Pass the knife lightly along the steel in the direct of the left hand. Make sure your left hand is behind the guard. A pivot action of the wrist and elbow will allow the knife to swing from heel to tip with one motion using only three-fourths of the length of the steel.

Bring the knife back to the tip of the steel and reposition it using the other side of the steel. Maintain the same degree of angle of the blade in relationship to the steel swinging the opposite side of the blade down the steel. This motion may be repeated alternating from side to side about five times.

Other motions are also used such as running the knife from the handle end of the steel to the tip. This motion is considered to be more safe as the knife is moving away from the hand. For beginners, it may be easier to monitor the proper angle of the knife.

In all cases, the angle of the knife and the proper amount of pressure are important to remember.

A third method using a combination of the two above methods. With this method the steel is held upright and the knife is pushed away from the steel towards the edge as if it is to be cutting into the steel.