If you have a pull-through or a sharpening steel, we'll show you the easiest way to use them to get the best edge possible from the comfort of your own home.
For pull-through sharpeners – Hold the sharpener firmly on a flat surface. Position the knife working from the bolster to the point and pull towards you, applying gentle pressure, repeat this between 10-15 times.
For sharpening steels – Position the steel by gripping the handle firmly and place the pointed end on a surface. Hold the knife with your leading hand at a 90ºangle. Half that angle to 45º, then half it again to roughly 22.5º. It sounds precise but as long as you are in the range of 20º – 25º you should get the edge you are looking for. Position the blade at the achieved angle and pull down and towards you so that the entire length of the blade has been in contact with the steel. You don't need much pressure, or to do this quickly, take your time. Repeat in the same way on the other side of the knife so that you work both sides. Do this 3-5 times on each side.
Honing your knives should be done regularly to keep them in tip-top condition, don't wait until they are very blunt as it will be much harder to bring back the edge. Most Western knives can be honed or sharpened in this way, Japanese knives tend to have a 10º – 20º edge, if in doubt check before attempting to sharpen.
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