The easiest way to find the angle without a protractor is to hold the knife at a 90-degree angle to the rod, as if you were about to cut the honing steel in half. Then move the spine of the knife ...

Holding the knife in your dominant hand, place the base of the blade at about a 20-degree angle against the rod. To help you get the correct angle, place the blade at a 90-degree angle against the ...