I used to think all my knives needed a 20 degree edge, but a sharpening class in Chicago changed my mind.

For years, I sharpened every chef's knife in my kit to a 20 degree angle, thinking it was the best all-around edge. Last fall, I took a two hour class with a local sharpener who had us put a 15 degree edge on a softer steel knife and a 22 degree edge on a harder one. The difference in how they held up through a busy service was huge. The softer knife with the thinner edge needed a quick hone halfway through, but it cut tomatoes like a dream. The harder steel knife with the steeper angle just kept going. Has anyone else found that a one-size-fits-all angle doesn't really work across different blade steels?

2 comments

2 Comments

margaret_chen15d ago

That class would have changed my mind too. I used to just set my sharpener to one angle for everything and called it good enough. After hearing your results, it makes total sense to match the angle to the steel. The right edge for the job probably saves time in the long run, even if it takes a bit more thought upfront.

vera_lewis15d ago

Honestly... I still just use 20 degrees on everything. It's fine. My knives cut stuff and I don't have to overthink it or stop to re-hone during prep. That whole class sounds like it just complicates a simple task.