is perfect for the home chef, or outdoors enthusiast giving you an easy way to restore a dull blade. The one downside is it only has one angle but that works for most classic kitchen knives.

With CPE2 anyone can be an expert knife sharpener.

Different Knives Require Different Treatment

Know your knives, each knife is slightly different and requires the appropriate maintenance. Most European-style knives should be sharpened at a 15- to 20-degree angle whereas Japanese-style knives should be sharpened at a 10 to 15-degree angle. Always refer to the manufacturer’s website to find the recommended angle of each blade.

This electric knife sharpener may not work for all high-end precision knives due to the different angles needed. Some manufacturers, like Shun, provide sharpening services.

Honing is for everyone.

Professional chefs hone their knives after each use. A home chef who does not do as much heavy knife work can hone them after two or three uses. This is only a rule of thumb, only you can be the judge of when your knives need adjustment. When you feel your knife is not as sharp as it should be, try honing, if it is not improving, it’s time to sharpen. How often you maintain your knives depends on how often you use them.

Well-maintained knives will improve your overall culinary experience, making cutting easier and safer. Knife maintenance may seem intimidating, but with the right tools, and a little practice it will become second nature.