[Sca-cooks] SHARPENING KNIVES {NOT QUITE A DICK}

[Gorgeous Muiredach]

>Being away for the weekend, I got to watch the Food channel.  One
>particular program talked about using the sharpening {honer?} tool each time
>you use your knife (s) and to have your knives sharpened by a professional
>every 6 months.  What is the opinions of the list?  How does one  *find*  a
>professional knife sharpener?

To say a knife needs sharpening every 6 months is like to say that a steak
takes 5 minutes on each side to cook.  It just ain't true.  There are *way*
too many variables.

Yes, use a steel to keep the edge true on your blade, use it often.

And don't bother with a professional sharpener.  Get yourself a good stone,
and a somewhat cheap knife, and learn how to sharpen your knives yourself
on that cheap knife.  Once you have the knack of keeping the knife at the
right angle, you can sharpen your own when you need to, which may be every
six months, or more, or less.

In the end, what you don't want is a dull knife.  THAT is a dangerous thing.

The following URL is at first glance a half decent "expose" on sharpening.

Gorgeous Muiredach the Odd
Clan of Odds
Shire of Forth Castle, Meridies
mka
Nicolas Steenhout
"You must deal with me as I think of myself" J. Hockenberry