How To Use A Sharpening Steel: 14 Steps (with Pictures) - WikiHow

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Terms of Use wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow How to Use a Sharpening Steel PDF download Download Article Co-authored by Ollie George Cigliano and Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: February 24, 2025 Approved

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  • Positioning Your Tools
    • |
  • Honing the Knife
    • |
  • Maintaining Your Knives
    • |
  • Video
    • |
  • Q&A
    • |
  • Warnings
    • |
  • Things You'll Need
|Show more |Show less ARTICLE VIDEO X

This article was co-authored by Ollie George Cigliano and by wikiHow staff writer, Jessica Gibson. Ollie George Cigliano is a Private Chef, Food Educator, and Owner of Ollie George Cooks, based in Long Beach, California. With over 20 years of experience, she specializes in utilizing fresh, fun ingredients and mixing traditional and innovative cooking techniques. Ollie George holds a BA in Comparative Literature from The University of California, Berkeley, and a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from eCornell University. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 100% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 300,564 times.

If you bought a set of knives, it probably came with a sharpening, or honing steel. Honing will keep your blades sharper for longer, especially since honing will not remove part of the metal blade as sharpening does. When you use the honing steel properly, you can actually push the blade of a knife back into the correct position. Hold the honing steel vertically and move the knife blade down at an angle. Maintain your sharp knives to prevent damage to the blades.

Steps

Part 1 Part 1 of 3:

Positioning Your Tools

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  1. Step 1 Hold the sharpening steel point-down on your work surface. 1 Hold the sharpening steel point-down on your work surface. Hold the handle of the honing steel in your non-dominant hand, so that it's protected by the guard at the top of the handle. Point the tip of the steel down onto a sturdy work surface. The honing steel should be completely vertical.[1]
    • The honing steel should be firmly pressed against the work surface so it won't slide when you begin honing the knife.
  2. Step 2 Position the steel at arm’s length in front of you. 2 Position the steel at arm’s length in front of you. To prevent injury, keep the honing steel arm's length in front of you. Even if the honing steel slips, it will be far enough from you to prevent the knife blade from cutting you.[2] Advertisement
  3. Step 3 Place the knife blade against the honing steel. 3 Place the knife blade against the honing steel. Take the knife you want to hone and press the bottom (heel) of it against the top of the steel. The blade should be near the handle and positioned as if you were going to cut into the honing steel.[3] [4]
  4. Step 4 Angle the knife at 15 to 20 degrees. 4 Angle the knife at 15 to 20 degrees. Tilt the knife so it's at a 15 to 20-degree angle. You can adjust the degree to a lower angle for a sharper edge, or a higher angle for a more durable one.
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Part 2 Part 2 of 3:

Honing the Knife

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  1. Step 1 Run the blade down the steel as you pull it toward you. 1 Run the blade down the steel as you pull it toward you. Smoothly bring the knife down and towards yourself on the honing steel. Keep the knife at the same angle as you move the knife. The tip of the knife should be at the base of the steel.[5] [6]
    • You only need to apply light pressure as you move the blade. You should also move the blade slowly to reduce the risk of cutting yourself.[7]
  2. Step 2 Run the other side of the knife down the steel. 2 Run the other side of the knife down the steel. Keep holding the honing steel vertically. To hone the other side of the knife, place the bottom (heel) of the blade on the other side of the steel near the top. Apply light pressure and bring the blade down the steel.[8] [9]
  3. Step 3 Hone each side of the knife blade 5 to 10 times. 3 Hone each side of the knife blade 5 to 10 times. Depending on how hard or dull your knife is, you'll need to run each side of the blade down the honing steel 5 to 10 times. You can either completely hone one side at a time or alternate them so long as you hone them the same number of times.[10] [11]
  4. Step 4 Wipe the blade clean with a soft cloth. 4 Wipe the blade clean with a soft cloth. Rinse the blade of the knife under running water and then dry the blade with a soft cloth. While honing shouldn't remove metal from the blade, microscopic metal filings might have come off the blade.
  5. Step 5 Test the sharpness of the knife. 5 Test the sharpness of the knife. If your knives still won't cut through paper after you've used the honing steel, they may be too dull, pitted, or nicked. You can either use a sharpening stone, electric knife sharpener, or have the knives professionally sharpened.[12]
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Part 3 Part 3 of 3:

Maintaining Your Knives

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  1. Step 1 Check the sharpness of your knives frequently. 1 Check the sharpness of your knives frequently. Determine which of your knives needs honing by holding up a piece of newspaper. Slice down through the paper with a knife. If the knife is sharp, it will easily and cleanly cut right through. If the knife is dull, it won't pass through the paper or it might tear it.[13]
  2. Step 2 Hone or sharpen your knives often. 2 Hone or sharpen your knives often. Hone the knives as soon as they begin to feel a little dull or resist cutting. If you cook frequently, you might need to hone several times a day. You should also sharpen your knives once honing no longer improves your knives. You may need to sharpen the knives only once or twice a year.
    • If you're cutting through something very hard, like a large cut of meat with bones, you might need to stop and hone the knife while you're cutting the meat.
  3. Step 3 Hand wash your knives to prevent damage to the blades. 3 Hand wash your knives to prevent damage to the blades. While many knives are sold as being dishwasher safe, never use the machine to wash your knives. Moisture can get into the handle and damage the knife. Instead, wash your knives in the sink and take care to avoid bumping the blade against other dishes.
  4. Step 4 Store the knives in a block or rack to protect the blades. 4 Store the knives in a block or rack to protect the blades. Consider storing your knives in a knife block or on a magnetic knife rack. It's important to store the knives in a way that prevents the blades from knocking into other utensils. Protect the blades to keep the knives sharp.
  5. Step 5 Use your knife on wood or plastic surfaces. 5 Use your knife on wood or plastic surfaces. Avoid using cutting boards or counters made of stone, glass, or tile. Cutting on these surfaces will dull your knife blades quickly. Instead, only cut on wood or plastic surfaces.[14]
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Community Q&A

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  • Question What is the lifespan of stainless steel? Community Answer Community Answer If properly cared for, quality stainless steel knives can last over 100 years. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 4 Helpful 11
  • Question How should I care for honing steel? Community Answer Community Answer Clean it with hot water and wipe it with a light coat of cooking oil. If it gets rusty, wrap it with a piece of sandpaper and drag it back and forth through the sandpaper from tip to handle until clean. If you use 400-600 grit sandpaper, it can hone your knives better than new. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 12 Helpful 17
  • Question Will using a higher grit sandpaper on a honing steel improve its ability to hone an edge? Michele Michele Top Answerer No, and some honing steel don't have flat surfaces, so can't be sanded. A steel should never need to be sanded or fixed in any way. Its only purpose is to straighten the "curl" that happens to sharp blades after use to prolong the life of the blade. For that, the bottom of a ceramic bowl or cup would do as well. Remember, it is not meant to sharpen, but to maintain a blade's edge. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 13 Helpful 14
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Tips

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Warnings

  • Avoid honing serrated knives because these require a lot of skill to hone or sharpen. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
  • Always use caution when handling dull or sharp knives. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
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Things You'll Need

  • Knives
  • Honing steel
  • Soft cloth
  • Paper

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References

  1. ↑ https://www.cooksillustrated.com/articles/276-how-to-use-a-sharpening-steel#
  2. ↑ http://chefdepot.net/knifesharpening2.htm
  3. ↑ Ollie George Cigliano. Private Chef & Food Educator. Expert Interview
  4. ↑ http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/04/knife-skills-how-to-hone-a-dull-knife.html
  5. ↑ Ollie George Cigliano. Private Chef & Food Educator. Expert Interview
  6. ↑ http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/04/knife-skills-how-to-hone-a-dull-knife.html
  7. ↑ Ollie George Cigliano. Private Chef & Food Educator. Expert Interview
  8. ↑ Ollie George Cigliano. Private Chef & Food Educator. Expert Interview
  9. ↑ https://www.cooksillustrated.com/articles/276-how-to-use-a-sharpening-steel#
More References (5)
  1. ↑ Ollie George Cigliano. Private Chef & Food Educator. Expert Interview
  2. ↑ https://www.cooksillustrated.com/articles/276-how-to-use-a-sharpening-steel#
  3. ↑ https://www.cooksillustrated.com/articles/276-how-to-use-a-sharpening-steel#
  4. ↑ https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/10751-knife-tune-up-how-to-use-a-honing-steel
  5. ↑ http://kitchenknifeguru.com/

About This Article

Ollie George Cigliano Co-authored by: Ollie George Cigliano Private Chef & Food Educator This article was co-authored by Ollie George Cigliano and by wikiHow staff writer, Jessica Gibson. Ollie George Cigliano is a Private Chef, Food Educator, and Owner of Ollie George Cooks, based in Long Beach, California. With over 20 years of experience, she specializes in utilizing fresh, fun ingredients and mixing traditional and innovative cooking techniques. Ollie George holds a BA in Comparative Literature from The University of California, Berkeley, and a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from eCornell University. This article has been viewed 300,564 times. 2 votes - 100% Co-authors: 14 Updated: February 24, 2025 Views: 300,564 Categories: Featured Articles | Cooking Knives and Blades Article SummaryX

To use a sharpening steel, start by holding it point-down on a flat surface so it's at arm's length in front of you. Then, take the knife you want to sharpen and place the blade against the sharpening steel. Tilt the knife so it's at a 15-20 degree angle to the steel. When you're ready, run the blade down the steel as you pull it toward yourself. Do this 5-10 times before turning the knife over and repeating on the other side of the blade. To learn how to maintain your knives after you sharpen them, scroll down! Did this summary help you?YesNo

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Reader Success Stories

  • Sandra Armstrong

    Sandra Armstrong

    Dec 30, 2016

    "I have an Emeril knife set, and didn't use but a few knives because I didn't know what to use them for. ..." more
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Did this article help you?

Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Ollie George Cigliano Co-authored by: Ollie George Cigliano Private Chef & Food Educator Co-authors: 14 Updated: February 24, 2025 Views: 300,564 100% of readers found this article helpful. 2 votes - 100% Click a star to add your vote Sandra Armstrong

Sandra Armstrong

Dec 30, 2016

"I have an Emeril knife set, and didn't use but a few knives because I didn't know what to use them for. ..." more Donnie Calvert

Donnie Calvert

Nov 12, 2017

"I have owned the steel honing tool for 10 years or so, it came with the Farberware block of knives. I never knew..." more Z. Gao

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Jul 16, 2017

"It's a great explanation for everyone, even the person who has bad communication in English. The picture is..." more Rated this article: Terry Crawford

Terry Crawford

Apr 14, 2017

"I was sharping my knife with a steel the way my dad and grandfather showed me, but I'm looking for a better..." more Bernie Baake

Bernie Baake

Mar 18, 2017

"Already knew how to use the sharpening steel, but was unsure how to clean it." Rated this article: Share yours! More success stories Hide success stories

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