You must not slide the blades several times consecutively on the same side. Sharpening steel with a sharp angle groove gives a regular cutting edge to the knife just increasing his cutting edge. Gradually reduce the pressure in order to remove the burr which will become sharper and sharper.
Insert the blade into the sharpener starting at the base. Then using a small amount of pressure, push the knife down and bring it back towards you to sharpen it. Repeat this step anywhere from 2 to 6 times to sharpen the knife. If your blade is extremely dull, you may want to do it 6 to 8 times.
A water stone is an abrasive block that uses water as the cutting lubricant. Its stone particles wear away as you sharpen, exposing fresh, fast-cutting surfaces. To sharpen a stainless-steel Western-style kitchen knife, soak the stone for a few minutes and place it on a non-slip utility mat.
High carbon steel is easy to sharpen. It's often considered far easier to sharpen than most stainless steel. That said, the ease of sharpening carbon steel will largely depend on the heat treat and carbon / manganese content, as well as the tool you're using.
Use one hand to hold your blade at that angle, and your other hand to apply pressure on the blade. You then want to move the blade over the stone in a curve like motion, applying pressure when you move it towards you and not as much pressure when you move it away from you.
The most common way to hone a knife, is with a honing steel. These inexpensive tools ($10 to $30) are essentially steel rods with a handle. The surface of the rod is coarse, and scraping a blade across the rod (at the proper angle), on both sides nudges (hones) its edge back in place.
Tools of the Trade. “The easiest way to sharpen a knife is to use a knife sharpener,” says Executive Chef Fabio Capparelli from Saltine and Varia in Norfolk, Virginia. “I personally use an electric one that is called Work Sharp, the Knife & Tool Sharpener, Ken Onion Edition.
Second, and this is really important, carbon steel, despite being harder than stainless steel, is way easier to sharpen than stainless.
Your knife should be fed a steady diet of oil or wax. Just about any oil will work – from clove oil to olive oil, and there are even some oils on the market specifically designed for knives. We recommend canola or corn oil over olive oil as olive oil can go rancid over time, but any food safe oil or wax will work.
Knife care oil
Oiling the blades of kitchen knives, especially those made from carbon steel, is an important part of maintenance and will protect against rust and corrosion. Mineral grade oil is best, though cooking oil can be used.
It's safer to sharpen your knives at your house using widely available diamond abrasive home sharpeners that are safe for quality blades unless the professional knife sharpening service uses a sharpener that will not overheat (detemper) knives or remove too much metal.
Sharpening Angle Too High
In practice, an angle that is only slightly too steep will not dull the edge. Only very high angles will create edges that feel dull. Sharpening at a slightly higher angle will actually speed up sharpening, but at the expense of maximum sharpness.
Is It Possible to Over Sharpen a Knife? Yes, it is possible to over sharpen a knife – especially if you use a V-sharpener, electric sharpener, or coarse diamond stone. If you are taking good care of your knives, you really shouldn't have to sharpen your knives more than twice a year.
While most cheap serrated knives can be sharpened and made to be as sharp as more expensive serrated knives, micro serrated knives cannot be sharpened.
If you find yourself with a dull knife but without a knife sharpener, you can use the unglazed bottom of a ceramic mug to sharpen small knives. Applying moderate pressure, hold the knife at a 15-degree angle and carefully draw the entire length of the blade across the rough surface.
Shirogami #1 - The hardest white paper steel. It will stay sharp the longest but can be a tad brittle under aggressive use. Shirogami #2 - Most commonly used type of white steel. Good edge retention and very easy to sharpen.
It is rated at 58-60 on the Rockwell Hardness scale. The same scale lists the qualities of 440C steel as a,” high chromium stainless steel which exhibits an excellent balance of hardness and corrosion resistance. This steel takes a nice edge, and is fairly easy to sharpen even for a novice.”
CPM S35VN steel's high HRC rating makes it an excellent durable steel for everyday use in tough environments. For pocket knife users who can see themselves using their knives every day, it's important to choose a blade that can stand up to prolonged use and won't need to be replaced frequently.