{"id":361,"count":2,"description":"<h2>Introduction to Sharpening Knives<\/h2>\r\nIt\u2019s been said <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/foodal.com\/category\/kitchen\/knives-cutting-boards-kitchen-shears\/things-that-cut\/\">that a good knife<\/a><\/strong> is a cook\u2019s best friend. And a dull one is the cook\u2019s worst enemy - not only are they frustrating to use, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/foodal.com\/knowledge\/how-to\/kitchen-safety-avoid-cuts\/\">they\u2019re also dangerous.<\/a><\/strong>\r\n\r\n<img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-18277\" src=\"https:\/\/foodal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Hand-sharpening-knives-1.jpg\" alt=\"Hand sharpening knives | Foodal.com\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" \/>\r\n\r\nHappily, keeping your kitchen knives in good working order is a straightforward process. They can be sharpened quickly with the aid of a power sharpener, or at a more leisurely pace with the use of sharpening stones, honing steels and strops.\r\n\r\nPersonally, I like the hands-on approach of stoning and honing \u2013 it\u2019s meditative and rewarding, and allows me to contribute to the knife\u2019s personality. Others prefer the dash and slash style \u2013 they want a sharp blade as quickly as possible.\r\n\r\nAlso important is knowing that not all knives cannot be sharpened in the same manner, as the wrong tool can actually cause damage \u2013 like using a steel on a Japanese Santoku.\r\n\r\nTo start, here\u2019s a few notes to get you familiar with the different sharpening techniques.\r\n<h2>Sharpening vs. Honing<\/h2>\r\nMaintaining a keen edge involves two distinct but related tasks:\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li>Sharpening, which is the process of removing metal from the edge to make it thinner and sharper. And,<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Honing, which re-aligns the edge giving it a sharper feel.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<h3>The Tools<\/h3>\r\nTo achieve either sharpening or honing, here are some of the more popular tools used.\r\n<h4>Sharpening stones<\/h4>\r\nThese require a bit of practice to develop the proper technique for a good angle, but many professionals swear it\u2019s the only sharpener that should touch a blade.\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-18275\" src=\"https:\/\/foodal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Sharpening-kitchen-knives-with-stones.jpg\" alt=\"Sharpening kitchen knives with stones | Foodal.com\" width=\"800\" height=\"532\" \/>\r\n\r\nThey come in a variety of natural and man-made materials and range in texture from fine to coarse - Arkansas stones, India stones, water stones and diamond stones are popular choices.\r\n<h4>Honing Rods or Steels<\/h4>\r\nUsing a steel will straighten out an already sharp edge that has rolled or become rounded from hitting bone, a cutting board, or getting bashed about in a utensil drawer. Daily honing will also lengthen the time between sharpening.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>A <em>diamond honing rod<\/em> will sharpen all types of blades, but it\u2019s actually sharpening the edge, not honing it. As such, they shouldn\u2019t be used for daily maintenance.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>A <em>ceramic honing rod<\/em> is harder than steel but not as aggressive as a diamond rod, so they can be used on most blades without losing too much material. But, being ceramic, they can chip if dropped.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h4>Stropping<\/h4>\r\nUsing a strop serves the purpose of honing and polishing the edge of a blade. Usually made of a strip of canvas or leather, a strop can also be loaded with diamond paste for a very fine edge or jewellers\u2019 rouge to buff up a lustrous finish.\r\n<h4>Electric Sharpening<\/h4>\r\nElectric sharpeners are also popular for at home use. But care needs to be taken as they can remove a good amount of material resulting in a loss of width and an improperly balanced knife.\r\n\r\nAlso, a knife with a full bolster can be difficult to sharpen with an electric unit.\r\n\r\nWhich method is best for you? It\u2019s a personal choice, so read up on our posts for each style to help with your decision.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;","link":"https:\/\/foodal.com\/category\/kitchen\/knives-cutting-boards-kitchen-shears\/sharpening-systems\/","name":"Sharpening Systems","slug":"sharpening-systems","taxonomy":"category","parent":22,"meta":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Knife Sharpening Systems, Guides, and Reviews | Foodal<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Keeping a knife sharp is straightforward - they can be sharpened quickly with a power sharpener, or more leisurely with stones, honing steels and strops.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/foodal.com\/category\/kitchen\/knives-cutting-boards-kitchen-shears\/sharpening-systems\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Knife Sharpening Systems, Guides, and Reviews | Foodal\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Keeping a knife sharp is straightforward - 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