Keeping your knives sharp

[DRColby]

I just bought a MAC vegtable knife, which is more like a mini-cleaver. I love it. Entirely different cutting leverage. It is quick, it is easy to use, and it is sharpe.

Now, how do I keep it sharp, MAC advertises there knives need little sharping . I also noticed that the warranty had an exclusion if you sharpened it wrong (I think it was if you used anyone else's sharperner).

Since the age of 6 I haven't been worth a damn with a whitstone or set of rods. I do have some Globals and have one of their 2-set wheel sharpeners. Dare I use the Global sharpener on the MAC? I am not wild about taking it to my local knife shop, in Pike Street Market, when they don't even sell MACs.

dave

[Avumede]

There are so many misconceptions about knife sharpening, even among well-respected chefs I see pontificating about knife sharpening on TV. I'll try and clear up a few of them.

1) Don't use a serrated steel. Use a smooth steel. A serrated steel will chew up your edge.

2) Stainless steel is not harder to sharpen than carbon or carbon steel.

3) Sharpening by hand is fairly sub-optimal. You need to maintain precise angles. The use of guides or similar instruments can help.

4) You don't need to use oil or water on sharpening stones. You only need to use oil or water if you started out using oil or water. A new stone doesn't need any lubricant, and won't ever need any.

I recommend the book "The Razor Edge Book of Sharpening" by John Juranich at http://www.razoredgesystems.com/. They have nice sharpening products too, although they aren't the only ones. Or, just go over to http://groups.google.com and read relevant articles on the rec.knives group.

[Chad]

Y'all could also check out the eGullet Culinary Institute class on Knife Maintenance & Sharpening. Should answer all your questions (and then some ).

Chad