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You’ve made the smart choice by investing in some premium knives. You’ll be glad you did. A sharp, high-quality knife not only makes cutting tasks easier, but the superior materials used will also keep your blades sharper for longer. (This is a far cry from those knives in a cheap plastic set that lose their edge after a few months.) However, just like with any valuable tool, periodic upkeep is necessary to get the most out of them. The two key steps in maintaining your knives are honing and sharpening.
What exactly is honing?
Honing your knife should be a regular part of your knife maintenance routine. Think of it like updating your phone’s software—there are minor issues that need attention. Chefs working in professional kitchens, using their knives for hours each day, will hone their knives daily, sometimes multiple times per shift. If you’re cooking a couple of meals a day, aim to hone your knife once or twice a week.
Honing a knife is not the same as sharpening. Over time, the metal edge of a blade can become slightly bent or dull, especially after contact with tough materials like cutting boards, bones, or cartilage. This is normal, but repeated use without honing will lead to a dull blade. Honing works by realigning the tiny metal “teeth” on the edge of the blade, making them all face the same direction for sharper, more efficient cuts. Sharpening, on the other hand, is a different process that actually removes metal from the blade (more on that later). I’ve outlined the steps, but you can also watch a video of me demonstrating the technique.
How to hone a knife
Honing is straightforward, though it might feel a little awkward at first. With regular practice, though, it will become second nature and you’ll enjoy smoother, effortless cutting.
Understand your knife
A honing steel is a must-have, and typically it costs between $15 and $30. Essentially, you will glide the blade along the steel at a precise angle. Depending on your knife, you may need to do this on one or both sides. Western knives usually have a 16- to 24-degree angle and are beveled on both sides. Check your knife’s specifications for more details. You can spot the bevel with your eyes by looking closely at the blade; if both sides slope toward the edge, that means it’s beveled, but if one side is flat, that’s also important to notice.
Determine your angle
Place a cutting board firmly on the countertop. Position the honing steel so that it's perpendicular to the board, with the tip touching it and the handle in your non-dominant hand. Hold the knife in your dominant hand and find the correct angle. To estimate the angle without a protractor, position the knife at a 90-degree angle to the steel, as though you were about to slice it in half. Then, tilt the spine of the knife upwards, dividing that angle in half to reach 45 degrees. Split that angle again, and you’ll be close to a 22.5-degree angle (adjust this to match your knife's recommended angle). Keep in mind, this is just an approximation.
Sharpen both sides of the blade evenly
After you’ve established the angle, carefully drag the blade down the honing rod, pulling it towards you as you bring it to the cutting board, moving from heel to tip with light pressure. Repeat this on the other side of the blade. Alternate honing both sides of the knife, completing 8 to 10 strokes on each side. If your knife has a single bevel, focus only on that one side.
You can repeat this as often as desired, but try to hone your knife at least a few times each week if you cook regularly. Make sure to clean your blade after honing to remove any metal particles. This will help keep your knife in peak condition.
Here are some affordable honing steels to consider:
Henckels 10-inch Classic Precision Honing Steel
Wüsthof 9-inch Honing Steel
Three methods for sharpening your kitchen knives
Sharpening a knife is a more detailed process than honing, but it doesn’t need to be done as often. If you use your knife regularly, consider sharpening it every six months. For occasional use, sharpening once every other year should suffice. Personally, I use some knives daily, and thanks to consistent honing, I only need to sharpen them about every eight months.
When it comes to sharpening, you have several choices. You can either take your knives to a professional, mail them to be sharpened, or sharpen them yourself using a pull-through sharpener, an automatic electric sharpener, or a whetstone.
How to use a pull-through knife sharpener
Pull-through sharpeners are compact and feature one or more V-shaped slots. They're popular with beginners since they require no specialized technique. Simply insert the blade at the base and draw it toward you, finishing at the tip. Some models start with a coarse grit and transition to a fine grit for a polished edge.
The downside of pull-through sharpeners is that they can remove more material from the knife's edge than needed, which might weaken the blade and shorten its lifespan. They also have preset angles, which can be helpful for beginners, but problematic if your knife requires a different sharpening angle. If you’re on a tight budget or prefer an easy method, this might be your best choice.
Pull-through sharpeners are cost-effective and don’t occupy much space in the kitchen.
Zwilling Pull-through Knife Sharpener with options for both Asian and Western knife angles
Henckels Knife Sharpener
How to operate an electric knife sharpener
Rather than a coarse, fixed-edge blade scraping away layers of metal, electric sharpeners feature a series of rotating wheels with varying grits that gently polish the knife's edge. The machine propels the knife forward, which can be helpful if you're unsure about the speed needed to pass the knife through. Begin with the coarse grit and gradually move to finer ones, placing the knife into the slot at the heel and smoothly pulling it through to the tip.
Like their pull-through counterparts, electric sharpeners come with preset angles. However, newer models are generally less harsh on the knife’s edge, minimizing excessive material removal. Some users report uneven sharpening from heel to tip, as the sharpening slots don’t always accommodate the bolster of the knife. Despite this, if you need quick, frequent sharpening or are not comfortable with using a whetstone, this may be the right choice for you.
Electric sharpeners can occupy the most counter space and vary greatly in price.
Presto EverSharp Electric Knife Sharpener
Chef’s Choice Electric Sharpener with Diamond Abrasives
How to sharpen a knife using a whetstone
The whetstone technique is the classic approach to knife sharpening. While it takes more time compared to the other methods, it gives you full control over the amount of metal removed, and the sharpening angle is not predetermined by a machine.
If you're a beginner with whetstones, any of these options will serve you well:
Sharp Pebble Premium Whetstone
Royal Craft Wood Whetstone
Whetstone Cutlery Whetstone
A whetstone is a rectangular block with two distinct surfaces. One side is coarser, and when flipped, the other side is finer. Despite the varying grit, both sides feel smooth to the touch, unlike rough surfaces such as the sidewalk. The grit count is indicated on the stone, ranging from very coarse, like 400 grit, to a fine 8000-grit polishing surface. A basic whetstone with both coarse and fine sides is sufficient for beginners. I'll outline the sharpening steps next, but if you prefer visual guidance, check out my video on the subject.
1. Soak the stone in water
To begin sharpening with a whetstone, you’ll want to soak the stone in water until it’s fully saturated. I typically drop it into a loaf pan filled with water and let it sit for about an hour, though 20 minutes is also fine. Place the stone with the coarser grit facing up on a dish towel (this keeps your surface dry and stabilizes the stone). Make sure the pan of water is nearby, and sprinkle some water on the stone to keep it slippery while sharpening.
2. Determine your angle and begin pulling
Position the blade near the top of the stone (farthest from you), with the edge facing away. Grasp the knife’s handle with your dominant hand, then find the sharpening angle. Use the same technique from the honing process: hold the knife at a 90-degree angle and then reduce it. Start with the heel of the knife on the stone, and using your non-dominant hand to apply pressure, pull the blade toward you at an angle, ensuring that the entire edge touches the stone. The blade should never come toward your body but should move toward the hip of your dominant hand side.
3. Balance out the sides of the blade
Repeat the process several times, adding water to the stone as needed to keep it slippery. Flip the knife and sharpen the other side of the blade in the same way and for the same number of strokes. If it’s been a while since I last sharpened my knife, I usually do 10 strokes on each side. If your knife has never been sharpened with a whetstone, use the countdown method to ensure a sharp edge: Start with 10 passes per side, then move to 9, 8, 7, and so on.
4. Move to the finer grit side of the stone
After you’ve finished sharpening both sides, flip the whetstone over to the finer grit side and repeat the process. This will refine the edge you created with the coarser side. Once you're done, rinse off your knife and it’s ready for use.
These sharpening techniques are intended for straight-edged knives only. Serrated knives have a unique shape and should not be sharpened using these methods, including the whetstone. Each tooth on a serrated edge requires individual attention, or you may damage the teeth. For such knives, or any with an unusual edge, it's best to take them to a professional who can sharpen them to their specific requirements. Part of adulthood is knowing when to delegate tasks.
