Tip - Keeping Knives Sharp 2

Look Sharp!

7 January 2001 / The Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer
Associated Press

HYDE PARK, N.Y. -- Look in any chef's knife kit and you will find 
gleaming, razor-sharp knives and the tools to maintain them. 
Well-cared-for knives are a point of pride for most chefs.

Logic would tell you that a dull blade is safer than a sharp edge. In 
fact, the opposite is true. Dull knives require too much force, arm 
and hand movement to complete your objective.

Sawing through a vegetable, such as an eggplant or harvest squash, 
with a blunt knife is cumbersome, dangerous and will produce slices 
with jagged rather than clean edges.

If you are accustomed to dull knives, give yourself a little time to 
adjust to handling sharp ones. A sharp knife will require much less 
force in working through foods. Practicing with a bunch of onions, 
carrots and celery -- all of which can be later used to make a 
vegetable broth -- can help you get comfortable.

Even the best-quality knives do not stay sharp forever. Contact with 
food and work surfaces will dull the finest stainless or carbon and 
steel blades. However, you can keep your knives in prime working 
condition with a minimal amount of fuss and maintenance.

Every time you use your knife, a minuscule part of the blade is bent, 
dulling it. Honing your knife on a sharpening steel will realign the 
blade.

Resembling a skewer, these rods are long and pointed and are 
typically made out of hard carbon steel (less often, ceramic and 
diamond steel).

The name "sharpening steel" can be a little misleading. While it does 
sharpen the knife slightly, the magnetic rod's primary role is to 
pull the metal back to center. This should be done with almost every 
use; a couple of strokes is all it takes.

Watching a professional chef making Zorrolike movements with a 
sharpening steel can be impressive -- and intimidating. The quick and 
coordinated display is aesthetically pleasing, but slow and steady 
stokes work just as well.

To steel your knife, hold it vertically with the heel end of the 
knife blade touching the tip of the steel at a 20-degree angle. Bring 
the knife down, drawing it along the entire length of the steel.

Repeat three times, then move the knife to the other side of the 
steel to hone the other side of the blade. If more than four strokes 
per side are necessary, it is likely to be time to sharpen your 
knives on a stone.

Typically, every 3 to 6 months, depending on the frequency of use, 
steeling your knife will not make it feel sharper. Now it is time to 
sharpen it on a stone or take it to a professional sharpener.

Sharpening your own blades is quick and easy; rectangular sharpening 
stones are available in a variety of sizes and materials. The most 
common are made from carborundum and extremely hard man-made 
material. Larger stones are less portable but can easily accommodate 
both long and short knifes.

A single stone will offer two different grits, or degrees of 
coarseness. Medium-coarse and medium-fine grit are most common. The 
more coarse side should always be used first, as it shaves off more 
metal. The knife can then be "buffed" by the finer side of the stone.

A point of discussion among chefs is whether the stone should be 
moistened with water or oil to help the blade glide along the stone. 
Either is fine, but don't backtrack; once you have lubricated your 
stone with oil, water is no longer an option, and vice versa. If you 
choose water, which rolls off the stone with each stoke, it should be 
reapplied as needed during sharpening.

Although the stone is heavy and not likely to move about, it should 
be further stabilized before you begin sharpening. Placing it on a 
slightly damp, folded towel will secure it.

Now you are ready to get started. Lubricate your stone with oil or 
water and place it, coarse-side up, on a dampened towel (one of the 
long sides should be parallel to you).

Holding the knife at a 20-degree angle to the stone's surface, with 
the heel positioned at the lower right-hand end of the stone, use 
your other hand to guide the full length of the blade across the 
stone.

Turn the knife over and repeat, starting the heel of the knife on the 
lower right-hand edge of the stone. Make an even number of stokes on 
both sides of the blade -- 10 should be sufficient -- then turn the 
stone over and move on to the finer grit. Wash the knife and store 
properly.

Automatic home-sharpening machines are another option in maintaining 
your knives. They operate at high speeds, and they require 
considerable attention and skill. Even the most experienced cooks can 
turn smooth blades to serrated ones in seconds. If you use one, 
follow the instructions carefully. Most professional chefs opt to use 
stones or have their knives professionally sharpened.

As with the tools of any trade, those kept in peak condition will 
perform the best. Maintaining your knives can ensure years of tasty 
and safe cooking.