**Disclosure:** I only recommend products I would use myself, and all opinions expressed here are our own. This post may contain affiliate links through which I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Read the full privacy policy here.

Ever feel like your kitchen knives are not cutting it?

There’s nothing worse than slicing into a tomato and crushing that plump organic heirloom with your tired-out pairing knife.

I, for one, would like to avoid the early onset of carpal tunnel syndrome, which results from a lifetime of hopelessly sawing through a tender piece of meat with a dull knife.

You use your knives often. Take appropriate care of your tools, and they’ll take care of the job!

“The sculpture is already complete within the marble block before I start my work. It is already there; I just have to chisel away the superfluous material.”

-Michaelangelo

The above quote is one of my favorites with regard to "creation.” Somehow, I find it relevant to the fine art of knife sharpening. Your ideal blade edge is already there; one must chisel away the superfluous material to reveal the beautiful working edge.

Let’s learn enough about knife sharpening so that our knives remain sharp and ready to take on the task at hand!

There are several reasons why your knives go dull

Improper storage

Never store your knives loosely in a kitchen drawer. For starters, this is unsafe, as one can easily cut themselves while reaching in to grab a knife. Also, the knives will bang into each other. This can nick and dull the blades.

Either store them in an upright block or in a drawer organizer. The one pictured below is what I have in my home. I like the fact that there is one less thing on the counter-top and it keeps all of our knives neatly organized.

Tommy likes clean!

Avoid cutting on glass or hard surfaces

Blades work by being sharper and harder than the object they are cutting into. Choose a wooden, plastic, or rubber cutting board. Each has it’s pros and cons, but they will help you preserve your blade edge.

Never scrape food off of the surface of your cutting board with the blade side down. Flip it over and use the smooth back side of the knife to woosh your food to it’s next destination. Preserve that edge!

Get your cutlery ready for prime time

Sharpening vs. Honing

Do you know the difference?

According to masterclass.com, Honing realigns the existing edge of a knife, while sharpening creates an entirely new edge by removing material.

Both methods can improve the performance of a knife, but sharpening is the best option for renewing a dull blade. Honing and sharpening use different types of tools, and their effects last for different amounts of time.

Sharpening your knives 1-2 times per year is generally recommended. Hone your knives regularly to keep the existing blades aligned.

There are several ways to hone and sharpen your knives. I was recently introduced to a rolling disk-style sharpener by my friend, Chef Aimal (featured in How Many Pots and Pans Do You Really Need?).

The Horl 2 by Horl The Horl series of knife sharpeners is family-owned and made in the Black Forest of Germany. They are the BMW of knife honer/sharpeners! Click the above link for purchase. Take a look at their story in the link provided below.

These things are awesome!

The “roller” has a grinding disk on one side and a honing disk on the other. It’s a “two-fer” (two for one, for those of you who don’t know what “two-fer” is).

You simply place your knife up against the magnetic block (pre-set at 15 or 20-degree angles), then roll the disk along your knife edge, creating an ideal cutting surface.

The 20 degree angle edge is best for heavier cutting or chopping blades.

The 15 degree angle edge is best for small or medium sized knives typically used for pairing, peeling or light slicing.

I think the roller is a bit sexier than the honing stick that came with your knife set purchase. Unless of course you’re trying to look like a the chef at Benihana or intimidate your guests. Plus, roller and block combo takes the guess work out of it.

Wait, there’s more!

Now that you have properly sharpened and/or honed your knives, you will need one last important items: Band-aids!

Enjoy your holiday meals and future cookouts. Take care of your cutlery, and pay attention while carving. Those babies will be dangerous, now that you know Enough About how to properly sharpen your knives!

https://www.cutco.com/learn/what-makes-knives-go-dull/

https://www.blinklift.com/why-does-my-knife-get-dull-so-fast/

https://www.seriouseats.com/honing-vs-sharpening-7096318#:~:text=In%20short%2C%20sharpening%20is%20used,it%20when%20it%20becomes%20dull.

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/honing-vs-sharpening

https://www.horl.com/us/en

How to properly sharpen your knives