Introduction
Kitchen knives are fairly durable no matter the pricing or the brand, but they are not impervious to damage. Damage to the tip of a chef's knife can occur through improper usage when cutting hard objects or from dropping the knife. However, instead of tossing the knife away after it has received considerable damage, one can repair it and return it to proper condition. This repair is easy and safe to do at home using affordable equipment obtainable from hardware stores and online retailers and a solid amount of effort.
Step 7 involves sharpening the knife. Please review the guide on how to sharpen knives.
BE MINDFUL: You are working with a knife and are at a higher risk of hurting yourself. Do not grind or wipe down the knife in a manner that puts you at an unnecessary risk of being hurt.
Tools
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Submerge the whetstone in a container of water for 15 minutes or as directed by the manufacturer.
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Align your palm with the back of the blade (the blunt side), and wipe down the blade with a towel.
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Remove the whetstone from the water container.
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Place whetstone on a wet rag with the 400 grit side facing up.
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Place the top side of the blade flat on the whetstone.
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Begin to grind down the top edge of the blade with a back-and-forth motion until reaching the sharpie line.
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Once you have shaved down the top of the blade, adjust the blade's position so only the tip is touching the whetstone.
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Shave down the tip of the blade and adjust the position of the blade frequently to follow the curve of the sharpie line.
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After reaching the sharpie line, flip the stone to the 1000 grit side and repeat steps 1 and 2 until the surface is smooth.
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Place the knife so the sharp edge is laying at a 15-20 degree angle on the whetstone.
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Begin to grind the blade back-and-forth by pushing and pulling with your hands until reaching the desired sharpness.
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Flip the blade over and repeat steps 1 and 2.
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Using dish soap and a sponge, clean the blade and rinse with water.
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Using a dish towel, wipe away the excess water and dry the blade.
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