How to sharpen knives correctly

A dull knife just brings a lot of problems. It is impossible to beautifully cut vegetables and fruits, cut up meat or fish, or chop food for some dish. However, not many people understand how to determine the quality of a cut. Moreover, when it comes to sharpening, most do not even know how to do it correctly to get a good result. Let's try to understand all the nuances.

How to determine if a knife needs sharpening

Even the best quality knives become dull over time with regular use. To determine if your knife needs sharpening, do a paper test. Hold the folded but not folded sheet of newspaper by one end. You can also use a sheet of regular printer paper. Place the blade at the top edge of the sheet at a slight angle and try to cut the newspaper. If the knife leaves uneven and sloppy edges, then most likely your tool needs sharpening.

How to prepare a knife for sharpening

Before you start sharpening, you should know that the only and main rule is: both the knife and the tool (with which you are going to sharpen the product) must remain clean and dry. The knife should be washed to remove traces of food and grease and wipe it dry with a napkin.It is not recommended to start sharpening, even if the steel is even slightly damp.

This rule does not apply to a separate type of sharpening stones - water ones, which, on the contrary, need to be moistened with water or oil to obtain a good result. However, the knife must remain dry!

What types of sharpeners are there?

Any device that can be used for sharpening has its advantages and disadvantages. Which one to choose depends only on you and the result you expect.

Grindstone

He is a touchstone. Made from various abrasive materials. For example, it could be ceramics, metal or plastic with diamond coating, or natural stone with a fine-grained structure. Be sure to wet it with water.

Advantages:

• good results;
• ease of use with experience;
• does not require separate storage space;
• You can sharpen even a slightly dull knife at any time.

Flaws:

• requires some experience, it’s unlikely that anything will turn out perfect the first time;
• The process sometimes takes a long time.

Steel rod

It is also musat or steel. Also called a sharpening steel, the metal rod sold with most knife sets. In fact, it does not sharpen, but sharpens the edge of a slightly dull blade.

Advantages:

• keeps the blade sharp for a long time;
• quick results;
• does not wear out.

Flaws:

• not suitable for blades that are too dull.

Mechanical sharpeners

Classic devices with a table support, which are characterized by compactness, ease of use and safety.

Advantages:

• very easy to use;
• no additional skills required.

Flaws:

• it is impossible to select the sharpness of the movement, which does not allow sharpening the blade to an ideal sharpness.

Electric sharpeners

These are functional devices that are simple in design, but at the same time guarantee ideal sharpening quality. They are used for both steel and ceramic instruments.

Advantages:

• excellent result;
• easy to use;
• An excellent option if you need to sharpen a large number of products.

Flaws:

• requires separate storage space;
• high price.

In some mechanical and electric sharpeners, the sharpening angle is usually fixed. However, there are devices with an adjustable parameter.

Kitchen knife sharpening angle

An angle of 20° is considered ideal, but experienced craftsmen recommend approaching this process with enthusiasm, taking into account the type of knife and its area of ​​application.

So, the optimal sharpening angle should be:

• 10-20° - Japanese kitchen knives;
• 35° - shredder, fillet and vegetable knives;
• 25° - knives for cutting and deboning meat or fish, fillet for professional chefs;
• 25-30° - ordinary household knives;
• 55-60° - dining rooms.

You should also remember the unspoken rule: the smaller the angle between the blade and the stone, the sharper the tool will be, and the larger the angle, the longer the cutting edge will remain sharp.

Basic rules for sharpening

Next we will talk about how to sharpen a knife using a whetstone, since mechanical and electrical devices practically do not require human intervention, and the steel rod is more designed for finishing than for high-quality sharpening.

1. Soak the stone in water until no more air bubbles appear. This usually takes 10-12 minutes.
2. Place it on a horizontal surface.Pay special attention to fixation. The stone should not move from side to side. If possible, secure it with something. Sometimes it is enough to place it on a rubber mat or a wet towel.
3. Holding the knife blade firmly at the chosen bevel angle, carefully but firmly draw the entire length of the blade away from you diagonally across the stone. Repeat several times - from six to ten.
4. You need to sharpen any device using gentle movements, slightly lifting the handle when the whetstone reaches the bend of the blade.
5. You don’t need to press the blade with great diligence, but even if you move the sharpener gently, there will be no result - here you need to find something in between, the so-called golden mean.
6. Sharpen the entire cutting edge until a small, even burr of metal appears. Turn the knife over and repeat the process.
7. After the surfaces have been sharpened, you can begin to polish them with a fine-grained whetstone. In other words, the steel must be ground, otherwise the sharpness will not last long.

Remember to maintain a constant angle and even pressure.

In principle, you can sharpen a knife by alternating each side. You could even say that this way you will be more confident in evenly sharpening the cutting edge on both sides. However, you can use both methods - whichever is more convenient for you.

Sharpening is a very responsible matter and, in fact, not easy. If you doubt that you can choose the best angle of inclination, and also do everything efficiently, then do not be lazy and take the devices to a special workshop. Yes, you will have to fork out a little money there, but the professionals will do everything accurately and accurately.