Knocking down the bolster

Bolster reduction is so important when kitchen knife sharpening.

The bolster is the heel of the knife, the part coming down from the handle. Some knives have them, some don’t. When a knife is sharpened, if the bolster isn’t reduced at the same time, it can stick out like in the first photo.

The problem? When chopping food, the bolster will hit the cutting board first, preventing the blade from contacting the board. You can’t get a clean cut, or any cut at all at the heel of the knife. The blade should hit the cutting board all the way from tip to heel.

As a sharpener, if I come across a knife with a bolster sticking out like the one in the first picture, I have to figure out what to do with it. Most of the time it’s as simple as grinding it down flat a little below where I think the blade will be after sharpening. I like to angle it back a little and round off the edges, trying to restore it back to it’s original look.

Really, kitchen knife sharpening is all about functionality and aesthetics.