What is knife sharpening and how does it work?
Knife sharpening is knife care and knife maintenance technique. For cooks, knife sharpening is an essential skill that improves safety and preserves the quality of food preparation by keeping knives in their best cutting condition.
Sharpening usually removes only a very thin layer of the metal on each side (about 0.5 micrometres) with each stroking of an abrasive surface such as stone or sandpaper. The object is to form two acute angles at its edges, which creates cat-like teeth that ensure slicing instead of gliding over the surface -–a process called “microkerning” by knife makers—creating parenchyma cells with stretchable membranes to produce greater elasticity for easier waves, pinch burring and better knife performance.
In simpler words, sharpening is when you remove a thin layer of metal at the edges. This creates sharp corners that are good for cutting, instead of just gliding over the surface. It also gives your knife some elasticity so it can be easier to use.
Check out some of our reviews of some of the most popular knife sharpeners in the market :
- Chef’s Choice 120 vs 130: Which Chef’s Choice Knife Sharpener is the Best?
- 15 Degree Angle Knife Sharpener
- Best Knife Sharpener for Wusthof Knives
- Best Knife Sharpener Under 50 Dollars
Difference between knife sharpening and honing
What knife sharpening requires is a precise angle to create the knife’s keen edge. It’s different from honing, which merely realigns knife edges for greater durability and strength of the blade. Honing keeps knife edges aligned at a consistent angle perfect for slicing and dicing, but not as precise as needed to create the knife’s keen edge.
The Ultimate Guide to Knife Sharpening for Beginners
1. The best knife sharpener should have a coarse side for dull blades and a fine side for finishing the knife.
2. Make sure to buy knife sharpeners that are appropriate for your knife(s) or tool(s). You do not want to use a knife sharpener that was designed for kitchen knives on your pocket knife, right?
3. Make sure the knife sharpener is easy to hold, especially if you have arthritis or carpal tunnel syndrome. You don’t want to spend all day sharpening your knife(s) because it’s too hard to handle!
4. Make sure knife sharpeners are dishwasher safe for easy clean-up.
5. It would be nice to have knife sharpening systems that are aesthetically pleasing; make your knife storage area or knife block look good! Your knife set will look better if the knife sharpener matches the style of knives you own!
6. Make sure knife sharpeners are made of quality materials like diamond dust, tungsten, titanium, or carbide.
7. Make sure knife sharpeners are backed with a warranty to protect you if they break within the first year of purchase.
8. The knife sharpener should have knife guides that are adjustable so knife sharpening is easier and knife storage spaces/blocks are more functional.
9. Make sure knife sharpeners have at least two knife sharpening stages so knife sharpening is easy and fast.
10. The knife sharpener should offer a third knife stage for serrated knives to ensure the blades are razor-sharp all the time!
11. Be careful if knife sharpeners require batteries to operate. Batteries add unnecessary costs to knife sharpening systems.
Continue reading for more tips for knife sharpening for beginners
12. The knife sharpener should be made of the highest quality knife-specific materials that are not flimsy or cheap.
13. The knife sharpener should be knife specific(specific to the knives you want to sharpen) to avoid any potential damage to knife handles, blades, and knife edges.
14. Be careful if knife sharpeners scratch knife blades causing blade damage. Scratched knives are never accurate for cutting fruits and vegetables and knife edges can be damaged if knife sharpening systems do not have knife guides.
15. The knife sharpener should provide the correct angles for knife blades to ensure they are razor-sharp!
16. Knife sharpeners should not damage knife handles by scratching them or causing any other type of damage that makes knife handles less attractive.
17. The knife sharpener should be easy to store in knife storage spaces like knife blocks, knife drawers, or knife bags so knife edges always remain razor-sharp.
18. Be careful if knife sharpeners are not comfortable in your hands because they could slip from your grip while knife sharpening and cut anything they come in contact with…
19. The knife sharpener should be sturdy, reliable, and easy to use when knife sharpening!
20. Be careful not to leave knife sharpeners outside because they could rust which will take away from their visual appearance.
21. Do not drop your knife sharpener. It is easy to drop knife sharpeners, but knife sharpening systems are not cheap! Drop them too many times and you’ll have the most expensive knife(s) in your knife block that will never be used again.
How do you sharpen your knife using a knife sharpener?
There are many knife sharpening techniques that knife sharpeners can use to sharpen knives; all knife owners should learn them and keep a few easy-to-reach.
Technique no. 1 for knife sharpening
One technique is to hone the knife back and forth like a pencil on a desk, using gentle strokes. This type of knife sharpener
will create finer edges than the coarser edge produced by using only one side of your knife sharpener.
Start with the coarse setting and gradually progress to the fine setting for thicker blades, such as those found on kitchen knives, pocket knives, utility knives, and hunting knives.
For thinner blades – such as paring or fillet – move from coarse to very fine directly after purchase to reduce wear and tear on the blade’s edges make sure you hold the knife sharpener steady and at the correct angle to the knife blade for knife safety.
Technique no. 2 for knife sharpening
Another knife sharpening technique is to hone the knife by moving it across a honing steel. This knife maintenance method will create a finer edge than using just one side of your knife sharpener and works best on straight-edge knives, such as chef’s knife, carving knife, knife sets, hunting knife sets, fillet knife sets, and standard kitchen knife sets.
After placing the edge of knife blades against the coarse side of the knife sharpener, make sure you hold them at a 20-degree angle for optimal cutting accuracy. If the blade is too steeply curved to sharpen this way, begin with a knife-edge at the knife sharpener’s fine side, starting at the base of the knife blade near the handle and then slowly moving the knife to the tip.
But what about curved knives? How do you sharpen curved knives?
For curved knife edges that are hard to reach inside knife sharpeners, place them under running hot water for about five minutes before knife sharpening so blades can be easily placed inside knife sharpeners.
Knife sharpeners make it easier to sharpen knives. Knife owners like these sharpeners because the blades are held at a consistent angle while they are being sharpened. This helps keep the edges straight and makes it safer.
If you’re new to knife sharpening, knife sharpener beginner guides are a great way to get started because knife owners can sharpen their knife edges easily and safely.
To Conclude
Knife sharpeners are a great knife maintenance tool for knife owners because they help keep the knife edges straight and make it safer to use knives. There are many different knife sharpening techniques that knife sharpeners can use, but all knife owners should learn them in order to maintain their blades properly. Knife users who are new to knife sharpening might want to start with guides so they know how best to take care of their knives without having any accidents or mistakes along the way!
