Step 1: Determine the angle for sharpening your knife
The edge of a knife may have different angles. The greater the angle, the greater the cutting edge is sharp. The edge of a very sharp knife is very narrow. Japanese kitchen knives are very hard steel (from 60 HRC) and may, at a small angle, be very finely sharpened. Other knives, such as German-made knives, often have a kind of softer steel (55-58 HRC) and are sharpened under a greater angle.
The angle of the edge of Japanese kitchen knives is generally from 30 ° and that of the other knives between 36 ° and 40 °. The sharpening angle of the knife is half of the angle of the edge (after all, a knife has two sides). Sharpening angle of a Japanese knife (see examples below) is thus 15 ° (30 ° / 2) and other knives between 18 ° and 20 °.
If you notice that your knife s' blunts or spoils quickly, you use can be too thin sharpening angle and we recommend using an angle of slightly larger sharpening.