How to sharpen like a Ninja

I hope that Ninja nerd chef dude nailed that apple! And not his elbow. We're not recommending this as a test of sharpness, but there are more practical ways.

But if you want to get something really sharp we have a few ideas. First, everyone has different opinions about the best way to sharpen a knife.

Our article on home sharpening gives you a look at some of ours. This article about edge/bevel angles may help too, although it's more fact :)

Your sharpening needs will vary depending on the knife; it's purpose and how well it is cared for. We got by with the Smith's TriHone shown above for years. But we seldom got knives really sharp.

Somewhat recently a bunch of sharpening kits similar to the one in the third picture started to show up. They are designed to hold a steady angle for you, and work quite well.

Either way, what's most important is to remember that all you're trying to do is create a flat, even bevel at the right angle. And to work slowly ... there's a good chance if you need a coarse stone you need us.

You'll see lots of different suggestions for how to do the actual honing and how to determine the correct angle. Our favorite is to draw the knife slowly forward on the stone like you are trying to take off the thinnest possible slice of it.

Remember the burr! The last effort in any great sharpening endeavor is to straighten out that ever-so-thin and ever-so-delicate bend in the edge. That is pretty much the point of the home sharpening article.

If you want to read an article by a true sharpening Ninja we recommend this one. In his four minute video he sharpens a knife then shaves his arm with it.

Of course he sharpens his kitchen knives at 20 degrees, so he takes really good care of them. There are also links to his numerous other articles on knife sharpening and care.