Sharpening: grinding and whetting

Grinding: an action which consists in giving the knife a sharp edge; it is done by a professional using a grinding wheel. The blade of your SABATIER Diamant has had 7 finishing and grinding operations. It will only require regular upkeep of the edge, i.e. whetting.

Whetting: an action which consists in restoring the edge to the finished knife; this is done by the user with a steel or a whetstone. This operation has to be carried out on a regular basis.

The steel: a tool made of a handle and a grooved steel rod (bit). The magnetized ends of the bit retain the fine particles of metal that come off when the edge is rubbed.

The whetstone

A little trickier to use, the whetstone must be moistened with oil before any operation. Its use is similar to that of the steel; whetting is done by rubbing the edge on the stone at an angle of 20 to 30°.

How to hold the steel
The steel can be held in 2 ways:

• “In midair”, like the professionals, quickly sliding the cutting edge of the knife against the steel bit. This movement, which should be elegant, requires some practice and a good intuitive command of the angle to be used.

• Calmly: by blocking the tip of the steel rod vertically on a cutting board. You can then devote all your attention to keeping the right angle and the correct pressure, sliding the edge from top to bottom, on one side of the blade and then on the other.

Using a steel

However you hold the steel:
• Place the blade of your knife so as to form an angle of about 20° with the rod.
• Slide the blade of your knife along its whole length against the rod exerting pressure; repeat this operation on both sides of the blade.
• Wipe the blade of your knife with a teacloth and then test its cutting edge. If the result is not satisfactory, repeat the operation.

Slicing – Carving

Always use a cutting board either made of wood or plastic.