Forum: cooking.stackexchange.com
Tags: <equipment><knives><maintenance>
Title: Can you sharpen a ceramic knife?
Question: Can you sharpen a ceramic knife?

Answers:
sents: text: Ceramic blades can only be sharpened against something that is harder than it is.
text: I would recommend sending it back to the manufacturer for sharpening if needed.
text: Typically it is done using a very hard abrasive wheel because of the risk of the blade breaking, you do not want to do this without proper safety equipment.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/3169/Doc Walker
score: 22
sents: text: While ceramic knives will stay sharp for quite awhile, there is no such thing as "never needs sharpening".
text: In our knife shop we use a diamond system that we developed to bring these knives back to their original sharpness.
text: (or sometimes sharper!)
text: One could try one of the diamond block type, sharpeners on the market but the ceramics are difficult to get the edge right.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/4991/Bob Burden
score: 9
sents: text: You can definitely sharpen a ceramic blade and do it by yourself.
text: But due to the fact that the ceramic is super hard material you'll need more patience than with steel.
text: Get a DMT or Lansky sharpening guide and diamond stones.
text: You can use the diamond stones on either type of knife and the guides will keep you at the correct angle on both side of the blade.
text: You can find several guides at this site http://www.sharpeningsupplies.com/Knife-Sharpening-Guides-C16.aspx
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/14825/Mike
score: 6
sents: text: If you made the investment as I did for a professional diamond wheel electric knife sharpener as you saw the chef point out in the video above, I can tell you that this will indeed sharpen ceramic knives.
text: I was reluctant to try this and possibly damage the sharpener, but I was otherwise going to toss out this "starter" ceramic cooks knife.
text: I was also concerned that I would not be able to sharpen my expensive Henkle knives if the ceramic knife damaged the diamond wheels.
text: I went about the job rather gingerly and found that the ceramic knife took longer to produce a sharp edge, but otherwise it was not much different than a steel knife.
text: I hope this answers the question.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/18758/Jim from Boston
score: 6
sents: text: Yes ofcourse Cary.
text: Try using diamond steel, and check out this amazing video from Chef Phil for some more detauled instructions on how to do such.
text: Hope it will help.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/6875/Melanie
score: 3
sents: text: You actually can sharpen a ceramic knife with a diamond wheel sharpener.
text: There's 2 sharpeners that can sharpen ceramic knives.
text: Kyocera has a battery powered one (DS50) http://www.amazon.com/Kyocerca-DS-50-Electric-Diamond-Sharpener/dp/B002R90N7W
text: But based on the reviews it's designed mainly for Kyocera knives, and it's battery powered so it doesn't generate enough force to restore the blade to factory sharpeness.
text: This one sounds more promising
text: it's an electric powered ceramic knife sharpener:
text: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00S0BEUIY Shenzhen Knives has an eletric powered diamond wheel that can sharpen and hone the blade (2 stage sharpening settings)
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/39732/Bruce Wayne
score: 3
sents: text: Basically, no. Ceramic is super hard, harder than sharpening steels, and most sharpening stones.
text: I guess diamond is harder, and you probably could sharpen on a diamond stone or diamond sharpening steel.
text: But thats a very tricky skill to master, and a very delicate operation, not for the unskilled hand.
text: The whole point in buying a ceramic knife is that you don't have to sharpen.
text: With proper care ( e.g. Dont drop) it should last you a lifetime for home use.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/4179/Chef
score: 1
sents: text: You can absolutely do it yourself.
text: You will need: A clean cloth
text: A ceramic knife An electric knife sharpener–with diamond abrasives–specifically able to handle ceramic knives Heavy gloves for protection (Kevlar or thick work models–optional but recommended for safety)
text: Source:
text: https://bestazy.com/how-to/sharpen-ceramic-knives/
text: Check the source for more tips on how to do it and care for the ceramic knives.
text: Wash and dry the knife.
text: You’ll want the best contact between its surface and sharpener’s abrasives.
text: Also, you’ll want to keep the electric knife sharpener’s internal machinery clean and free of food debris.
text: Read and follow your electric knife sharpener’s instructions carefully to know which slots to use, since they will vary between makes and models.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/70852/Victor Negru
score: 1

Summary of the answers:
Ceramic is harder than most sharpening steels or stones, so you could send it back to the manufacturer or use an electric diamond wheel sharpener.
Ceramic is very hard, which makes it hard to sharpen. You can get diamond sharpeners that will work.