A rough guide
- Home cooks: most kitchen knives benefit from a professional sharpen every 3–6 months
- Keen home cooks who cook every day: every 2–3 months
- Restaurants, cafes and commercial kitchens: often every few weeks
- Butchers and boning rooms: knives are worked hard every day and need regular sharpening, with steeling throughout the shift
Honing vs sharpening
Honing (using a steel or honing rod) straightens an edge that has rolled over with use. It doesn't remove much metal and it's something you can do every time you cook.
Sharpening removes a small amount of metal to form a completely new edge. Once honing no longer brings the knife back, it needs sharpening. Regular honing means you'll need sharpening less often.
Signs your knife needs sharpening
- It squashes tomatoes instead of slicing them
- It slides off onion or capsicum skin
- You're pushing harder than you used to
- It tears paper rather than cutting it cleanly
- There are visible chips, flat spots or a rolled edge
What shortens the life of an edge
- Glass, stone or metal chopping boards — use wood or plastic
- Dishwashers — wash and dry knives by hand
- Storing knives loose in a drawer
- Using a kitchen knife to open tins, packets or cut bone it wasn't made for
- Pull-through and electric home sharpeners that remove too much metal at the wrong angle
Professional sharpening at Xtra Sharp
Every knife is sharpened using water-cooled equipment that protects the steel's temper from heat damage, giving a clean, strong edge. Knife sharpening starts from $6 for small paring knives, $10 for standard kitchen and butcher knives and $15 for large knives. Drop-off is by appointment in Campbelltown NSW, or you can post knives in from anywhere in Australia.