When I was 12 my dad gave me my first pocket knife, and with it a lesson in knife safety: a sharp knife is a safe knife. As the holidays approach there will be a lot more knives around - in the kitchen prepping, and also out at the table ceremoniously carving our family feasts. Now is the time to prepare for a safe holiday season by sharpening your knives.
There's good reason surgeons use super sharp scalpels: they are easier to use, more accurate, and the cuts they create heal better. A dull knife requires more pressure: you push harder and are more likely to slip. A dull knife also tends to cut at an angle or require jabbing or stabbing, again causing slips. And while we don't want anyone cut, if you are cut by a dull blade it's likely to hurt more and heal more slowly than a sharp blade.
Aside from safety - which is by far our main concern - a sharp kitchen knife will also produce a more prettier product! After spending all that time finding your recipes, searching for the perfect ingredients, and sweating in the kitchen, don't we all want to serve (or be served) a lovely-to-look-at meal?
So how do you sharpen your knives? We've all seen the big show of someone running a knife blade across a textured wand on TV and in movies, but what is actually going on there? Is that sharpening? Is there a special method? That's actually a honing rod, and while it does assist in the sharpening process by smoothing out the edge of your blade, its not actually sharpening a dull blade.
The Best:
Visit a professional. Getting your knives sharpened professionally is the best method by far. And its not expensive! Typical pricing is under $10 and regular sharpening can extend the life of your knives by years. Cheap knives or expensive knives can all benefit from a professional sharpening. You can often find these services at stores that sell kitchen wares, or look out for a grinding truck driving around or parked (often near farmers markets or shops).
At Home:
If you can't make it to a professional, or for in-between trips to the sharpener, you can sharpen at home.
If you have sharpening stones, aka whetstones, great! Hold your knife at about a 20 degree angle and "slice" along the stone. Start with the rougher side of the stone and finish with the smoother side.
An easier option however is to get a knife sharpener. There are very highly rated, handheld options available for about $20. You just drag the knife through the sharpener a few times and there you go. You can use a handheld sharpener daily to keep your knives in top shape.
In a Pinch:
But if you don't have stones or a handheld sharpener, don't worry! You can actually use the bottom unglazed edge of a ceramic mug. Use the same technique as a sharpening stone, and then finish with a honing rod.
No matter how you celebrate, or what you plan to serve, have a happy and safe holiday season!
