Sharpening a Knife
Method 1:
The first one is more commonly used, and involves holding the sharpening steel in your non-dominant hand. You set the edge of the knife against the steel, with the handle end of the knife blade resting toward the tip of the sharpening steel. Bring the back of the knife blade up about 1/8-1/4 inch to approximately a 15 degree angle off of the sharpening steel. You want to start with the knife at a 90 degree angle to the knife steel and as you draw it towards you in a circular motion, you should end with the tip of the knife coming off of the steel about two inches away from the handle. Repeat the process with the opposite side of the blade. It may seem dangerous, because you are moving the cutting edge both toward your hand and body. If done properly and carefully, there is very little chance of this. Most sharpening steels have a sturdy handguard built in, but you will be ending the sharpening stroke a few inches away from the handle if done properly. If for any reason you are uncomfortable with the first technique, or you don't trust your own coordination, try the second method
Method 2:
The second method does seem much safer to many people, and the more inexperienced are wise to start with it. Setting the tip of the honing steel against a flat surface, like a table or a countertop, the blade is drawn against it toward the surface. Holding the sharpening steel perpendicular to the surface and pressing down hard enough to prevent the steel from moving, the same angles are used as the first method. You want about an 18-20 degree angle between the knife edge and the honing steel. This will keep a keen edge on all of your knives. You end the honing stroke with the tip of the blade coming off of the sharpening steel about two inches away from the surface and the tip. If you use one of the above methods every time before cutting, only a few light strokes are required. If the knives only get this treatment once in a while, more repetition and more pressure is required. If a knife seems very dull, you will want to use a whet stone prior to the knife steel.
Whetstone method:
Also known as a carborandum stone or arkansas stone, this sharpener will grind more metal away from the knife faster. It is a much faster method of preparing a knife for honing if the knife is very dull. With a whetstone, the flat surface of the whetstone is set on a counter or table top. Then, the knife is drawn across the whetstone in much the same manner as with a sharpening steel. The knife is held at about a 20 degree angle to the stone and drawn across the stone in the same manner as above. With a whetstone, a little bit of water or honing oil is recommended. Some whetstones have a coarse and a fine side to them, so you can start and finish the edge. If the edge doesn't seem fine enough after the whetstone, you can finish the honing with a sharpening steel. Also, some people prefer to use a whetstone as little as possible because it removes more material than a sharpening steel. So, if you start with the whetstone to reset the edge, but finish with a sharpening steel you will have the best of both.