Good Day All,
I sent a note to ZWILLING J.A. HENCKELS CANADA LTD. asking what is the correct sharping angle for my 4 star series of knifes.
This was their reply,
Sorry for the delay and thank you for your patience.
1. Holding the steel - There are many ways to hold a steel, but the easiest way for a beginner is to hold it vertically with the tip down, resting securely on a cloth. This position allows you to see the angle you are using and provides excellent control. When you have mastered this, you could try holding it the way many professional chefs do. They hold both steel and knife in the air in front of their bodies and often make an impressively fast honing movement. Doing it this way makes it very hard to keep the correct angle and work the full length of the knife, so this is not advisable.
2. The Angle – It is very important to maintain the correct angle throughout the honing process. You want an angle of approximately 15° (30° in total) on most Western style knives and 10° (20° in total) for Asian style knives, such as the Santoku. An easy, simple guide is to use a matchbook.
You can also watch the video on our website.
http://www.zwilling.ca/videos/2 Please feel free to contact us if you have any further questions.