Keep it sharp
The first step in keeping your blade sharp is to follow good usage practices
such as using wood or soft plastic cutting boards and hand-washing &
hand-drying your knife right after using it. For more details check out
the Care
Page
Honing
the Blade
Hone your blade as often as you feel necessary. My favorite tool is the
Ceramic Sharpening Hone. It is easy to use and puts a very fine edge on
your knife. My next choice is a standard regular cut steel. This tool
leaves a somewhat rougher edge than ceramic.
How
to use the Ceramic Sharpening Hone (or a regular cut steel)
Anchor the tip of the stick on the cutting board and place one side of
the knife's edge against the stick at a 12-15 degree angle. If you need
a rough guide place a matchbook against the steel, then place the knife
against the matchbook and that is the correct angle. Keeping that angle
and making an even motion draw the edge of the knife across the stick
from the heel of the blade to the tip in an arcing motion. Repeat this
same angle and movement on the other side of the blade 4-8 times with
moderate pressure.
Sharpening
the Blade
When
the Ceramic Sharpening Hone no longer brings the edge back to the level
of sharpness you desire, it is time to use a water stone or have your
knife professionally sharpened.
How
to use Water stones
It is best to start using a stone when your knife is still in good condition.
Think of cutting grass, the longer the grass gets the harder it is to
mow. Also if you are new at using stones you may want to start with some
smaller blades as it is easier to handle these then a full-size Chef's
knife.
Begin by soaking the stone in water making sure the water is over the stone. It is ready when the bubbles stop in about 10 minutes. When the stone is soaked set it on a flat surface on a towel or a rubber drawer liner mat.
The angle of your knife to the stone is very important. Though it is possible to achieve an edge quicker at a high angle over time your knives won't cut as effectively. For measurement of the shallow angle that is ideal stack two pennies on the stone and place the back portion of the knife on the pennies or you can once again use the matchbook idea. That is the angle you want to always be working at.
The most important aspect is to hold a consistent angle and to keep an even pressure on the blade. You can move the knife in figure eights, or push, or pull the blade… it's really up to you. I like to hold the handle with my right hand and use my left fingers to put an even pressure on the blade. When I am honing the left edge I am pushing away. Then I flip the blade over and when working the right edge I am pulling.
When
you are finished it is good to clear the metal residue off your stone
by rubbing it with a Ceramic Surfacing Stone then rinse it. Let the stone
dry before putting away.
How to keep your Water Stones healthy
Keep your stones clean and cutting easily with a Ceramic Surfacing Stone. The finer grits tend to build up some metal residue on the surface of the stone impeding the cutting ability of the stone. If you notice this, you should scrub it with a surfacing stone which will clean this residue as well as create slurry on the surface which aids in the final few sharpening strokes and most importantly the polishing of your blade edge.
Keep your
stones flat. As you use your stones, they tend to wear more in the center
causing a dish-effect which needs to be corrected from time to time. Simply
wet the stone and rub the Blue Ceramic Flattening stone back and forth
until your sharpening stone is flat. As an alternative to the flattening
stone you can use sheet of silicon carbide sandpaper (the black sandpaper
you can get at the hardware store) stuck to a piece of glass or other
flat surface with a little water on the back. This will work but it's
not quite as slick as the flattening stone.
It's not a great idea to store your stones in water for several reasons:
1. Some stones
will break down over time when they're continuously exposed to water.
2. If you live in an area where the temperature drops to freezing there
is the potential that your stones will freeze and crack.
3. The water can get funky over time and begin to smell. The way to fix
this is to keep a small amount of bleach, just a few drops or a teaspoon
in the water with your stones. Again, this is not necessary if you don't
store your stones in water.
Professional
Sharpening
For your handmade Kramer knife you are always welcome to send it here
to the shop for Sharpening or Reconditioning. Let us know if you plan
to send it to us and we will email you a form to include with your package.
Other Professional Sharpeners
Here is the number of a friend of mine who has been learning sharpening with me for several years. His name is Bob Tate. Bob has been a chef for 20 years, is passionate about food, wine and, of course, knives. He can take care of your sharpening needs.
Bob
Tate
206-465-6801
Seattle knife sharpening
www.seattleknifesharpening.com
Woody
Here is another sharpener, in the Portland area. Woody has a wonderful
set up in his truck, it's a truck I wished I'd had when I was sharpening.
Woody learned power sharpening with me about 7 months ago and he is also
a teacher at Oregon Culinary Institute. Click on the picture and it will
take you to Woody's web site.
Woody
503-816-3913
Zen Blades Mobile Knife Sharpening
www.zenblades.com
History of Bob Kramer Sharpening Services
Once again to those of you who have sent me your knives over the years. Thanks for your support.
Sincerely,
Bob Kramer
