It's not really a solution if you like rock chopping, but buying a knife with a straight profile (santoku,nakiri, chinese cleaver), makes sharpening so easy since it's a flat edge.
I couldn't agree more. the first knife I learned to sharpen has a straight profile. I don't really like santoku knives, but I got one to make learning to sharpen easier.
@@bl6973 Any American/European brand santokus and gyotos are 50/50. Even many western style Japanese knives are also 50/50 bevels. It's usually only the classic Wa style handled knives that tend to be significantly asymmetrical.
Out of all the sharpening videos I've tried watching, this is the only one that is truly beginner-friendly and easy to understand! Thank you very much!
I could repeat my comment for each of your videos, but that’s impossible! Knowledge means nothing if you can’t communicate this knowledge to your audience. And you really have that ability to transfer the knowledge that you have !!! Thank you!
I honestly wish I would have run into this video a year ago when I decided to sharpen my own knives. I watched so many videos and made it high stress. I only did 3 knives You made this process so way less intimidating than how many RUclipsrs have. Simple, clearly explaining what you are doing (pressure, angle, etc). Yes it's a learning experience but some people make it into a task for masters only. Thank you! Now I'm ready for the rest of the set... And to redo the other 3.
You sharpen knives like a pro. I've been a woodworker for a lot of time and never seen a good explanation like yours. Nice and right technique. Congrats.
all this years i did it wrong!! although my daughter said "mom ur knives r sharp!!' wait till she try it what i learn from u!! thanks beautiful! : ) i will share ur precious vid. to her now,
One of the best sharpening videos I have seen. Simple and straightforward. I like how you are using the angle guides... very practical and simple. And I agree with your recommendation of the Korin videos!!!
As a side note, the very mechanic of that flattening stone is how we have been able to establish "true flat" and a reference for precision essentially down to the molecule. The channel "Machine Thinking" does a wonderful video on it called "The Origins of Precision". Rub side a with b, side b with c, and side a with c and you'll have true flatness across all sides. From true flatness we've derived all standardizations of measurement and thus modern mass-production. Fascinating stuff.
At the risk of sounding sexist, you know more about sharpening then a lot of the men on here making videos such as this. Very pleasant to listen to and very articulate. And yes, I realize this is four years ago but still spot on. Cheers!
I wanted to say about the same but was afraid of giving offense. She knows knives and how to sharpen them. Good to see women appreciating knives in much to same way as men. A thin-bladed slicer sharpened to burr-free perfection on a 6k stone will sure slice a 🍅!
Just found this vid..I've looked from masters to hammer handed..This is great,not over complicated...I'm an ole guy that just got my first stones,same one you have...On my second day and improving,although I did need a bandaid...Thanks,Bob
I got my first sharpening stone (exactly like what Helen is using here) five years ago. I can absolutely recommend it as a life transforming acquisition, it works incredibly well. It is very nice to have a really expensive high quality chef's knife, but tbh one of these stones will make any old knife cut like a razor blade. I know 'cos I got one nice chef's knife and also couple of other cheaper smaller knives. A few minutes of this treatment and even these are razor sharp. Nothing compares to a stone and after two or three goes to get the hang of it it becomes second nature. Never used an angle guide, hasn't mattered. As I say, life transforming, there is nothing like having really sharp knives in the kitchen. Go get one today, I say :)
My sone gave me for Christmas the King Stone and the angle widgets and I’ve just used the devices on my Henkel. I found it very relaxing. I’m still learning, but thank you Helen for getting me started.
I love this! I've been using a water stone for a few years, with relative success, but this definitely helps me get an even better edge! I enjoy the "zen" of the process!
You make it sound like it can be done by almost anybody. I think I could try it with my cheap knife and see what I can get. That way it would reassure me that I didn't ruin my better knife. Thank you
Watching all these sharpening videos getting ready for my Miyabi was overwhelming, your videos break things down in a non pretentious way and feel approachable, thank you
Wow..I love to cook and I have never figured out how to sharpen my knife well. Just bought another contraption today. I wish somebody would have compared that to learning to play an instrument before! I picked up guitar as a kid and transitioning between chords seemed insurmountable. Now I don't even think about it. I'm gonna sharpen every knife in my house until I don't think about it anymore! Thanks!
Helen, one way to see if you are sharpening the whole edge evenly is to draw a 1/4 inch wide strip along the edge of both sides of the blade with a permanent marker. The new face of the edge becomes visible as you sharpen. You can clean the remaining ink from the knife with alcohol on a cloth or paper towel.
#realcomment Excellent job Helen, I love your videos. Several years ago, I switched from a whetstone to the Spyderco Sharpmaker. You can find them on Amazon for about $60. You hold the knife straight (the blade being vertical) and the stones are placed at an angle. Its easy to get an incredible edge with one of these.
My first sharpening gizmo was the Sharpmaker. If I recall correctly, you could only put the stones in at 15 or 20 degrees, which was limiting. But what I really didn't like is that over time, the holes that held the stones got bigger/looser, so the angle wasn't consistent. I went to whetstones and never looked back! I do believe the Sharpmaker was created for sharpening folding knives. I think the stones might feel too short for sharpening kitchen knives.
Another terrific video. Great for people who've never sharpened using a whetstone. Tips not mentioned elsewhere. Like starting with a smaller knife. Makes sense. And product reviews. Liked the angle guides to help beginners get the angle into muscle memory. I would have also recommended a stone holder and maybe a plastic container...for when you use stones that aren't "splash and go". In general this was a great primer! Like the diagrams you include too. Keep the videos coming! And the King combo stone was a great recommendation for the beginner. Is a stone I considered. As you said...it's a great stone fro some one not sure if they'll stick with using a whetstone...even though it is the best sharpening/polishing method. Just takes some practice.
Excellent video!!! If the burr removal is still too difficult you could try a leather strop. I use an old leather belt, put one end in a vise (or a door jamb) then strop it like a barber. The burr could come off in a fine metal thread or little particles depending on the steel composition.
Years of getting shaving sharp edges and watching other guys on you tube fail to explain sharpening. It took a woman to explain a common topic simply and correctly.
This. Was. Excellent. Only thing I may add is the use of a leather strop. Just to make it easier. Or better yet, a double side leather strop, one side with a polishing compound and the other plain leather. Just to ensure all the microburrs are gone. But of course that can be further down the line (along with a diamond flattening plate). The rabbit hole definitely goes deeper, but this guide is good for practically 100% of western cooking (sushi/sashimi chefs are a few who need a higher level of sharpness).
Helen, you have the best ever tutorials. I now have sharp knives thanks to you! Кажется, ты сказал, что ты русский. Я изучал русский язык пятьдесят семь лет назад в Государственном университете Сан-Диего. Я многое забыл. Для меня большая честь попытаться оставить комментарий на вашем родном языке.
Something I have learned about tool maintanence is to practice on tools you aren't super ginger about. It is a lot less pressure to learn the basics on something you are confident you can replace before you move on to something really precious.
After watching your videos my Messermeister ceramic hone is in my shopping cart. But I ordered the black one instead of the white one. I already had the stones but you provided more insight into why my knives never got really sharp...I do not think I released pressure on the return stroke!
Sharpening with a stone is a very cool skill but I finally gave up on it after decades of trying to get it right and just went with a WorkSharp. Spent about 15 minutes getting the technique down, and then 30 minutes sharpening almost a dozen knives.
This confirms that I'm no knife-sharpening geek. It was informative, however and showed me what to look for should I ever take my knives to a knife-sharpening vendor. If only my nephew lived closer- he's a chef and knife geek who earns a little extra on the side sharpening knives for other chefs.
#realcomment Helen, I love you, you're the best! :) There is always plenty of great content in your videos and you always have reasonable tips. Thank you for everything you do!
i just started to go in this deeper to be able to get razor sharp edges, well did not go very well so far, i tried it on 3 different days already, i got moderate results. last time i got quite okay with 1000 grit stone, tried with paper, than messed up with the 8000 one. i tried again with 1000 and got no better :) sooner or later it should work somehow
Thanks for the great video...I am more convinced than ever that purchasing my Chiefs Choice electric sharpener was the right move for me. Of course using the stone seems like it would be great therapy.
Once your proficient with freehand sharpening or using a decent sharpening system an electric sharpener will leave an edge that feels dull in comparison.
11:35 #realcomment Kitchen scale allows you to see the pressure that we keep, how I was learning to sharpen, I checked from time to time how I keep the pressure (mechanical works better than digital - we want the indicator not to vibrate).
Burrfection has some videos on how to sharpen by feel which will works for any unknown angle. I always watch several videos on a subject and I learn from each. I enjoy your videos on all of your topics.I watched your link to the Korin video and it is also excellent.
A fun way to demonstrate pressure could be to put your stone on a kitchen scale and zero it then record the numbers while sharpening and see if there is an average weight while sharpening
#RealComment Dear Helen, I recently bought a chefs choice 464 20 degree knife sharpener by accident instead of their 463 15 degree angle sharpener. I was wondering if you had any insights on whether it would damage my knives to use this 20 degree sharpener. My knives are not expensive. Under 30 for each, by mercer culinary so I wouldnt mind mild changes I just dont want to ruin them.
A 20 degrees angle is thicker and stronger than a 15. Don’t worry if you sharpen at a 20 instead of a 15 or vice versa. If you sharpen at a 20 it will put a micro bevel on it. If you have a 20 degrees angle and sharpen at 15 degrees you will have to do more work as it won’t touch the direct edge.
#realcomment Excellent and comprehensive video on knife sharpening. I've been sharpening knives since I was a kid in the previous century, but I upped my game considerably when I moved to using water stones and the Japanese technique. Two points I would like to add. One, let the stone do the work and, as you said, don't freak out about the angle. You'll be successful at sharpening if you take your time and use gentle strokes; the stone will do the work. Two, after I hone a newly sharpened blade on the steel, I strop the knife on a piece of leather. For years, I used an old leather belt wiping the blade back and forth a few times. Stropping removes microscopic burrs and bits from the edge making it very smooth. A stropped, smooth blade will hold its edge for a very long time. Recently, I bought a stropping paddle that has leather on both sides and retired my old belt.
I am a big fan of stropping. While I find NOTHING wrong with your video, I use oil only on my stones and I always push the blade towards the edge. The "technique" I was told was to try and slice a thin layer of the stone. Do you know of any reasons for not doing it this way ?
@@LawlissLanterns Wouldn't the question be, what is gained by one direction only? Obviously, more material is being removed when moving the blade in two directions. I too, was always told to move it only in one.
#realcomment thank you for the video! I am passionate about sharpening my knives with stones, but I'm struggling to sharpen my boning knife. I just don't seem to get as good of a result when I sharpen my Wusthof classic 6 inch flexible boning knife when compared to my other knives. Boning knives also have that concavity next to the bolster which is a challenge. Any tips?
I hone them on a ceramic rod, which provides very mild sharpening, but I don't sharpen boning knives on the stone for the exact reasons you mentioned. Because they don't normally hit the cutting board and because I use a boning knife way less than a chef's knife, I find that a stone is not really needed. just to clarify that a ceramic honing rod is a lot more effective than a metal one.
#realcomment Thank you so much, Helen. I've taken your advice and am practicing with a King stone on paring knives. I notice that I am ending up with a blade that is slightly concave toward the handle so that when the edge of the knife is flat on a cutting board there is a small gap at that end. Any suggestions for how to avoid?
I have à few questions about your wonderful cooking. Where can I post thème ? From Belgium - Arlon - the city where is the oldest official synagogue of the country.
(Synagogue built in 1863). I tried to cook broccoli. In order to keep thème very green, added some « bicarbonate «, as for green beans. It ended Sutherland a good taste, but looked awfawl, did disappear in my beachamel ( 1/2 cooking juice, 1/2 milk + cream). Was Good tassting but looked « yeurky/soup-like « Could you please help ? Tks in advance.
Here is my guide that you may or may not like. don't worry about angles too much. dont worry about stones and grit too much. just start with a coarser grit. match angel best you can by eye and feel. move to a finer grit. BOOM. you have just sharpened your knife. It is seriously that easy. Experience helps more than information. I have sharpened knives and axes to a razor sharp edge using a stone picked up from a creekbed. I am not saying Helen doesn't have good advice because she does. What I am saying is don't let the process intimidate you. If you are removing metal, most likely you are sharpening your blade. Unless you are taking a super steep angel but if you are using sight and feel you wont be doing that.
Can you sharpen ceramic knives. I have some new (as a gift) ceramic knives. I have not used them yet. I use stones to sharpen my other knives.Thank you. I love your videos.
It is stupidly hard to sharpen ceramic knives. If you want them sharpened, send them to a professional, get a diamond stone, or get a paper wheel on a bench grinder.
Love how she looks absolutely casual and all "girly" about it but is actually clearly very experienced and 2 minutes in the video there's sludge and grime everywhere, as it should =) Are you available ma'am? 😂
Hi Helen, Where can I get the flattening stone in ur video? It doesn't list it on ur description. All my flattening stone that I bought are no good, they are all became curve after only several use. Thank you
I've had mine for so long, I don't remember where I got it. It wasn't great, but I sanded it down. Check what Ryky on Burrfection youtube channel recommends
If you like stropping more than honing, go for it. For people who are good at it, I hear it's very effective. I got a strop recently and tried it and it didn't do much for me. That could be because the strop I got was not very good or because I didn't have any stropping experience (though I looked up how to do it).
I know most of the viewers wants a budget friendly solution, but at the same time they also want a user friendly solution. Here is my user friendly solution for beginners: *: You only need 1 stone, (1000 grit). *: The stone should be a Dry or splash and go type, so you don't have to wait 30 min to sharpen your knives every time. *: Use a ceramic stone that does not requires flattening, these would probably hold a life time. *: My Recommendation: Spyderco MEDIUM BenchStone (Made in USA). The Chinese water whetstones are messy and muddy that requires lots of efforts. I say go for it if you want to meditate. Go for good quality Dry/ splash and go whetstones for efficiency and ease of use.
#Comment Very nice job with this video. Do you have a recommendation for moderate cost knives. Perhaps u have already made a video on that. If so would love a link.
If you want a 20 degree knife, I'd get Victorinox: amzn.to/2pMopfF If you want a 15 degree knife, I'd get a Misen: www.misen.co/products/misen-chefs-knife Both are very affordable.
#realcomment The 8" Victorinox Chef's Knife is actually a 15º edge according to Victorinox's site: tinyurl.com/y9yyq6mq I've been using that model for over ten years and I love it!
#realcomment Great tutorial, Helen, i definitely learned some tips. I received a Misen set as a gift recently and I love the bread knife and paring knife. I find the chef knife to be a bit small for my taste, but it's still great for most chopping and slicing. Plus they are wicked sharp, right out of the box. I've had my Victorinox for about 12 years, and I still love it. I use it 95% of the time. It's well balanced, grippy, and fits the hand well. The blade is taller than the misen, and I find that makes it much more comfortable when chopping veggies, as your hand doesn't get in the way when using the back half of the blade. And at 35 bucks, it's a no brainer!
Bill Conley: Cutlery and More has developed a in-house line called Nexus. They are using a steel (BD1N) that I find to be outstanding in my now significantly more expensive Yaxell Dragon Fusion nakiri. I don't actually know anyone who has used the Nexus, but based on its steel, this knife could be a steal!! www.cutleryandmore.com/nexus-bd1n-stainless-steel/chefs-knife-p136825
#realcomment New to cooking and knife skills. My (inherited) knives have no maker's name. When sharpening a generic chef's knife, for example, what angle would one use? Thank you for your video series. They are very helpful!
#Real Comment Hi Helen, On ur video tips no 2, having a BURR on each side doesn't mean the knife is sharp. The question is how many times I should get a BURR on each side before I DE BURR? I create BURR on each side then DE BURR, then polish on 6K grit stone. The knife pass smoothly on thin paper test, yet it's not sharp when I cut raw fish. What is wrong with my sharpening process? Thank you, greatly appreciate it. God bless you 😀🙏👍
this stuff is hard to describe in words. a lot of it is feel and practice. quite possibly, there is nothing wrong with your knife, but if you want to cut fish for sashimi, you might want to use a one sided knife (that's what sushi chef's use). That being said, I am not good at sharpening one-sided knives, so I prefer at 15 degree 2 sided knife for raw fish. your slicing technique also makes a huge difference. you can't press down with raw fish. you need to glide the knife using the entire blade. Start at the heel and drag to the tip and ideally use a long enough knife to finish a slice in one stroke.
#RealComment - As a new subscriber to your channel, let me say I love it! Your passion, humor, knowledge and personality all come together to make learning fun! I am so glad you have found great success in your cooking school, your family and your life. You are an AMAZING individual. If I could make one suggestion, it would be this: sometimes your language is not always family appropriate. On the video before this one, you used the acronym WTF. I would hate to explain to my grandkids, who are learning to read, what this means. Please take this as constructive criticism from a real fan. I am so glad I found your channel, and other than the few slips in language, you thrill me with your professionalism. Keep up the GREAT work!
#RealComment - Hi Ms. Rennie! Thanks for answering my comment. You asked where WTF was in your video. It's on the video where you explained how to sharpen knives without a stone. At 5:36 into the video you were discussing AccuSharp, and stated you knew knife sharpening geeks were going to write you and complain about recommending AccuSharp. At that point of the video, a sample email comes up with the offensive acronym.Please believe me when I say I am a huge fan, and I don't want to tell you how to run your videos. But perhaps a less offensive wording would be nice for those of us who watch with family.Thanks!
Hmm, all your family needs to do is read the comment section of my channel :) Maybe instead of sweeping the three little letters under the rug, you can use this as an educational example to explain to your children that it's not an ok language to use when you disagree with someone. I am not addressing this profanity at my viewers. My viewers are addressing this profanity at me. If you are not comfortable with the fact that I am not ashamed to call them out on it, I understand. But I am who I am. And I don't adjust my beliefs, cooking methods, or language to suit other people's needs.
#reaIcomment I understand now, that you were calling out your viewers, and I'm in total agreement with you that it's not okay to use this language when disagreeing with someone. I love your spunk and that your not ashamed to call them out. I remain a great fan, and wish you all the best!
If you watch this (or any other manual stone sharpening video) and still want to do it, read no further. If you want to dispense with all the lore required to maintain the correct angle on the edge of the blade (which is a must!), just get a Lansky or one of the copycat devices that automatically maintains the correct angle. After battling with several manual stones for years, I acquired a $25 Lansky set and now have very sharp knives, with no skill set to maintain.
#realcomment I'm confused! I have been "pushing" the sharp end of the knife into the stone, but you are "pulling" the knife along the stone. Have I ruined my knives?
There are many ways to sharpen :) as long as you are happy with the results, it's all good. I am both pushing away from me and pulling it towards me, but I apply more pressure when the edge is not going into the stone. I got this tip from a Korin video. They suggest you do that so that you don't accidentally cut into the stone. Also, keep in mind that whatever you do to your knife (unless you chip it) can be repaired. Even small chips and be repaired, but that takes work and a coarse stone.
thanks for letting me know. so you have one? how do you like it? are they explicit about it on the packaging so that people know what degree to use for sharpening and honing?
@@helenrennie Unfortunately I don't have one. But when I was purchasing I did some research. I would say they put a lot of effort to advertising the 14 degree as I can see it on all their product descriptions and care instructions (e.g. www.wusthof.com/care-and-sharpening/using-a-steel). Eventually I went with Shun Classic, so I didn't get the chance to see the packaging.
#realcomment Good stuff with plenty of good solid information. I don't know if you've ever used a leather strop before, but if not. You may want to try using a leather strop (or an old leather belt also!) as the last step instead of a honing rod at the end. Just a suggestion, but great video nevertheless. Nice work.
First i love your videos. But it is no wonder that the normal folks don’t worry about sharpening a knife. I learned to b3come a musician years ago, just sharpening a knife seems more difficult. 🖖
A cheaper and more reliable way of keeping a Japanese Waterstone flat is to buy an expensive wet/dry paper at a hardware store for automotive parts store. These can either be used as a rough sharpening surface or to flatten a stone. To flatten your stone, first with the sandpaper completely, and put it on an extremely flat surface, such as a mirror. What side will adhere to the mirror. Then you can rub the stone face down on the sandpaper rough side. With minimum pressure, slowly flatten the stone by rubbing the stone on the sandpaper. Don’t overdo this stuff as it could wear away years off of the life of your sharpening stone. Wet/dry sandpaper is very cheap and very available. I use a mirror or plate glass, because the stay flat for their entire life. I like Japanese stones, because the cleanup afterwords is easy just rinse it off and store it.
Misen tells me I need a minimum of 3 stones. A 220 for repair, 1000 for sharpening, and 4-6000 for honing. But you only use a king stone here. Are they just trying to sell me their set or….? Lol
Using these guides are also not practical for the same reason mentioned. Not all knives are of the same thickness. And more importantly...if you're using whetstones...the factory angle is no longer important. What IS is keeping a constant angle...you develop a feel for the right angle. If keeping the factory angle IS important to you then DON'T use stones. Use an electric or pull-through...assuming your knives have a 10, 14, 15 or even 20 degree angles.
I'm really pleased with this! It works like a charm ruclips.net/user/postUgkxDcr-y2Pf6xdnrFHrSP7dl9kpKaCozcSQ Takes less time than my old electric sharpener because it can take more off the knife faster, and then it smooths out nicely with the finer grit polisher. I don't know how long it will last before the grit wears away, but I wouldn't mind having to replace it every once in a while.
It's not really a solution if you like rock chopping, but buying a knife with a straight profile (santoku,nakiri, chinese cleaver), makes sharpening so easy since it's a flat edge.
I couldn't agree more. the first knife I learned to sharpen has a straight profile. I don't really like santoku knives, but I got one to make learning to sharpen easier.
carrot0101
From what I’ve seen Santoku and Gyutou are a 30/70 bevel, not the most convenient.
@@bl6973 Bevels are 100% up to the individual maker. 50/50 Are far more common than 70/30 though
@@bl6973 Any American/European brand santokus and gyotos are 50/50. Even many western style Japanese knives are also 50/50 bevels. It's usually only the classic Wa style handled knives that tend to be significantly asymmetrical.
Out of all the sharpening videos I've tried watching, this is the only one that is truly beginner-friendly and easy to understand! Thank you very much!
the very best knife sharpening video series on the internet. very underrated.
I agree!
I could repeat my comment for each of your videos, but that’s impossible! Knowledge means nothing if you can’t communicate this knowledge to your audience. And you really have that ability to transfer the knowledge that you have !!! Thank you!
I honestly wish I would have run into this video a year ago when I decided to sharpen my own knives. I watched so many videos and made it high stress. I only did 3 knives You made this process so way less intimidating than how many RUclipsrs have. Simple, clearly explaining what you are doing (pressure, angle, etc). Yes it's a learning experience but some people make it into a task for masters only. Thank you! Now I'm ready for the rest of the set... And to redo the other 3.
You sharpen knives like a pro. I've been a woodworker for a lot of time and never seen a good explanation like yours. Nice and right technique. Congrats.
all this years i did it wrong!! although my daughter said "mom ur knives r sharp!!' wait till she try it what i learn from u!! thanks beautiful! : ) i will share ur precious vid. to her now,
One of the best sharpening videos I have seen. Simple and straightforward. I like how you are using the angle guides... very practical and simple. And I agree with your recommendation of the Korin videos!!!
As a side note, the very mechanic of that flattening stone is how we have been able to establish "true flat" and a reference for precision essentially down to the molecule. The channel "Machine Thinking" does a wonderful video on it called "The Origins of Precision". Rub side a with b, side b with c, and side a with c and you'll have true flatness across all sides. From true flatness we've derived all standardizations of measurement and thus modern mass-production. Fascinating stuff.
At the risk of sounding sexist, you know more
about sharpening then a lot of the men on here
making videos such as this. Very pleasant to
listen to and very articulate. And yes, I realize
this is four years ago but still spot on. Cheers!
I wanted to say about the same but was afraid of giving offense. She knows knives and how to sharpen them. Good to see women appreciating knives in much to same way as men. A thin-bladed slicer sharpened to burr-free perfection on a 6k stone will sure slice a 🍅!
HELEN DEAR, YOU HAVE MADE AN EXCELLENT VIDEO FOR THE AVERAGE HOME COOK.
IT IS SIMPLE TO FOLLOW AND EFFECTIVE. GOD BLESS YOU
Just found this vid..I've looked from masters to hammer handed..This is great,not over complicated...I'm an ole guy that just got my first stones,same one you have...On my second day and improving,although I did need a bandaid...Thanks,Bob
I got my first sharpening stone (exactly like what Helen is using here) five years ago. I can absolutely recommend it as a life transforming acquisition, it works incredibly well. It is very nice to have a really expensive high quality chef's knife, but tbh one of these stones will make any old knife cut like a razor blade. I know 'cos I got one nice chef's knife and also couple of other cheaper smaller knives. A few minutes of this treatment and even these are razor sharp. Nothing compares to a stone and after two or three goes to get the hang of it it becomes second nature. Never used an angle guide, hasn't mattered. As I say, life transforming, there is nothing like having really sharp knives in the kitchen. Go get one today, I say :)
The king KDS 1000/6000 is pretty much the same stone but bigger and more effective in harder steels.
My sone gave me for Christmas the King Stone and the angle widgets and I’ve just used the devices on my Henkel. I found it very relaxing. I’m still learning, but thank you Helen for getting me started.
Super helpful, thanks! I'm so glad to see a woman teaching knife sharpening 🥳
Wow, you are so perfect in teaching how to sharpen a knife...
I love this! I've been using a water stone for a few years, with relative success, but this definitely helps me get an even better edge! I enjoy the "zen" of the process!
You make it sound like it can be done by almost anybody. I think I could try it with my cheap knife and see what I can get. That way it would reassure me that I didn't ruin my better knife. Thank you
Watching all these sharpening videos getting ready for my Miyabi was overwhelming, your videos break things down in a non pretentious way and feel approachable, thank you
Commendable teaching skills, and insight. Thank you for making the intimidating into the inviting.
Commenting as I am going back and watching older videos. I really enjoy your content and explanations.
Great video, great teacher!! Thank you!!
Wow. Helen is so gifted at explaining technique. And how is she getting more beautiful over time ?
Wow..I love to cook and I have never figured out how to sharpen my knife well. Just bought another contraption today. I wish somebody would have compared that to learning to play an instrument before! I picked up guitar as a kid and transitioning between chords seemed insurmountable. Now I don't even think about it. I'm gonna sharpen every knife in my house until I don't think about it anymore! Thanks!
I'm so glad I found your channel. I'm learning so much and I love your teaching style.
Helen, one way to see if you are sharpening the whole edge evenly is to draw a 1/4 inch wide strip along the edge of both sides of the blade with a permanent marker. The new face of the edge becomes visible as you sharpen. You can clean the remaining ink from the knife with alcohol on a cloth or paper towel.
#realcomment Excellent job Helen, I love your videos. Several years ago, I switched from a whetstone to the Spyderco Sharpmaker. You can find them on Amazon for about $60. You hold the knife straight (the blade being vertical) and the stones are placed at an angle. Its easy to get an incredible edge with one of these.
Now I am so tempted to get another cooking toy :)
My first sharpening gizmo was the Sharpmaker. If I recall correctly, you could only put the stones in at 15 or 20 degrees, which was limiting. But what I really didn't like is that over time, the holes that held the stones got bigger/looser, so the angle wasn't consistent. I went to whetstones and never looked back!
I do believe the Sharpmaker was created for sharpening folding knives. I think the stones might feel too short for sharpening kitchen knives.
I use a sharpmaker for my collection of carry knives, and a stone for my kitchen knives.
It's a great tool for sure!
Just found your channel, best I’ve seen on knife maintenance. Love your accent, may I ask what is it’s origin.
It sounds like a Russian accent to me. (My family is from Ukraine.)
Another terrific video. Great for people who've never sharpened using a whetstone. Tips not mentioned elsewhere. Like starting with a smaller knife. Makes sense. And product reviews. Liked the angle guides to help beginners get the angle into muscle memory.
I would have also recommended a stone holder and maybe a plastic container...for when you use stones that aren't "splash and go".
In general this was a great primer! Like the diagrams you include too. Keep the videos coming! And the King combo stone was a great recommendation for the beginner. Is a stone I considered. As you said...it's a great stone fro some one not sure if they'll stick with using a whetstone...even though it is the best sharpening/polishing method. Just takes some practice.
Yes overwhelming information for beginners I’d not good. Video nice and simple.
Excellent video!!!
If the burr removal is still too difficult you could try a leather strop. I use an old leather belt, put one end in a vise (or a door jamb) then strop it like a barber.
The burr could come off in a fine metal thread or little particles depending on the steel composition.
Years of getting shaving sharp edges and watching other guys on you tube fail to explain sharpening. It took a woman to explain a common topic simply and correctly.
Excellent instructional video.
This. Was. Excellent. Only thing I may add is the use of a leather strop. Just to make it easier. Or better yet, a double side leather strop, one side with a polishing compound and the other plain leather. Just to ensure all the microburrs are gone. But of course that can be further down the line (along with a diamond flattening plate). The rabbit hole definitely goes deeper, but this guide is good for practically 100% of western cooking (sushi/sashimi chefs are a few who need a higher level of sharpness).
Helen, you have the best ever tutorials. I now have sharp knives thanks to you! Кажется, ты сказал, что ты русский. Я изучал русский язык пятьдесят семь лет назад в Государственном университете Сан-Диего. Я многое забыл. Для меня большая честь попытаться оставить комментарий на вашем родном языке.
Quality videos as always, well done and thank you!
wow! i must try yours! thanks helen : )
thanks a lot Helen. thanks for making it simple and understandable. 😀
Thank You, madam, I appreciate Your sharpening skills. Many greetings from the Czech Republic 😊 #realcomment
Something I have learned about tool maintanence is to practice on tools you aren't super ginger about. It is a lot less pressure to learn the basics on something you are confident you can replace before you move on to something really precious.
Great advise on this video and how to use the stone.
After watching your videos my Messermeister ceramic hone is in my shopping cart. But I ordered the black one instead of the white one. I already had the stones but you provided more insight into why my knives never got really sharp...I do not think I released pressure on the return stroke!
Sharpening with a stone is a very cool skill but I finally gave up on it after decades of trying to get it right and just went with a WorkSharp. Spent about 15 minutes getting the technique down, and then 30 minutes sharpening almost a dozen knives.
#realcomment Great advice; saved me from spending way too much for a sharpening rig.
Thank you so much for this video. It is on the mark! I shared with my son
Best video out there
Oh man, you're so awesome.
Fantastic video. Thank you.
This confirms that I'm no knife-sharpening geek. It was informative, however and showed me what to look for should I ever take my knives to a knife-sharpening vendor. If only my nephew lived closer- he's a chef and knife geek who earns a little extra on the side sharpening knives for other chefs.
Bernie Kida a knife sharpening vendor? The heck?
#realcomment Helen, I love you, you're the best! :) There is always plenty of great content in your videos and you always have reasonable tips. Thank you for everything you do!
Very simplified and unique
i just started to go in this deeper to be able to get razor sharp edges, well did not go very well so far, i tried it on 3 different days already, i got moderate results. last time i got quite okay with 1000 grit stone, tried with paper, than messed up with the 8000 one. i tried again with 1000 and got no better :) sooner or later it should work somehow
Thanks for the great video...I am more convinced than ever that purchasing my Chiefs Choice electric sharpener was the right move for me. Of course using the stone seems like it would be great therapy.
Once your proficient with freehand sharpening or using a decent sharpening system an electric sharpener will leave an edge that feels dull in comparison.
11:35 #realcomment
Kitchen scale allows you to see the pressure that we keep, how I was learning to sharpen, I checked from time to time how I keep the pressure (mechanical works better than digital - we want the indicator not to vibrate).
Great video
Burrfection has some videos on how to sharpen by feel which will works for any unknown angle. I always watch several videos on a subject and I learn from each. I enjoy your videos on all of your topics.I watched your link to the Korin video and it is also excellent.
I am a knitter, and a touch typist. I should do well.
It’s the best video!
A fun way to demonstrate pressure could be to put your stone on a kitchen scale and zero it then record the numbers while sharpening and see if there is an average weight while sharpening
How to stone sharpen a concave blade like a boning knife or hooked small knife?
Have you ever tried the coticule ?
Sharpening is a mark of courage
thank you so much 💕
#RealComment Dear Helen, I recently bought a chefs choice 464 20 degree knife sharpener by accident instead of their 463 15 degree angle sharpener. I was wondering if you had any insights on whether it would damage my knives to use this 20 degree sharpener. My knives are not expensive. Under 30 for each, by mercer culinary so I wouldnt mind mild changes I just dont want to ruin them.
your knives are 20 degrees, so a 20 degree sharpener is the right one to use.
A 20 degrees angle is thicker and stronger than a 15. Don’t worry if you sharpen at a 20 instead of a 15 or vice versa. If you sharpen at a 20 it will put a micro bevel on it. If you have a 20 degrees angle and sharpen at 15 degrees you will have to do more work as it won’t touch the direct edge.
#realcomment Excellent and comprehensive video on knife sharpening. I've been sharpening knives since I was a kid in the previous century, but I upped my game considerably when I moved to using water stones and the Japanese technique. Two points I would like to add. One, let the stone do the work and, as you said, don't freak out about the angle. You'll be successful at sharpening if you take your time and use gentle strokes; the stone will do the work. Two, after I hone a newly sharpened blade on the steel, I strop the knife on a piece of leather. For years, I used an old leather belt wiping the blade back and forth a few times. Stropping removes microscopic burrs and bits from the edge making it very smooth. A stropped, smooth blade will hold its edge for a very long time. Recently, I bought a stropping paddle that has leather on both sides and retired my old belt.
would you mind sending me an amazon link to your strop?
@@helenrennie www.amazon.com/Leather-strop-inch-paddle-compound/dp/B0793PPW73/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=leather+strop&qid=1560967804&s=gateway&sr=8-7
I am a big fan of stropping. While I find NOTHING wrong with your video, I use oil only on my stones and I always push the blade towards the edge. The "technique" I was told was to try and slice a thin layer of the stone. Do you know of any reasons for not doing it this way ?
@@LawlissLanterns Wouldn't the question be, what is gained by one direction only? Obviously, more material is being removed when moving the blade in two directions. I too, was always told to move it only in one.
love you hellen when you said ,,,push and ////
#realcomment thank you for the video!
I am passionate about sharpening my knives with stones, but I'm struggling to sharpen my boning knife. I just don't seem to get as good of a result when I sharpen my Wusthof classic 6 inch flexible boning knife when compared to my other knives. Boning knives also have that concavity next to the bolster which is a challenge.
Any tips?
I hone them on a ceramic rod, which provides very mild sharpening, but I don't sharpen boning knives on the stone for the exact reasons you mentioned. Because they don't normally hit the cutting board and because I use a boning knife way less than a chef's knife, I find that a stone is not really needed. just to clarify that a ceramic honing rod is a lot more effective than a metal one.
#realcomment Thank you so much, Helen. I've taken your advice and am practicing with a King stone on paring knives. I notice that I am ending up with a blade that is slightly concave toward the handle so that when the edge of the knife is flat on a cutting board there is a small gap at that end. Any suggestions for how to avoid?
I have à few questions about your wonderful cooking. Where can I post thème ?
From Belgium - Arlon - the city where is the oldest official synagogue of the country.
(Synagogue built in 1863).
I tried to cook broccoli. In order to keep thème very green, added some « bicarbonate «, as for green beans. It ended Sutherland a good taste, but looked awfawl, did disappear in my beachamel ( 1/2 cooking juice, 1/2 milk + cream). Was Good tassting but looked « yeurky/soup-like «
Could you please help ?
Tks in advance.
I never add anything to my water to keep veggies green. Just add plenty of salt to make them taste good and after blanching, shock in ice-cold water.
Here is my guide that you may or may not like. don't worry about angles too much. dont worry about stones and grit too much. just start with a coarser grit. match angel best you can by eye and feel. move to a finer grit. BOOM. you have just sharpened your knife. It is seriously that easy. Experience helps more than information. I have sharpened knives and axes to a razor sharp edge using a stone picked up from a creekbed.
I am not saying Helen doesn't have good advice because she does. What I am saying is don't let the process intimidate you. If you are removing metal, most likely you are sharpening your blade. Unless you are taking a super steep angel but if you are using sight and feel you wont be doing that.
Can you sharpen ceramic knives. I have some new (as a gift) ceramic knives. I have not used them yet. I use stones to sharpen my other knives.Thank you. I love your videos.
It is stupidly hard to sharpen ceramic knives. If you want them sharpened, send them to a professional, get a diamond stone, or get a paper wheel on a bench grinder.
Love how she looks absolutely casual and all "girly" about it but is actually clearly very experienced and 2 minutes in the video there's sludge and grime everywhere, as it should =)
Are you available ma'am? 😂
Hi Helen,
Where can I get the flattening stone in ur video? It doesn't list it on ur description.
All my flattening stone that I bought are no good, they are all became curve after only several use.
Thank you
I've had mine for so long, I don't remember where I got it. It wasn't great, but I sanded it down. Check what Ryky on Burrfection youtube channel recommends
No stropping?
If you like stropping more than honing, go for it. For people who are good at it, I hear it's very effective. I got a strop recently and tried it and it didn't do much for me. That could be because the strop I got was not very good or because I didn't have any stropping experience (though I looked up how to do it).
@@helenrennie I suppose what you are doing is good enough for kitchen knives.
I know most of the viewers wants a budget friendly solution, but at the same time they also want a user friendly solution.
Here is my user friendly solution for beginners:
*: You only need 1 stone, (1000 grit).
*: The stone should be a Dry or splash and go type, so you don't have to wait 30 min to sharpen your knives every time.
*: Use a ceramic stone that does not requires flattening, these would probably hold a life time.
*: My Recommendation: Spyderco MEDIUM BenchStone (Made in USA).
The Chinese water whetstones are messy and muddy that requires lots of efforts.
I say go for it if you want to meditate.
Go for good quality Dry/ splash and go whetstones for efficiency and ease of use.
My recommendation would be the Shapton Pro 1k
#Comment Very nice job with this video. Do you have a recommendation for moderate cost knives. Perhaps u have already made a video on that. If so would love a link.
If you want a 20 degree knife, I'd get Victorinox: amzn.to/2pMopfF If you want a 15 degree knife, I'd get a Misen: www.misen.co/products/misen-chefs-knife Both are very affordable.
#realcomment The 8" Victorinox Chef's Knife is actually a 15º edge according to Victorinox's site: tinyurl.com/y9yyq6mq
I've been using that model for over ten years and I love it!
#realcomment Great tutorial, Helen, i definitely learned some tips.
I received a Misen set as a gift recently and I love the bread knife and paring knife. I find the chef knife to be a bit small for my taste, but it's still great for most chopping and slicing. Plus they are wicked sharp, right out of the box.
I've had my Victorinox for about 12 years, and I still love it. I use it 95% of the time. It's well balanced, grippy, and fits the hand well. The blade is taller than the misen, and I find that makes it much more comfortable when chopping veggies, as your hand doesn't get in the way when using the back half of the blade. And at 35 bucks, it's a no brainer!
Bill Conley: Cutlery and More has developed a in-house line called Nexus. They are using a steel (BD1N) that I find to be outstanding in my now significantly more expensive Yaxell Dragon Fusion nakiri. I don't actually know anyone who has used the Nexus, but based on its steel, this knife could be a steal!! www.cutleryandmore.com/nexus-bd1n-stainless-steel/chefs-knife-p136825
great 👌
Price?
#realcomment New to cooking and knife skills. My (inherited) knives have no maker's name. When sharpening a generic chef's knife, for example, what angle would one use? Thank you for your video series. They are very helpful!
assuming those knives were sold in the US many years ago, they are probably 20 degrees
@@helenrennie Thank you for your quick and helpful reply.
#Real Comment
Hi Helen,
On ur video tips no 2, having a BURR on each side doesn't mean the knife is sharp. The question is how many times I should get a BURR on each side before I DE BURR?
I create BURR on each side then DE BURR, then polish on 6K grit stone. The knife pass smoothly on thin paper test, yet it's not sharp when I cut raw fish. What is wrong with my sharpening process?
Thank you, greatly appreciate it.
God bless you 😀🙏👍
this stuff is hard to describe in words. a lot of it is feel and practice. quite possibly, there is nothing wrong with your knife, but if you want to cut fish for sashimi, you might want to use a one sided knife (that's what sushi chef's use). That being said, I am not good at sharpening one-sided knives, so I prefer at 15 degree 2 sided knife for raw fish. your slicing technique also makes a huge difference. you can't press down with raw fish. you need to glide the knife using the entire blade. Start at the heel and drag to the tip and ideally use a long enough knife to finish a slice in one stroke.
@@helenrennie
#Real comment
Hi Helen, thank you for replying.
How many times I should create BURR on each side before I DE BURR?
THANK YOU
No need for an angle guide, increase the angle until the edge contacts the Stone, you can see and feel this
#RealComment - As a new subscriber to your channel, let me say I love it! Your passion, humor, knowledge and personality all come together to make learning fun! I am so glad you have found great success in your cooking school, your family and your life. You are an AMAZING individual. If I could make one suggestion, it would be this: sometimes your language is not always family appropriate. On the video before this one, you used the acronym WTF. I would hate to explain to my grandkids, who are learning to read, what this means. Please take this as constructive criticism from a real fan. I am so glad I found your channel, and other than the few slips in language, you thrill me with your professionalism. Keep up the GREAT work!
I don't recall this. can you tell me which specific video you are referring to?
#RealComment - Hi Ms. Rennie! Thanks for answering my comment. You asked where WTF was in your video. It's on the video where you explained how to sharpen knives without a stone. At 5:36 into the video you were discussing AccuSharp, and stated you knew knife sharpening geeks were going to write you and complain about recommending AccuSharp. At that point of the video, a sample email comes up with the offensive acronym.Please believe me when I say I am a huge fan, and I don't want to tell you how to run your videos. But perhaps a less offensive wording would be nice for those of us who watch with family.Thanks!
Hmm, all your family needs to do is read the comment section of my channel :) Maybe instead of sweeping the three little letters under the rug, you can use this as an educational example to explain to your children that it's not an ok language to use when you disagree with someone. I am not addressing this profanity at my viewers. My viewers are addressing this profanity at me. If you are not comfortable with the fact that I am not ashamed to call them out on it, I understand. But I am who I am. And I don't adjust my beliefs, cooking methods, or language to suit other people's needs.
#reaIcomment I understand now, that you were calling out your viewers, and I'm in total agreement with you that it's not okay to use this language when disagreeing with someone. I love your spunk and that your not ashamed to call them out. I remain a great fan, and wish you all the best!
If you watch this (or any other manual stone sharpening video) and still want to do it, read no further. If you want to dispense with all the lore required to maintain the correct angle on the edge of the blade (which is a must!), just get a Lansky or one of the copycat devices that automatically maintains the correct angle. After battling with several manual stones for years, I acquired a $25 Lansky set and now have very sharp knives, with no skill set to maintain.
I use the “ Wicked Edge “ knife sharpener. It’s a lot easier and faster than using a wet stone. And my knives are still shaving sharp.
Ceramic knives?
#realcomment I'm confused! I have been "pushing" the sharp end of the knife into the stone, but you are "pulling" the knife along the stone. Have I ruined my knives?
There are many ways to sharpen :) as long as you are happy with the results, it's all good. I am both pushing away from me and pulling it towards me, but I apply more pressure when the edge is not going into the stone. I got this tip from a Korin video. They suggest you do that so that you don't accidentally cut into the stone. Also, keep in mind that whatever you do to your knife (unless you chip it) can be repaired. Even small chips and be repaired, but that takes work and a coarse stone.
How to make tapica halva
Just a reminder, Wusthof changed their knives to 14 degrees a few years ago.
thanks for letting me know. so you have one? how do you like it? are they explicit about it on the packaging so that people know what degree to use for sharpening and honing?
@@helenrennie Unfortunately I don't have one. But when I was purchasing I did some research. I would say they put a lot of effort to advertising the 14 degree as I can see it on all their product descriptions and care instructions (e.g. www.wusthof.com/care-and-sharpening/using-a-steel). Eventually I went with Shun Classic, so I didn't get the chance to see the packaging.
great class one like 4 u
#realcomment Good stuff with plenty of good solid information. I don't know if you've ever used a leather strop before, but if not. You may want to try using a leather strop (or an old leather belt also!) as the last step instead of a honing rod at the end. Just a suggestion, but great video nevertheless. Nice work.
I hone by cutting a wine cork.
First i love your videos. But it is no wonder that the normal folks don’t worry about sharpening a knife. I learned to b3come a musician years ago, just sharpening a knife seems more difficult. 🖖
A cheaper and more reliable way of keeping a Japanese Waterstone flat is to buy an expensive wet/dry paper at a hardware store for automotive parts store. These can either be used as a rough sharpening surface or to flatten a stone. To flatten your stone, first with the sandpaper completely, and put it on an extremely flat surface, such as a mirror. What side will adhere to the mirror. Then you can rub the stone face down on the sandpaper rough side. With minimum pressure, slowly flatten the stone by rubbing the stone on the sandpaper. Don’t overdo this stuff as it could wear away years off of the life of your sharpening stone. Wet/dry sandpaper is very cheap and very available. I use a mirror or plate glass, because the stay flat for their entire life. I like Japanese stones, because the cleanup afterwords is easy just rinse it off and store it.
pulling chips or adding new tip is a prick of a job. Have to do it for friends and family all the time...
I use a big dish as a cutting bored because my mom thinks wood has Bactria and plastic is dangerous
Misen tells me I need a minimum of 3 stones. A 220 for repair, 1000 for sharpening, and 4-6000 for honing. But you only use a king stone here. Are they just trying to sell me their set or….? Lol
Using these guides are also not practical for the same reason mentioned. Not all knives are of the same thickness. And more importantly...if you're using whetstones...the factory angle is no longer important. What IS is keeping a constant angle...you develop a feel for the right angle.
If keeping the factory angle IS important to you then DON'T use stones. Use an electric or pull-through...assuming your knives have a 10, 14, 15 or even 20 degree angles.
I'm really pleased with this! It works like a charm ruclips.net/user/postUgkxDcr-y2Pf6xdnrFHrSP7dl9kpKaCozcSQ Takes less time than my old electric sharpener because it can take more off the knife faster, and then it smooths out nicely with the finer grit polisher. I don't know how long it will last before the grit wears away, but I wouldn't mind having to replace it every once in a while.
I'm late to the party, but it looks like you scratched the larger knife.
4:05
sharpening the tip is harder?
laughs in nakiri