# How often do you sharpen your home gyuto



## David88 (Aug 9, 2013)

I know this is such an open question but I'm trying to get an idea of how often I would have to sharpen a home use gyuto in various steels.

If you dont mind telling me what steel you have for your home cooking knife and how you maintain it e.g. weekly strop, monthly sharpen on stones etc.

Appreciate it. 

Dave.


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## tk59 (Aug 9, 2013)

It really depends on too many factors (steel, type of edge, edge thickness, type of board, user skill, etc.) to just give a succinct answer but I'd say complete resharpening anywhere from once every couple of weeks to a few months. I maintain by taking a splash n go stone or a diamond plate and giving my edge a couple of swipes on it when necessary. Sometimes I use a 1 micron diamond loaded strop for touch ups.


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## panda (Aug 9, 2013)

3-4 times a year, not too worried about sharpness at home.


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## berko (Aug 9, 2013)

4-5 times a year, but i have more then one...


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## hutchla (Aug 11, 2013)

I'm a home cook and I sharpen every two to three weeks. Like tk59 shared, there are a lot of variables. Here are some details that might help give you an idea of how often you'll need to or want to sharpen.

The knives I mostly use are a Kochi kurouchi gyuto, Shun classic santoku, and a CCK 1303 cleaver. I sharpen them using a King 1K, Gesshin 4K, and newspaper. Between sharpenings I'll refresh them on the newspaper strop. I cut on edge grain maple and cook almost every day.

I'm not obsessive but I like to keep them pretty sharp. I sharpen when stropping alone isn't working well. This, of course, depends on how much cutting they do and what they're cutting. The other major factor is how much my wife uses them.

My wife, who never cooked much, is now getting into it. She especially likes using our knives. She's getting more skilled with them but she's still kind of rough on the edges.

So if I'm cutting a lot or if she's cutting a little (especially with the Kochi which is really thin behind the edge) I sharpen more often. I'f I'm not cutting a ton or if she hasn't been cooking I can go longer between sharpenings. As for stropping between sharpenings I'll do so as needed. It's very quick and easy to do.

Regarding how often you will _need to_ sharpen, it's a matter of personal taste. The better question is, how often will you _want to_ sharpen? I know, and I'm sure you do too, people who almost never sharpen their knives. They bang them against a rod and saw through everything. For years I maintained my Wusthofs on a medium steel and a Norton IB8 only after they were long past frustratingly dull. Nowadays I get a lot of enjoyment not only from cooking with sharp knives but from maintaining them as well. You can definitely cut with a knife when its edge is in OK or even poor shape. What you'll accept depends on you.

It sounds like you're considering upgrading your knives. I recommend first getting a medium grit waterstone. Use it on whatever knives you currently have. Just use that one stone for a while. The more you sharpen the easier and more enjoyable it will become. You'll also become more in-tune with your knives and your expectations around sharpness and performance will likely rise as well.


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## bahamaroot (Aug 11, 2013)

I give my knives about three or four light strokes on a ceramic hone after each use. Sharpen maybe every 3 or 4 months. Sometimes more, sometimes less. I use carbon, stainless and some in between.


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## stereo.pete (Aug 11, 2013)

I don't cook anywhere near as often as I like but still probably cook more than the average American. I primarily use carbon gyuto and always use one exclusively until it needs to be sharpened. My edges typically last 3-4 months at home. I touch up on a leather strop when tomatoes give me issues.


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## Zwiefel (Aug 11, 2013)

For most of the last 20 years, about 3X/year (on a rada disk tool)....starting 3 years ago when I got my first jKnife it went up to about 6x/year....Starting last year when I found this forum it's gone up to about 15X/year. I enjoy sharpening and as I learn more about it, I find my expectations for sharpness have increased. Steels have been a variety of stainless: Inox, VG, soft german stainless. But I now have a couple of knives with carbon edges (4 clad, 2 monosteel)...I'm certainly enjoying the relative ease/speed of sharpening with those.


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## Jordanp (Aug 11, 2013)

For my home knife (takeda nakiri) I usually sharpen it once a month because I don't nearly use it enough to need it sharpened more often.


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## pkjames (Aug 11, 2013)

I touch up the 210mm vg10 gyuto on a finishing stone almost weekly, but only a couple minutes each time.


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## Hbeernink (Aug 11, 2013)

I sharpen every 3 weeks or so, as I have time to dedicate- everything I have is white #1 or white #2 (although that will change very soon), and I use a handful of different knives for different purposes (primary knife is a W#1 gyuto and a W#2 kiritsuke, with less frequent use of a W#2 yanagiba), I cut on end-grain wood, and mostly veg with a bit of protein. I will say that I'm tough on knives (poor habits learned when I worked a very busy line).

I can't stand having my knives not sharp (really sharp... "OK" sharp won't do) - so as soon as something isn't feeling super sharp I'm rotating that knife out and getting it to stone when I have time. As my technique improves I'm finding that edges are lasting somewhat longer. But as Hutchla stated, I enjoy sharpening and see it as routine maintenance that keeps my kitchen in shape. It's no longer a profession for me, but as it's now a hobby it's much more enjoyable!


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## Drum N Baste (Aug 11, 2013)

My "home gyuto" is a 30 year old Chicago Cutlery serrated bread knife I have sharpened exactly zero times often. That probably isn't helpful.


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## spaceconvoy (Aug 12, 2013)

Sharpen every month, strop every week


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## daddy yo yo (Aug 12, 2013)

sharpening, what's that? when my OOTB-edge gets dull, i buy a new gyuto!!! :spiteful:


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## ecchef (Aug 12, 2013)

I keep two 'go to' home knives. Watanabe shiro #2 santoku that needs constant attention (1.2k stone sharpening every 7-10 days, glass hone between) and a Konosuke HD gyuto that basically stays sharp for ever (quick strop on cardboard charged with 5k grit slurry once in a while).


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## banjo1071 (Aug 12, 2013)

like every second month


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## Dardeau (Aug 12, 2013)

I'll sharpen my home gyuto (210 Itinomonn) when I do the work load since I have stones soaked and its there, but it almost never needs more than a quick touch up.


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## Lefty (Aug 12, 2013)

This is a rough "average" for me - keep in mind I sell knives as a part-time business, so I have many to play with and try out - But, I'd say for my most used knives, which are a Harner in W2, a Harner in CTS-XHP, and a Rodrigue in CPM-154, I sharpen about every 3 months, strop on an 8k once a week, and use a ceramic hone about twice a week. I'm constantly playing with different mediums, from newsprint to unloaded wood just out of curiosity, so my edges get a weird workout from time to time. I like a toothy edge, so a hone and light stropping works for me, but for guys who want to cleanly pop hair with the lightest touch, this likely won't work.

What it all comes down to is whether or not you enjoy sharpening and what your standard for "sharp" is. I don't shave with my kitchen knives, but every now and then it's fun to give them an edge with which I could do so. Inevitably, soon after, I scuff them up and give them an edge that I prefer for cutting food.


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## JohnnyChance (Aug 12, 2013)

Once every year or two.


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## geezr (Aug 12, 2013)

Home cook but have not used the 256mm white #2 steel gyuto in my small kitchen prepping food for 2 people - for awhile. It is too big.
When I get invited, that gyuto goes to other peoples bigger kitchens to prep larger quantities for the many people there. Happens throughout the year but concentrated during the holiday season. Always sharpen gyuto at home, after each of those sessions.
I just ordered a smaller gyuto to use at home. Look forward to working and sharpening a blue #1 gyuto. :beer:


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## toddnmd (Aug 12, 2013)

Geezr, how long are those prep sessions? Just curious about how many hours you are using the knife between sharpenings.


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## geezr (Aug 12, 2013)

Typical prep averages about 2 - 3 hours of intermittent cutting depending on menu and number of people and - 
sometimes used by the guys who want to whack away with a big knife. :knife: 
None of the ladies have touched that gyuto. 
All of the regulars have end-grained boards.


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## toddnmd (Aug 12, 2013)

Geezr, thanks for the response. I'm surprised your knife needs resharpening after a few hours of cutting. Or maybe it doesn't *need* it--perhaps you prefer to keep it super-sharp, or perhaps enjoy sharpening quite a bit.


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## geezr (Aug 13, 2013)

toddnmd said:


> Geezr, thanks for the response. I'm surprised your knife needs resharpening after a few hours of cutting. Or maybe it doesn't *need* it--perhaps you prefer to keep it super-sharp, or perhaps enjoy sharpening quite a bit.


Sort of all of the above. 
Like having situations to use the KS and it continues when I get home to fuss with it. I cut slowly and contact the boards lightly and knife stays sharp but I do light stropping before putting it away. 
But when other guys use the knife it seems they are performing or enjoy the sounds of cutting on the boards. :viking: Then it gets touched-up with stones.


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## cheezit (Aug 13, 2013)

My knives are either White Steel or Super Blue, but generally I sharpen them once a month. Lately I haven't been cooking often, so it's probably been about two months since I last sharpened.


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