The Best Way to Sharpen Your Knife

When you buy a knife, its steel blade should extend from the center of the handle that it is joined to. A continuous piece of steel reflects the best quality and gives stability to the knife which will make it less prone to break. Moreover, it will work perfectly on your cutting boards.

It is important to wash and dry your knife each time you use it to prevent any tarnishing to it at a later stage. Simply wash it gently and dry it using a cotton cloth. This will not only help you ensure its continued sharpness but also maintain the blade’s strength.

Make it sure to hone your knife each time before using it, or when necessary. This will help to keep it sharp and effective for use. Always use your knife on your board from Wholesale cutting boards; these work really well with the sharpened edge of your knife.

When you sharpen your knife, you actually modify its edge by grinding away little bits. This makes the knife’s edge as smooth and fine as possible that in turn gives it its sharpness. You can do this using a whetstone or sharpening stone. Hold the knife’s blade at an angle. Depending on the type of knife and its uses, the angle should be between 17 and 25 degrees. It is preferable to use hard plastic or wood cutting board as bamboo or glass chopping boards can dull your knife and cause the edge to bend.

The best technique to sharpen your knife is as follows:

• First, put some sharpening oil on the stone. Now, lay the knife’s blade flat on the sharpening stone; the cutting edge of the knife should be facing away.
• Now, tilt the knife’s back (the opposite side of the blade) up to about a 23-degree angle or an angle that is comfortable for you to sharpen the knife.
• Now, the actual work begins! Push the knife gently away from you; assume you are carving a slice off the stone’s top. You will have to repeat this step 2-3 times. Your strokes should be gentle; not too hard – not too soft.
• Then turn the side of your knife’s blade and the cutting edge towards you. Again, tilt the blade to about 23 degrees or an angle which suits you. Now, just like the earlier exercise, pull the knife just as if you are carving a thin slice. Repeat this exercise 2-3 times by pulling the knife over the top of the stone, towards you.

Well done! You did a great job and now you can check your knife on your butcher block.