Knife Sharpening

[allenlondon]

How often do top quality chef’s knives (Damascus, for instance) need sharpening?

Some say daily, others say once a year!

What is the truth?

[198kHz]

When cutting performance reduces?

[gingejbee]

I'd agree with first answer...when the person using them thinks they need sharpening.
(I've had some ceramic knives for several years and they've never been sharpened...because they've never needed it).

[ummmm]

Agree....when needed.

[allenlondon]

Hmm. I tend to go by the soft tomato test - if they will thinly slice a soft tomato, they’re sharp!

[ToraToraTora]

believe it or not I was once a butcher and that is a complex question. The no 1 issue is the quality of the edge, a good quality knife will be hard stay sharp and also have flexibility. There is no fixed time to sharpen a knife. First get a good edge with a grinder then give it a thorough steeling, then steel it before and after every usage, sometimes during. A new grind should not be necessary for several weeks if you know how to preserve and use a knife properly. We used only swiss victorinox.

[twix123]

Depends on the amount of use. When I worked in a fishmongers / poulterers we would have to sharpen our knives on a steel frequently during the day. Then the 'knife grinder' would come round once a week in his van to grind the knives down a bit more, ready for a new edge, taking out any rough bits.

[allenlondon]

I’m confused by the terms.

Sharpening I thought was a ‘big’ operation, involving whetstones or grinding wheels.

Steeling I thought was both the old fashioned metal ‘stick’ that you run your blade up and down, or those drawthrough devices.

Put me right!

A

[rowanwitch]

On a really good blade steeling may be enough. My Scandinavian knives have never been resharpened but do get a few swipes of the steel every so often. They were 10 years old this Christmas. My previous set needed serious attention on a whetstone about every six months. Metal technology means knives tend to hold an edge better now unless they are hitting bone, or the carving fork too often.

[Peter Pedant]

er is that to cut thin slices of beef
or to stab people on AB

clearly one has to be sharpened more often .....

[allenlondon]

Well, leading a bone-free vegetarian existence should protect our knives then!

[rowanwitch]

Double edged blades are more of a problem, they tend to lose their point. Then you have to put in a whole new edge to keep the shape

[Vagus]

The type of chopping board has an impact too, wood or plastic is best, never glass or marble.

[Peter Pedant]

yeah dont do the choppy choppy bit with veg
shool-iennes or whatever they are called
too afraid of cutting the tips of my fingers off ( vincristine neuropathy)

[ToraToraTora]

07:26, yes correct.

[barry1010]

I take my knives to my butcher a couple of times a year. He does a great job sharpening them for me

[allenlondon]

What’s the knack of using an old-fashioned steel?