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The Biggest Lie in Knife Sharpening

The Knife Guy

1,856 views

Stop using a honing steel to "sharpen your knives".

Many people confuse the function of a honing rod with actual grinding. Using the proper equipment to keep your knives razor sharp is very important and I'll go over my go to method to keep my own knives sharpen between regularly scheduled sharpening's.

I demonstrate the proper technique to maintain a consistent sharpening angle to keep your blade in good working order. Understanding these mechanics is essential for effective blade maintenance, ensuring you know exactly when it is time to move from the rod to a stone.

0:00 Intro
1:55 Factory Edge Under Microscope
2:25 Light Passes with Honing Steel
3:28 More Pressure using Honing Steel
4:02 Problems with a Honing Steel
5:00 Better Alternative

Subscribe for more sharpening tips and gear breakdowns. What is your go-to method for edge maintenance?

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10 Comments

@TheKnifeGuyReno Creator 20 hours ago Pinned

What’s your experience using a steel honing rod?

@sharpenrightservicesllc 2 hours ago

Nice work Vinny. I tell my customers the rod will not sharpen a dull knife. However it will keep it sharp longer between sharpening. I have a 10 point list of how to care for your knives. I give a copy to every customer. Do they abide by it? Not many. That just means they bring them back sooner to be sharpened.

@Levon-w7x 4 hours ago

In my experience there are 3 tips:
1. Keep the proper angle.
2. Use ceramic 1500 or 2000 grit.
3. Direction matters

@artotunkkari9684 7 hours ago

I prefer stropping over honing rod. Please make video about comparing strop and honing rod🙏

@Steel-on-Stone-CT 7 hours ago

Good video! Like always. My research and contemplation is that these things are not really available in the japanese knife and blade world. The Knife steel/hone in really a european steel/metal thing. the softer steels needed more frequent maintance, meanting several times during use.
A local butcher using basics F.Dick knifes told me, he "sharpens"/ re-aligns after 10 to 30 cuts or before every new meat section breakdown but the knife stays sharp for long periods (weeks) and they sharpen on pullthrough v notch . I simply dont get this. Their knifes are seriously sharp and glides through pork/beef skin like butter.

@LogisticallyMisrepresented 2 hours ago

Or don't use 3 dollar knives.
Clean your steel and you'll see it removed steel.

@soberbrent 19 hours ago

I use a polished honing rod while cutting fish. First hand experience it works. Don’t need a microscope to tell me my knife is sharper before and after when I can literally feel the difference in the cut. The steel I use is completely smooth. No groves no abrasive. I do edge leading with light pressure.

I sharpen on a modified 1x18 belt sander 18 degrees 120-600-1200-leather progression. Definitely no burr after sharpening. As I’m working and I feel the cuts getting harder I can do a few passes over the honing rod and it’s close to where it was after sharpening. I can go a couple of days of cutting fish without resharpening. Probably 400-600 fish. I do not like the steels with groves. I’ve tried ceramic and didn’t do any better than the plain steel.

@andrewschwenk8248 15 hours ago

A ruby rod works too. I prefer it over the ceramic but if you need lower grit diamond works good.

@mikeplatts2603 9 hours ago

I sharpen my knives twice a year and with a quick touch up on my ceramic rod after each use they stay like razors. Just a quick point I would not trust Mr Ramsay to tell me the correct time, all that waving about of a knife and steel rod is just show for the camera.

@JapiTreFin 9 hours ago

Biggest lie is this video. Of course it's getting duller if you hone it to wrong direction with steel. Try to hone it in same direction with steel and ceramic and make a new video.