Knife Sharpening
Knife sharpening has always been one of the most important parts of tool maintenance, even dating back to the when the first primitive tool was made. In Colonial times, a grist mill was many times the first building to be set up when a new settlement was formed. This is because pioneers knew that without sharp tools, the building processed would be a very slow process.
Sharpening tools today are based on the same physics as the old grist mills and whet stones but a little more advanced and with a lot power. For instance, grinding wheels once powered by water wheels are now zapped with electricity to speed up the sharpening process dramatically. It now takes only a fraction of the time to properly sharpen its tools.
Any knife enthusiast will tell you that it is vital to have on hand a few knife sharpeners around the house or garage. Keeping blades sharp and properly polished is the primary method by which an owner can maintain the usefulness and quality of the knife. Even though most people shy away from the thought of handling a razor-sharp blade, there are actually more slipping accidents caused by dull or chipped blades.
Your choice of knife sharpeners depends largely on the size and purpose of the knives you own. Most chefs (professional and amateur) utilize ceramic sticks shaped like large conductor sticks to sharpen and hone their chopping, cutting and slicing blades. These are easily stored in a knife block or kept in a kitchen drawer until it is needed.
Traditionally, however, most hunters and fishermen utilize small wet stones, or ceramic bricks, that are controlled manually to bring a knife edge to a sharp point. It takes a bit of know-how and experience to properly use these types of knife sharpeners, and many first-time users need a bit of practice before mastering them.
Knife sharpening has come on in leaps and bounds since the days of traditional bench grinder. While you can still find these, there are many other tools available now that do can do an even better job sharpening knifes. When choosing the right knife sharpener for you, it all comes down to personal preference and what kind of knife it is that you are sharpening.
You can sharpen a knife well with both a manual or electric sharpener; the skill of the knife sharpener is probably the more important ingredient in determining how well a knife is sharpened. Holding the knife at the proper angle is critical.
sharpening with grind stone or wet stone:
1) Soak the stone in cold water. Grind stone should absorb enough water
until air bubble will not come out.
2) Please hold knife well with hold down it by thumb to keep knife fast condition.
3) Please re-sharpen knife from top blade with blade looks towards you. Please
keep around 60angle between grind stone and top blade.
4) After re-sharpen several times,please check whether blade has back or not
by finger touch.If there is a back on blade, you can finish the work.
5) After top blade.please re-charpen middle of blade.Please check the back
by finger touch after several times working same as before process.
6) Finally,Please re-sharpen barb area.On this area,no need to re-sharpen
to acute angle. Please re-sharpen to obtuse angle.
7) Please re-sharpen back side of knife with blade looks towards opposite
side. But please not re-sharpen this side so well. You can finish the work
just take away the back.
8) Please re-sharpen back side to take away the back until blade would be
felt smoothly by finger touch.
9) Incase of having finish grind stone, please use it finally for adjustment
of top blade.
Sharpening with steel bar:
1) Knife should be kept around 20angle to steel bar constantly.
2) Left hand has steel bar and right hand has knife. Then, knife should touch
to steel bar and pull it from end blade to top blade like pull it down from
top to bottom.
3) Move knife to opposite side of steel bar and re-sharpen other side by same
way. Please repeat above works from 5 times to 10 times.