SHARPENING AND CARE
FELIX knives are sharp and stay that way for a long time. Depending on how often it is used, the FELIX knives are sharp. Because only a sharp knife is a good knife. To keep it that way even after long use, you will find our selection of products for sharpening knives here. The FELIX SOLINGEN range includes selected whetstones, sharpening rods and sharpening steels as well as the popular HORL roll sharpeners. Naturally in different versions and designs. So when you order your knives, don't forget the necessary tools.
Sharpen knives like the pros? We'll show you how!
The sharpness of knife blades, even on high-quality products such as those from FELIX SOLINGEN, can diminish over time. Tip: You can recognize the quality of a knife by how long it stays sharp and whether it can be resharpened. Only first-class steel can be resharpened without any problems.
What is the difference between honing, grinding and sharpening a knife?
In general, terms such as honing, grinding and sharpening are used to describe the sharpening of knives. These terms are often used interchangeably, but strictly speaking they are clearly defined work steps. We briefly summarize these conceptual and technical differences in alphabetical order:
- Honing: The final step in the sharpening process of a knife (after grinding and polishing), which ensures the correct and final sharpness. In this step, the prepared sharpening angle is closed to form a uniform line. The finer and smoother the honing, the sharper the knife.
- Sharpening: Includes all activities to get a cutting edge sharp for its intended use. It is sharp when it can do what it is intended for. Sharpening on a stone means removing material. Deburring on a sharpening steel means straightening the burr.
- Grinding: Includes all activities to produce a cutting edge (the blade) or to get it sharp again for its intended use after losing its sharpness through use.
How do I determine whether a knife is sharp? Or: When is a blade blunt?
A blade is blunt when there is no trigger left - the thinner the better. However, if it is too thin, the blade can break or tip over.
Take care when working with, storing and maintaining knives. Knives must be sharp for maximum cutting performance. To prevent injury, never store your knife(s) unprotected in a drawer and keep them away from children. We recommend a FELIX knife block or a FELIX magnetic holder for storage.
Below we explain the correct steps for sharpening your knives with a whetstone, sharpening rod or sharpening steel.
The whetstone: How do I sharpen a knife with a whetstone?
To sharpen your knife with a whetstone, proceed as follows. Please note, however, that this method of sharpening is only suitable for knives sharpened on both sides with the same sharpening angle. In other words, knives with a saw/serrated edge cannot be sharpened properly on these whetstones.
Preparation:
Place the whetstone on a non-slip surface during sharpening. A damp kitchen towel or non-slip mat is suitable here.
Before sharpening the knife, the whetstone should be placed in a container of water for approx. 5-10 minutes. You can tell when the stone is optimally saturated with liquid when there are no more air bubbles. In order for the mixture of water and the rubbed whetstone surface to act as an abrasive, the stone must be repeatedly moistened.
Using the whetstone to sharpen the knife
- The coarser side of the stone is used first. Pull the knife blade back and forth across the entire surface of the stone at an angle of 15°, applying slight pressure across the cutting edge. Ensure that only sections of the knife edge are processed from the tip to the end. Continue working on one side of the blade until a fine burr is created.
- In the next step, switch to the other side of the blade and repeat the procedure described above. Carry out these steps several times if necessary. For a perfect surface finish and cutting performance of the knife, the processes can be repeated on the finer stone side.
- Finally, to remove the last burr, pull the knife blade towards you 2 to 3 times diagonally over the entire length of the cutting edge in one go.
- Finally, clean the knives carefully with hot water. Rinse the whetstone and remove the grinding compound. The stone should be completely dry before it is put back into the sharpener.
What to look out for?
The advantage is that the stone is finer, removes better and goes faster. However, you must pay attention to the angle and consider both sides with different grain sizes.
The sharpening rod
As an alternative to the whetstone, a sharpening rod can also be used to quickly restore the sharpness of a knife. We will briefly explain how to use it below.
Procedure:
- To sharpen, place the knife on the sharpening rod at an angle of 15°.
- Then pull the blade along the rod from top to bottom without applying too much pressure. The blade should be moved from the inside to the outside. This is the only way to ensure that the entire cutting surface is sharpened.
- Finally, remove the residue with a damp cloth.
Our recommendation: FELIX ceramic sharpening rods are ideal knife companions that also provide optimum hand protection with a built-in grip plate.
The sharpening steel
Sharpening knives with a sharpening steel is a classic method used by many professional chefs. The sharpening steel straightens the blade and removes burrs to restore optimum cutting ability.
Procedure
- Hold the sharpening steel about an arm's length away from your body.
- Then draw the knife vertically across the steel at an angle of approx. 20°. Run both sides of the knife 5 to 10 times alternately from the shaft to the tip over the entire length of the steel.
- After sharpening, please rinse the sharpening steel and the knife with clear water and dry.
We recommend FELIX diamond sharpening steels, which are particularly robust thanks to their diamond coating and solid stainless steel core.
Which sharpening tool for which knife?
Basically, it is always a personal preference as to which tool you can use. All knife types can be sharpened with the whetstone, sharpening rod and sharpening steel presented here. The exceptions here are:
Bread knives or knives with a saw or shaft - these cannot be resharpened with this knife. All knives in the Felix Miu series. These have been processed differently to the forged goods and should only be sharpened with a sharpening rod, as the material wears down more quickly with a stone.
How do I know if my knife is sharp again?
To test whether the knife is sharp again, you can proceed as follows:
Take a sheet of paper on tension and cut through the sheet with the knife. If you get a clean cut, you have done everything right.
Maintaining and cleaning knives
In addition to sharpening, the knives should of course also be maintained and cleaned. We only recommend cleaning by hand. Therefore, clean your knife regularly after use under hot water and dry it carefully. This way you will always have a knife that is ready for use!
Knives with wooden handles require special care. To ensure that you can enjoy these products for many years to come, you should dry the handles carefully after cleaning and rub them with FELIX linseed oil after prolonged use.
Note: Only use your knife for the type of food for which it was developed. Never use a knife as a can opener or screwdriver, for example, and use soft materials, such as our wooden boards, as a cutting surface.