Daily, when cooking, we use such a kitchen tool as a knife. It is needed even for such a banal operation as cutting sandwiches. Surely every owner and hostess knows how badly dull knives cut. This is a problem that anyone can face. Of course, you should not run to the store to buy a new one, because you can sharpen the old one. But not everything is so simple. This operation has many nuances. How to sharpen a knife? Consider in our today's article.
Choose material
A rough stone is usually used as a sharpening tool. This is a classic material that has been used since the days of the USSR. The method is very cheap, but quite effective. But in order for the result to really please, and not upset, you need to know how to sharpen a knife with a bar correctly. We also note that the operation can be performed with a sharpener or musat. But more about these tools later.
How to choose a bar? When choosinglength matters. It should be no shorter than the knife blade itself. Ideally, one and a half to two times longer than it. The shape and width of the tool does not matter. The main thing is that the tool should not have chips, cracks and other damage. The stores sell universal bars, as well as stones with different grain sizes (usually they have two working sides). For the best effect, it is recommended to take a double-sided option.
Nuances
The main factor in the processing of knives is the sharpening angle. It should be the same during the sliding of the edge on the bar. The movements themselves should not be made abruptly. They should be smooth, without pressure. The knife is pre-soaked in soapy water. At the end of the operation, the blade should be moistened with water. This is necessary so that the accumulated suspension leaves the cutting edge of our tool.
Getting Started
If the work is done for the first time, it is better to practice a little on a knife that is not a pity to spoil. This is especially true for sharpening expensive tools. Well, let's get to work. How to sharpen a knife at home? First, rinse the bar with water, and then process it with a sponge (the one designed for washing dishes is suitable).
After that, set the stone on a wooden board so that it does not slip on the surface, put an additional towel under the tool. You can put the bar on the different side - at an angle of 14 degrees or perpendicular to yourself. It will not affect the quality of work. How to sharpen knives further? Now let's take a look at the anglesharpening and fix the position of our knife. How to choose the right option? The larger the angle, the more the blade will retain its sharpness. But such a tool will be blunter compared to what was sharpened at a small angle. However, the latter will dull faster, although it will be sharper.
If it's a utility knife, you should pick a 45-degree angle. If this is a tool for cutting meat or fish, this parameter can be reduced by 15 degrees. Further, this angle must be divided by 2. This will be the value that should be between the surface of the stone and the blade. So, we fix the knife at an angle of 22.5 degrees (or 15 for meat tools) across relative to the bar. The top edge of the handle should be above the underside of the stone. We hold a bar with one hand, a knife with the other. We begin to slide on the stone with a uniform effort. It is important not to change the angle of the blade when sharpening.
The cutting edge of the knife that slides over the stone should be perpendicular to the direction of movement. As for the effort of pressure, do not "overdo it." You can’t give slack, but you can’t put much pressure on the knife either. How to understand that the tool is sharpened? This can be judged by the presence of burrs. If those appear on the edge of the knife, then it is sharpened to the maximum. There is no point in processing such a tool further. Now turn the handle over and perform the same operation on the second part of the blade.
Pay attention
During sharpening, metal dust may form on the surface of the tool. Its presenceoptional for this work. Dust will interfere with sharpening, so periodically rinse part of the blade with water. This will make the process faster and more efficient.
Sharpener
There is another way. You can sharpen a knife with a special tool. Its plus is that when sharpening, a part of the metal is removed simultaneously from two sides. There is no need to turn the knife over to the other side after processing. Everything happens fast enough. Usually sharpeners have a V-shaped knife. Such devices are equipped with a vacuum suction cup at the bottom. How to sharpen knives with this tool? We fix the device on the suction cup to the table (it is important that it is clean) and prepare the blade. We set the end of the knife perpendicular to the V-shaped notch and pull the blade towards you by the handle. This operation should be repeated about five to seven times. Sharpen until the blade is sharp.
There are roller type devices. These knives work a little differently. It is necessary to install the end of the knife in the roller and pull it towards you. The roller itself will rotate relative to the blade. You don't have to make a lot of effort to pull the knife towards you, as is the case with a V-shaped knife. But roller devices are much more expensive than analogues. Although they are much more convenient to use.
Musat
This is another tool with which you can restore the knife to its former sharpness. Musat is a ceramic or steel rod, on top of which a diamond coating is applied. Outwardly, it looks likefile.
How to sharpen knives with musat? For this we need a wooden plank. We put it on the table. On top of the plank we put the musat itself in a vertical position. Then we pick up a knife (it is important that it does not have any dirt) and set the end of the blade at the top of the file at an angle of 22 and a half degrees. Then we make smooth movements down. With a decrease in the height of the knife position, the position of the blade itself relative to the musat should be changed. If at first the end of the tool touches it, then at the end the nose of the knife should touch it. The effort needs to be made small, but very light movements do not make sense. The pressure is the same as when using a bar or sharpener.
How to sharpen a ceramic knife with your own hands?
This is a special kind of tool that requires proper care. These knives are virtually indestructible. But if the tool has lost its cutting properties, they can be restored with a diamond sharpener. It should be specially designed for ceramic knives. Don't go for the cheap options. The material of the knife is quite dense, so such tools will simply be ineffective. Among the quality manufacturers, reviews note the company Kyocera. But it is worth remembering that even a good sharpener will take you a lot of time to achieve the desired result. As is the case with conventional sharpeners, diamond sharpeners can be produced with roller or V-shaped sharpening. But it is better to choose the first type. So, how to sharpen a ceramic knife at home? For this we setdevice on a flat surface, fix it. We take out the knife, clean it of dirt and put the tool into the groove of the roller with the end. Next, press it down and pull it towards you. The blade must go all the way, from tip to tip. In this case, the pressure force cannot be changed. This operation must be repeated until the knife acquires the desired sharpness. Moisten it periodically with water to prevent dust on the work surface. She will interfere with our sharpening.
Please note that there are two types of ceramic knives: Asian and European. Each has its own sharpening angle. In the first case, it is 15 degrees, in the second - 20. When buying a sharpener, check this point with the seller. If the knife is Asian, then the device must be of the same type.
Use the machine
If you have an electric machine, you can also use it to sharpen. But this requires a special circle. For ordinary knives - with a surface like a bar, for ceramic - with a diamond coating. So, how to sharpen a knife on a machine? We launch it and substitute the knife at an angle relative to the circle.
The angle is 22.5 centimeters. Then we draw along the edge of the circle from beginning to end. However, the effort should be small, since the rotation speed is high and you can simply cut off the edge of the tool. It is enough to swipe a couple of times in a circle to successfully sharpen the blade. Then we move on to the second edge of the knife. We sharpen it in the same way. Moisten periodicallytool surface with water.
Conclusion
So we figured out how to sharpen homemade knives. As you can see, there are several ways to do this. But in order to please the result, you should take into account the angle of sharpening and do not be lazy to rinse the blade with water.
