How to sharpen a knife with a honing steel? See the step-by-step guide!

For those who truly appreciate savoring and experiencing different types of meats, barbecue is a serious matter! It goes far beyond simply preparing good meat. The cut of the meat and, especially, the utensils used, matter a lot.

Maintaining your barbecue equipment, especially knives, is essential so that you are always prepared to gather friends and family for weekend get-togethers. And to keep your knives always sharp, honing steels are a great option.

In general, all knives used in the kitchen need constant care to maintain the efficiency of their cuts. Therefore, in today's post, we bring you a practical step-by-step guide on how to sharpen knives with honing steels!

What are the types of honing steels?

Before proceeding to the step-by-step, it's important to know the models of honing steels and decide which is best for you. There are three different types of honing steels:

Smooth honing steel

For handling boneless meats and other simple home cutlery activities, a smooth honing steel is enough to do the job.

Grooved honing steel

For sharpening knives we use at home, for barbecues, and for cutting meat with bone, the grooved honing steel is the best option. This model is full of longitudinal grooves along its entire length, and in this case, the blade will respond very well to its purpose.

Diamond honing steel

Finally, being more robust, the diamond model is usually used by professionals, such as butchers. The method of use is the same for all three models. We will explain how next!

Step-by-step guide on how to sharpen knives with a honing steel

There are two ways to sharpen knives with honing steels. The first, done in the air, is more dangerous, and therefore, it is recommended to be done only by professionals with a lot of practice and familiarity with the tool. So, we will teach the second method to get a good result in a practical and safe way.

1. Support the honing steel with the tip down

To begin, hold the honing steel by the handle and position it upright with the tip resting on non-slip surfaces. This can be done on a cutting board or a dishcloth, for example.

2. Position the knife and start sharpening

After finding a supporting surface, place the blade against the side of the honing steel and tilt the knife until the cutting edge meets the surface of the honing steel at an angle of approximately 15 degrees.

After that, slowly pull the knife down with light, continuous movements, as if you were shaving slivers from the honing steel.

3. Repeat the movement on both sides

Repeat the movement indicated in the previous step, on both sides of the blade, about 10 times on each side.

Remember that to get a good result, you don't need to use force or speed. Here, finding the right angle is much more important. In three steps, you have a well-sharpened knife ready to be used with quality for approximately a month.

How to know if a knife is sharp?

There's a very simple technique to test if the sharpening was effective. To check the blade's edge, lay the knife flat on top of a tomato and pull it back without applying force.

When doing this, the expectation is that the knife's own weight will cut the tomato, entering about 1 cm into the fruit. If this happens, you've done a good job!

How long does a honing steel last?

While a knife's sharpening tends to last for about 40 or 50 uses, with basic care, a honing steel can last for years.

To preserve yours, avoid leaving it in contact with other utensils, always wash it with water, soap, and the soft side of a sponge.

Which is the best honing steel for knives?

For everyday kitchen use and for cutting meat and barbecuing, the most recommended honing steel model is the grooved one.

On the Cutelaria CIMO website you'll find grooved and diamond honing steels with wooden and plastic handles, some of which even come with a protective sheath. Take advantage and check them out!

How to extend the life of my knife?

Just like honing steels, there are some actions you can take to preserve your knife. Such as:

• Always wash with soap and water;

• Do not leave the knife draining with the tip down;

• Sharpen your knife constantly to keep the edge;

• Avoid leaving the knife in contact with other utensils, as this can damage the cutting edge;

• Dry it well, and if possible, store it in a sheath to protect it.

Did you like the step-by-step guide on how to sharpen knives with honing steels? We hope to have helped you maintain the cutting edge of your pieces!

And if you are considering investing in sheaths to better preserve the blade's cutting edge, take advantage and check out our post knife sheaths: discover 7 models and learn how to choose!

Until next time!