Every person who loves to cook knows how important it is for a kitchen knife to be well sharpened. Only a sharp knife can beautifully and thinly cut a variety of foods. With a dull knife, it will not be possible to achieve high-quality cutting. And the pleasure from the process of preparing a culinary masterpiece will be hopelessly spoiled.

It follows from this that the process of sharpening a kitchen knife must be approached with special attention. It includes several main stages. By the way, what kind of sharpening should be directly depends on the material from which the knife is made, how many cutting edges it has, and how it is used in the cooking process. As a rule, knives are sharpened with different materials, and therefore require certain skills. So, the sharpening process can be of different types:

1. The actual process of sharpening the blade of a kitchen knife when it reaches the desired degree of sharpness. It should be borne in mind that a knife that is used for cutting rough materials or fabrics can simply be sharpened and that’s it. All defects in the form of scratches and the like will only enhance the “sawing” properties of the kitchen knife. However, its sharpness will not last long, so you should consider purchasing a sharpener that can withstand frequent use.
2. Editing process. Editing is needed when “waves” form on the edges of the knife blade. In other words, the edges of the blade can be wrapped either in one direction or in different directions. In this case, edge alignment is even more important than sharpening. After this, light sanding is required.
3. Resharpening process. It becomes necessary when there are chips, breaks and other defects on the blade. Resharpening is also needed in cases where the user wants to change the sharpening angle of the blade.
4. Finishing process. Finishing includes grinding, with which you can completely eliminate minor deformations and simply polish the blade. A knife that has been fine-tuned retains its cutting ability longer. Moreover, it is considered safer.

Here's what you need to know about the process of sharpening kitchen knives. This knowledge will allow you to achieve maximum blade sharpness.

So, everything is very clear with the sharpening process. Now let's look in more detail at what tools you can use to sharpen a kitchen knife. In other words, we will talk about the types of sharpeners.

So, there are different types of knife sharpeners. Starting from the most primitive to the most advanced models, which allow you to achieve maximum blade sharpness with minimal effort.

All sharpeners for kitchen knives are divided into the following types:

1. The simplest type of sharpeners are keychain sharpeners, which are mobile devices. There are such sharpeners different forms, colors and sizes. This sharpener is convenient to have with you, especially when hiking or fishing. She's different original design. Such a sharpener can look like a standard pocket keychain, or it can even be made in the shape of a bank card.
2. Folding balisong sharpeners get their name from the region where they were first created - the Balisong region in the province of Batangas in the Philippines. By the way, the first folding knives were invented here and, based on their type, folding sharpeners were created, which can be rectangular, in the form of a rod or an awl. This sharpener can be used to sharpen any blade. This type of sharpener is also convenient to use in camping conditions, while traveling and fishing, as it has a compact size and gives a fairly high-quality result, restoring the sharpness of a kitchen knife.
3. The most primitive and simple device used for sharpening knives is a whetstone. In most cases, it takes the form of a bar, cylinder, disk or rod. The shape depends on the imagination of the manufacturer. In some cases, the whetstone may have a handle, backing, and body made of wood or plastic. There are double-sided sharpening stones that have different abrasives. In general, such a sharpener is also considered mobile, compact and unpretentious. It will allow you to cope with even a very dull knife in any conditions.
4. There are also mechanical sharpeners. They are usually stationary and have quite great opportunities. Using such a sharpener, you can set the required sharpening angle, install a suitable abrasive material, and so on. Mechanical sharpeners are classified as professional devices that require certain skills and experience. In general, it is universal and quite convenient to use, but in order to use it correctly you will need to learn.
5. The most modern are electric sharpeners, the design of which can be either bulky or quite compact and neat. Typically, such devices are used in catering establishments, where knives must always be sharp.

However, this does not mean at all that electric sharpeners are not used by ordinary housewives in the kitchen, and we will talk about them in more detail.

What is an electric sharpener?

This device usually has several grooves or recesses. It is through them that you will need to pass the knife blade several times. Inside the groove there are special disks that have different coating. When the discs rotate, the process of sharpening the blade occurs. To sharpen a kitchen knife efficiently, it will be enough to swipe the blade two to three times.

In general, there is nothing supernatural in this device. It operates from a 220 Watt network, and it would be much more accurate to call it a sharpening station, which is equipped with an electric drive. To make the sharpener work, you just need to plug it in and run the knife blade along the grooves several times.

Electric sharpeners have a function that allows you to select the sharpening angle according to the type of blade surface. In this case, as a rule, a system of polymer or magnetic guides is meant that allows you to adhere desired angle in the process of sharpening a kitchen knife. Naturally, this allows you to expand the list of knives that can be sharpened using an electric sharpener. The device can also be equipped with special slots that allow you to sharpen the edge of the blade on one side. It is worth noting that this unit costs a lot, but the high price is well worth it. Especially when you consider that the device not only allows you to quickly sharpen a kitchen knife, but is also safe, versatile and convenient.

In general, an electric knife sharpener is a portable device that has a compact size and runs on mains power. Its body is usually made of high-quality plastic, which is equipped with a special tray. The chips that are formed during the process of sharpening knives will fall into it. It is worth adding that metal electric sharpeners can also be found on sale.

With an electric sharpener, you can sharpen your knife in just a few minutes. The range of these devices is quite huge. They come in very small ones, which are intended for home use. Also on sale are professional devices, which allow you to sharpen several knives at once. They usually have several holes that are designed for blades different types. It is worth adding that with the help of such a sharpener you can also sharpen scissors and even screwdrivers.

The equipment of an electric sharpener may vary. For example, the device may be designed not only for sharpening a dull blade, but also for polishing it. Not many people know that regular polishing will keep the knife blade in working condition without resorting to the sharpening process.

An electric sharpener will not take up much space in the kitchen, even if the room is small. The presence of this small unit will get rid of the problem of dull knives, and kitchen knives become dull very often - this is a fact proven by many housewives.

And that is why it is worth understanding in more detail what you need to pay attention to when choosing this device.

What to consider during the selection process

The main advantage of electric sharpeners is that even women can use them, since the sharpening process itself does not require significant effort. However, when choosing of this device The following nuances should be taken into account:

1. Company manufacturer. This is important, since sharpeners are from well-known brands differ high quality And for a long time services. In addition, a trusted brand also provides a guarantee on the product.
2. Unit power. Yes, electric sharpeners come in different capacities. Low-power, low-cost models are suitable for domestic use. For use in a professional kitchen, you should choose a more powerful sharpening. Naturally, its cost will be much higher. It should be taken into account that the processing speed of the blade depends on the power.
3. Functionality. In this case, the number of grooves for sharpening is implied. Budget models usually have only one groove. More expensive ones may have two grooves or more. The most simple devices Designed for sharpening knives only universal type. Others may additionally have slots for straightening and polishing the blade and more.
4. The material from which the body is made. This factor also matters when choosing an electric sharpener. Usually it is made of plastic, but there are also metal models. They are more durable. The metal electric sharpener will not break if dropped or hit.

By taking all these nuances into account, you can choose a high-quality electric sharpener for kitchen knives that will last a long time.

Finally

It is worth adding that electric sharpeners are not at all suitable for sharpening knives that are made of ceramics. Or rather, you can use them for ceramic knives. However, you should not think that an electric sharpener will return the edges of a ceramic knife to their former sharpness, but at the same time it can even out chips.

In general, an electric sharpener is useful device for use in the kitchen, since a kitchen knife is used for cooking more often than any other item. Therefore, it quickly loses its sharpness. It follows from this that you will have to sharpen the blade often, which means that the need to purchase an electric sharpener is completely justified.

Video. How to choose an electric knife sharpener

How to choose a knife

As the Japanese say: “The knife contains the heart and soul of the cook.”

Throughout the history of mankind, the knife has become the most common tool on earth. Kitchen, hunting, combat, multitools, special, work, souvenir, tourist and many other types, and each of them helps a person survive and master nature.

Along with the knife, as an integral part and dyad, there is always a sharpener - without it, the knife will eventually turn into a useless piece of iron. It would seem that sharpening is such a simple process. In fact, it requires patience, accuracy, and most importantly, a sharpening tool, depending on the type of knife.

We will look at what types of sharpening tools there are and how they differ from each other.

Of all the huge number of knives in the world, most of them are made for use in the kitchen. There are several hundred types of traditional Japanese cuisine alone; Europeans, however, are not far behind them in this regard. In every cafe or restaurant you can see a universal, bread, vegetable, peeling and slicing, meat, fillet, bone cutter, chef's, cheese, tomato, hatchet and many others. In the home kitchen, as a rule, everything is much simpler, but you can find several different knives even there.

Each type of knife has its own a certain form, weight, dimensions. These characteristics have been optimized for the products and materials being cut and have been proven over several thousand years of use. However, they continue to improve even in our time.

Specific appearance of the knife different masters or companies will, of course, be different, but have similar features by which you can immediately identify it functional purpose, will be preserved when manufactured in different countries.

Sharpening occurs in stages, the number of which varies and depends on the degree of residual sharpness of the knife. First, a cutting edge is formed with a coarse abrasive (and sometimes even bevels are made), then it is processed with a fine abrasive to the required smoothness and then (not always and not for all knives) the leads are polished.

The higher the sharpening skill, the longer the knife will retain its cutting properties.

Sharpening materials

The material from which the knife is made is of great importance for sharpening knives.

The vast majority of blades are made of steel - an alloy of iron and carbon, where the latter is from half to two percent (if less, it will be tin, and if more, cast iron). Its properties are determined both by the amount of carbon in the composition and by the presence of special alloying additives (nickel, manganese, chromium, silicon, vanadium, molybdenum, tungsten), which give the steel hardness, strength, corrosion resistance, and wear resistance.

Depending on the type of additives used, their volumetric ratio and the method of subsequent heat treatment, several hundred different grades of steel are smelted with unique properties. One of these properties is hardness - it provides the blade with a combination of strength and cutting properties. So soft grades (52-54 units on the Rockwell scale) bend well, but require frequent editing, while hard grades (55-58 HRC) can be sharpened sharper and retain their cutting properties longer, but are very afraid of bending and impacts on hard obstacles, such like bone, and also require special skills when sharpening.

The manner of working with a knife and the cutting technique of European and Asian chefs are fundamentally different, therefore, historically, European kitchen knives were made of soft brands, and Japanese ones were made of hard ones.

Steel knives can only be sharpened with abrasives that are harder than the steel of the knife itself. The most popular of them are: diamond chips, carbides, ceramics, Arkansas stone.

By historical standards, ceramic knives began to come into use quite recently. Any steel, even with anti-corrosion additives, sooner or later begins to chemical reactions with products that develop a bitter taste and unpleasant odor.

Knives made of zirconium ceramics (white and black) do not have this drawback and at the same time they have incredible sharpness and durability of the cutting edge. However, they are quite fragile and can break if dropped or if they hit a bone or even frozen food. Ceramic knives can only be sharpened with diamond-coated abrasives.

Sharpening angles

Depending on the purpose of the knife, sharpening the edges can be done in different ways.

Their appearance determines the properties, quality and even the very possibility of cutting in different materials - so one shape of edges cuts better, another cuts, some are easier to manufacture, and some retain their sharpness longer.

The smaller the sharpening angle, the sharper the knife will be, however, the cutting edge will crumble faster. To make it strong enough, the sharpening angle must be larger, but this will reduce the sharpness of the cutting part. Because of these very inconvenient alternatives, sharpening is sometimes performed in two or even three stages with microfeeds, and in the extreme, smooth lens-shaped.

The vast majority of kitchen knives are sharpened with a conventional symmetrical wedge in order to reduce costs.

Changing the angle of inclination when sharpening on a whetstone does not present any difficulties - the main thing is to be able to keep the new value constant. Holding it on sharpeners seems to be an extremely difficult task; only advanced and expensive devices can fix the blade and even set the desired angle.

If long-term sharpness of the cutting edge and durability of the knife are required, then sharpening stones should be chosen as a sharpening tool. They come in different grain sizes. The sharpening process is sequential - the stones replace each other, moving from coarser to finer ones.

A coarse stone is used when the knife is severely dull or damaged and needs to be restored or a new edge formed.

The medium-grain stone smoothes out rough scratches.

Fine-grained sharpens precisely.

Micro-grain polishes to a mirror shine (plus such polishing provides protection against corrosion).

The sharpening angle on stones is initially set using special auxiliary devices for fixing the angle (for example, an apexoid), and after some training, by eye. They are usually made in the form of bars or sharpening sticks.

If you need effortless sharpening at a very high speed, and razor sharpness and durability are secondary, then you should choose a mechanical model as a tool. The sharpening angle in such devices is fixed (if you hold the knife vertically) and corresponds to most wedge-shaped cutting edges of low-price knives.

They will not be able to sharpen with high quality and the knife will quickly become dull again, since the stationary bars remove the layer along the cutting edge along, and not at an angle, but for everyday cutting of the usual amount of food for a family, such sharpness will be quite enough. This is a choice for those who have a knife - consumables, there is no reverence for it and the resulting edge quality is quite acceptable.

Currently, manual roller sharpening with rotating ceramic discs is becoming widespread. These models already grind the edge at an angle and thus do not damage the blade, which in turn leads to long-term use without sharpening.

- electric knife

For those who have a large collection of high-quality, expensive knives, or for those who are interested in sharpening durability, but have no desire or ability to tinker with water stones, you should choose an electric knife as a tool. Such a device consists of an electric motor, several abrasive wheels and a housing, which at the same time serves as a guide for fixing the sharpening angle.

Electric sharpeners, unlike sharpening machines, have lower speeds and do not overheat the edge, and they are also capable of high-quality sharpening of a blade of any length and thickness. The sharpening procedure, depending on the condition of the cutting part, lasts from several seconds to several minutes. Anyone can use them, regardless of experience, and training only takes a couple of minutes.

Depending on the level of technical equipment, the devices can have several levels of processing in accordance with the number of abrasives. So the most advanced ones have stages of sharpening, finishing and polishing; you just need to move the knife into the appropriate slot on the device. Less equipped models have two stages of processing and, most importantly, do not fix the angle and constant pressure along the entire length of the blade. Electric sharpeners are capable of processing very dull, heavily damaged and particularly hard blades, and a large number of them in a row.

No physical effort is required during operation.

Serrated knives (with a wave surface or a saw), scissors, screwdrivers and other household tools can be sharpened either manually with special whetstones or on multifunctional sharpeners. An indication of this possibility will be indicated by pictograms on the device body.

Price range

(the division is very arbitrary)

- up to 500 rub. - coarse-grained corundum sharpening stones, simple hand sharpeners with metal discs, metal musats.

- 500 - 3,000 rub. - synthetic and natural ceramic stones, ceramic and diamond-coated grinders, manual and simple electric sharpeners with ceramic discs and the ability to sharpen serrated knives, scissors, screwdrivers, but, as a rule, without fixing the angle of the cutting edge. Also in this group, hybrids (sharpeners-can openers, etc.) are beginning to appear.

3,000 - 10,000 rub. - sharpening stones of small and very fine grain (high grit), combined two-layer sharpening stones, stones with sharpening devices, two-stage electric sharpeners or combined three-stage ones with mechanical polishing.

From 10,000 rub. - professional three-stage low-speed sharpening stations with diamond abrasives or mini-belt grinders with a set of belts for continuous processing of knives in catering and service companies. That is, devices that allow you to very quickly sharpen a knife according to all the rules.

They have the functions of grinding and polishing; thanks to special clamps on springs, they ensure uniform pressure and the same angle of the blade along the entire length of the cutting edge. Sharpeners in this group allow you to sharpen the entire edge right down to the handle or bolster. Their sharpening module is most often removable and can be cleaned in the dishwasher. As a rule, devices in this group contain detailed, proven user manuals with a large number of visual drawings and examples.

The cost of the sharpener should correspond to the price of the knives used

P.S.

Over the course of several thousand years, the sharpening process itself has turned into a sacred procedure, overgrown with many legends and myths. It is believed that not even the most expensive computerized electric knife can compare with the hand of a real master. The secrets of sharpening are passed down from generation to generation. You can spend your entire life learning all the nuances of craftsmanship. The amount of collective experience presented in the literature on this topic has long exceeded the ability of an individual to master the entire amount of information presented. However, this will not prevent any person unfamiliar even with the basics of sharpening from trying different ways and types, so that you can subsequently choose the most convenient and effective one and, perhaps, someday become a real guru in this matter.