Shoutout to the guy at the market in Boise who showed me a better way to sharpen my boning knife

I was struggling with a dull edge on a pork shoulder last Thursday and he had me switch to a ceramic rod. Anyone else use those instead of steel?

4 comments

4 Comments

grant.anthony1mo ago

Nice! Ceramic rods are a game changer for a fine edge. What angle were you holding the knife at? I find a 20 degree pass works best for my boning knife.

hall.jenny1mo ago

Ever try a 15 degree angle for a bit more bite?

the_viola1mo ago

Oh, I'm with you on that, @grant.anthony. I kept it around 20 degrees too, just like you said. It really does give that perfect, fine edge for delicate work.

fisher.thomas5d ago

That reminds me of a time I was breaking down a deer a few years back with this old timer from Wyoming. He pulled out a worn down coffee mug and started stropping his knife on the unglazed ring at the bottom. Told me that clay ring hones better than any fancy rod. I tried it on my filet knife after he left and it worked surprisingly well. Now I keep a cheap ceramic mug in my kit just for that trick. Still use a steel for rough work but the mug gives a real polished edge for the final passes.