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You should sharpen your knives when they no longer cut through food easily, such as a tomato or carrot, and the frequency depends on your usage. Home cooks may need to sharpen their knives every few months to once a year, while professional cooks use them so frequently that sharpening might be required monthly or even more. It is also important to hone your knives with a steel or ceramic rod weekly or before each use to maintain the edge between sharpening's.
How often to sharpen
- Home cooks: Sharpen your knives every 3-6 months or when they become dull.
- Professional cooks: May need to sharpen their knives as often as every two weeks, with a monthly sharpening being common practice for extensive daily use.
How often to hone
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Honing:This is a process of realigning the edge of the blade rather than removing material.
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Frequency:Hone your knives weekly or even before and after each use to keep the edge straight and sharp.
Signs your knife needs sharpening
- Difficulty cutting: If you have to press harder to get the knife to slice through food.
- Dullness test: A knife is sharp if it slides smoothly across a lightly placed thumb or feels round and smooth.
Factors affecting frequency
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Frequency of use:How often you use the knife is the main factor in determining how frequently you need to sharpen it.
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Knife steel:Some knife steels hold an edge longer than others, and some are more prone to damage.
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Cutting surfaces:Using knives on hard cutting surfaces like glass or stone will dull them faster.