How Do I Sharpen Kitchen Knives at Home?

Carol Blonder

Prep-knife sharpening by hand

​After visits to several knife shops you find the beauty that fits like it was made for your hand. You purchase the workhorse of the kitchen, a quality Chef's knife. Merrily, you chop away at onions and garlic, gleeful with the ease your blade makes of the work. The question begins to nag at your mind: Will this last forever? Can I keep the blade sharp and functioning like new? Here are a few tips for maintaining and sharpening your blade.

Basic Knife Care Tips:
Choose knife friendly cutting board.
Do: Cut on a thick plastic or wood cutting board.
Don't: Avoid cutting on stone, tile, granite, glass or hard surfaces.

Protect your blade, proper storage.
Do: Store knife in a knife block, divided drawer insert, on magnetic bar or with edge guard.
Don't: Toss loose knife in kitchen drawer or store in counter utensil holder.

More tips and how to sharpen after the jump.

Keep it clean (and dry):
Do: Wash knife by hand with warm soapy water. Dry immediately.
Don't: Place knife in dishwasher. Let knife sit in a drying rack.

Use not abuse:
Do: Form does follow function, use the right knife for the job and keep it in the kitchen.
Don't: Use your knife as a can opener, bottle opener, screwdriver, or ice pick!

Knife Sharpening Options:
When to leave it to the pros: Best if you don't want to fret over learning how to master knife sharpening at home. Preferable to correct problems or damaged blade: broken tip, chip in edge, or to thin out the edge. Check out Phoenix Knife House.

DIY the easy way: There are a vast array of manual and electric sharpeners for knife sharpening at home. The easiest to use manual sharpener is the pull-through. Pull-through sharpeners are constructed with a variety of abrasives and a pre-set angle to guide the knife. The adage "you get what you pay for" applies here. Not recommended if you allow your knives to go beyond "a little dull".

Electric sharpeners are quick and easy to use. Opt for the three stage electric sharpener: coarse grit, fine-grit and polish (no grit) for best results. The coarse grit is best to bring back a dull blade. Use the polish setting like a honing steel to maintain the knife-edge. Avoid the sharpener on the back of electric can openers.

Know before you buy:
The type of abrasive and its grit (coarseness) determine how much metal is removed during sharpening and the final polish of the blade. Diamond abrasives sharpen quickly but often with a rough edge. Ceramic abrasives offer a slower grind and finer edge. Some sharpeners use a combination of abrasives.

Models with adjustable angles offer control over the finished knife-edge. European style knives and Japanese style knives have different angels. To maintain the original angle on the knife, use a manual or electric sharpener recommended for that style (European or Japanese) of knife.

DIY hands on: A sharpening stone takes some practice and some patience to use. After a little practice, the results are gratifying and worth the effort!
Sharpening stones come in a variety of materials (ceramic, diamond, and natural stone) as well as degree (fine to coarse) of grit. We prefer a whetstone or water stone. A double-sided stone should have a medium grit for sharpening and a fine grit for finishing. Like sandpaper, the higher the grit number, the finer the grit.

Carol Blonder

Soaking whetstone

​How to sharpen with whetstone: Place your whetstone in a rectangular pan larger and deeper than the stone. Pour water in the pan to submerge the stone. Soak your whetstone for a minimum of 10 minutes.

Remove the stone from the water.
Place the stone, coarse side up, on a clean towel to prevent sliding

Hold the knife to the stone, blade side down and find the correct angle:
European blade (20-22 degrees): Hold knife perpendicular (90 degrees) to whetstone, tilt the knife ½ the distance from blade to stone (45 degrees) tilt the knife another ½ width the distance from blade to stone (22 degrees).
Japanese blade (15-17 degrees): Hold knife perpendicular (90 degrees) to whetstone, tilt the knife ½ the distance from blade to stone (45 degrees) tilt the knife another ½ the distance from blade to stone (20-23 degrees) tip additional 1/8 inch (15-17 degrees).

Carol Blonder

Knife sharpening on prepared whetstone

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Beginner tip: Use an angle guide or a binder clip to gauge perfect angle.
Expert tip: Mark the edge on each side with a permanent marker, test the angle (follow directions below) with one or two strokes on each side. If the mark is gone you have the correct angle, if the mark is left on lower edge adjust by lifting angle, if the mark is left on upper edge, lower the angle.
Parent tip: Grab your young one's protractor.

Hold the knife by its handle in one hand.
Place your fingertips on top of the blade, close to the edge, with the other hand.
Apply gentle, even pressure with your fingertips.
At the prescribed angle, move the blade in an arc across the stone, work from the heel to the tip of the blade, maintain the angle as you work.
Stroke each side 10 times.
As you grind the blade on one side, an invisible burr (a raised "lip" or fold over) forms on the edge of the opposite side.
Turn whetstone over to fine grit and repeat process using less pressure.

Test: Hold a piece of paper with one hand, the knife should easily stroke through the paper.
Tip: Maintain the edge of your blade between sharpening with the honing steel; knife to steel angle is the same angle as used for sharpening. Honing does not sharpen the knife!

How often you need to sharpen your knife depends on use. If your knife will not cut through the skin of a tomato or drags through a piece of citrus, time to sharpen!