Follow up to How to Sharpen A Knife: A Good Demonstration
To be honest the home cook rarely needs to sharpen (once to twice a year for even the most active home cooks) — if they properly care for their knives. I would also recommend leaving the knife sharpening to the professionals (Alton Brown is with me on this one). It’s relatively cheap and it’s rarely needed.
However, honing regularly is a necessity and every cook should master the honing technique. The other thing to realize that a department store is no place to buy your knives, and they should never come in a block. It’s a recipe for disappointing knife-ware.
For those that want great, but affordable knives I highly recommend: Victorinox Forschner — they’re consistently rated top end for lower cost knives by Cooks Illustrated. I love my Global knives, but the reality is that they’re a big ole waste of moola. Although they do feel great in your hands and give the best blisters with heavy use (sarcasm on the blisters).
Couple of key knife keeping tips:
-Never wash your knives in the dishwasher.
-Always thoroughly dry your knife after use. Never let it sit wet. Wet leads to dull.
-Never use a glass, granite or hard surface cutting board. Will ruin your edge quicker than a dishwasher