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Wusthof Ikon Honing and Sharpening

post #1 of 2
5/21/10 at 3:29pm
Thread Starter 

I recently purchased a small set of Wusthof Ikon knives and have been slowing adding to it over the past few months.  I knew that if I bought a large set, I'd just end up with redundant knives we'd never use, so I'm glad I went this route.  I researched fairly well before choosing German over Japanese, but in the end my wife was just more comfortable with the Ikons. 

 

This is the first time we've had a decent set of knives, so I didn't know much about honing and sharpening up front.  I've read quite a bit on these forums which has been a big help, but I'm still left with a few questions.

 

Much discussion focuses around honing and sharpening chef knives, but we also have both a 5" and 7" santoku.  Should these be honed using the same technique with a honing rod that is used on a standard 8" chef knife?  I know their blade angle is different, but other than that, is there anything to look out for?

 

We also have a 8" carving knife, a 6" sandwich knife, and two small paring knives.  Do those type of knives require honing as well, or just periodic sharpening?

 

Thanks,

 

Jason

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post #2 of 2
5/21/10 at 10:50pm

Ikons, like almost all German stainless knives, are made from an alloy (X50CrMoV15) which deforms easily.  The edges can (and should) be straightened on a fine rod hone, such as an Idahone fine. 

 

Also, because the alloy wears slowly it can go a long time between sharpenings with regular steeling on a fine hone.  However, a long time is not forever.  It's also more than once a year. 

 

More, because of the nature of the alloy and the edges' geometry there's a limit to how sharp you can get your Wusthofs -- so they start from a relatively low baseline. 

 

To keep your knives truly sharp, you'll still need to sharpen your most frequently used knives three or four times a year. 

 

BDL

 

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