This is what you need to sharpen your knife properly

We previously wrote about the difference between sharpening and honing your knife, and that while a honing steel removes burrs in the metal and imperfections, it doesn’t actually sharpen your knife. So what does? Depending on the type of knife, you could look into a ceramic sharpening rod, for example. But this is also a beauty, and super effective:

The beautiful, traditional whetstone. Or water stone, or sharpening stone – different names for the same thing. I think those simple, clean lines radiate something so pure, almost as if you’re looking at a perfect bar of soap. But don’t be fooled: with this bad boy, you can really sharpen your knives razor-sharp!

Don’t just wing it

Say you or someone else gives you one of these as a gift—don’t just randomly start swiping your good knife over it. Definitely watch some online tutorials first, and then get started with the wet stone based on what you’ve learned. You need to find the right angle for your knife, and that takes a bit of precision; an ideal activity if you’re spending a lot of time at home anyway!

Completely zen

An alternative is one of those knife sharpeners with a groove that you pull your knife through, but the tricky thing is that the angle is fairly fixed. Some knives need to be held flatter, which is where the whetstone is ideal. If you go for a combination whetstone, it will have a coarser and a finer side. First sharpen on the coarse side to remove most of the metal, and then use the fine side to polish everything. A fairly calming task, if you ask me, resulting in a wonderfully sharp knife that glides through onions and tomatoes as if they were butter… well, if that isn’t relaxing, I don’t know what is!

Have a look around at reputable knife shops and learn about the different grit grades and which one gives the best result for your knife. It’s a really fun subject for a foodie to explore a little, and a good sharp knife will genuinely make you a happier home cook!

Also read:

• 3 ways to use the other side of your knife
• Thai knives for next to nothing
• HACK alert! How to cut watermelon without a knife: