How to sharpen knives correctly

How to sharpen

1. Musat

This tool is very similar to a file: a long rod with a round cross-section, with a notch and a handle. It is mainly used to straighten the cutting edge of a knife. The thing is useful, as it allows you to constantly keep the knife in working order. But if the blade is very dull, it is not an assistant for you - you need a major sharpening.

2. Mechanical sharpener

Not a bad thing that every housewife should buy. Well suited for sharpening kitchen knives, as it does it quickly and easily. True, the quality is not always pleasing, and the knives dull as quickly as they sharpen. For a kitchen knife, this method is suitable, but no more.

3. Electric sharpener

A great way to quickly and at the same time sharpen high-quality knives with any type of blade, as well as scissors and even screwdrivers. The device is able to sharpen in two minutes and then grind any blade. It is important that it automatically determines the desired sharpening angle, but we will talk about this below. Such a thing will cost from 2 to 50 thousand rubles, depending on the sharpening speed, guide system and power.

4. Machine with an abrasive wheel

This is a professional tool used to sharpen and grind blades in industrial plants. Without experience, it is better not to climb to the machine: steel is hardened at a certain temperature, so uncontrolled heating on the machine during sharpening can irreparably damage the knife. Leave this method to the professionals.

5. Sharpening stone

Sharpening with a whetstone is one of the most effective ways. This process is not easy, but entertaining. Perseverance and some experience with the bar are required. For sharpening, two stones are needed: with small grains and large ones.

There are two types of sharpening stones: natural and artificial. The whole difference is in the grain size: natural stones are usually fine-grained, they are used for grinding. And artificial ones are initially made more versatile, with different degrees of graininess on different sides of the bar.

How to sharpen knives

Before proceeding to the sharpening process, immerse the sharpening stone for 15 minutes in oil or water. This will prolong the life of the bar, since particles of steel will not be clogged between the grains.

Sharpening should start with a coarse-grained stone. It is important to correctly position the blade relative to the surface of the bar, since the final result largely depends on this. The correct sharpening angle is also important: experts advise sharpening the blade at a 20-degree angle, but this can vary depending on the type of knife.

Professional chef knives and fillet knives require a 25 degree angle.
Japanese kitchen knives should be sharpened at an angle of 10-20 degrees.
For hunting blades, an angle of 30 to 45 degrees is used. A larger angle is required for greater resistance to blunting.
For household kitchen knives, an angle of 30 degrees is sufficient.

The rule here is simple: if you want to make the knife sharper, we decrease the sharpening angle, and for greater resistance to dullness, we increase it.

It is necessary to sharpen in continuous movements, raising the handle at the moment when the bar reaches the bend of the blade. This will maintain the angle of the cutting edge. It is important that the movement of the blade is perpendicular to the edge, with a little pressure on the blade.

Grinding

How to sharpen knives with a bar correctly

When we have completed the main sharpening, we start grinding. This requires a fine-grained stone. Sanding is necessary to level the surface and remove the burr. At the same time, the technique remains unchanged.

Output

In theory, everything is pretty clear, but in practice, the process of sharpening a knife is far from the easiest. We'll have to be patient and attentive: one awkward movement, and all the work down the drain. Theory is great, but you can't do it without practice. And the process itself is not cheap, since good whetstones cost a lot of money.

If you just need to sharpen your knives, without all this fetish, get an electric sharpener. The result will be the same, and this method will also save your nerves and time.