Can I sharpen my own knives - I don't have any training?

Ok,  you are wondering if you can actually get a knife sharp, you've never had a lesson.

I would say YES definitely, the fact that you are reading this means that you have an interest, that is a fantastic starting point.  The process of getting a knife sharp is not difficult, you need to realize that there are many different levels of sharpness. All you need to do is make your knife sharp enough to work in the kitchen. It probably is dull now so if you measure a knife edge on a scale form 1 to 10, with 1 being dull, all you need is to take it up one notch.

It is only people like me who are not satisfied until we reach level 12, seriously, you have the ability to sharpen your knives.

I am amazed by people who would spend $200.00 on a Chef's Choice, which is likely the best of the electric sharpeners. Now for $200.00 I could buy some incredible Japanese Water Stones and get knives sharper than 95% of the people on earth have ever seen.

For $30.00 you could buy one water stone and get a knife far sharper than any machine. Now if you don't have any interest in sharpening knives by hand than yeah, go get that machine or just go buy new knives every 6 months or something but because you are reading this, I am guessing you have the urge to learn....good for you.

The knife pictured here cost $3,500 US. So imagine if someone gave that too you as a gift, or you won it or something. Knives like this, believe it or not, are no sharpened, the owner is expected to sharpen it.  (This is a  whole new topic). Now the knife is sharp, it will blow any new Henckels away.

Anyway, what do you do, imagine running a knife like this through the knife slayer, the Chef's Choice, gees, it was even hard typing that.

Don't hesitate to learn to sharpen a knife on your own, all you need is one stone to get started.  All you need is to get to level 1, I could teach you that or just watch some videos.

You just need to understand what it is you are doing, what makes a dull knife sharp.

You are removing the fatigued metal by abrading it away with the water stone, you are exposing the fresh new metal underneath.You are getting side A and side B to meet. Pretty easy isn't it.

Get off the fence, and don't worry about ruining your knife, gees it isn't jewelllery, it's just a knife, you are not going to break it.

Here is the key, the Burr.

Now get to it friends.