A high-quality knife, sharpened twice a year, will last a lifetime. But those so-called sharpening steels that you rub up and down the blade aren’t enough. They don’t really sharpen; they just align the blade edge. To do the job right, you’ll need a
dual-sided sharpening stone (available at any kitchen specialty store).

1  Soak your stone in water to prevent friction damage to your knife.

2  Hold the knife in your right hand, sharp edge facing left, with your thumb on the heel and your index finger on the spine. Place the tip of the knife at the bottom-right corner of the stone and point the blade 30 degrees to the left. Raise the spine to a 20-degree angle. Apply medium pressure with the middle three fingers of your left hand over the blade’s edge.

3  Move the blade until the heel reaches the upper-left corner, then release the pressure and pull the blade back. “Move the knife with your arm instead of your hand and you’ll end up with a sharper edge,” says David Adamovich, a champion knife thrower. Repeat five times.

4  Turn the knife around, reverse your thumb and finger positions, and use the same technique on the other side of the blade. Repeat five times.

5  Flip the stone and repeat the process on the finer grit.

6  Clean the knife before using it. Rinse the stone and let it air-dry.

Illustration: Jason Lee

Sharpen Your Edge

Simplify prep work with these 3 knives

From the editors of Men’s Health Living

The design and craftsmanship behind a blade can change your outlook on prepping even the simplest of meals. “The right knife makes prep work fun,” says Marcus Samuelsson, executive chef at the New York City restaurant Aquavit. “And either you have fun in the kitchen or you don’t cook at all.” An essential kit requires only three knives. Here’s a guide to what you need and how to use it.

 1 THE CHEF’S KNIFE OR SANTOKU

WE LIKE Masahiro 7", ($100, metrokitchen.com)
This culinary workhorse is the centerpiece of your quiver. Consider it an investment: Spend more for quality, and invest the time to maintain it. To decide between a chef’s knife and santoku, see the opposite page.

THE GRIP Hold the bolster—where the blade meets the handle—with your thumb and forefinger, and wrap your other fingers around the handle. This grip helps you gain greater control and is how the pros chop.

THE TECHNIQUES
Chopping parsley or cilantro
1  Gather the herbs into a ball.
2  Slide the top half of the knife through the herbs.
3  Keeping the tip of the knife planted on the cutting board with your opposite hand, rock the blade up and down through the herbs.

Mincing an onion
1  Halve the onion vertically through the center of the root. Lay both halves flat on the cutting board.
2  Through each onion half, make two to three cuts parallel to the cutting board, stopping just before you cut through completely.
3  Make four or five perpendicular cuts through the onion.
4  To complete the job, plant the knife on the cutting board and rock the blade up and down, chopping the onion into tiny pieces.

  2  THE BREAD KNIFE

WE LIKEHenckels International, ($10, amazon.com)
Don’t splurge on this workmanlike blade—the serrations will keep their sharpness for years, because they’re not being slammed into a cutting surface the way a chef’s knife is.

THE GRIP Hold the knife halfway up the handle. Use a closed fist for better leverage.

THE TECHNIQUES
Slicing bread, tomatoes, or hard-to-cut fruits like lemons
The serrations on this knife can help you slice through anything with a thick or slippery skin without decimating the insides. Beginners often try to muscle the knife. Instead, let the blade do the work by using long, smooth strokes.