How to Sharpen Your Knives
My knives are proof of the adage that you get what you pay for. In London 24 years ago I paid a small fortune for a battery of knives. The knives are still with me and are in fantastic working order. How do you keep such expensive utensils in good working order and make them go the distance, in effect, last a lifetime?Don’t share them, respect them, use them for what they are designed to do: chop, not open bottles of wine etc.
Store them in a knife block or, if you prefer, on a magnetic knife rack, or use edgeguards (handy for transporting too).
Never put them in the dishwasher unless they are specifically designed for this, and don’t leave them soaking in the sink (dangerous).
Wipe clean after cutting acidic foods to prevent spotting.
Always sharpen them before use; this may sound a bore, but it will keep your knives in good working order for years.
Have your knives professionally sharpened once every two to three years.
How to sharpen your knives
Forget stones and pull-through sharpeners. Stones require expertise to use them correctly and pull-though sharpeners create a new edge at the expense of whittling away some of the metal.
Constant use of a knife knocks the molecular edges out of shape (microscopically, the edge goes wavy). Running the knife blade over a steel at an approximate 20 degree angle realigns the molecules and brings back the keen edge. Although this action is not technically sharpening the knife, we refer to it as such.
The steel needs to be longer than your longest knife to ensure the entire blade can be sharpened. The grooves on a knife steel help the molecules realign themselves more quickly, but a smooth steel is just as effective. A round metal steel is the most affordable and the common shape for the home.
There are three basic ways to sharpen a knife on the steel. Very little pressure should be applied for all three. Let the magnetic attraction between the steel and knife work for you, and let the knife glide over the steel. With time, this action will become second nature and the tone the knife makes while it runs over the blade will alert you to whether you are doing it correctly.
Julie Biuso
1. Method One: Run the blade of the knife towards you. 2. Method Two: Run the blade of the knife away from you. 3. Method Three: Hold the steel vertically and run the knife down. Source: Knowledgehound.com
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