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most high-quality forged blades) useless Second, even the best models provide only an adequate edge If you don’t mind replacing your knives every few years and are happy with the edge an electric sharpener gives you, this is an option But there are much better choices Method 2: Take It to a Professional Provided you have a good knife sharpener nearby and are willing to pay to have the service performed, this is a good option But if you sharpen your blades a dozen or so times a year, as I do, this can get quite expensive And all but the best pros use a grinding stone, which will take away much more material than is necessary from your blade, reducing its lifespan Want to forge a stronger relationship with your blade? Choose the next option Method 3: Use a Sharpening Stone The best method by far Not only will it give you the best edge, but it will also remove the least amount of material Additionally—and I’m not kidding about the importance of this one—the act of sharpening your own knife will help you create a much stronger bond with your blade, and a knife that is treated respectfully will behave much better You won’t believe the difference a sharp knife can makes in your cooking Stones are designed to either be lubricated with oil or with water I prefer water stones Shopping and Maintenance When buying a water stone, look for a large one, at least 2½ inches wide and inches long and an inch thick Stones come in various grit sizes, ranging from around 100 up to 10,000+ The lower the number, the coarser the grit, and the more material it will take off your knife The higher the grit, the sharper the edge you will get, but the more strokes it will take to get you there I recommend keeping two stones in your kit: one with a medium grit (around 800 or so) to perform major sharpening jobs and one with a fine grit (at least 2,000) to tune the edge to a razor-sharp finish For real pros, a stone with an ultrafine grit (8,000 and above) will leave a mirror-like finish on your blade, but most cooks won’t notice the difference in terms of cutting ability If you only have the budget or space for a single stone, I’d recommend one with a grit between 1,000 and 1,200 Two-sided stones are also available (coarse and fine grit), but these are usually of inferior quality You will also need a stone fixer to repair any unevenness in the surface of your sharpening stones I’ve yet to go farther down the rabbit hole to purchase a stone-fixer fixer Both stones and fixers are available through Amazon.com Carefully dry your stone after each use, and store it wrapped in a kitchen towel in a dry, grease-free environment Oil can soak into the porous material, ruining its sharpening ability (and your chances of ... 100 up to 10,000+ The lower the number, the coarser the grit, and the more material it will take off your knife The higher the grit, the sharper the edge you will get, but the more strokes it... will take to get you there I recommend keeping two stones in your kit: one with a medium grit (around 800 or so) to perform major sharpening jobs and one with a fine grit (at least 2,000) to tune the edge to a razor-sharp finish... available (coarse and fine grit), but these are usually of inferior quality You will also need a stone fixer to repair any unevenness in the surface of your sharpening stones I’ve yet to go farther down