In Denmark, many kitchen knives go to waste when they are no longer sharp. Many people choose to throw them away rather than sharpen or hone them. In this blog post, we explore how to sharpen or hone your kitchen knives to extend their lifespan.
The difference between sharpening and honing kitchen knives
Before we explore how to sharpen your kitchen knives, it is important to know the difference between sharpening and honing them. When you sharpen your kitchen knives, you remove some of the metal to make the edge sharper. This process is quite harsh on the kitchen knife and therefore also reduces its lifespan if done too often. Honing your kitchen knives, on the other hand, only realigns the edge without removing metal, making it a gentler treatment. This is done because the edge of the kitchen knife is soft and bends further to one side each time you use it, which means it has not actually become blunt, just misaligned, and therefore only needs honing. However, this is a judgement you need to make yourself, depending on how your knives feel during use.
How often should you sharpen or hone your kitchen knives?
Now that we have defined the difference between sharpening and honing a kitchen knife, it is time to take a closer look at when you should sharpen or hone your kitchen knives to maintain them as well as possible. When it comes to sharpening, we initially recommend checking the manual included in the package. For example, if you buy our kitchen knife sharpener, you get a simple, clear guide to the best way to maintain ONYX Cookware kitchen knives. In general, you actually only need to sharpen your kitchen knives about twice a year, but this also assumes that the kitchen knives have been sharpened correctly.
If you do not feel confident sharpening kitchen knives yourself, you can take them to a professional knife sharpener, who charges approximately 50 DKK per sharpening, depending on the type of kitchen knife you bring. However, if you find that your kitchen knife has become blunt after a short time, it should only be honed. This way, you make the kitchen knife sharp without removing metal, giving it a longer lifespan, and you will have a sharp knife every time you cook.
Besides sharpening and honing, there are also other ways to maintain your kitchen knives. When storing your kitchen knives, it is best not to keep them in drawers. This is because they may move around inside the drawer, which can cause the edge to hit other kitchen knives or hard materials that damage its sharpness. It is therefore important to store your kitchen knives either in a knife block, preferably made of wood, or on a magnetic knife holder which you can also buy from ONYX Cookware. See our product here. It is also best to avoid using cutting boards made of hard plastic, as this contributes to making your kitchen knives blunt. Instead, use cutting boards made of wood or soft plastic, as the material is gentler on the kitchen knife's edge.
Honing steel, whetstone or knife sharpener? What is the difference?
To sharpen or hone your kitchen knives, you also need the right tools, and below we have selected three popular sharpening tools. Each has its advantages and disadvantages, and it is up to you to decide which type of sharpening tool best suits your needs.
Whetstone
The first sharpening tool on our list is a whetstone, and as the name suggests, it is suitable for sharpening kitchen knives. This sharpening tool is probably the most widely used method among kitchen knife enthusiasts. The advantage of a whetstone is that it consists of small grains, and its grit determines how finely it can sharpen a kitchen knife. For example, a 250 grit stone is coarse, whereas a 6000 grit stone is very fine. These numbers vary greatly, giving you plenty of scope to find just the right whetstone for your kitchen knives. With the right technique, you can sharpen your kitchen knives in just a few minutes and get the best result.
The disadvantage, however, is that it takes considerable patience to learn the correct technique, which is crucial, and during that time you will probably not get the results you hoped for, but this will improve over time. A whetstone can therefore also be costly in terms of time and money, which can quickly add up. You usually have two different whetstones: one for coarse work and one for fine work. You do not need the most expensive whetstone to get a sharp kitchen knife, as long as you have the right technique.
If you position the kitchen knife at the wrong angle, you risk doing more harm than good, ruining the kitchen knife's appearance and function.
Honing steel
The second method on our list is a honing steel. This kitchen utensil is used to hone your kitchen knives, which you should do every time you use them. As mentioned earlier, honing your kitchen knives realigns the edge, making it straight and sharp again. As with a whetstone, it takes a little practice before you find the right angle and achieve good results. As with a whetstone, you also risk damaging your kitchen knives if it is not done correctly. The advantage, however, is that using a honing steel does not have as steep a learning curve as a whetstone, and you only need one honing steel, provided your kitchen knives are made of the same material.
Knife sharpener
The third and final method is the knife sharpener, which is probably the most common method households use to sharpen kitchen knives. The knife sharpener is easy to use, as it requires no technical understanding or practice beyond being able to position the kitchen knife correctly in the sharpener when sharpening it. A knife sharpener usually has two or three stages, one for coarse sharpening and another for fine sharpening. If you buy the knife sharpener from ONXY Cookeware, you get three stages. The advantage of the knife sharpener is that it is easy to use, and you can relatively easily find one that offers good value for money. It also has its limitations. Compared with a whetstone, it will be difficult to achieve the same results, as a knife sharpener does not offer the same range of sharpening options. If your kitchen knives are badly damaged, you should probably consult a professional knife sharpener, who will be able to remove the worst signs of wear.
How to sharpen your kitchen knives with an ONYX Cookware knife sharpener
Before you start using your ONYX cookware knife sharpener, always clean your kitchen knife first so it is ready for sharpening. Place the ONYX Cookware knife sharpener on a flat surface and hold it firmly with one hand. When you begin sharpening, run the kitchen knife through each slot five to ten times, always remembering to pull the kitchen knife towards you, not back and forth. Start with the first slot, which has a diamond surface used to repair wear on the kitchen knife. Then use slot number two, which is tungsten steel and is used to sharpen and reshape the blade to its original form. Finally, there is slot number three, which is made of ceramic stones. It is used to polish and smooth out irregularities in the blade.
You can actually also use the ceramic section to hone your knives, so you do not need to buy a separate honing steel if you choose to buy an ONYX Cookware knife sharpener.
