Free-Hand Technique

• Rub your blade against the coarse side of a double-sided bench stone. A burr should begin developing on the edge of the blade. Once you reach the desired sharpness, turn the blade over and rub the same amount of time. Getting the blade to the proper angle while rubbing takes practice but gets easier with experience. Use long, sweeping, back-and-forth strokes, or use a smooth circular motion. Once there are burrs on both sides of the blade, use the fine side of the sharpening stone to remove them. This time, use alternating strokes between sides until the blade's sharpness is satisfactory.
  
  

Use a Sharpening Guide

• A sharpening guide controls the angle of a blade in relation to the sharpening stone. There are different types of guides that might require slight modification from the general procedure. With a guide, novices can produce blades as sharp as an expert free-hand sharpener. Start with a sharpening stone rated between 300 and 360 grit. Set up the sharpening guide according to its instructions. Make sure the distance from the blade tip to the guide's pivot point is the same as from the pivot point to the blade's edge. Begin sliding the stone off of the blade's edge to raise a burr. Turn the blade over and slide the stone until you produce a second burr. Next, use a 600 grit stone and repeat the process to remove the burrs. The guide helps ensure a uniform stroke and even sharpening of both blade sides.
  
  

Using a Steel

• A steel is nothing more than a round file with teeth running long ways. Butchers and meat-packers use them for sharpening softer steel knives. For best results, use a steel at an angle of 10 degrees larger than the final honed edge. Hold the steel in a vertical position with your weak hand with the tip against the counter. Use light pressure with your strong hand to slice down on the steel, alternating sides of the blade. Continue this process until the blade sharpens.