• By Daniel Smith
• Published Yesterday

Sharpening the knife blade on a daily, or at least a weekly, basis is essential for the proper maintenance of Japanese knives. Most of the professional chefs take time out regularly to sharpen their knives at the end of day. Why is this necessary? Here are the reasons that make regular knife sharpening essential.

Only a sharp knife can ensure that the appearance and flavour of the food items remain intact. A blunt knife would hinder the proper cutting of bread, vegetables, fruits, fish and meat and ruin their look and taste. In Japanese cuisine, presentation is as important as taste, and a blunt knife is sure to affect the presentation of a dish.

Moreover, a blunt knife makes it necessary to put more effort into cutting tasks. This means a waste of time and energy. Blunt knives also tend to slip, increasing the chances of injury to your hand. On the other hand, a knife with a fine, sharp edge makes the preparation of food an easy and effortless task.

Now, that you have understood the necessity of keeping your Japanese knifes sharpened, the next question is – do you do it on your own or let a professional do it? There are a number of tools available that make it possible to sharpen the knives on your own. However, often you may not have the necessary skills to handle this task.

What do you do in such a situation? You may opt for knife sharpening classes available from knife manufacturers. These classes help you learn the right way to sharpen Japanese knives with the use of the right tools. Enquire about the details of the knife sharpening course beforehand to ensure that it is the right one for you.

You also have another option; you may opt for professional help for knife sharpening. If you do not want to try your hand at sharpening the knives on your own, all you need to do is find a service that handles the task for you. How do you find such a service? Here are a few tips to help you find the right knife sharpening service.

Ask your family and friends for recommendations. If you come to know of a service from someone who has already used it, you are sure to be satisfied with it. Ask around for recommendations when you are trying to find such a service.

Enquire about sharpening services available from the store you buy the knives from. The store you buy the knives from may be able to provide this service for you. Otherwise, they may also refer you to such a service.

Search online for knife sharpening services. You may also utilise online resources to locate such services. However, if you have found such a service from online resources, make sure you clarify every detail about the way they work before you opt for them.

Whether you have chef knives, utility knives, filleting knives or sushi knives, keeping them properly sharpened is important. You may do this on your own, get training to learn these skills or opt for a service to handle this. Consider the options and choose the one that suits your purpose.

Author Bio

Daniel Smith is the editor of a cookery magazine. He provides tips and suggestions on the sharpening of different types of knives, like chefs knives. If you are looking for information on particular type of knives, like the vg-10 knife, he suggests you visit http://www.lohira.com/for more details.