When honing with a ceramic rod, why alternate edges of your knife? Why not hone each edge separately?
Starting at 0:58, Owen in Vancouver counsels you to alternate the knife's edges. Each time Owen pulls the knife, he alternates as he advised. But why? Why not hone one side with 15 consecutive strokes first, then switch to the other side?
Bob Kramer and Lisa at America's Test Kitchen alternate too.
Best Answer
Honing is the act of 'pushing' the edge of the blade into alignment.
Were you to do one side only, it would push the edge to the opposite side, then when you swapped, it would push it all back again. No net gain.
Image from Serious Eats - How to Hone a Dull Knife
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How do you use a ceramic honing rod?
Set the knife to the angle you prefer, and gently drag the edge along the ceramic from the heel to the tip, in a downward slicing motion. Switch to the other side of the rod and repeat the motion. Continue 10-20 times, alternating sides as you go.How do honing rods work?
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Images: Dayvison de Oliveira Silva, Rachel Claire, Marta Wave, Andreas Fickl