If you want to sharpening a knife by using a sharpen tools which is an electric knife sharpener, it is best to follow the instructions that come with the sharpener. If you don’t have the instructions, call the manufacturer to see if you can get a new copy of the owner’s manual. If that is impossible, you might want to switch to a company that has better customer service.

However, if you find that you need to sharpen your knife and you don’t have an electric knife sharpener, you can always use a manual sharpener to get the most out of your knife. Knives will last a long time if they are treated well, and sharpening the knife correctly will extend the life to almost double.

Prepare the knife and the sharpen tools

If you are using a handheld knife sharpener, place it on the counter to make sure it does not move around. If the knife slips, you risk injury to yourself or damage to the knife blade. Make sure the manual sharpener is on a flat surface. Try to move it around to make sure it is stable. If it moves easily, stabilize it by placing a towel underneath to increase the friction.

#01 Grab the knife correctly.

You will need to hold the knife by the handle and you will need a good grip. Grab the knife handle two thirds of the way down, close to the blade. Make a fist around the handle. You will need to hold the knife tight, so use a firm grip.

#02 Run the knife over the tool.

As you grab the knife, place it inside the manual blade runner. Your hand will be close to the sharpener and the bottom of the blade will be inside the sharpener. The sharpener should help you guide the blade into the correct position for this process.

#03 Start sharpening.

Pull the blade toward you. The manual sharpener will do the rest of the work. If necessary, hold the sharpener with your free hand to steady it. Pass the blade through the first slot of the sharpener a few times to get the desired sharpness. However, do not check the sharpness until you run the blade through the second slot. The reason for this is because the blade needs to be polished to pull off the shards of metal. Before it is polished, it looks messy and unsharpened.

#04 Polish the blade.

Pass the blade through the polisher. This is the second slot of the manual sharpener. This part of the sharpener finishes the blade. Again, hold the blade firmly and use the same method used with the first slot. Check the sharpness by turning the knife in the light and reviewing the edge of the blade.

If you are not happy with the sharpness of the knife, repeat the process from step one. The manual sharpener should do most of the work for you. Again, follow the instructions and keep a good grip on the knife to avoid damage or injury.