Knife Sharpening Guide
We are regularly asked ‘what’s the best way to look after and sharpen my knives?” The answer is not as straight forward as some books would have you believe. A lot depends on the type of cook you are, the quality of the knives you own, what you use the knives for.

If the knives are blunt (and you do not want to replace them) then you are best to have them professionally sharpened. Again this is not as simple as you may believe and there are always people saying they offer knife sharpening services but end up ruining your treasured possessions. It’s actually how we got involved in sharpening, I had some well looked after German knives which were getting beyond blunt. The proverbial ‘back of a motorbike’ knife sharpener hacked into my knives and managed to leave grind marks over the entire blade and at the same time the incorrect angle applied to the cutting edge. “There has to be a better option” led me to purchasing a Swedish Tormek knife sharpening machine that allowed for accurate and consistent sharpening. The whetstone rotates at 140rpm and sits in a water bath which means the steel is never overheated and only a small amount of blade is removed when sharpening. The burr is removed and edge polished with a leather wheel to ensure greater sharpness.

We now offer the knife sharpening service most days and is free when you purchase a knife from us

Assuming your knife is reasonably sharp what next?

If you were to look at your knife edge under a microscope it would look like a series of saw teeth. During use the edge of the knife - these microscopic teeth – become distorted and un-aligned and the knife loses its bite

Honing a knife allows the edge to be realigned and the edge kept sharper. This is not the same as sharpening and people are often confused as steels are sold as ‘sharpening steels’. Think of your local butcher. He will sharpen his knives at the start of each day but nearly every time he uses the knife he will hone it to achieve a clean and straight cut.

There are 2 methods of honing your blade. One is similar to our butcher and the knife is held in the right hand with the steel in the left. The blade is drawn down the steel with a light but even pressure starting with the heel of the knife and ending with the tip.

The other method is also illustrated and is a good way to start honing and to gain confidence. The same even pressure except this time your left hand is pressing the steel onto a steady surface. Ideally you would use a steel with a rubber tip or alternatively use a damp tea towel to prevent any movement.

Whichever method you prefer there are a few points to consider Always alternate sides of the knife do not do 6 strokes on one side then another 6 strokes on the other – you will not achieve the correct result and risk making the knife duller

Limit the number of strokes to less than 10 – more and it probably needs sharpening

Exert even pressure the entire length
Maintain the correct angle between blade and steel. For German knives we would normally recommend 20-22° and for Japanese around 12-16° Most knife manufacturers will specify the optimum angle for their knife and for the type of knife and it’s purpose How much pressure? Not too much or else you will wear out the edge prematurely and not too light - do not slap it like a wet fish. The knife should ‘zing’ when it comes off the steel on each stroke

If in doubt come and talk to us or even ask your local butcher

Other points to bear in mind

The steel should be made of a material ‘harder’ than the blade to be honed otherwise it will not work. You will notice most steels are grooved and this will quickly clog up with the burr from the edge. The steel should be rinsed and wiped dry between uses and obviously the knife should be thoroughly washed to remove any metal pieces that might be present

Steels are also available as ceramic rods or diamond coated
These are ideal for harder knives such as ceramic knives or even some of the harder Japanese blades. If you use them on a regular basis on ‘softer’ steel such as German knives then you will quickly remove too much metal and your investment will depreciate rapidly!

Sharpening This is a skill well worth gaining as it will allow prolonged enjoyment of your knives – although it will ultimately drive me out of business!

You will need a whetstone and a flat surface at a good working height – kitchen bench rather than a table.

Stones come in various grades and the numbers indicate the coarseness of the grit (the same as sandpaper). The higher the number the finer the grit. Typically 1000 will suit most knives but a combination stone with a higher number say 1000/3000 would allow an even finer edge to be obtained.

Immerse the stone in a bucket of clean water until bubbles stop rising – 10 minutes. Lay the stone on a non-slip surface such as a damp towel.

The idea is to produce a burr along the cutting edge of the knife – this is the metal removed from the blade and if there is no burr then you haven’t sharpened the knife!


The burr will feel soft and delicate like a feather – not like swarf or filings How to achieve the burr?

There are quite a few schools of thought about how to sharpen your knife and there is no ‘correct’ way other than the one you feel comfortable with and it achieves the right results.

Personally I prefer a waterstone as discussed but others will prefer an oil stone (these are clearly marked and should not be used with water) and some even prefer using a stone dry. Others will add a few drops of water to the stone as they use it. (Check the instructions that come with the stone.)


The above illustration shows 2 different ways

2 and 4 show a knife being sharpened along its length and box 3 shows the more traditional way of being sharpened perpendicular to the stone Both work well, the first is particularly useful for long knives such as slicers. The blade is laid along the stone with the fingers of the left hand applying firm pressure to the edge so that consistent contact is made with the stone. The right hand is used to push the blade up the stone, starting at the tip and ending at the heel. The right hand also needs to lift the spine of the knife up so the correct angle between blade and stone is achieved. The process is repeated up and down until a burr starts to appear – the number of passes is hard to predict. If the knife is already quite sharp then 2- 3 passes will suffice. If it’s blunt and the stone is fine rather than coarse then it may take over 20 passes. When you feel a burr is developing turn the knife over and do the other side with the same number of passes. You can then go back to the first side and do a couple of passes. Remove the burr with an old cloth being very careful not to cut yourself. If you have a combination stone or a finer stone repeat the process but this time because you are now fining the edge you only need fewer passes. For a standard chef’s knife particularly with a bolster that reaches the heel it may be easier to work perpendicular to the stone This is illustrated in the last square. It’s exactly the same process but this time you are only doing a section of the knife each time – when you come to move to the next section ensure you overlap to ensure an even sharpening. Start at the handle end and finish at the tip, keep the same angle along the entire length. It’s easier to obtain a burr this way but if the stone is narrow and the knife long then it can take some time.
Finally, my preferred method.
This is really a combination of the two. The knife is held as before but is presented to the stone at an angle of 45° (see picture). Start with the tip at the end of the stone
closest to you and push forward and across so that you end up with the heel at the other end of the stone furthest away from you, then pull back in reverse.


As before continue until you see a burr forming along the edge, turn over and repeat with the same number of strokes.

General tips
Maintain the same angle – this is probably more important than getting the angle exactly right. Your knife sharpening should be consistent.

Keep an even pressure with your finger tips, not too heavy or you will remove too much steel and not too light or you will not achieve any result. Like all skills you need to practice – we suggest trying to sharpen a cheaper knife rather than attempting on your finest $300 Japanese knife. It’s easier to sharpen an existing good edge than letting your knife get totally blunt- it sounds obvious but not only is a blunt knife very dangerous but you have little indication of the edge’s angle or if your sharpening is even. The angle you sharpen should be the same as for honing unless you have a double bevelled blade in which case seek professional advice

On a single sided knife (popular among Japanese knives) do not attempt to touch the flat side

Always make safety your priority and ensure you and those around you are not exposed to any danger. Always wear enclosed shoes and DO NOT attempt to grab a knife should it slip and fall

Alternatives to stones
There are quite a few options open to people who do not wish to use a stone Electric sharpeners – some are good and some are terrible. Most will take too much steel off the edge and repeated use will mean a rapid loss of knife. However, they are good for ensuring a consistent edge. We would seriously recommend asking the store to demonstrate the sharpener on their most expensive knife first before you commit your money and knives.

Manual pull throughs – the older versions had wheels or a series of overlapping blades – generally they are only good for cheaper knives where you are not too concerned about the knife’s longevity

Newer manual pull throughs have 2 ceramic rods that are V shaped. They are great for accurate and repeated sharpening particularly as they only require the user to be able to hold the knife upright – often they are a good compromise between sharpening and honing. Some have been designed for serrated edges and some are even designed for a finer Japanese angled blade.

Do not be fooled into buying the same brand of sharpener/steel as your knife – knife manufacturers make knives and usually stick their label on a bought in product as an add-on sale regardless of the quality