Various ways to sharpen a knife

To be one hundred percent sure to always have a perfectly sharpened knife at hand, we listed here for you several ways to sharpen your favourite blade.

Sharpening a blade using a honing rod

I bet most of you have already seen a honing rod: hanging on a butcher's wall or stored in your chef friend's drawer. It is a very practical steel rod. For efficient sharpening, it is important to apply the knife's blade on the tool (ideally on a wooden board) at an angle of 45°. Then move the knife forwards on the honing rod, sliding the whole length of the blade along the tool.

In order to do things by the book, you need to repeat the process, alternating both sides of the blade. Remember to wipe off the iron filings with a soft cloth.

A whetstone to sharpen your blade

First things first: place your whetstone in water for a few minutes
Natural whetstone must stay wet all through the sharpening process. If necessary, do not hesitate to wet it again while sharpening.
Put you blade on the stone at an angle of 20°, use your free hand to keep the whetstone in place while you sharpen.
Slide your kife back and forth to sharpen it, as efficient as it is easy.
And just like when using a sharpening rod, remember to wipe off the blade to get rid of the layer of iron filings.

Sharpen your knife with a matchbox

This is a slightly less conventional way of sharpening your knife. A mere matchbox suffices to keep your knife sharp. A word of caution though, if this technique is very useful when you're out hiking, it doesn't perfectly sharpen your knife and should only be used as a last resort.
To avoid having to use such a rough technique, you may want to keep with you a pocket sharpener, more convenient and traditional.
All these tips will be useful to those who need a sharp knife and who wish to keep their blades good as new.