The way most folks sharpen their boning knives is completely backwards

I watched three new guys in class last week draw the blade away from the edge instead of into the steel, and it rounded their tips in like four passes. Anybody else notice this habit driving people crazy, or am I the only one who checks the angle before they start?

3 comments

3 Comments

lilyp372d ago

Saw a video from an old timer who breaks down knives for a living, and he said 90% of the damage he sees comes from people dragging the blade backward on the steel. That stuck with me because I used to do it myself until I messed up a good Wusthof. The Sharpie trick is the only reason I finally got my angle right, but honestly, nail polish sounds smarter since it stays on longer. Maybe the real problem is nobody shows beginners how to hold the steel steady first, so they rush and screw up the motion.

finley_gonzalez492d ago

Lost count how many times I've rounded the tip off a cheap boning knife just trying to look cool in front of the mirror. Last week I tried showing my girlfriend the proper technique and she just laughed and said I looked like I was trying to pet a cat that wasn't there. Sharpie trick is solid though, I've been using nail polish instead since I always have that lying around from past mistakes. Still catching myself dragging the blade backward when I'm tired and just want to get through a batch.

paul_taylor212d ago

My old man taught me on a 6 inch chef's knife back in the day, and he'd smack my hand if I pulled it the wrong way. Took me a solid month to break the habit of dragging the blade away from the steel, but now I just keep a sharpie on the counter and mark the edge angle every time I start.