How do I know when my Japanese knife needs sharpening?

A few signs your knife needs sharpening:

  • It slips or slides when cutting tomato skin or delicate ingredients.

  • You need to apply more force than usual to slice.

  • The blade feels like it's crushing rather than cleanly slicing.

  • Paper test: if it can’t slice cleanly through a sheet of paper, it’s time to sharpen.

Regular use will naturally dull the edge over time, even with high-quality Japanese steel.

Was this article helpful?

That’s Great!

Thank you for your feedback

Sorry! We couldn't be helpful

Thank you for your feedback

Let us know how can we improve this article!

Select at least one of the reasons
CAPTCHA verification is required.

Feedback sent

We appreciate your effort and will try to fix the article