Thread: Kitchen Knife Honing

I hone my razors but have never honed my kitchen knives (wusthof).

1. What grit stones should I be looking for for that - I assume much coarser than what I use for razors.

2. Where should I get them?

3. Also, what's the best technique for kitchen knife honing?

I have a shapton 1k, shapton 4k, BBW, yellow coticule and escher. Should I just use the shaptons for kitchen knives? Or should I only use those on my razors.

I have a Henckels sharpening steel (like chefs use)that works great. You have quite a hone selection and any of those should do the job more than well, but IMO the steel is a quicker easier option.

Add maybe a 325 and surely something around 600. The Shapton(s) should get your knives the rest of the way there for kitchen or pocket use.

To set the first bevels on knives I sometimes use a 325 mesh DMT. Often a 600 mesh will do it fast enough. I continue on to 1200 mesh on the better knives. I carry a small 600 mesh in my back pocket for all-around use. If I could only have one grit for all knives it would be a 600.

Some knives will hold an 8k edge, some will not. I think 8k is a bit much for most knives.

I always strop a knife after honing it, regardless of final grit used.

The clamp-on edge guides are probably ok. Once learned, doing it freehand is far more versatile. Just like a razor, light pressure on the finishing strokes gives a nice noticeable difference.

Originally Posted by Sticky

Add maybe a 325 and surely something around 600. The Shapton(s) should get your knives the rest of the way there for kitchen or pocket use.

To set the first bevels on knives I sometimes use a 325 mesh DMT. Often a 600 mesh will do it fast enough. I continue on to 1200 mesh on the better knives. I carry a small 600 mesh in my back pocket for all-around use. If I could only have one grit for all knives it would be a 600.

Some knives will hold an 8k edge, some will not. I think 8k is a bit much for most knives.

I always strop a knife after honing it, regardless of final grit used.

The clamp-on edge guides are probably ok. Once learned, doing it freehand is far more versatile. Just like a razor, light pressure on the finishing strokes gives a nice noticeable difference.

what kind of stroke do you use? edge first like a razor (with a big sweep to get the whole blade)?

Originally Posted by loueedacat

what kind of stroke do you use? edge first like a razor (with a big sweep to get the whole blade)?

Small circles, clockwise when the edge is facing away, CCW when the edge is towards me; until the bevels are set (and passing the TNT). The circles proceed from the edge's heel to the tip. Then 10 razor-like strokes on side 1, then 10 on side 2. Then 9, then 8, etc. until you reach 1. After that alternate 1 stroke per side, (pretty lightly) until happy with the edge you're getting. Go up in grit when it feels ready. One stroke per side on the higher grits.

One good way to learn to freehand it is to fold an index card twice, from the corner, to get an ≈ 22 degree angle. Lay the card on a "large-ish" flat surface of any kind. Practice by keeping a knife's side on the card and it's edge on the "hone" surface at the same time; while drawing the knife along both. This will develop a nice feel for maintaining the same angle while honing around the curve of the knife edge. Once you're used to "raising" the butt end of the knife while making a stroke, it gets much easier.

Here's a short lesson from Japanese Chef's Knives. How To Sharpen Japanese Knife,Japanese Kitchen Knife,Japanese Chef's Knives.Com
I use a similar technique when working on my kitchen knives. I don't recommend it for everybody working on western style blades, but there is some interesting information - hope it helps.

With a Wusthof I wouldn't go much over a 1k, western knives tend to be softer and thicker than japanese knives, Not always but most of the time. So the sharpening and honeing of the knives is handled very differently. On western knives I use a 325 DMT plate followed by a 1k shapton GS. I would use a fine tooth hone "steel" to align the edge from time to time.

On a japnese knife (all I use now) I never let the edge get dull enough to need anything below a 1k (my starting stone) and finish with my 8k norton.

Now this is all subjective, as in "What is your idea of sharp?" Being on SRP I'm sure you have a grasp of REALLY sharp things... well most kitchen knives don't need that kind of treatment, but some do. If you use a poly board and sharpen your wicked thin japnese knives to a shaving edge (easy to do) you will loose that edge inside the cutting board as the knife digs in been there done that haha.

One thing to remember, On a kitchen knife, your trying to get a burr and knocking it off carefully. Unlike with a razor, NO BURR.

Some knives are easier to rebuild than others... I just went through a rough couple days putting new bevels on some Shun knives that have been wickedly abused... I never want to do that again in less that 24 hours... my arms still hurt Wusthof and the like are far softer than Shun knives and don't take much to get as sharp as the steel will allow.

http://www.japaneseknifesharpeningstore.com/

Here is another link to get some stones and see whats out there. Some of it is just way over the top for a Wusthof though

really helpful guys! Particularly since I already have a DMT 325 and Shapton 1k!

By the way, is it possible to sharpen serrated steak and bread knives? I figure if I tried to hone them I'd dull the serration.

Because I haven't jumped in wholeheartedly to honing my kitchen knives, I've opted for the spyderco sharpmaker (or whatever it's called). It gets the job done well. It's cheating in a way, but I'm ok with that at the moment.

Jordan