How to Sharpen a Knife with a Rod

Have you heard of ''a dull knife is far more dangerous than a sharp one''? With a dull knife, you could end up hacking away at something wrong. So how to prevent this? All you need is a good knife sharpening tool and diligent practice. And today, I'll tell you how to maintain your knife and keep it sharp with a honing rob.

Maybe the edge of your knife looks sharp as usual, but actually, with each use of the knife, the razor-sharp edge naturally bends over just a tiny bit. At this time, you can use honing steel to realign the edge of the blade, prolonging the knife's sharpness. A honing steel is like it sounds, a piece of hardened steel, usually with a handle and a subtle grooved texture, used for aligning the edge of a kitchen knife. For example, this TUO Cutlery Honing Steel features an 8'' long slender rod, and a Pakkawood handle that offers exceptional comfort and maneuverability when you use it.

So things come back to sharpen a knife, there is a simpler and safer method of honing your knife with a rod, called the vertical stroke method. Here's how to do it:

① Point the honing steel vertically down on a cutting board, table or some other plain surface. In order to avoid the steel slipping during the process, please put enough pressure on the honing steel while using.

② It is recommended that the angle between the blade of the knife and the honing steel should be around 15-20 degrees.

③ Put the heel of your knife blade at the top of the honing steel at 20 degrees. Push the knife downward along the honing steel and at the same time pull the knife towards yourself from heel to tip of the knife blade.

④ Repeat this action on the opposite side of the knife blade and repeat steps 3 and 4 until your knife is sharp enough.

Knife sharpening is not a difficult task. And it certainly helps you get rid of troubles from a dull blade. No more tough cutting, and cut with a precise shape. It will be an invaluable skill for anyone who loves cooking.