Worried about getting the blade through your holiday meats and fowl this year? Sharpen your carving knife and be the envy of your duller-knived neighbors.

Use a whetstone as an abrasive surface after wetting it with a little water (you can also use light-grade machine oil). Then draw both sides back and forth at a 15-degree angle until the knife is sharp. Finish with a round honing rod.

Then have at that turkey or ham -- or vegetarian equivalent -- with fresh confidence.