How to sharpen a knife properly

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Everyone knows that it is more convenient and productive to work with a sharpened knife. Unfortunately, the blades cannot sharpen themselves. This is just a publicity stunt: sooner or later the blade will dull anyway. But few people know how to sharpen a knife correctly. Let's look into this matter.

Sharpening on Musat

If the knife is dull, the cutting edge is corrected with a musat or a thin whetstone. The operation can be carried out several times, then it will have to be sharpened anyway.

A solid steel or ceramic rod is called a musat. It usually resembles a file with grooves along the axis. If you are thinking about how to sharpen a knife, then here's some advice for you: move the cutting edge away from you along the musat, while smoothly moving the knife from the handle to the tip.

Sharpening with various devices and tools

On a high speed grinding wheel, uncontrolled heating of the steel occurs, from which the blades deteriorate. Therefore, it is impossible for non-specialists to sharpen knives on them. Sharpening a knife on sandpaperalso not recommended.

Now there are special sharpeners, but they are not advised to use, since the angle of sharpening often does not match the initial angle of the blade. The movement creates longitudinal grooves. From this, the blade loses its cutting properties.

How to sharpen a knife on a whetstone

Whetstones come in varying degrees of grit:

• coarse - to restore the shape of the tip and sharpening angle;
• medium - for sharpening;
• thin - to eliminate minor flaws.

Large bars maintain the correct sharpening angle. Optimally, if the length of the stone will be twice the length of the blade, and the width is 5 cm. The bar must be placed on a lining so that it does not scratch the floor and does not slip.

The knife is driven along the bar in a direction that is perpendicular to the cutting edge at the point of contact.

You need to maintain a constant sharpening angle of 20 degrees on both sides of the blade. If you have no idea how to sharpen a knife in accordance with this rule, then know that the blade must be set at an angle of 20 degrees to the surface of the stone and lead along it with the tip forward, while the point of contact constantly moves farther from the handle. Make sure that at the end of the passage the blade does not break off the surface of the bar, otherwise scratches will appear on its side surface.

You shouldn't press hard on the stone, it can lead to loss of accuracy. You need to grind until a burr appears along the length of the blade. Sharpening on a medium stone is corrected on a thin one. During this operation, the bladebecomes more even.

So you have learned how to sharpen knives correctly. I would like to warn you that you do not need to check the quality of sharpening with your hands. Even a shallow cut can become inflamed from microscopic metal filings. Better try to cut a piece of paper by weight with a knife. If it worked on the first try, then your blade is sharp!

Finally, a few tips for the care and use of knives:

• keep them separate;
• use as directed;
• cut on plastic or wood surfaces;
• do not wash in dishwasher;
• Do not sharpen serrated blades or diamond ceramic coating.