Keep Your Knives Sharp

There are many ways to keep your knives sharp. We believe regular maintenance with a honing steel, as well as intermittent sharpening on a stone to be the best. A few strokes on a steel, applied each time you use a knife, will keep the knife's edge properly aligned.

Occasionally, when steeling isn't enough and there is too much drag when cutting, sharpening is necessary. A sharpening stone provides you with total control over sharpness, and ensures a consistent edge from tip to heel. (Though not our first recommendation, an electric sharpener is a convenient alternative to stone. But not all electric sharpeners are created equal, and a poor model can damage the edge on good cutlery. Chef's Choice makes the best we have tested.)

There are many ways to use a steel and a stone. This guide offers just one method for each, the ones we find to be the easiest to learn. Regardless of the technique you use, what is most important is that you are consistent.

Maintaining Your Edge

A properly maintained knife is sharp. A dull knife can be dangerous because you will apply much more pressure than you would with a sharp knife and your hand will be much more likely to slip.

A knife's edge is very delicate and with use its miniature teeth will curl over. A honing steel will realign the edge and also bring to the surface the carbon molecules that provide most of the cutting action. Frequent steeling is essential and will keep your knife cutting like new for months.
Use your steel virtually every time you use your knives. For most home chefs a regular-cut steel is preferred. It will take away some metal, doing a little bit of resharpening in addition to realigning.

Using a Honing Steel

It may look intimidating, but if you understand the mechanics, you can soon master the technique.
There are many ways to hold a steel, but the easiest way for a beginner is to hold it vertically with the point down, resting securely on a towel. This position allows you to see the angle you are using and provides excellent control.
Keep these facts in mind:

• You must work the full length of the edge.
  
• You generally want an angle of about 22.5 degrees.