Escoffier On Line

Hello,

This may sound silly, but how often do chefs sharpen their knives? We have a large family of 9 and do a lot of cooking, but nothing like a professional kitchen. My OCD husband sharpens our knives every time he uses them (which varies between daily and weekly) about 12 strokes in the sharpener. I say this is oversharpening and will wear away the blade. He says that "Real Chefs sharpen their knives every time they use them." Is this true? Can you also advise on proper knife sharpening?
Thanks!

Hi,

Well no, it really isn't true that chefs sharpen their knives every time they use them, way too busy for that.

It depends on the type of knife and how often its uses. Different types of blades hold edges differently.

Serrated knives are rarely sharpened. Carbon steel knives may be sharpened daily and "steeled" before each use but it really depends.

There are so many different types of knives that there is no absolute answer to how often to sharpen a knife. Depends on the blade.

Here is a good discussion on knives in kitchens-
forums.egullet.org/index.php?/topic/2603...ance-and-sharpening/

Cheers,

G