Talking to a farmer at the market made me reconsider my knife sharpening routine

I was picking up some heirloom carrots from this older guy at the Saturday farmers market, and he asked if I was a cook. When I said yes, he pointed at my knife roll and said, 'You know, you're probably over-sharpening those. My dad was a butcher for 40 years and only touched a stone once a season, just honed the rest of the time.' It hit different because I've been sharpening my main chef's knife every single week, thinking I was being diligent. Now I'm wondering if I'm actually wearing my tools down faster for no real gain. How often do you all actually put your blades to a stone versus just using a steel?

2 comments

2 Comments

grantthomas3d ago

Honestly, that seems like overthinking it. If your knife cuts well with your routine, who cares what some guy's dad did? You're probably not going to wear it out in your lifetime.

elizabeth_williams2d ago

My grandpa was a carpenter and sharpened tools constantly, so I'm with grantthomas on this one.