What Angle to Get Your Knives Sharpened To
Knives can be sharpened at different angles, but which is the correct angle for your knife?
Traditionally, there were two styles of chef’s knives: European/American and Asian. The blades of Western knives were manufactured with 20-degree angles, while Asian knives were made with narrower 15-degree angles. But in recent years,the trend toward slimmer blade construction has spread west; many European and American knife manufacturers now offer knives with blades sharpened to 15 degrees. In a recent testing, our top three favorite knives were sharpened to 15 degrees, including our winner, the Victorinox Swiss Army Fibrox Pro 8" Chef’s Knife. Assuming similar sharpness, a blade with a thinner edge (sharpened to a smaller angle) will slide through food more easily than one with a thicker edge (sharpened to a larger angle). Unfortunately, there is no easy way to tell what a blade’s angle is just by looking at it. If you don’t know the angle of your knife’s blade, we suggest contacting the manufacturer to find out so you know what angle it should be sharpenedto.
THE BOTTOM LINE: The cutting edges of knives are sharpened to a specific angle. It’s important to know this angle so theblade can be properly sharpened.
Some knives have 20-degree angles, while other knives have 15-degree angles.
