Thread: How do you hone a kitchen knife?

Hey,

I know it's a little off here, but it IS the honing forum after all..

I have these stones on which I'd like to sharpen some kitchen knives as they are useless for razors it seems. My question is, how the heck do you sharpen something that has little to no spine? A razor is quite easy, you just put it flat on the hone and use as little pressure as possible.

But how does it work with a kitchen knife? I've looked it up a little but everybody uses different techniques, I want to check on SRP because I'm pretty sure there'll be at least a dozen experts in this field on here as well!

It seems that some people also go back and forth etc... and not just forward like with a razor etc.. I'd really love to know how it works for knives.

Thanks!

You might try shooting a PM to Alchemist, he makes knives professionally in Israel.

steady hand is all its needed.
You can also buy a sharpening guide to help you with that.
What brand are the knives?

depends on the knife but I generally sharpen 'general purpose' (kitchen, most of my pocket knives) at about 15 degrees for a 30 degree bevel. it works for me.

Don't over think it though, an fairly shallow and steady angle is better than you trying to get the angle perfect and never getting a sharp knife. Don't bother going too high in grit, maybe 4k, something like that as a bit of an indulgence.

It might be easier to practise on pocket knives first.

edit: I go back and forth, it's just quicker. Once I've got it reasonably sharp I do a few x strokes to tidy things up a tad.

As previously stated. Unlike a razor, you must hold the knife at a 30 degree angle. You can buy, or make a jig. They look like little wedges. Actually, they're like training wheels, once you get the hang of it, you won't need it. I do a combination of strokes when I do knives, including little ovals on the stones. ( for smaller knives) Normally, 4k is as high as you need to go.

Check this link from how stuff works:

http://home.howstuffworks.com/how-to...equipment1.htm

30 deg is way too much,
German knives take ~25 deg, Japanese can take anywhere between 5-25 total bevel angle, depending on the steel

Originally Posted by zib

As previously stated. Unlike a razor, you must hold the knife at a 30 degree angle. You can buy, or make a jig. They look like little wedges. Actually, they're like training wheels, once you get the hang of it, you won't need it. I do a combination of strokes when I do knives, including little ovals on the stones. ( for smaller knives) Normally, 4k is as high as you need to go.

Check this link from how stuff works:

HowStuffWorks "How to Sharpen Knives"

I have one of these sets below, and if you're just learning, it helps you get the feeling for the right angle. Just like with a razor, after a while, you will get the feel for holding the knife without a guide, but it's great to develop muscle memory. Honestly tho, unless you are dealing with a really damaged knife, you can get away with one of those in the 2nd picture, and you can pick em up at Walmart for about $8. When I sharpen my blades, I tend to shoot for ~25 degree angle on my kitchen knives. You don't want it REAL steep, or too shallow, or you will be resharpening a lot.

Most kitchens that dont rent knives (and most pro chefs) have a sharpening kit of 3 stones (most kitchens have the same triangle set that looks like it runs $80-150). Since you're taking off a LOT of metal relative to honing a razor, you must CONSTANTLY be flushing with fresh water/lubricant. Many do it every pass, some do it every 2-4 passes.

Angles vary. I've heard some Japanese blades are as little as 9 degrees. Most german steel is 15-20 degrees.

Other than that it's pretty much the same as honing a razor, except, I'd expect, many fewer passes... as the grits aren't as fine. (If I were to guess I'd say 1500/3000/4000 or thereish) I would typically only use the finest, sometimes the higher two... but I'd hone weekly when I was using the kitchen's knives (my knife has NEVER been honed, but I ONLY use it at home, and it's due for a honing actually). I'd do 6-8 passes per grade typically (both ways, alternating naturally). You can also use a tiny bit more pressure (if the knife isnt a total piece of stamped garbage, the weight of the knife and maybe a little bit of your hands weight should be plenty, definately dont press down... you WILL however feel the weight of the knife kind of causing you to press into the stone, this is normal), but if you feel like you are pressing too hard, you probably are.


... You mentioned push and pull... it's up to you. I push and pull because I don't use my alternate hand much, and I find push/pull gives me better control than alternating hands or holding the knife underhanded to maintain one or the other.

Avatar, 25 is pretty steep. What knives do you use? My Wusthof's recommend 10-15 degrees... however, they underestimate a bit as I believe their angle is actually in the 13-18 range... they kind of assume people will undergauge the angle they are shooting for.

Hi,

I use Spyderco SharpMaker.

This tool has worked really well, and it is very, very easy to use; works a treat with serrated blades too, and it takes the guesswork out of keeping the blade at the correct angle.

Best regards

Russ

for a knife 20 deg is key!