Sharpening Knives by Hand

Razor-sharp knives make cooking a pleasure, putting perfect cubes, ribbon-thin strips, and meticulous minces well within reach of the home cook. But many kitchen knives are poorly maintained. When knives are dull, they drag and tear their way through even the most basic tasks. More important, blunt knives are dangerous. Their blades slide off onions or carrots rather than cutting through them. The good news? Home sharpening is possibleand relatively inexpensive.

Sharp knives are essential to smooth and precise chopping, slicing, and carving. With two simple toolsand a little elbow greaseyou can keep your knives in professional trim at home. BY MATTHEW CARD

Most cooks are familiar with the iron rods known as steels. But steels are only half the story. Steeling doesnt sharpen a knife; it maintains the edge. To put an edge on a truly dull knife, a stone is essential. Stones are abrasive blocks that remove metal from a knifes blade to re-create and thin its edge. By following the steps recommended here, you can achieve professionally sharp knives in as little as five minutes.

I S IT SHARP?

Unless you are starting with a brand new knife, you will need a steel and sharpening stone. In the test kitchen, we use a couple of simple tests to see if our knives need to be steeled or ground on a sharpening stone. If your knife fails either test, first try steeling. If the knife still fails, it needs to be ground on a stone. Note: If your knives have been hopelessly neglected, it might be good idea to send them out for professional sharpening (see Resources, page 32). You can maintain their edges at home thereafter.

EQUIPMENT

Arkansas Natural Stone

Arkansas, or novaculite, stones are relatively expensive and often considered too fine-gritted for sharpening kitchen knives.

THE EDGE (MICROSCOPIC VIEW): With use, a knife blade develops nicks and microscopic bumps. Steeling removes irregularities and bumps and restores the knifes true edge.

THE EDGE (CLOSE-UP): In addition to developing microscopic bumps, the fine razor edge of the knife actually bends over with use.

Synthetic sharpening stone

Stones are available in a variety of shapes and prices. We chose a double-sided (coarse and fine grit) Norton brand India synthetic stone. At around $25, it is economical, and its widely available at hardware stores.

PEN TEST: Rest the edge of a blade on the barrel of a plastic pen at a 30-degree angleif it fails to catch, the knife needs attention. A sharp edge, on the other hand, will bite into the pens barrel.

PAPER TEST: Hold a sheet of paper by one end and try slicing clean ribbons from it. If the knife snags or fails to cut the paper, it needs to be steeled or sharpened.

Traditional steel

Traditional steels are lightly grooved, magnetized iron rods.

To Lube or Not to...?

With the help of the test kitchens supply of blunted 8-inch chefs knives, we set out to find the most efficient way to sharpen on a stone. We tested two conventional methods: sweeping the blade straight across the stone and grinding the blade in a circular motion. With each method, we tried three variations: lubricating the stone with water, lubricating with vegetable oil, and leaving it completely dry. Each knife was ground on the coarse side of the stone until it would catch on the barrel of a plastic pen. We then ground the knife on the finer side until it could slice ribbons from a free-hanging sheet of paper. We found the circular method on the dry stone to be the fastest. Depending on the knifes dullness, sharpening took about five to 10 minutes. Extremely dull knives, or thick-bladed knives like cleavers, took longer. It took significantly longer to achieve a sharp edge on oil- or waterlubricated stones. And with oil, the knife blade became quite slippery, making sharpening treacherousthe knife actually slipped out of one testers hands.

Diamond steel

Relatively new to the market are diamond steels hollow, oval tubes coated with diamond dust. Unlike traditional steels, diamond steels simultaneously sharpen and straighten the blade, extending the period between sharpenings. We pitted a traditional steel against a diamond steel and were impressed with how quickly the diamond steel put an edge back on knives we thought were ready for the sharpening stone.

COOKS

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The only way to sharpen a really dull knife is to use a stone. Begin with the coarse side and fine-tune the edge with the smooth side. Most kitchen knives need sharpening every three or four months. Once sharp, knives must be steeled routinely between uses to maintain their edges. 1. SHARPENING ON THE COARSE SIDE OF THE STONE Hold the knife by the handle with your index finger on top of the blade and your thumb running up the spine. Fan the fingers of your other hand out across the length of the blade. Place the knife at a 20-degree angle to the stone. Let the edge of the knife blade be your guide. A. B. C. 2. DETECTING THE BURR

USING A STONE

A. With the edge of the blade facing away from you, grind one side of the knife in a counterclockwise motion, starting at the tip.
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B. Exerting consistent pressure, continue grinding in a circular motion, moving the blade across the stone from tip to bolster.

C. As you grind, the edge of the knife will form a burr, a ridge that curls up from the ground side of the blade (see step 2, above right). F.

You can feel the burr by running your fingernail down the edge of the blade on the side that has not been ground. If your nail catches, the burr has formed and the second side of the blade is ready to be ground. Check to make sure a burr has formed along its entire length. 3. USING THE FINE SIDE OF THE STONE

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D. Flip the knife over and repeat, this time with the blade edge facing toward you. Grind the other side of the knife counterclockwise.

E. Continue grinding counterclockwise from tip to bolster, exerting consistent pressure until the edge forms another burr.

F. Continue grinding until the knife is ready for the fine side of the stone (see Pen Test, page 16). Expect to grind about two minutes per side.

Turn the stone fine-side up and grind the knife. Alternate sides of the blade every four strokes or so to polish and refine the edge. Continue grinding until the blade can slice a free-hanging sheet of paper. Steel the knife to remove debris.

USING A STEEL
Steeling removes debris after grinding or can restore a knifes edge and remove irregularities that have formed along the blade. A knife that feels dull may need only a few light strokes on a steel to correct its edge and regain its sharpness. In fact, when cutting gristly meat, bony chicken, or other tough foodstuffs, occasional swipes on the steel may be called for. Wipe the knife clean before using it again. 1. Hold the steel perpendicular to the work surface, with the metal end resting on a cutting board. Place the heel of the blade against the top of the steel and point the tip upward slightly. Hold the blade at a 20-degree angle away from the steel. 2. Maintaining light pressure and a 20-degree angle, slide the blade down the length of the steel in a sweeping motion. As the knife glides down the steel, pull the back of the knife toward your body so that the middle of the blade is in contact with the middle of the steel. 3. Finish the motion by passing the tip of the blade over the bottom of the steel. Repeat the motion on the other side of the blade. Four or five strokes on each side of the blade (a total of eight or 10 alternating passes) should true the edge.
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Illustration: John Burgoyne

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