{"id":5836,"date":"2020-06-18T12:00:27","date_gmt":"2020-06-18T19:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/?p=5836"},"modified":"2024-01-29T17:42:26","modified_gmt":"2024-01-30T00:42:26","slug":"ultimate-knife-sharpening-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/ultimate-knife-sharpening-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ultimate Knife Sharpening Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><body><p>A dull knife doesn&rsquo;t just make cutting less efficient. It&rsquo;s also more dangerous because users need to apply additional force when cutting, which could result in slippage and injury. In addition to increased danger, the quality of your food could also suffer as imprecise, and inconsistent cutting leads to more uneven cooking. Cooking at home is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/save-money-fast\/\">a great strategy for saving money<\/a>, but you need well-maintained tools. This complete knife sharpening guide will help you keep your knives sharp and ready to use.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"how-can-i-test-my-knives-sharpness\">How Can I Test My Knives&rsquo; Sharpness?<\/h2>\n<p>Test to see if your knives could benefit from knife sharpening by using a sheet of paper. All you need to do is hold up a folded sheet of paper vertically. Either a piece of printer paper or thinner paper, such as newspaper, will work. Place the knife blade at the top of the paper at a slight angle and begin slicing away from you. If the knife doesn&rsquo;t cut the paper cleanly, it may be time to sharpen it.<\/p>\n<p>In many cases, you may not need to sharpen your knife so much as steel or hone it, which works with blades that are only slightly dull.<\/p>\n<html><body><div id=\"in_post\">\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/host\" onclick=\"rudderanalytics.track('press editorial cta button', {location: 'first in post', version: '2.0'}, () =&gt; { console.log('track call'); });\">\r\n  <div class=\"first-in-post-cta\">\r\n    <header>\r\n      <h2 id=\"can-we-pay-you-to-store-vehicles\">Can we pay you to store vehicles?<\/h2>\r\n    <\/header>\r\n    <section>\r\n      <div class=\"service-option\">\r\n        <div class=\"service-option-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"60\" height=\"60\" viewbox=\"0 0 60 60\" fill=\"none\">\r\n            <path d=\"M26.7552 20.0573C26.2911 20.9853 26.2499 22.3578 26.2499 24.375H33.7499C33.7499 22.3577 33.7088 20.9853 33.2448 20.0573C33.0557 19.6792 32.8 19.3973 32.3888 19.1841C31.9442 18.9535 31.2108 18.75 30 18.75C28.7892 18.75 28.0558 18.9535 27.6112 19.1841C27.2 19.3973 26.9442 19.6792 26.7552 20.0573Z\" fill=\"#005EB8\"><\/path>\r\n            <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M28.0777 4.32887C29.3195 3.87732 30.6805 3.87732 31.9223 4.32887L48.7973 10.4652C51.0173 11.2725 52.5 13.3777 52.5 15.7462V33.1425C52.5 33.7407 52.4058 34.3605 52.1888 34.9629C47.861 46.9738 35.9939 53.5676 32.1164 55.464C30.7986 56.1086 29.2843 56.1505 27.9278 55.5549C23.9729 53.8185 12.0728 47.6941 7.77513 34.8948C7.58399 34.3255 7.5 33.7394 7.5 33.1762V15.7481C7.5 13.3807 8.98165 11.2729 11.2027 10.4652L28.0777 4.32887ZM22.4998 24.1662L22.4999 24.375C20.4289 24.375 18.75 26.054 18.75 28.125V35.625C18.75 37.6961 20.4289 39.375 22.5 39.375H37.5C39.5711 39.375 41.25 37.6961 41.25 35.625V28.125C41.25 26.0539 39.5711 24.375 37.5 24.375L37.5 24.166C37.5016 22.4546 37.5037 20.19 36.5989 18.3802C36.0848 17.352 35.2859 16.4621 34.115 15.855C32.9776 15.2652 31.6017 15 30 15C28.3983 15 27.0224 15.2652 25.885 15.855C24.7141 16.4621 23.9152 17.352 23.4011 18.3802C22.4961 20.1901 22.4982 22.4547 22.4998 24.1662Z\" fill=\"#005EB8\"><\/path>\r\n          <\/svg><\/div>\r\n        <h3 id=\"list-your-unused-space\">List your unused space<\/h3>\r\n        <p>People are earning $1,000s per year from their garages and outdoor space.<\/p>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"service-option\">\r\n        <div class=\"service-option-icon\">\r\n          <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"60\" height=\"60\" viewbox=\"0 0 60 60\" fill=\"none\">\r\n            <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M13.125 9.375C11.0539 9.375 9.375 11.0539 9.375 13.125V46.875C9.375 48.9461 11.0539 50.625 13.125 50.625H46.875C48.9461 50.625 50.625 48.9461 50.625 46.875V13.125C50.625 11.0539 48.9461 9.375 46.875 9.375H13.125ZM28.125 16.875C28.125 15.8395 28.9645 15 30 15C31.0355 15 31.875 15.8395 31.875 16.875V20.625H35.625C36.6605 20.625 37.5 21.4645 37.5 22.5C37.5 23.5355 36.6605 24.375 35.625 24.375H26.25C25.2145 24.375 24.375 25.2145 24.375 26.25C24.375 27.2855 25.2145 28.125 26.25 28.125H33.75C36.8566 28.125 39.375 30.6434 39.375 33.75C39.375 36.8566 36.8566 39.375 33.75 39.375H31.875V43.125C31.875 44.1605 31.0355 45 30 45C28.9645 45 28.125 44.1605 28.125 43.125V39.375H22.5C21.4645 39.375 20.625 38.5355 20.625 37.5C20.625 36.4645 21.4645 35.625 22.5 35.625H33.75C34.7855 35.625 35.625 34.7855 35.625 33.75C35.625 32.7145 34.7855 31.875 33.75 31.875H26.25C23.1434 31.875 20.625 29.3566 20.625 26.25C20.625 23.1434 23.1434 20.625 26.25 20.625H28.125V16.875Z\" fill=\"#005EB8\"><\/path>\r\n          <\/svg>\r\n        <\/div>\r\n        <h3 id=\"approve-your-renters\">Approve your renters<\/h3>\r\n        <p>You're in control. Approve who rents and the hours of access.<\/p>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n      <div class=\"service-option\">\r\n        <div class=\"service-option-icon\">\r\n          <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"60\" height=\"60\" viewbox=\"0 0 60 60\" fill=\"none\">\r\n            <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M31.2776 51.9974L31.7666 51.5417C32.0789 51.2503 32.527 50.8317 33.0706 50.3224C34.1576 49.3041 35.6276 47.9224 37.158 46.4698C40.1682 43.6127 43.5576 40.3461 44.596 39.1282C46.7163 36.6414 48.1719 33.6468 48.8127 30.4251C49.5529 26.704 49.173 22.847 47.7211 19.3418C46.2692 15.8366 43.8105 12.8407 40.6559 10.7329C37.5015 8.62514 33.7942 7.5 30.0001 7.5C26.2061 7.5 22.4973 8.62504 19.3428 10.7329C16.1882 12.8407 13.7295 15.8366 12.2776 19.3418C10.8257 22.847 10.4458 26.704 11.186 30.4251C11.8268 33.6468 13.2824 36.6414 15.4027 39.1282C16.4411 40.3462 19.831 43.6128 22.8415 46.4698C24.3721 47.9224 25.8422 49.3042 26.9294 50.3225C27.4731 50.8318 27.9212 51.2504 28.2336 51.5418L28.723 51.9979C29.4428 52.6672 30.5579 52.6668 31.2776 51.9974ZM28.723 51.9979C28.723 51.9979 28.7232 51.998 30.0001 50.625L28.723 51.9979ZM30.0001 50.625L31.2776 51.9974C31.2776 51.9974 31.2771 51.9979 30.0001 50.625ZM30 32.8125C33.6243 32.8125 36.5625 29.8744 36.5625 26.25C36.5625 22.6256 33.6243 19.6875 30 19.6875C26.3756 19.6875 23.4375 22.6256 23.4375 26.25C23.4375 29.8744 26.3756 32.8125 30 32.8125Z\" fill=\"#005EB8\"><\/path>\r\n          <\/svg>\r\n        <\/div>\r\n        <h3 id=\"get-paid-monthly\">Get paid monthly<\/h3>\r\n        <p>Sit back and collect automatic payments each month.<\/p>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n    <\/section>\r\n    <footer>\r\n      <button>Learn more about hosting <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\">\r\n          <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M18.8304 5.17619L4.55227 11.6663H11.1779C11.8199 11.6663 12.3404 12.1867 12.3404 12.8288V19.4543L18.8304 5.17619ZM19.029 3.43822C20.0069 2.99374 21.0129 3.9997 20.5684 4.97757L13.0612 21.4935C12.5438 22.6316 10.8404 22.2627 10.8404 21.0124V13.1663H2.99417C1.74398 13.1663 1.37497 11.4628 2.51312 10.9455L19.029 3.43822Z\" fill=\"#EFF5F8\"><\/path>\r\n        <\/svg><\/button>\r\n    <\/footer>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/a>\n  <\/div><\/body><\/html><h2 id=\"what-is-the-difference-between-honing-and-knife-sharpening\">What Is the Difference Between Honing and Knife Sharpening?<\/h2>\n<p>While a tool such as a steel honing rod is often used for improving cutting quality, honing rods don&rsquo;t actually sharpen knives. Instead, honing rods straighten the blade&rsquo;s edge to make cutting safer and cleaner. If your knife becomes bent over time and could benefit from straightening, honing is a good idea in addition to sharpening.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"how-often-should-you-hone-or-sharpen-your-knives\">How Often Should You Hone or Sharpen Your Knives?<\/h3>\n<p>Ideally, you should hone your knife on a weekly basis or even after every time you use your knife. However, it&rsquo;s best to sharpen your knives once every few months or once a year, depending on the frequency of use. You should also make sure your knives are properly stored. This will not only protect your knives &mdash; it will also help you <a href=\"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/organize-your-kitchen-5-simple-steps-to-get-started\/\">organize your kitchen<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"how-to-hone-knives-by-using-a-steel-honing-rod\">How to Hone Knives by Using a Steel Honing Rod<\/h2>\n<p><img  decoding=\"async\"  class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5838 pk-lazyload\"  src=\"data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABAQMAAAAl21bKAAAAA1BMVEUAAP+KeNJXAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAApJREFUCNdjYAAAAAIAAeIhvDMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\"  alt=\"man honing a knife\"  width=\"919\"  height=\"612\"  data-pk-sizes=\"auto\"  data-ls-sizes=\"(max-width: 919px) 100vw, 919px\"  data-pk-src=\"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/The-Ultimate-Knife-Sharpening-Guide-Honing-a-Knife.jpg\"  data-pk-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/The-Ultimate-Knife-Sharpening-Guide-Honing-a-Knife.jpg 919w, https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/The-Ultimate-Knife-Sharpening-Guide-Honing-a-Knife-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/The-Ultimate-Knife-Sharpening-Guide-Honing-a-Knife-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/The-Ultimate-Knife-Sharpening-Guide-Honing-a-Knife-380x253.jpg 380w, https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/The-Ultimate-Knife-Sharpening-Guide-Honing-a-Knife-550x366.jpg 550w, https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/The-Ultimate-Knife-Sharpening-Guide-Honing-a-Knife-800x533.jpg 800w\" ><\/p>\n<p>Also known as a sharpening steel, a honing rod is included with many knife sets. While it doesn&rsquo;t actually sharpen your knives, it will help realign the edge if it&rsquo;s slightly uneven or dull.<\/p>\n<p>You can use a honing rod by holding it vertically, placing the bottom firmly on the countertop. Make sure the heel of the knife blade is against the rod&rsquo;s tip and keep the knife pointed at a slight upward angle, 15 degrees away from the rod.<\/p>\n<p>You can then place light pressure on the blade, sliding it down the rod while pulling the knife in your direction to keep the center of the blade in contact with the center of the rod. Once the blade is down the entire length of the rod, the tip should be at the bottom, at which point you can bring the blade back up to the top to repeat the motion on both sides of the blade four or five times each.<\/p>\n<p>When you&rsquo;re using this technique, your blade should be properly aligned to allow for better cutting. If the paper test is still unsatisfactory, knife sharpening is the next step to take.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"when-should-you-use-a-knife-sharpener\">When Should You Use a Knife Sharpener?<\/h2>\n<p>If the knife is dull to the point where honing doesn&rsquo;t help, this means that the edge requires some reshaping through the removal of rough steel on the blade. A honing rod won&rsquo;t accomplish this, so you&rsquo;ll need a reliable sharpener to get the job done.<\/p>\n<p>You can sharpen your knife using a manual or electric sharpener (which is often the easiest method), or you can use a whetstone. You can also have your knives professionally sharpened, which may be ideal if you don&rsquo;t have a sharpener and don&rsquo;t know how to use a whetstone (though we will cover this).<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h4 id=\"pro-tip\">Pro Tip:<\/h4>\n<p>When it comes to the angle of the blade, with more acuteness comes a sharper feel. For instance, a 15-degree blade will cut cleaner than a 20-degree blade, and you can modify the angle of the blade through sharpening as it narrows the edge.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<html><body><div id=\"2_in_post\">\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/host\" onclick=\"rudderanalytics.track('press editorial cta button', {location: 'second in post', version: '2.0'}, () =&gt; { console.log('track call'); });\">\r\n  <div class=\"second-in-post-cta\">\r\n    <section>\r\n      <div class=\"service-option\">\r\n        <h2 id=\"earn-1000s-per-year-with-your-unused-space\">Earn $1,000s per year with your unused space<\/h2>\r\n        <button>Become a Neighbor host<\/button>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n    <\/section>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/a>\n  <\/div><\/body><\/html><h2 id=\"advantages-and-disadvantages-of-different-knife-sharpeners\">Advantages and Disadvantages of Different Knife Sharpeners<\/h2>\n<p>If you need to sharpen your knives and a honing rod isn&rsquo;t enough, there are several options available to keep your knives in great condition.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"manual-knife-sharpeners\">Manual Knife Sharpeners<\/h3>\n<p>Manual knife sharpeners contain abrasives either in the shape of a V that holds the blade when sharpening or on wheels. When using this type of sharpener, you&rsquo;ll typically pull the blade through the abrasive material while applying even pressure.<\/p>\n<h4 id=\"advantages-of-using-manual-sharpeners-for-knife-sharpening\">Advantages of Using Manual Sharpeners for Knife Sharpening<\/h4>\n<p>Manual sharpeners are the least expensive option if you want to sharpen your knives. They also keep the knife securely in place while sharpening for even results, and they are ideal for use with most types of kitchen knives. Their compact size makes them easy to store just about anywhere for convenient access.<\/p>\n<h4 id=\"disadvantages-of-using-manual-sharpeners-for-knife-sharpening\">Disadvantages&nbsp;of Using Manual Sharpeners for Knife Sharpening<\/h4>\n<p>Unfortunately, even the best manual sharpeners won&rsquo;t fix your knives if they&rsquo;ve sustained a lot of damage. They&rsquo;re also not the best tool to use for maintaining more high-end knives, which require the use of a whetstone in most cases.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"electric-knife-sharpeners\">Electric Knife Sharpeners<\/h3>\n<p>Electric knife sharpeners are highly convenient and don&rsquo;t require the work that comes with manual sharpeners. Unlike manual sharpeners, the abrasive is used on motorized wheels for more automated sharpening.<\/p>\n<p>Electric sharpeners are incredibly easy to use. Simply turn the sharpener on and keep a firm grip on the knife as you pull the blade along the slots where they&rsquo;ll brush against the abrasive wheels. Repeat the process on both sides until the blade is sharpened to your liking.<\/p>\n<h4 id=\"advantages-of-using-electric-sharpeners-for-knife-sharpening\">Advantages of Using Electric Sharpeners for Knife Sharpening<\/h4>\n<p>One of the key advantages of using an electric sharpener is the use of spring-loaded guides that help secure the knife in place. This allows for more even sharpening along the blade. If your blades have sustained a good deal of damage, electric sharpeners are also better at repairing this than their manual counterparts. They also include several slots, each of which provides a different level of sharpness.<\/p>\n<h4 id=\"disadvantages-of-using-electric-sharpeners-for-knife-sharpening\">Disadvantages&nbsp;&nbsp;of Using Electric Sharpeners for Knife Sharpening<\/h4>\n<p>If you&rsquo;re looking for a cheaper option, you&rsquo;re better off getting a manual sharpener. Also, electric sharpeners are incompatible with knives that have a full bolster since you can&rsquo;t pass the entire blade through the sharpener slots.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h4 id=\"pro-tip-2\">Pro Tip:<\/h4>\n<p>Find a good electric sharpener from a leading brand. Higher-quality sharpeners will prevent excess metal loss with fine, coarse, and nonmotorized steel options for sharpening.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3 id=\"whetstones\">Whetstones<\/h3>\n<p>If you have a high-end collection of knives, a whetstone is the best tool to use. However, there&rsquo;s a certain art of mastering the whetstone, which can take many tries to get the hang of when sharpening your knives. Sometimes, it&rsquo;s best to leave whetstone sharpening to the pros and send your knives out for professional sharpening services. But with some practice, you can also make good use of the whetstone. Mastering the whetstone can also help you save some money in the long run.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"what-makes-the-whetstone-the-best-knife-sharpening-tool\">What Makes the Whetstone the Best Knife Sharpening Tool?<\/h3>\n<p>The whetstone is such a popular and timeless tool because it&rsquo;s by far the most adaptable. The user simply holds the knife at a specific angle based on the type of blade, which means you can use it to sharpen any kind of knife, including knives with a full bolster. Whetstones are also often inexpensive compared to other sharpening tools.<\/p>\n<p>The downside is, as we&rsquo;ve mentioned, it can take some time getting used to using the whetstone. Why? You have to hold the knife at just the right angle to get the best results. Patience is also a required virtue, as it can take a long time to sharpen duller blades.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"how-to-use-a-whetstone-for-knife-sharpening\">How to Use a Whetstone for Knife Sharpening<\/h2>\n<p><img  decoding=\"async\"  class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5837 pk-lazyload\"  src=\"data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABAQMAAAAl21bKAAAAA1BMVEUAAP+KeNJXAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAApJREFUCNdjYAAAAAIAAeIhvDMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\"  alt=\"man using a whetstone for knife sharpening\"  width=\"912\"  height=\"612\"  data-pk-sizes=\"auto\"  data-ls-sizes=\"(max-width: 912px) 100vw, 912px\"  data-pk-src=\"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/The-Ultimate-Knife-Sharpening-Guide-Using-a-Whetstone.jpg\"  data-pk-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/The-Ultimate-Knife-Sharpening-Guide-Using-a-Whetstone.jpg 912w, https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/The-Ultimate-Knife-Sharpening-Guide-Using-a-Whetstone-300x201.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/The-Ultimate-Knife-Sharpening-Guide-Using-a-Whetstone-768x515.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/The-Ultimate-Knife-Sharpening-Guide-Using-a-Whetstone-380x255.jpg 380w, https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/The-Ultimate-Knife-Sharpening-Guide-Using-a-Whetstone-550x369.jpg 550w, https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/The-Ultimate-Knife-Sharpening-Guide-Using-a-Whetstone-800x537.jpg 800w\" ><\/p>\n<p>To use a whetstone, start by placing either wet paper towels or a rubberized shelf liner beneath the whetstone to keep it secure, with the rough side of the whetstone facing upward.<\/p>\n<p>Next, you&rsquo;ll want to keep the knife facing outward and place the blade at the right angle for the type of knife you&rsquo;re using. For example, Western-style knives <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cooksillustrated.com\/how_tos\/5713-adjusting-the-angle-of-western-knives\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">should be at 20 degrees<\/a>, while Japanese-style knives should be at 15 degrees. Keep your other hand on the top of the flat side of the blade toward the center, and make sure your fingers are far from the edge.<\/p>\n<p>Move the blade along down the length of the stone using circular movements, and make sure the angle is steady until the knife tip slides off the opposite edge. Keep repeating this process on both sides until you achieve the desired level of sharpness.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h4 id=\"pro-tip-3\">Pro Tip:<\/h4>\n<p>When checking the sharpness of the knife while sharpening, you can slowly and carefully run your thumb against the edge &mdash; but not parallel to the blade. If you can feel the burr all along the entire length of the blade, it&rsquo;s sufficiently sharpened.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2 id=\"for-quick-and-convenient-results-try-a-coffee-mug-for-knife-sharpening\">For Quick and Convenient Results: Try a Coffee Mug for Knife Sharpening<\/h2>\n<p>If you don&rsquo;t want to buy a tool to sharpen your knives but want a quick fix, you can try using a coffee mug. While they won&rsquo;t yield the best results, ordinary coffee mugs make decent knife sharpening surfaces when nothing else is available, thanks to the ceramic material.<\/p>\n<p>To use a coffee mug as a sharpener on the fly, simply place the mug upside down so the bottom is on top and, maintaining a 20-degree angle, place the knife on the edge of the bottom of the mug. Next, perform a sweeping motion along the entire blade as you pull the knife toward you and repeat this several times on each side of the knife. Alternate between both sides of the blade for the last two or three sweeps.<\/p>\n<p>You can use a coffee mug in conjunction with a honing rod if you have one. Once you&rsquo;ve finished sharpening the knife on your mug, complete six to eight swipes on a honing rod to remove any remaining kinks or burrs.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"how-can-i-sharpen-a-knife-that-has-a-serrated-blade\">How Can I Sharpen a Knife That Has a Serrated Blade?<\/h2>\n<p>When sharpening a serrated blade, it&rsquo;s best to use a manual knife sharpener. A manual sharpener is ideal for serrated knives because it can reach all the grooves in the blade, whether the knife is saw-toothed, pointed, or scalloped. Keep in mind that serrated blades won&rsquo;t require sharpening as often as smoother blades because the teeth make contact with the cutting surface as opposed to the edge of smooth knives.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"how-to-store-your-knives-for-longer-knife-use\">How to Store Your Knives for Longer Knife Use<\/h2>\n<p>Knife sharpening is essential for maintaining a clean and safe cut. Another one of the best ways to get the most from your knife collection is to store them the right way. While it&rsquo;s fine to keep butter knives and other traditional table cutlery in a drawer with other silverware, you should keep your kitchen knife set in a location that&rsquo;s specifically intended for these knives.<\/p>\n<p>You can store them using one of several tools. One way to preserve your knife set is to use a magnetic knife strip that can magnetize your knives and keep them hanging on a wall. This will help open up more space on your countertops.<\/p>\n<p>Alternatively, a universal knife block can keep your knives vertically stored to keep them safe and secure while also helping you organize your counter space. Knife guards can also slip over your blades and prevent accidental cuts while preserving the integrity of the blade.<\/p>\n<p>Honing and sharpening your knives on a regular basis can help keep them in the best possible condition, whether you become a master of the whetstone or a sharpening tool. As a result, your knives will be safer, and your food will taste the way it should as you prepare weekday meals and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/unique-thanksgiving-traditions\/\">holiday dinners<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A dull knife doesn&rsquo;t just make cutting less efficient. It&rsquo;s also more dangerous because users need to apply&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":5837,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"csco_singular_sidebar":"","csco_page_header_type":"","csco_appearance_grid":"","csco_page_load_nextpost":"","csco_post_video_location":[],"csco_post_video_location_hash":"","csco_post_video_url":"","csco_post_video_bg_start_time":0,"csco_post_video_bg_end_time":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[42],"tags":[91,55,30,92,13],"class_list":["post-5836","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-home-maintenance","tag-cooking","tag-home-advice","tag-how-to-guide","tag-kitchen-guides","tag-life-hacks","cs-entry","cs-video-wrap"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The Ultimate Knife Sharpening Guide - Neighbor Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Knife honing and knife sharpening are valuable kitchen skills. Follow this guide to test your knives&#039; sharpness, keep them honed, and sharpen them expertly.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/ultimate-knife-sharpening-guide\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Ultimate Knife Sharpening Guide - Neighbor Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Knife honing and knife sharpening are valuable kitchen skills. Follow this guide to test your knives&#039; sharpness, keep them honed, and sharpen them expertly.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/ultimate-knife-sharpening-guide\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Neighbor Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-06-18T19:00:27+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-01-30T00:42:26+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/The-Ultimate-Knife-Sharpening-Guide-Using-a-Whetstone.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"912\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"612\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Casey Schow\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Casey Schow\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"10 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/ultimate-knife-sharpening-guide\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/ultimate-knife-sharpening-guide\/\",\"name\":\"The Ultimate Knife Sharpening Guide - Neighbor Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2020-06-18T19:00:27+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-01-30T00:42:26+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/#\/schema\/person\/ef46f0328b3b37ab68cf55f85c8fb21b\"},\"description\":\"Knife honing and knife sharpening are valuable kitchen skills. Follow this guide to test your knives' sharpness, keep them honed, and sharpen them expertly.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/ultimate-knife-sharpening-guide\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/ultimate-knife-sharpening-guide\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/ultimate-knife-sharpening-guide\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The Ultimate Knife Sharpening Guide\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/\",\"name\":\"Neighbor Blog\",\"description\":\"Official Blog of Neighbor.com\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/#\/schema\/person\/ef46f0328b3b37ab68cf55f85c8fb21b\",\"name\":\"Casey Schow\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/873511502b38e10dd39389eb5b1bacf84d3686c247b113655e1180b960e288f6?s=96&d=blank&r=pg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/873511502b38e10dd39389eb5b1bacf84d3686c247b113655e1180b960e288f6?s=96&d=blank&r=pg\",\"caption\":\"Casey Schow\"},\"description\":\"With nearly a decade of writing, Casey has spearheaded several high-impact editorial projects at Neighbor, including the \\\"Most Neighborly Cities\\\" series. His expertise lies in crafting engaging narratives that capture community spirit and resonate across various platforms.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/author\/caseyschow\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Ultimate Knife Sharpening Guide - Neighbor Blog","description":"Knife honing and knife sharpening are valuable kitchen skills. Follow this guide to test your knives' sharpness, keep them honed, and sharpen them expertly.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/ultimate-knife-sharpening-guide\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Ultimate Knife Sharpening Guide - Neighbor Blog","og_description":"Knife honing and knife sharpening are valuable kitchen skills. Follow this guide to test your knives' sharpness, keep them honed, and sharpen them expertly.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/ultimate-knife-sharpening-guide\/","og_site_name":"Neighbor Blog","article_published_time":"2020-06-18T19:00:27+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-01-30T00:42:26+00:00","og_image":[{"width":912,"height":612,"url":"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/The-Ultimate-Knife-Sharpening-Guide-Using-a-Whetstone.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Casey Schow","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Casey Schow","Est. reading time":"10 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/ultimate-knife-sharpening-guide\/","url":"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/ultimate-knife-sharpening-guide\/","name":"The Ultimate Knife Sharpening Guide - Neighbor Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/#website"},"datePublished":"2020-06-18T19:00:27+00:00","dateModified":"2024-01-30T00:42:26+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/#\/schema\/person\/ef46f0328b3b37ab68cf55f85c8fb21b"},"description":"Knife honing and knife sharpening are valuable kitchen skills. Follow this guide to test your knives' sharpness, keep them honed, and sharpen them expertly.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/ultimate-knife-sharpening-guide\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/ultimate-knife-sharpening-guide\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/ultimate-knife-sharpening-guide\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Ultimate Knife Sharpening Guide"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/","name":"Neighbor Blog","description":"Official Blog of Neighbor.com","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/#\/schema\/person\/ef46f0328b3b37ab68cf55f85c8fb21b","name":"Casey Schow","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/873511502b38e10dd39389eb5b1bacf84d3686c247b113655e1180b960e288f6?s=96&d=blank&r=pg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/873511502b38e10dd39389eb5b1bacf84d3686c247b113655e1180b960e288f6?s=96&d=blank&r=pg","caption":"Casey Schow"},"description":"With nearly a decade of writing, Casey has spearheaded several high-impact editorial projects at Neighbor, including the \"Most Neighborly Cities\" series. His expertise lies in crafting engaging narratives that capture community spirit and resonate across various platforms.","url":"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/author\/caseyschow\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5836","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5836"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5836\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12264,"href":"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5836\/revisions\/12264"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5837"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5836"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5836"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5836"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}