5 reasons to sharpen your knife

When you buy a chef’s knife you don’t immediately think about sharpening it. Of course you can bring your good knives to a professional to sharpen them, but why not do it yourself? We have five very good reasons for you:

1. There is a suitable sharpening solution for everyone

Maybe you just started sharpening, or you have been doing it for years, one thing is for sure: there’s a suitable sharpening solution for everyone. Whetstones, knife sharpeners, sharpening steels, or complete sharpening systems, all of them available to make your knives razor sharp.

For the quick sharpener:

The electrical sharpening system. With it you can sharpen safely and quickly in two or three steps. The perfect assistant for every cooking aficionado.
The pull-through sharpener. By applying slight pressure you pull the knife through this sharpener and within a short amount of time you’ll have a sharp edge. Ideal for quick maintenance.
The water sharpener. This is a small sharpening system with two or three sharpening wheels. Put a small amount of water in the container, pull your knife about 15-20 times through the wheels and your knife will be brand new. Always work from coarse to fine grit size.

For the extensive sharpener:

A WorkSharp, Wicked Edge or Lansky sharpening system. Lock your knife in the sharpening system, after which you move the sharpening rods over the blade. You have to work from coarse to fine to achieve that razor sharp result.
A sharpening system with sharpening rods like the Spyderco Sharpmaker. You pull your knife through the rods creating a razor sharp blade. Make sure the knife remains in a straight position to maintain the right angle for sharpening.

For the sharpener that likes a challenge:

Whetstones by Naniwa or Skerper. This way of sharpening requires more work than a sharpening machine or system, but the sharpness it creates is sublime. Because there are also whetstones with a very fine grit size, you do not have to wait until your blade is dull. A small touch-up can be done from grit size 1000. Whetstones require, especially in the beginning, some exercise. In this video we show you how to make your knives razor-sharp!

2. Always have a sharp knife

Who doesn’t want that? You never have to cut with a dull blade again. Small maintenance takes little time and can be easily done yourself. It will save a lot of nuisance. A razor sharp knife cuts the best!

3. Sharpening knives yourself is often much cheaper than having it done.

A reasonable sharpener for use at home start at €25,-. A professional will not sharpen your knives for that kind of money. You easily have to pay €5,- to €7,- per kitchen knife. You will earn back your own sharpener or sharpening system quickly.

4. Sharpening knives increases their life span

By sharpening your knives yourself you increase their life span considerably. Proper maintenance minimizes the risk of damages on the blade itself. Pay attention: sharpening a knife will thin the blade. Unfortunately, there no way to prevent this.

5. Become a real chef in your kitchen and sharpen your knives yourself like a pro.

Become a true chef in your own kitchen. Next to cooking deliciously and serving the food, real chefs also sharpen their own knives. Become a pro chef and start sharpening your beautiful kitchen knives yourself.

Next to the five reasons mentioned above, it is also fun to sharpen your own knives. Step by step you experience what the sharpening process is about. You will have a better appreciation of a sharp knife. Maintaining the sharpness of your knives will be fun, useful and a job easily done!