How to Sharpen a Knife: Techniques for Knife Sharpening

It's not always easy to know how to sharpen a knife and give its blade a new lease of life. As soon as you feel that your knife is no longer at its sharpest, it's time to sharpen it!

To have a tool in perfect working condition, you need to work with good tools! Laguiole - Attitude provides you with all the techniques to easily sharpen your knife!

How to sharpen a knife with a ceramic or diamond honing rod?

The honing rod is the cylindrical steel instrument that allows you to sharpen your knives. For beginners, we recommend this method.

There are 2 sharpening techniques with a honing rod:

1. Horizontally: Hold your honing rod horizontally, tilt the knife at an angle between 20° and 30°, and follow the cutting edge from the base of the blade to the tip.
2. Vertically: Place a wooden board flat to avoid damaging your work surface. Position the honing rod vertically, tilt your knife at an angle of about 20° closest to the handle. Then move your knife along the cutting edge, taking care to run the entire length of the blade over the honing rod. Repeat the operation several times, alternating between the two sides of the blade. Don't forget to wipe your knife to remove the iron filings formed by wear and tear.

How to sharpen a knife with a sharpening stone?

Place your sharpening stone in water for a few minutes before sharpening your tools. It should then remain wet during sharpening, so don't hesitate to pour a little water on the stone regularly. Place your knife blade on top, keeping an angle of about 20° or 30°. Place the fingers of your free hand on the blade to stabilize it, and then move it back and forth to sharpen the entire length of the knife. Once again, don't forget to wipe your blade to remove deposits!

Sharpening your knife with a manual sharpener

Easy to use, we recommend opting for this manual sharpener, equipped with 3 functions, it will allow you to restore the sharpness and shine to your knife blade. Simply insert the blade entirely into the notches, maintaining an angle of 90° with the sharpener. Apply slight pressure on the blade and pull the knife towards you through the notches. Never push in the opposite direction for safety reasons. Repeat the operation 5 to 7 times.

Sharpening a knife without a sharpener

If you don't have a honing rod or sharpening stone, you can use a mug! Simply turn it upside down and run your blade on the slightly rough part of the cup, just like with a honing rod or a stone. And you're good to go!

Sharpening a knife with a matchbox

This somewhat unconventional technique allows you to sharpen a knife with a simple matchbox. Use the side of the box where you usually strike matches to sharpen your blade. While this tip is very useful when you're hiking or in the great outdoors, it won't give you a perfect edge but can serve you well for some time! You now know how to sharpen a knife in different ways! Whether you're at home or elsewhere, you can take care of your blade and even impress those around you with knife sharpening techniques.