How To Sharpen All Knives

Daily use of kitchen knives can dull their blades, which is why it is important to have a consistent maintenance routine for your cutlery.

Using a honing rod to sharpen your go-to knives once a week should be more than enough to keep the blades of most home cooks' knives sharp. Here's how to use a honing rod:
*Hold the rod vertically with the tip planted on the counter.
*Holding the blade at a 15-degree angle away from the steel. Then, place the heel of the blade (the part closest to the handle) against the top of the steel with the knife tip pointed slightly up.
*Maintaining the 15-degree angle between the blade and the honing rod, sweep the knife downwards and toward your body using light pressure.
*Repeat this motion on the other side of the blade. Four or five strokes on each side should be enough to re-align the blade.

If you're careful with your knives, a honing rod should keep them sharp for about a year. After that, you may need to use a whetstone to grind a new edge. You can also take your knives to a local supermarket or cutlery retailer to have them sharpened for you.