How to Hone a Knife.
Honing a knife doesn't sharpen a blade, it
straightens it — realigning the edge and
maintaining it in between longer and more
involved sharpening sessions.
You will need A steel or ceramic honing rod
And a knife to hone A flat surface (optional)
and a towel or cutting board (optional).
Step 1.
Hold the honing rod in front of you, positioned
so the tip points diagonally down and away
from your body.
If you're a little clumsy, you may want to
place the end of your honing rod on a flat
surface covered with a towel or a cutting
board.
Step 2.
Place the end of your knife, also called the
heel, along the top of the honing rod nearest
to the handle.
Draw the knife downward against the honing
rod at a 20-degree angle.
As you draw the knife toward the bottom, pull
the knife back so the point of contact slides
from the heel to the tip of the blade.
Don't use too much pressure when you pull
your knife against the honing rod—you can
damage your blade.
Step 3.
Cross the knife under the honing rod to repeat
the same motion on the other side of the blade.
Step 4.
Hone the blade in the following pattern: 5
times on each side, then 3, then 2, then single
strokes alternating between right and left
10 times.
Hone your knife this way every time you cook
to keep the blade straight and true.
Did you know The only steel that can sharpen
a blade, as opposed to simply straighten it,
is diamond steel, which is embedded with industrial
diamond particles.
