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Wusthof Ikon Honing and Sharpening

Discussion in 'Cooking Knife Reviews' started by spective, May 21, 2010.

  1. May 21, 2010 #1
    spective

    spective

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    Cook At Home
    I recently purchased a small set of Wusthof Ikon knives and have been slowing adding to it over the past few months.  I knew that if I bought a large set, I'd just end up with redundant knives we'd never use, so I'm glad I went this route.  I researched fairly well before choosing German over Japanese, but in the end my wife was just more comfortable with the Ikons. 

    This is the first time we've had a decent set of knives, so I didn't know much about honing and sharpening up front.  I've read quite a bit on these forums which has been a big help, but I'm still left with a few questions.

    Much discussion focuses around honing and sharpening chef knives, but we also have both a 5" and 7" santoku.  Should these be honed using the same technique with a honing rod that is used on a standard 8" chef knife?  I know their blade angle is different, but other than that, is there anything to look out for?

    We also have a 8" carving knife, a 6" sandwich knife, and two small paring knives.  Do those type of knives require honing as well, or just periodic sharpening?

    Thanks,

    Jason
     
  2. May 22, 2010 #2
    boar_d_laze

    boar_d_laze

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    Ikons, like almost all German stainless knives, are made from an alloy (X50CrMoV15) which deforms easily.  The edges can (and should) be straightened on a fine rod hone, such as an Idahone fine. 

    Also, because the alloy wears slowly it can go a long time between sharpenings with regular steeling on a fine hone.  However, a long time is not forever.  It's also more than once a year. 

    More, because of the nature of the alloy and the edges' geometry there's a limit to how sharp you can get your Wusthofs -- so they start from a relatively low baseline. 

    To keep your knives truly sharp, you'll still need to sharpen your most frequently used knives three or four times a year. 

    BDL