Line cook at the deli counter changed how I sharpen knives

I've been sharpening my chef's knife on a whetstone for like 8 years. Always did the same angle, same strokes. Then this kid at the deli counter, must be 19, sees me working on my edge and says "you're taking off way too much metal there." I laughed it off. But he showed me his knife and it was scary sharp with almost no visible wear. He only does a few light passes, stops when the burr forms, then goes straight to a strop. So I tried it this week with my old 8 inch Wusthof. Took way less time and honestly the edge felt better for slicing tomatoes. Anyone else get humbled by a young cook showing you something basic you missed?

2 comments

2 Comments

willow_morgan26d ago

Gotta admit I was the same way for years. I always thought you needed to grind away at that stone for a while to get a real edge, like you were really working the metal. Then a buddy who does sushi showed me his light touch method and I felt pretty dumb. He basically just tickles the blade a few times and gets it sharper than anything I ever managed. Now I barely put any pressure and stop way sooner, and my knives last longer between sharpenings. It's wild how the simple way is often the best way and we just overcomplicate things.

theasmith26d ago

Right there with you. I used to go at my knives like I was trying to punish the stone until a chef buddy showed me his featherlight technique and I realized I'd been doing it all wrong for years.