Trick question: What’s more dangerous — a sharp knife or a dull knife?
Answer: A dull knife because it requires more force to press through the food, increasing the odds the blade may roll , which could be dangerous.
My friend Camilla, a chef in Sydney, once told me she sharpens her blades prior to every use because even a few minutes of cutting can cause the blade to feel slightly dull. And a sharp knife, aside from being safer to use, makes for faster prep in the kitchen.
I now try to sharpen my knives before each use as well. I sometimes forget, but that’s the aim. I’ve been using a basic honing steel forever which seems to do the trick — I can tell a big difference between prepping vegetables before and after sharpening — but I recently read an article in Cook’s Illustrated (my go-to guide for all things culinary) that honing steels don’t actually sharpen the blade but merely straighten the cutting edge.
“As a knife is used, the cutting edge tends to bend and fold over slightly, giving the perception of a less sharp knife. Running the edge of a knife across a steel straightens the edge, making the knife perform better. A knife sharpener, on the other hand, actually removes metal from the blade’s edge, creating a new surface for cutting.”
There are all sorts of fancy electric sharpeners out there, but my cozy kitchen is officially out of space for such kitchen gadgets. Thankfully, CI recommends a low-tech, high performing manual model that retails for less than $10.
Good to know. Thanks, Camilla and CI!
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Ok.. I did check out that sharpener.. but it just skeeves me out to look at the picture of that hand just a hair’s breadth from slipping and running along the edge of that newly sharpened blade.. yikes!
My dad always subscribed to the old whet stone method.. basically just a block of sharpener. I saw varying prices (mostly over 10 dollars).. but I can attest that these things last for a super long time.. I think that the one I saw in my dad’s kitchen drawer is the SAME one that was in the drawer when I was a kid.. and he has sharpened one of his knives so many times (the man throws nothing of use out).. that you can see where the metal has been worn away over time..lol. The good thing (safer) is you can hone away from your hands.. hence much safer and the block will last a lot longer then the motorized or manual gadgets that have small honing pieces in them..
I have one at home (available at any hardware/home improvment store) and they work fine in a pinch and are super-easy to use.
I prefer the stone method for knives – it’s great therapy.
So true! Ha!
I use a knife sharpener from the Rada knife company. It has lasted for many years and keeps my paring knife sharp despite constant use. It is safer to use than that picture looks.
Hi JK,
Great to hear you are looking after your knives. I love using a water stone about once every 6 weeks to sharpen my knives while the everyday steel keeps them fabulous!
Thanks for the mention xx
My pleasure, as always. Miss you, girl!
Once a week, sometimes more!
Cooks illustrated just recommended the accusharp too. I use MinoSharp, which uses ceramic wheels in water. It has two slots for different levels of abrasion. I use the mino becuase it is meant for my asian knives, which have a sharper angle over euro knives. I mostly use the fine slot about once a week. I want a 5000 grit whetstone, but they are pricy over a 100 dollars.
OK, I read about steels a couple weeks ago, here is one of the summaries.
http://www.videojug.com/film/choosing-a-steel-for-sharpening-a-knife
The point is that a smooth metal steel, or glass or ceramic, straightens the blade, but cannot address actual wear of the metal. So you need both the sharpening and the honing (the steel).
A *scored* steel will remove a bit of metal, extending the time before you need the sharpening — removing metal back to a new surface at the edge — to keep the knife sharp. A fine diamond steel is a bit more aggressive, with similar results, the diamond removes a bit more metal each time, meaning more wear on the blade but longer before you need an actual sharpening stone.
Ceramic and glass “steels” will “dress” the edge nicely, but can be fragile in a home kitchen.
I ended up with two knife blocks after one got bundled in with something I wanted at an estate auction, so I have a Chicago Cutlery steel (just like Dad used!), and another one. The “other” steel I haven’t had much luck with. My understanding is that steels are *mostly* equivalent, but each can require its own technique to get the best use.
For the last four months I have been using my box knife blade to try to learn to put on and keep an edge. Cutting the netting wrap from hay bales five foot wide just hacks the heck out of a really sharp edge; I am working now on an edge that lasts longer. Oh, and I am still using that first blade, although I have also used a backup a time or two, when I forgot to re-sharpen the blade before the day’s use. I figure the energy I use to sharpen that blade is somewhat less than shopping for a new package of blades every once in a while. And I save the energy to actually make, transport, and merchandise those replacement blades I didn’t use.