Sharpen Kitchen Knives

[Handoftheking]

I watched for years chefs chopping up onions like samurai warriors but I find the blade slips off the slippy onion and frequently cuts my left hand. What's the trick? Plaster manufacturers would weep but I would be a happy man.

[Handoftheking]

Sorry forgot to ask how do you get knives that sharp? I'm a newbie!

[albaqwerty]

a kitchen steel or a stone (can't remember what type, sorry)
With sharpening on a stone use a bit of oil to lubricate (3 in 1 will suffice)
after sharpening, please be blooming careful.
Test on slicing a newspaper sheet or a piece of kitchen towel.

[DTCwordfan]

you should slice away from your left hand knuckles, if right handed.....so you don't get cut. Watch them carefully and you'll see the blade is angled away.

[ethandron]

I very easy way to sharpen your kitchen knives is with something like the kitchen Devils (other makes available) rollsharp knife sharpener. And use it every time before you chop anything, takes 20 seconds and makes a huge difference, goes through even the softest squashy tomato like a hot knife through butter.

[waterboatman]

A sharp knife is essential for cutting anything when you're cooking.

You can buy a sharpening stone, I have one that has two sides, one for putting the edge on and the other is smoother for fine honing. A steel is for truing up the edge while in use. The steel doesn't actually sharpen, when you use the knife the fine edge bends over and makes it seem like it's gone blunt, you'd need a microscope to see it. It hasn't, the steel just straightens up the edge again. as DT said, always cut away from you and keep your fingers out of the way!

[Gizmonster]

As DTC said - it's the way you cut that matters.
Yea you need a sharp knife, but you need the right technique as well.
If you hold the knife in your right hand, grasp the object to be cut with your left hand, but hold it from the top with your fingernails almost vertical and pointing away from you. You then slide the knife down your nails and cut the onion, etc - the nails act as a barrier to prevent you cutting yourself.

[Gizmonster]

Look at approx 1 min 40 secs where he tells you how to hold your hand/fingers :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwWRY_8KfxM

[Handoftheking]

All interesting.

[Old_Geezer]

Interesting video; but where were all the tears ?

[Dodger666]

Use something like this:-