How to sharpen a knife? Is it the same as honing? Complete guide!

When a knife is new, it usually cuts through everything with great ease, doesn't it? But with time, it becomes increasingly difficult to cut vegetables and meats, even if you’ve sharpened the utensil recently. This is common, especially if it's been a long time since it was honed, so it's time to do it.

But how exactly do you hone a kitchen knife? Isn't it the same as sharpening? The truth is, no, they are two completely different things and are essential for the durability of your knife, so keep reading our content and check out Cutelaria CIMO's complete guide on how to hone your utensils in the best way:

What is good for honing a knife?

The process of honing such a utensil basically consists of straightening the cutting edge, putting it back in place. This is important to do, as the edge of the blade can bend slightly with use. When you're looking for how to hone a knife, know that you need to find a honing steel or an electric sharpener:

Honing Steel

First of all, it's important to understand that each type of honing steel has a different use. While smooth models are excellent for honing, placing the cutting edge back in place, setting the edge. On the other hand, grooved honing steels are used to wear down the blade until it becomes thinner and sharper.

In this case, simply rest the knife slightly tilted on the honing steel and pass the blade from bottom to top a few times on each side, until it returns to the correct alignment. Also check out the top 5 best knives for barbecue!

Electric knife sharpener

The electric sharpener, on the other hand, has two specific slots, one for honing and one for properly sharpening. In these cases, it is necessary to check the product instructions. It is important to remember that for those who cook meat frequently, the cost-benefit of buying one of these is not the best. But after all, aren't honing and sharpening the same thing? In reality… No. Check below to understand better:

What's the difference between sharpening and honing a knife?

Although the terms are often used interchangeably, they are different. A knife blade usually has a triangular shape, with the cutting edge being thinner and sharper. However, with use, it can either bend or lose its pointed part, becoming more rounded at the cutting edge. So, honing a knife means straightening the edge again, while sharpening means wearing down the rounded part until it becomes sharp again.

How do I know if I need to hone or sharpen my knife?

To know if your knife needs to be honed or sharpened, take an A4 sheet of sulfite paper and hold it horizontally with your non-dominant hand. Then, take the item with your dominant hand and rest it on the top of the paper and try to cut. If it slides down and cuts easily, your knife is good.

If, even when cutting, the sound of the paper is clearer and more vivid, your knife needs to be honed. And finally, if you need to make back-and-forth movements with it for the paper to cut (and sometimes, even then it doesn't cut), it needs to be both sharpened and honed.

Also check out: learn about the different types of vegetable cuts!

Can you hone a knife with a file?

Since the terms honing and sharpening are often used incorrectly, it's common for many people to recommend a file for honing, but unfortunately, that's not the case. Files are used for sharpening knives; with their toothed design, they are perfect for wearing down and creating a new cutting edge on the blade. But would that mean the knife isn't honed and sharpened at the same time? Not exactly. Let's understand more:

Do sharpeners also serve to hone?

When we create a new cutting edge, it might even be honed, with the edge in the correct place, but this is not a recommended option. Think with us, if every time your edge is out of place, even if it's sharp, you create a new one over it, the durability of your knife will be much shorter, because little by little it will become thinner and thinner unnecessarily, soon losing its strength and resistance.

Therefore, only sharpen it when truly necessary! But if you want to understand more about the various and best ways to sharpen a knife, check out our complete post on the subject!

Either way, now that you understand the difference between these two needs for your utensil, you've also learned how to hone a knife the right way, haven't you? We truly hope to have helped you take better care of your knives! Also, take the opportunity to check out our post on how to cut meat correctly. See you next time!