Back to Sharpening
The most common questions I receive in my emails are about sharpening. The ultimate goal of the ‘sharpening process’ is, of course, to make the knife sharp. But beyond that, it’s about refining the edge for clean cuts and improved slicing performance. This process of ‘plus sharpening’ involves mastering the fundamentals.
Fundamental sharpening is the technique of honing exactly where you intend. Without a solid foundation in this, you might have the desire to sharpen a specific area, but you’ll find that the stone doesn’t quite hit the mark most of the time. The key is to start by making sure the intended spot meets the stone, and once that’s achieved, you can gradually shape it as you envision. I know it sounds a bit self-assured, but even I recently gained the ability to consistently hit my intended spot – a skill that took sacrificing several knives to master.
As a professional knife sharpener, I have the luxury of practicing on Aike’s knives or ones with minor flaws, but I understand the challenge for chefs. They can’t afford such extravagance, and they also have to consider the functionality of the knives for cooking. It’s quite a demanding task.
Though I’ve featured the Hamaguri edge in the ‘Suisin Special,’ it just occurred to me that I haven’t really delved into the fundamentals of sharpening. Back in 2007, I had this idea of creating a video about the basic sharpening techniques. I believe ‘sharpening in points rather than on surfaces’ is a fundamental concept, but I want to capture it in a more vivid way in the video. Ultimately, I’m even considering turning it into a DVD…
Despite being in the midst of my own learning journey, I’ve always wanted to demonstrate sharpening in front of everyone in a practical setting. No matter how exceptional a knife you own, if you can’t sharpen it, it’s a waste. I may not possess the knowledge, skills, and experience of a professional sharpener, but I want to share what I currently know.
Today marks the start of December! This year, I’ve decreased the frequency of updates for the ‘Suisin Special,’ which freed up time for other endeavors. I’m fully recharged and have a stockpile of ideas. December seems like it will be a month of preparation for diving into 2007. Exciting times ahead!
hibishugyo
- 2006-12-01
