Keep your Knives Sharp

Status: scribble

Reduce wear

Use a soft material for the cutting board. Wood or plastic. Avoid hard surfaces like glass or stone. Hand wash somewhat directly after use. Dry them with a towel to prevent corrosion. Store them in a way that the holy sharp edge does not get exposed to tear. E.g. a knife block or a magnetic strip.

Maintenance

Unless you are not using it, the edge will reduce its sharpness.

Honing

On every use you can realign the knife's edge with a honing rod which barely removes any material.

Sharpening

Once honing does not improve the sharpness anymore, grinding away metal to form a new, sharp edge is needed. The holy grail seems to be water stone grinding if you are willing to practice it in a somewhat structured manner. Other processes either remove more material or lead to a lower quality edge. Lower quality as in reduced sharpness or a reduced longevity of the edge.

Water Stone Grinding

Starting out, it is sufficient to get a medium grit (1000) stone for regular sharpening.

Best Youtube Tutorial I have found

Short version:

  • Soak the stone in water for 15 minutes
  • Hold the knife at a constant (!) 15-20 degree angle. It is crucial to maintain it and the main thing that needs practice. Press the knife down when pulling the edge. Release it on the push (e.g. don't cut into the stone).
  • Sharpen one side of the knie until you feel a slight burr along the opposite side. This indicates that you've sharpened the edge. If you don't yet feel the burr in parts of the knife, keep sharpening those sections.
  • Alternate the side.
  • How do I get rid of the burr?

How can I improve? If the original edge is still visible you can make use of visual cues. Take a waterproof sharpie/marker. Draw over the entire knife's edge. Observe how you are grinding off material. Adjust the angle accordingly for the parts of the knie

  • If the edge has color left: Your angle is too small in that part of the knife. Go steeper there.
  • If the color has not been removed up to the end of the previous edge: Lower the knife further.

Practice.