Does a sharpening rod at a restaurant really help?

[goboenomo]

When I am at work I am always looking for a sharp knife that I can use for my whole shift. But all our knives are either dull or dented. We do have sharpening rods but it doesn't seem to help very much. I sharpen it the same way i've seen everyone else do it for about 1 minute... may it be on tv or at the restaurant.
Is this something that can be done with a different technique
Or do you actually have to spend a long time sharpening the knife to get it very sharp.

 

[Andy M.]

Thatr rod is a "steel" and it doesn't sharpen, it just conditions or hones the blade edge. As you use a knife, the edge is bent from striking the cutting board. The steel or hone realigns the bent edge so it's straight again.

Knives have to be periodically sharpened to keep an edge that can be honed. In other words, the steel will only work to prolong the sharpness of a sharp blade.

 

[Chausiubao]

are you talking about honing? I don't know much, but i've never really heard of sharpening knives with a rod. But you can use a block or a rod to hone the edge of the blade.

 

[goboenomo]

Okay, so I am doing the right thing by sharpening it for only a brief period of time.
Thanks

 

[kitchenelf]

In order to not get too severe of an angle I put the tip of the steel on my chopping block and angle it slightly towards me - hold your knife at only about 2 degrees (just making sure you understand to keep it at a very shallow angle) and swipe the knife from handle to tip with a slicing motion from left to right and at the same time from top to bottom. It's the technique that gets mine the sharpest. You can repeat 10 times if you want to - you will be able to tell if it's dulling the knife or helping it - if it's dulling the knife the angle is too sharp.

I hope that made sense.

 

[goboenomo]

It does
But we don't have a chopping block
Just the steel sharpening rod

 

[kitchenelf]

You can rest the tip on anything - just make sure it's not going to slip.

 

[goboenomo]

Ok
I'll keep it in mind
Hope the ppl at work dont think i'm going crazy

 

[kitchenelf]

What they need to do is have them professionally sharpened - it doesn't cost much at all. A dull knife is dangerous!!!!

What do you do? ...if I may ask. You might have said but you've been a busy poster today for me to go read them all to see if you mentioned it! lol

 

[goboenomo]

Oh they do every now and then
But some ppl are really bad at using them
When I said dents earlier.. I meant huge dents.. as if they cut the knife into the edge of the cutting board and started pulling the knife while it's in there.