Quick answer: a home cook should hone kitchen knives every 2 to 4 uses and sharpen them every 3 to 6 months. Honing straightens the existing edge and takes seconds. Sharpening grinds a new edge and is only needed when honing no longer brings the sharpness back.
What is the difference between honing and sharpening?
| Honing | Sharpening | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Realigns an edge that has bent over | Removes steel to create a new edge |
| Tool | Honing steel (honing rod) | Whetstone or sharpener |
| How often | Every 2 to 4 uses | Every 3 to 6 months at home |
| Time needed | 10 to 20 seconds | 10 to 20 minutes per knife |
| Removes metal? | Almost none | Yes |
With use, the thin edge of a knife bends slightly to one side. The knife feels dull although the edge is still there. Honing pushes it straight again. After months of use the edge actually wears round, and only sharpening can restore it.
How often should you sharpen kitchen knives?
- Home cook, a few meals a week: sharpen every 6 months.
- Daily home cook: sharpen every 3 to 4 months.
- Professional kitchen: sharpen every 1 to 4 weeks, hone every shift.
Harder steels such as VG10 and AUS-10 hold an edge longer, so they sit at the longer end of these ranges. Softer stainless steel dulls faster and needs honing more often.
How do you know a kitchen knife is dull?
- Tomato test: a sharp knife bites into tomato skin under its own weight. A dull knife slides or squashes it.
- Paper test: a sharp knife slices cleanly down a sheet of paper. A dull knife tears or catches.
- Onion test: if the knife slips on onion skin, it needs attention.
If the knife fails a test, hone it first. If it still fails, it is time to sharpen.
How do you use a honing steel?
- Stand the honing steel upright with its tip resting on a folded towel or cutting board.
- Place the heel of the blade against the top of the steel at about 15 to 20 degrees.
- Draw the knife down and toward you so the whole edge, heel to tip, slides along the steel. Use light pressure.
- Repeat on the other side of the steel for the other side of the blade.
- Do 4 to 6 alternating strokes, then wipe the blade clean.
On very hard Japanese-style blades, use especially light pressure. You are straightening the edge, not grinding it.
What angle should you sharpen kitchen knives at?
- Japanese-style knives: about 15 degrees per side.
- Western-style knives: about 20 degrees per side.
Holding the same angle through every stroke matters more than hitting an exact number.
How do you sharpen a kitchen knife on a whetstone?
- Soak or wet the stone as its maker recommends. A 1000 grit stone is the standard sharpening grit.
- Hold the knife at your chosen angle and push the edge along the stone in smooth strokes, working from tip to heel.
- Continue until you feel a fine burr along the opposite side of the edge.
- Turn the knife over and repeat until the burr forms on the first side.
- Finish with lighter strokes on a 3000 to 6000 grit stone to refine the edge, then rinse and dry the knife.
Tools and knives from ASC Forge
The ASC Forge knife sharpening and honing steel has a high-carbon stainless steel rod and a blue resin handle for quick edge maintenance between sharpenings. If you prefer a set that already includes a sharpening rod, the 12-piece Damascus knife block set comes with one, along with shears and an acacia block. All other sets are in the kitchen knife set collection.
Frequently asked questions
Does a honing steel sharpen a knife?
A honing steel does not truly sharpen a knife. It realigns the edge so the knife cuts like it is sharp again. When the edge is worn, you need a whetstone or sharpener to grind a new one.
Can you sharpen a knife too much?
Yes. Every sharpening removes steel, so sharpening more often than needed shortens the life of the blade. Hone regularly and sharpen only when honing stops working.
Can you sharpen Damascus kitchen knives?
Yes. Damascus kitchen knives are sharpened like any other knife, ideally on a whetstone at about 15 degrees per side. Sharpening only touches the edge, so it does not remove the Damascus pattern on the blade face.
Is a dull knife more dangerous than a sharp one?
Yes. A dull knife needs more force and is more likely to slip off food, which is how many kitchen cuts happen. A sharp knife goes where you point it with little pressure.
More knives and tools are at asc-forge.com.