Sharpening the knife

[eloki]

To all professional Chefs, do you send your knives to a professional sharpener, or just go through the stone yourself?

[Scarecrobot]

I personally handle my own blades. Got some fancy Shun knives that I use a wet stone for. There's a guy that comes around to do house knives & some cooks use him. I'll give him my old wusthof chef knife. But he uses pretty rough stones and I can get cleaner results just taking a few minutes on a diamond stone. Plus it's a good skill to know. Hustle up some extra cash from fellow line cooks.

[foodpump]

Up until a few years ago I used to just ship them all off to a pro sharpener. He did a good job, polished edges and all that. But once I started getting interested in woodworking, I made the connection with sharpening tools and knives. It is a skill, and there's a certain amount of theory you need to understand before you touch a stone. After that it's all practice and technique.

[thetincook]

My one pet peeve with using a stone is that I end up with a lot scratches on the blade from the grit. I can get a decent edge, but the blade looks ugly.

I think this has been posted before, but it is the best sharpening reference around. Sharpening FAQ

[shipscook]

Great info tincook. I was lucky to be taught to sharpen knives by some guys who knew their stuff. In a logging camp, but several of the guys were also hunting and/or fishiing guides. They were doing it as a favor to me, but being the independent broad that I am--"here, show me how".
Love my Shun!!! Love my diamond stone. Life be **** good!

[OregonYeti]

I use a knife sharpening system from EdgemakerPro. I don't cook for a living, but I do need a sharp knife and this system is the best for sharpening, hands down. The roughest sharpener in their system even took a ding out of one of my knives that I thought was hopeless, and now you would never know the difference. Razor sharp.

[chef_oz]

It depends on how much you cut everyday
I do mine every other morning or when I can't break a tomato skin with out using the heel
Learn to do it yourself. I take pride in my knives.

[Chad Aaland]

+1 on the tomato. I can't stand a dull knife...and my definition of dull is not being able to smoothly cut into a tomato with the front half of the blade.

[OregonYeti]

You people talking tomatoes are talking about ripe ones, right? Some you get at a supermarket could dull a knife blade just kidding, know what you're talking about.

[damack]

turn your knife blade up on a cutting bord and drop a tomato on it if it dosent cut it then its to dull

[HotChef]

if you did a little you will find my post that explains at lenght...
so just a short re-cao.
two sided oil stone, coarse and fine grit. but I use no oil but water.
to finish off, pull the knife some 20-30 times over a professional butchers steel. Dick, Victorinox, G.E.Ern, Dreizack (all European models) make them.blade should be at least 30 cm long and oval, not round. this is just my personal preference. my chefs knivesahave not seen a grinding /sharpening machine
since 20 years.only exception.serrated knifes. these i take me back to austria to my hometown.there we have a mastergrinder (4-5 generations back..) and he specializes in serrated knives and skates.but always a big story to explain (and procedure) when checking them in on the flight from Moscow to Vienna.

[fingerpie]

Originally Posted by eloki

To all professional Chefs, do you send your knives to a professional sharpener, or just go through the stone yourself?

I use a little bit of equipment by jml... make them really sharp, I have no problems slicing through toms.

[fingerpie]

Originally Posted by chefspine

I tend to buy those 3 quidders from Asda - just chuck 'em when they go blunt.

Not a bad idea... I assume you can put these down as expenses ??

[LittleChef]

I find it's better to use pre-prepared ingredients - shredded cheese, tinned tomatoes etc. which saves time as well as the hassle of sharpening knives etc.

I tend to buy in bulk from my local Cost Co which means more profit for me - kerccching!

[9ballprodigy]

i know it says culinary student under experience, but i'm actually a prep cook. just couldn't find it under the options i was given.

anyways, i use a stone. start with a 600 grit and work your way to 1000+ grit. the kitchen has 3 whetstones. rough, medium, and fine. hold your knife's edge perpendicular to the stone (90 degrees) and take half of that (45) and take half of that (22.5). try to hold that angle. i personally like a 15 degree edge on mine so i go a little more.

it takes some practice. i recommend spending a good 1/2 hour getting accustommed to the sharpening. you might be wearing your knifes edge out a little but, it's a good investment. just remember to soak your stone in water for 20 min. before sharpening and keep rewetting it as you sharpen.