What is the best way to sharpen a chef knife for work?

I work in a banquet kitchen and am a culinary arts student. Using the knives all morning and then all night takes quite a toll on the sharpness. Any ideas are welcomed.

Public Comments

1. We always use the sharpeners that look like a small sword. Rub the blade along the rod toward you alternating top and bottom with each stroke. We have always used this when I worked at Outback Steakhouse.
2. from the chef-buy a good sharpening steel-learn to use it correctly-and use it all day long-hold knife at 20 degree angle and draw it along the steel-your knives will stay sharp and you will never have to put them on a stone-some of my kitchen knives are over 15 years old and still in good shape
3. buy a sharpening stone to put a nice edge on and then use a sharpening steel to keep an edge
4. oaky fisrt off :NEVER USE THE DAMN SERVICE THAT COMES AROUND AND "SHARPENS" KNIVES, They will throw your badass knife on a grinder and after 2 years you'll have a pairing knife. Go to a home depot or Ace hardware and get a sharpeing stone, the double sided jobs, and find a chef that knows how to use it and have him teach you, or look at the knife sharpening section in THE PROFESSIONAL CHEF book at a bookstore, has good pictures. and the steal is just to bring back the edge after a few hours of use or if you are hacking something thick or using the horrible plastic cutting boards
5. The "steel" that people often think sharpens the knives is actually not a shrpening tool. All it does is strighten the edge of the blade. For shapening stones are ok, but your best bet is an actual shapening belt that is moving. I take my knives to a professional knife sharpening service. I found it through the kitchen supply store in town. I take them there about once every two years. I use the steel to hoan/striaghten the blade at least once a week. Some even recommend you do that before or after every use. Don't forget to wash your knife after using the steel. Also, general maintenance is important for keeping knife sharp. If you keep it in the drawer, put on a protective sleeve. Never put your chef quality knives in dish washer, hand wash them, don't let them sit and soak for a long time.