How To Use A Sharpening Steel

How to Sharpen a Knife

Even a good knife will lose some of its sharpness with time. However, sharpening a knife is easy if you have the right tool and know how to use it. I encourage you to take the time to learn and once you do you will find your sharpening steel an essential tool in your kitchen or butcher shop.

How to sharpen knives properly:

1. Place the knife blade against the tip of the sharpening steel at an angle of approximately 20 degrees.

2. Pull the knife down and across the steel, describing a slight arc.

3. Repeat this action on the back of the steel to sharpen the other side of the blade.

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 five to ten times, alternating the left and right side of the blade.

It is very important to maintain the angle of 20 degrees and to run the full length of the cutting edge along the steel from the hilt to the tip of the knife. Speed of movement plays no part in this process.

When the edge is worn and the sharpening steel no longer helps, have your knives professionally sharpened. The new edge will be sharp and can easily be re-aligned with the sharpening steel.

See Cutlerymania's sharpening services section for details on shipping your knives to us or visiting our New Jersey location.