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.jpg "Aiguiser un couteau japonais")
Japanese knives are prized for their remarkable sharpness and superior blade quality! To preserve their effectiveness and extend their life, it's essential to know how to sharpen them properly. Here are KnifeLeader's top tips for sharpening your Japanese knives like a real pro!
Which tool should I use to sharpen a Japanese knife?
Before you start sharpening your Japanese knife, it's crucial to understand its cutting edge. Unlike Western knives, Japanese knives are often sharpened at a much sharper angle, generally 15° (30° cumulative), whereas Western knives are 18° to 20°. It's the sharpness of this angle that ensures a high-quality cutting edge!
To sharpen a Japanese knife, you can use a sharpening steel adapted to your cutting edge, simply by adapting the angle to your kitchen knife. Note, however, that a sharpening steel does not sharpen, but sharpens (contrary to its name), so it's useless if your blade is dull.
We also advise against the use of manual or electric sharpeners on Japanese knives, as the angle of sharpening is not adapted to your knife and it will remove a lot of material from your blade. However, a Horl sharpener with an appropriate grain disc can be useful, thanks to its 15° angle!
We recommend using a sharpening stone for your Japanese kitchen knife! They're ideal for maintaining the sharpness of your knives easily (you just need to get the hang of it!) and without removing too much material.
Make sure you choose a stone with the right grain size for the condition of your blade. For regular maintenance, a medium- to fine-grain stone will do the trick, while for very dull blades, you'll need a coarse-grain stone to start with. Sharpening stones are versatile, as they can be used to repair a knife with a chip, a broken tip or to obtain a razor-sharp edge!
Steps to sharpening a Japanese knife
Start by soaking your sharpening stone in water for about 15 minutes. This will soften the surface of the stone and create the sharpening slurry needed for effective sharpening.
Step 1: Place the whetstone on its base, ensuring that the side closest to you is slightly raised. This will facilitate the flow of water and steel particles during sharpening.
Step 2: Hold your knife firmly, positioning the thumb and forefinger of the hand holding the handle on the blade for greater stability. The fingers of your other hand should be close to the edge to distribute pressure evenly during sharpening. For ease of use, use a sharpening guide to distribute finger pressure evenly.
Step 3: The ideal sharpening angle is generally 15°. Tip: you should be able to slip a coin between the back of the blade and the whetstone.
Step 4: Move back and forth, maintaining a constant sharpening angle. Apply slightly more pressure when pushing the knife than when pulling it towards you. Keep a container of water close at hand to keep the stone constantly moist. Tilt the handle slightly upwards to sharpen the blade tip effectively.
Step 5: Check the sharpness of the edge on the opposite side to the one you've just sharpened: if it's still rough, continue sharpening the other side. If not, continue sharpening until you obtain a rough edge.
Step 6: Sharpen the other side of the blade, again using back-and-forth strokes. This time, apply slightly more pressure as you bring the knife towards you, not as you push it.
Step 7: To finish sharpening, run a fine-sharpening steel along the blade. This will polish the edge for an optimum finish.
Now it's time to test your edge! To do this, use your Japanese knife on a sheet of paper: if you feel a snag, repeat the sharpening process to eliminate it.
Maintaining your Japanese knife and keeping a razor-sharp edge
To keep your Japanese knife in perfect condition, we recommend sharpening it regularly, depending on how often you use it and how hard it is.
You can sharpen it with a fine-sharpening whetstone from time to time, or with a very fine-grain whetstone. You can also use razor leather after sharpening, to remove steel particles and make your blade perfectly smooth.
By following these tips and using the right tools and technique, you can preserve the remarkable sharpness of your Japanese knife and enjoy its optimum performance over time!
Find all our sharpening accessories on KnifeLeader.eu!
