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Korin Knife Collection
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Japanese
chefs consider sharpening a crucial step in preparing fine cuisine.
Many sushi chefs sharpen their precious knives at the end of
each work day. Edge life versus ease of sharpening - it is up
to you to balance these considerations and choose an appropriate
knife. However, you should choose a knife that matches your
level of sharpening experience and meets your demands in terms
of use. If you are inexperienced with Japanese knives and water
stones, try to choose a knife that is easier for you to sharpen |
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Why so much sharpening?
Japanese knives must be continually worked
against a water stone to become the knives they were intended
to be. As you train your knife against the stone, you begin to
personalize the edge to your specific needs and sharpening style.
With practice and good technique your knife should become sharper
than it was in its original condition. |
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 When
should I sharpen?
Ideally, you should sharpen while your
knife is still relatively sharp. In this case the knife will
only need five or ten minutes against the stone to sharpen.
If you put off sharpening until the knife is truly dull, then
you will need to spend significantly more time to sharpen. You
should be prepared to sharpen Western-style knives every two
to three days during average professional use.
Choosing Synthetic Water Stones
When you purchase Japanese knives you
should also purchase a minimum of one medium (800-1200 grit)
water stone. You can use this stone for minor edge repair, but
the medium stone is essential for establishing an edge and for
bringing up the even burr necessary for sharpening. If you’re
experienced with sharpening Japanese knives, then a fine (5000
+ grit) water stone is also a wise purchase. The fine stone
will remove surface scratches created by the abrasive action
of the medium stone and create a "mirror-finish" which
is highly prized by Japanese and Western chefs alike. We do
not recommend the coarse grit (arato) stone for inexperienced
users because improper use can seriously damage the blade. |
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Ceramic and Diamond Water Stones
Ceramic stones are becoming popular
with professionals. They require less maintenance and need only
a bit of water sprayed on the surface. This makes them convenient
to use in a busy kitchen. Diamond stones allow very quick sharpening
but we do not recommend them for inexperienced users. They are
abrasive and can remove a large amount of material from knives.
Natural Sharpening Stones
In Japan, there is a market for natural
sharpening stones geared toward high level craftsmen and woodworkers.
These stones must be carefully selected, hand quarried, hand
cut, and hand polished, which often makes them extremely expensive.
These stones are sometimes well suited for sharpening traditional
knives, but they are inconsistent in terms of size, shape and
sharpening suitability. Korin carries a variety of natural stones
and can recommend a stone to match a particular knife. However,
we do not recommend natural stones for inexperienced users. |
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 Knife
Sharpening
1. Soak stone in
water before use about 10 minutes until bubbles stop.
(This is unnecessary with some ceramic stones.)
2. Put stone on wet cloth or base to stabilize while sharpening.
3. Hold knife as pictured. Index finger rests on spine and thumb
on flat of blade, and three remaining fingers grasp handle.
4. Start with knife tip. Use two or three fingers of left hand
to press edge of blade to stone.
5. Keep a firm grip on the knife, with shoulders square to the
stone and upper body relaxed. Press edge of blade to stone and
push along stone, exerting pressure as you move forward and releasing
pressure as you return blade to starting position.
6. Repeat this procedure, pressing the edge closely to the stone
and sharpening a bit of the edge at a time until you feel a slight,
even burr along the entire edge.
7. Once you have a burr, reverse the blade. Start with the tip.
Exert more pressure on the downward stroke and remove burr, or
establish a double-sided edge if desired. |
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 Japanese-Style
Knives
Yanagi, Takobiki, Usuba, Kamagata
Usuba, Deba Knives
Be extra careful when sharpening
to maintain the sharpest edge shape possible.
1. Sharpen the entire cutting edge until there is a slight and
even burr on the reverse side.
2. Place the blade perpendicular to and flat against the stone.
Remove the burr with your middle and index finger gently pressing
the edge to the stone and your thumb gently pressing the spine.
Pressing both sides of the blade preserves the slightly concave
shape of the reverse side of the blade and helps make future
sharpening possible. Think of the motion as if you are "pushing"
water off the stone.
3. Flip the blade over again and sharpen the shinogi line by
moving your fingers away from the edge and pressing just below
the middle of the blade. For optimum performance, it is very
important to preserve the original shinogi line.
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 Western-Style
Knives
1. Note the angle of
knife to stone while sharpening.
2. Angle the knife to establish the cutting edge. A 10º-20º
angle is suggested.
A smaller angle will make a sharper, but weaker cutting edge.
You can use two pennies to gauge an approximately 12º angle.
Use this trick to help measure a consistent angle until you feel
confident in sharpening. |
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 Incorrect
Sharpening
Never sharpen the
blade flat against the stone. This will scratch the surface of
the knife and will result in a very weak edge. This is a common
cause of chipping and breakage with Japanese knives. |
 To
learn more hand sharpneing techniques, watch The
Chef's Edge or let
our resident knife sharpening master, Chiahru Sugai, sharpen your
knives. |
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