How I Sharpen My Knives - START TO FINISH

My ultimate guide to whetstone sharpening for chefs. Part of a series I'm hosting on making sure your knives stay sharp!
Gear covered: geni.us/chefkit
Mizuyama Sharpening Stone - #1000/#6000 grit - korininc.pxf.io/9WObO4
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👋My name is Justin Khanna. I spent 8 years training at Michelin-starred and critically acclaimed restaurants like Per Se, Grace, The French Laundry, noma, Frantzen and Lysverket.
I host a weekly podcast called The Repertoire Podcast geni.us/repertoirepodcast where I curate chef/restaurant/fine dining news. There, I also interview knife makers, authors, food critics, chefs, bartenders, farmers, entrepreneurs and thought leaders to discover insights that can improve your life.
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Justin Khanna
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[@tailoredsuits]

Thanks for saying watch the others first. I’m loving your videos !

[@utsavghosh6495]

Thank you for the video. I never understood the blade ratio concept and how it affected the sharpness,but thank you now I do!!!

[@charlesblithfield6182]

You make useful videos. Focused, without extraneous info, and well presented. Thanks!

[@justinkhanna]

Thanks Charles.

[@alma27ram]

Thank you 😊 working on my skills!

[@bitcheslikme]

I love the penny technique! Cool way to ensure you have the right angles. Def. gonna steal this technique

[@justinmielsch5936]

bigjeezus sharpie pen along the cutting edge works to

[@dh7139]

Excellent video, well done!!!

[@klingklang22]

Amazed.

[@quentinchichery]

great info!

[@jack7590]

can't wait till the next podcast!

[@jack7590]

I'm ready for it!

[@browniac]

Thanks for the video. My biggest take away was the higher in grit the lower the pressure and reps. I did not realize this but now it makes total sense. Would love to buy you a coffee sometime - I am always taking the ferry into Seattle from Bremerton. What’s your opinion on local culinary schools around the Seattle area?

[@jack7590]

i'm left handed, so I have to do some kitchen tasks the opposite of what other people do, it's so hard but somehow you made knife sharpening simple. Thanks justin

[@ivododig1240]

Great video as always (:

[@thinakhonesenmounnarath2456]

Have you tried using the shapton glass stones? They have made my knives wickedly sharp.

[@goldencoop]

Great video. Thoughts on the Edge Pro? I free handed for awhile and then switched to the edge pro which fixes the angles. Not so many options on stones but removes user error and I've been getting screaming sharp edges. also, love your videos

[@Stygos0123]

gerat series :) keep it coming soooo goood :) thanks

[@Stygos0123]

pretty good man :) im done with my apprenticeship and now work at germanys best japanese restaurant, which is really cool and i learn alot, but also kinda exhausting :D

[@Stygos0123]

Yes and its also a great team so working with friends is always fun

[@EduardoCastroJakkonoise]

a leather strop is a must for me!! 👌

[@Cobruh116]

burrfection on youtube aka ryky makes and sells the best ones and the prices are affordable compared tot he crap elsewhere online! and his vids on them are very informative!

[@STSGuitar16]

You are making some great, high quality content and should definitely get more views. I subscribed

[@johncipolla8335]

I want to learn to hone a straight razor for shaving. How can I start what grit whet stones do I need

[@timothylarson3583]

When using the pennies, how far from the edge are they? It can't be based on the spine, as chefs knifes and paring knifes would be at very different angles. The angle set up a porportional change rise verses run.

[@timothylarson3583]

@@justinkhanna When it comes to lowering the angle on paring knives I completely agree, I do this on filet and boning knives as well.

[@3681pokey]

My personal preference for sharpening stones are DMT Diamond, Norton 2 sided India or the Triple rotating stones, Masahiro 1000 & Kikuchi 6000 Japanese Water Stones, Spyderco Ceramics and the Hard Arkansas & Surgical Black Arkansas for finishing.

[@3681pokey]

I meant the Norton Tri-Stone, sorry..

[@johnkarraker4705]

I really like to finish with doing a stropping motion, i.e. only pushing on the blade side, only pulling on the other, like 10 strokes on the blade side in a row and then 10 pulls on the other side. Then go down to 8 strokes each side, then 6, then 4, then 2, then a few times of 1 on each side. It makes it so you don't have to run your knife on the wood to get the extra material off, and puts a little more finesse on the edge.

[@johnkarraker4705]

Justin Khanna you can strop on a stone, like 8000 grit, but you keep the same angle for sharpening, and you only push the blade side. Then just wipe clean With a rag!

[@leonelfinger8779]

what kind of oil does he use for the carbon knives? i didn´t quite understand that. and can i use any type of oil ? thanks for the amazing video!!

[@justinkhanna]

It's a camellia oil. Definitely make sure you clean your knives before cutting food if you don't use a blade-specific oil because oxidation can happen and taste gross. Wipe regardless, but it's a classic "oil & water don't mix" science behind rust prevention.

[@tito2928]

So if I have a 50-50 blade can I use 2 -pennies for both side?

[@kappablanca5192]

Victor Ortiz yes

[@tito2928]

Thibson’s Grievous thank you !!!

[@kappablanca5192]

Victor Ortiz no problem. Just make sure that the angle works for what your knife is cutting/how you use your knife. You might want to use more pennies if you’re rough on your knives.

[@binodbhandari4126]

Hi Justin, how normal is it to get micro chips smaller than 1mm in gyuto over 59 hardness level? And any advice on avoiding those chips would be great. Thanks in advance.

[@justinkhanna]

That might be an issue with your cutting technique or your cutting board, not necessarily with the knife. It can also depend on the edge and the grind on the knife because if it's super thin, that can be super common!

[@harrygray6902]

Which stone do you start with and the subsequent order

[@harrygray6902]

Cheers mate

[@ianbrown6860]

Thanks for the video! Just a quick question, if you’re using a 70/30 or 90/10, for example, would you then have to conduct day-to-day honing accordingly on your rod? So if I’ve got a 90/10 blade, when using a honing rod would I do 9 strokes on one side for every 1 on the other?

[@CJDAASSASSIN99]

Yes otherwise you would bend the metal back into the 50 /50 position. Homer just keep the blade straight. So if you home one direction to much it "bend" the blade.

[@foodie8790]

noooo... canada discontinued pennies lol but on a serious note whats your point on oil or water for the stone?

[@foodie8790]

how old is your stone?and what knife are you working on?

[@AndresLopez-lr2ht]

Where did you get those knifes specially? I’ve been on your page where you sell stuff and get a small percentage of commission however, I don’t see any of the Japanese style knives you seem to have in a few of your videos

[@justinkhanna]

All my kits are getting a bit of a revamp - there's a lot of gear I've covered and I wanna make sure it's up to date!

[@AndresLopez-lr2ht]

Justin Khanna but those knives are so pretty and I can’t find them anywhere🥺

[@mugflub]

It was a bit confusing when you kept saying “blade” when I’m pretty sure you meant “bevel”

[@justinkhanna]

True true!

[@shadyeskimo]

Did you mention a burr? Essential for knowing when to flip the knife.

[@kappablanca5192]

shadyeskimo i don’t think justin is using a burr-based method right here

[@khalidmkhan]

To me, you are the end all b all, compared to me! Great video! Thanks for uploading.

[@jasonboucher9393]

Hey Justin! New to your content, but I am currently in culinary school in Ottawa and find it very interesting and useful! Just wondering why most people don't switch hands when changing sides of the knife during sharpening. Is there any down side to changing hands ? or is it simply for comfort for people with a dominant hand? Let me know your thoughts!

[@Warhammer416]

jason boucher haha I'm from Ottawa too, currently living in Japan now. You should switch hands when doing the other side of the blade, it might feel uncomfortable at first but you will get used to it. Make sure to keep your blade at a 20 degree angle when making your passes and your stone completely straight. Hope that helps.

[@thelastneanderthal3171]

I use medical grade mineral oil after sharpening to protect the carbon blades on my cooking and skinning knives. It won’t oxidize and impact a stale taste on the food by the knives I use less often. Also, a spray bottle helps to keep the stone wet more evenly. For the novices out there, you need to purchase a special stone to flatten your sharpening stone from time to time. Remember, folks, a dull knife is a dangerous knife.

[@alifares658]

Damn that takeda tho.

[@Georg600]

What kind of oil is that??

[@ismellfunny67]

Tsubaki knife Oil(Camellia Oil)

[@p.s.andmore]

Got my stone today being sharpening all my knives which isn't meaning cuz I don't have but a few LOL

[@jeffp53090]

Can we call it a bevel instead of a blade?

[@justinkhanna]

Sure!

[@jerrinfla]

3 stacked pennies shows you your proper angle? But using that for a guide, wouldn't a knife that is 3" edge to spine be much different than a knife that I'd 3/4" from edge to spine?

[@JohnyPhate]

Sharpening 70/30 is also much easier than 50/50

[@malakiespsasdernun]

Wait, i thought you have to push material away from the edge, therefore when the spine faces you shouldnt you be pulling towards you and applying pressure rather than pushing away and applying pressure?

[@justinkhanna]

When the blade isn't "cutting into" the stone, that's when you apply pressure....it's risky to carve a chunk out of your stone if you do the other way.

[@malakiespsasdernun]

@@justinkhanna so basically the metal is pulled to the edge thereby creating the burr from both sides. Thanks for your videos btw, your content is great. Im not a chef but your vids are full of quality content!

[@BryceBower]

When and how do you remove the camellia oil when you are ready to use your knife since it is not edible?

[@justinkhanna]

Simple wipe with a cloth or sanitizer solution before prep begins.

[@BryceBower]

Justin Khanna thanks love your videos!

[@DeathBlossom385]

Korin has it the opposite way I believe the 30% side gets the 3 pennies and the 70% side gets the 2

[@Zureiyaa]

You don't need to change the angle for an asymmetrical bevel. It just means you sharpen the other side more than the other, resulting in an offset bevel.

[@DeathBlossom385]

@@Zureiyaa Vincent, the sharpener at Korin, informed me that it's both a different angle and ratio

[@Zureiyaa]

@@DeathBlossom385 he specifically said that you can't do the same angle? I think it can be done both ways. Either way, to your original comment I agree that at least it shouldn't be this way that the 30% side gets lower angle

[@ThomasShue]

Blade Face.. a front and back blade face or bevel. There is a single blade, and each bevel is called a blade face. The Mud from a stone is called Slurry. As to the amount of passes.. you want to Apex, or pass over the very tip/edge of a blade face. To Apex a blade face is to make passes, as many as it takes to create a Burr down the length not the blade on a single side of the knife. That isn't say you will feel the Burr on the opposite blade face that's touching the stone (once that full length Burr takes place, it is now properly Apexed). Flip the knife and Apex the opposite blade face. When both faces have been Apexed, move to a finer grit. Keep going until the grit is so fine you have polished away the Burr, or you can stop with a Burr still intact, and strop the knife to remove the Burr.

[@Michael-Hammerschmidt]

I had never heard of a mandolin before this video, so I guess not alll of your subscribers are culinarily litterate lol

[@Zachary_Sweis]

Is today the day that is today, today?

[@brandonnelson4164]

Using pennies is silly. It will change the angle based on the blade height.

[@mihir1997]

I’ve always thought this but because I’m a confirmed dunce I never wanted to vocalize it in case I was way wrong lol.

[@ultragio3983]

The pennies are just a method of introducing a beginner to angles. Once you've successfully sharpened knives with some basic muscle memory, ditch the pennies...

[@berthonavarogasali2059]

I'm pretty sure he did, mate... 😊

[@hugotendam5349]

I think the confusing part of this video was for me that I don't own single bevel blades and this video seems to focus a lot on this concept with the ratio's

[@Zureiyaa]

This is not for single-bevel sharpening, none of the knives in the video are single bevels. You don't need to worry about the ratios that much to be honest, not even the angle, just make sure that the angle stays consistent, that will be the single most determining factor.

[@hugotendam5349]

@@Zureiyaa when he talks for example about the mandolin (90/10) it only has a blade on one side. Isn't that the same as a 'single bevel'?

[@hugotendam5349]

@@Zureiyaa als referring to a 'blade side' means there is one side on the knife without a blade. Ergo, single bevel knife

[@hugotendam5349]

I thought most kitchen knives were always meant to be sharpened in a 50/50 ratio? Why would you divert from that?

[@justinkhanna]

You're able to get a finer (and thus sharper-feeling) edge on knives with an asymmetric bevel!

[@AntwonDaBusiness]

Edge bevel not blade side. And its edge roll not bur. If your edge is burring from cutting food...that is some gritty ass food haha.

[@AntwonDaBusiness]

your edges shouldn't be rolling from those tasks. i would recommend a softer cutting surface if you're rolling edges like that. additionally i would recommend a finer grain structured steel like the carbon 52100 or aogami super with higher Rockwell hardness. stainless steels with a higher Rockwell will roll and chip MUCH easier FYI because their grain structure is compromised by all the additives that make them stainless or abrasion resistant. Also, many "professional" stainless steel knives have a much lower rockwell so they DONT chip but rather roll....they are literally designed to roll rather than chip. think of it like this, straight carbon steels generally have a grain structure like a puree and stainless steels have a grain structure like minced garlic. make the investment into a stainless clad aogami super or 52100 knife. I own a bob kramer 52100 and all i have to do is strop it. my buddy owns a takeda which i recently sharpened for him and he rarely has to take it stones and if he does the edge is back in a few strokes. his takeda is SICK...i got to play with it and now i really want one. TRUST ME do a straight carbon aogami super knife...those scallions and leeks will not faze it. you want to use your beater knives for tougher ingredients like butternut squash anyways. lower rockwell stainless knives are designed by manufacturers to be used with a honing steel to straighten the rolls. the higher rockwell carbons are designed to be used with ceramic rods because they rarely roll. straight carbob...DO IT...JUST....DO IT! TAKEDA!!!!!!!

[@AntwonDaBusiness]

haha sorry for the long winded explanation.

[@thiagossharpchannel921]

That fixed hight for angle is great for Japanese chef knife but sometimes it's important to adapt the technique. Same fixed hight will create completely different angle with pairing knives and vegetables cleavers. To deal with different knife size or different target angle I use ruler and calculator. Multiply hight of the base x sin (10°) and you get the how high you need to raise the spine. Soft steel doest hold an edge with such acute angle so I finish using a 15 degree microbevel on it.

[@ahmedalsadik]

A lot of your videos are a lot about your face. Maybe we could see you hands and handicraft more :)

[@dbreardon]

Did not show me how to sharpen knives

[@kappablanca5192]

dbreardon what?

[@JM-fo1te]

The bass is very distracting

[@AGC828]

I think unless your job depends on having razor sharp knives (Pro chef) or if you're a "kitchen knife geek"....spend the time to learn and DO. A pro chef like Justin probably spends several hours total daily at work cutting/slicing VS maybe 10-20 min total time each day for a home cook. So the knives that belong to a home cook will stay sharp MUCH longer requiring less frequent sharpening. A "knife geek" would run out of knives to sharpen heh...isn't likely to put in enough time to be "good"....unless he schedules 45 minutes every day for a few months...to get the motions/angles into muscle memory...have a work area always setup or be willing to setup/sharpen/clean up daily. Most people won't. Add, unless you took formal instruction by a "qualified" sharpener and just watched a few KZbin videos...your skills might be so OFF you're doing more harm than good...thinking you've become a whetstone knife sharpening master. :) You have people who went to established JP knife stores who hold classes...learned from some one qualified...and practiced consistently. Even then....I got to wonder if some of those students just took a class or two for the "fun" of it. Are those people really going to put in the time to practice consistently?? Setup and clean up each time? Most won't have a work area setup permanently. To each his/her own. If you geek out on using stones and actually "enjoy" it... heard a few geeks say "..it's meditative" LOL!!

[@sacoto98]

I'm a pro and I find knife sharpening very peaceful, especially when I get the chance to do it at work. I tune some music on and get sharpening. One of the most calm tasks you have to do as a pro in the kitchen. At least in my opinion

[@zsusac1]

Vertical? Really? Every time you say the stone is placed vertically it just takes all of your credibility and effort to make a good video away... Its horizontal and perpendicular to the body.

[@zsusac1]

@@justinkhanna not aggressive but critical. it just pisses me off when i see a highly motivated and talented person making interesting videos and then using words and phrases in a wrong way. or meaning. Dont throw your talent away, make a video script, check your phrases, aim higher...be sharp, take the burr away.

[@joelhickok4368]

Way too much of your face. Way too little of the actual tools and process.

[@justinkhanna]

Hope you enjoy all the b-roll heavy videos now on the channel, Joel!