How to sharpen a ham knife step by step

Knowing how to sharpen a ham knife is a very important issue when cutting ham . Only with the properly prepared knife will we obtain slices with the perfect thickness .

To cut ham at home properly, you must have a series of utensils such as the ham holder and a knife kit to match, made up of a knife and a bit, also known as sharpening steel. Do you want to learn how to use these elements?

You no longer have to worry because at Enrique Tomás we are going to explain what to do to use them correctly.

The importance of the ham knife to obtain a good cut

First of all, keep in mind that the ham knife is a tool that cuts a lot, so before you start slicing, keep in mind that your hand must ALWAYS be located above the area you are cutting through, otherwise you could hurt yourself if the knife slips.

Ham knives are usually tools for life. The blade of ham knives is usually made of stainless steel, a resistant and slightly flexible material that is often used a lot in the kitchen. The handle for its part can be made of different materials, from stainless steel to plastic or wood.

If you still do not have your ham knife to start cutting ham, we recommend that you consult "How to choose a good ham knife?" and you are ready to buy the one that best suits your needs.

When buying a ham knife , it is usual for it to be accompanied by a drill bit or sharpening steel.

This utensil is used to keep your knives very sharp. It is about 30 cm long and instead of having a sharp blade, it has a rounded rod that is used to sharpen the knife. Next we will tell you how to sharpen a ham knife with this utensil.

The 7 steps to sharpen a ham knife

Clean and dry both objects before you start, and once you're done, we can start:

1. To sharpen the knife you have to constantly repeat a back and forth movement with your hands holding the knife with one and the steel with the other. You have to pass the blade through the steel as many times as necessary.
   
   
2. This movement must always be carried out in the same direction without forgetting that knives have two sides and, therefore, both must be sharpened.
   
   
3. Do this action by slightly tilting both the knife and the bit and make the movements from front to back repeatedly, separating the knife from the bit each time.
   
   
4. The steel must be passed through both the upper part of the knife and the lower part. We will not use the front part with which we are going to cut, while the rear part, the one closest to the handle, will not be used, but if we also sharpen it, we make sure that the entire utensil is always in good condition.
   
   
5. As we have already explained, this movement has to be repeated as many times as necessary until the knife is sharpened. To check if it is sharp you can run your finger over the blade with a napkin or some kind of kitchen paper and if it cuts it, it is ready. It is important that you use this protection because otherwise you could hurt yourself.
   
   
6. As soon as you see that the knife is sharp, wipe it with a cloth and thus you will get rid of the small particles of metallic dust that may have come off.
   
   
7. When you finish cutting the ham, you can wash both the steel and the knife, but remember to do it carefully.

Other methods

In addition to the sharpening steel, there are other options with which to sharpen the ham knife . The first is with a sharpening stone, a way that, although it has its followers, is not the most advisable. As with the steel, you have to place your arms bent holding the stone with one hand and the knife with the other. As a tip, it is advisable to soak sharpening stones for two hours before using them.

The second option is to take your knife to a specialized store to have it sharpened by a professional. If you do not have steel or stone, use this option and you will have your utensil ready when you go to use it.

Sharpen with sharpening steel

How often do you have to sharpen the ham knife?

At home, the ideal is to sharpen the ham knife every time you have to use it , that is, every time you want to eat some Iberian or Serrano ham. In bars and restaurants since it is used practically every day, it is constantly sharpened. Ham knives have a higher price than the rest and, if we want them to last as long as possible, we must take care of them properly. The knife should be cleaned with soap and water and dried immediately afterwards to prevent rust. Also, keep in mind that it is not advisable to put it in the dishwasher as it could collide with other kitchen gadgets and deteriorate more quickly.

As you can see, knowing how to sharpen a ham knife step by step is as important as correctly placing the ham in the ham holder or knowing how thick each slice should be. If you want to learn all these issues, you can sign up for our cutting course where the best professionals will teach you all the necessary tricks to achieve perfection in each slice. You will enjoy Iberian ham like never before!