Depending on the amount and type of use, I recommend having your blades professionally sharpened every 12 – 18 months. Mostly in US & Europe local kitchen supply stores offer this services to restore the original edge with a nice shiny finish. Of course, you can always invest in an electronic sharpener to keep at home.
Honing steel, sometimes referred to as sharpening steel, sharpening stick, sharpening rod, butcher's steel, and chef's steel. It is a rod of steel, ceramic or diamond coated steel used to hone blade edges. They are flat, oval, or round in cross-section and up to one foot long (30 cm). The steel and ceramic honing steels may have longitudinal ridges, whereas the diamond coated steels are smooth but will be embedded with abrasive diamond particles
The naming is often a misnomer, because the traditional "honing steel" is not a hone at all, i.e. its function is to displace (and not to remove metal along the edge as Sharpening does).
The term "hone" is associated with light maintenance performed on a blade without the effort and precision unlike sharpening, so the name "hone" was loaned.
Ceramic abrasives became increasingly popular, and proved an equal, if not superior, method for accomplishing the same daily maintenance tasks; manufacturers replaced steels with ceramic (and later, manufactured diamond abrasive) sharpening "steels" that were, in fact, hones.
Sharpening Steel:
Important Note:
Serrated Knifes do not need Honing at all, if Sharpening is needed a special sharpener is required.
The length is somehow important, i.e. It should be suited to the knife’s size, as this is for home use mostly I do recommend You to know the longest knife You posses and buy the size accordingly. If money and space are not an issue then indulge yourself.
Honing steels are usually used by placing the near edge of the blade against the base of the steel, then sliding the blade away from yourself along the steel while moving it down
The blade moves diagonally, while the steel remains stationary. This should be done with the blade held at an angle to the steel, usually about 20°(Some other knifes like Japanese require different angles), and repeating on the opposite side at the same angle. This is repeated five to ten times.
To my knowledge there is three ways how to perform Honing. You should choose one and always stick with it as changing the method You hone may damage the steel or the knife, (According to my old Chef, I never try to argue on that, but please).
Honing is often recommended to be performed immediately before or after using a knife, and can be done daily, (By contrast, knives are generally Sharpened much less frequently).
A traditional Sharpening Steel fixes deformation along the edge of blade. There has long been speculation about the efficacy of honing (re-aligning the edge) VS. Sharpening (removing minor deformation with abrasives).
The naming is often a misnomer, because the traditional "honing steel" is not a hone at all, i.e. its function is to displace (and not to remove metal along the edge as Sharpening does).
The term "hone" is associated with light maintenance performed on a blade without the effort and precision unlike sharpening, so the name "hone" was loaned.
Ceramic abrasives became increasingly popular, and proved an equal, if not superior, method for accomplishing the same daily maintenance tasks; manufacturers replaced steels with ceramic (and later, manufactured diamond abrasive) sharpening "steels" that were, in fact, hones.
Sharpening Steel:
Important Note:
Serrated Knifes do not need Honing at all, if Sharpening is needed a special sharpener is required.
The length is somehow important, i.e. It should be suited to the knife’s size, as this is for home use mostly I do recommend You to know the longest knife You posses and buy the size accordingly. If money and space are not an issue then indulge yourself.
Honing steels are usually used by placing the near edge of the blade against the base of the steel, then sliding the blade away from yourself along the steel while moving it down
The blade moves diagonally, while the steel remains stationary. This should be done with the blade held at an angle to the steel, usually about 20°(Some other knifes like Japanese require different angles), and repeating on the opposite side at the same angle. This is repeated five to ten times.
To my knowledge there is three ways how to perform Honing. You should choose one and always stick with it as changing the method You hone may damage the steel or the knife, (According to my old Chef, I never try to argue on that, but please).
Upside down Method: (Not the best but the safest)
Step 1: Hold the steel and knife in opposing hands, firmly gripping the knife and holding the steel down on a Chopping Board, away from the body.
Step 2: Place the heel edge of the knife at a 20° degree angle from the steel (make sure Your Knife Maker do not request Like some Japanese Knifes a 10° degree to 15° degree angle).
Step 3: Pull the knife down the steel, from heel to tip, maintaining the angle all during the process.
Step 4: Repeat this procedure 4 – 6 times, alternating between the left and right side of the blade.
Tips: Wet the Steel with water (make sure to dry it afterward), could help, as well as using a round Steel will be best suited for this procedure.
Classic Method: (The most unsafe but give good results)
Step 1: Hold the steel and knife in opposing hands, firmly gripping the steel horizontally slightly tilted inwards and down, holding the knife both near from the body, actually the hand gripping the steel should not move (best way to achieve this is to lock your elbow just above the hip), unlike the knife hand or should I say (wrist) as it is the only on who needs to do the job.
Step 2: Place the heel edge of the knife at a 20° degree angle from the steel (make sure Your Knife Maker do not request Like some Japanese Knifes a 10° degree to 15° degree angle).
Step 3: Pull the knife down the steel, from heel to tip, maintaining the angle all during the process, be careful with People and objects surrounding, as this is surely the most unsecure technique.
Step 4: Repeat this procedure 4 – 6 times, alternating between the left and right side of the blade.
Tips: Wet the Steel with water (make sure to dry it afterward), could help, as well as using an Oval Steel will be best suited for this procedure.
Butcher Method: (The fastest but hard as it is unnatural like)
Step 1: Hold the steel and knife in opposing hands, firmly gripping the steel upwards (aligning the guard to protect Your thumb and forefinger), holding the knife both near from the body, actually the hand gripping the steel should not move (best way to achieve this is to lock your elbow just above the hip), unlike the knife hand or should I say (wrist) as it is the only on who needs to do the job.
Step 2: Place the heel edge of the knife at a 20° degree angle from the steel (make sure Your Knife Maker do not request Like some Japanese Knifes a 10° degree to 15° degree angle).
Step 3: Pull the knife down the steel, from tip to heel, maintaining the angle all during the process.
Step 4: Repeat this procedure 4 – 6 times, alternating between the left and right side of the blade.
Tips: Wet the Steel with water (make sure to dry it afterward), could help, as well as using an Oval Steel will be best suited for this procedure.
Honing is often recommended to be performed immediately before or after using a knife, and can be done daily, (By contrast, knives are generally Sharpened much less frequently).
A traditional Sharpening Steel fixes deformation along the edge of blade. There has long been speculation about the efficacy of honing (re-aligning the edge) VS. Sharpening (removing minor deformation with abrasives).
Personal NOTE:
Now You understand that to
cover the minimum as per above the length as to be, due to the
overwhelming amount of information needed to explain.
The question today is: Do I need to
clean My knife after?
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