Sharpening a knife on a sharpener. Sharpening a knife on sandpaper with an abrasive wheel

A friend asked me to sharpen a knife that had been used in the kitchen for 3 years for a variety of tasks: chopping frozen meat and poultry bones. The blade made of 95X18 steel did not withstand the tests, and several chips appeared on the cutting edge, and the first 50 mm from the tip were initially “under-sharpened.” The owner was afraid to do any manipulations himself, although he has an abrasive block from a hardware store in his kitchen.

Advantages and disadvantages of “purchased” sharpening machines

The most common reason failure when sharpening a knife lies in the difficulty of holding it in such a position that the approach angle remains constant. There are a lot of devices and machines that solve this problem.
The main advantage of sharpening systems manufactured in production conditions is that they are ready for work; nothing needs to be completed.
However, they also have disadvantages:

• Most devices can only work at fixed angles (kitchen electric sharpeners, Lansky type devices).
• Systems with good functionality, such as Apex Edge Pro (Price about $300), cost a lot of money. Moreover, there are more clones and fakes on sale than originals.
• Almost all mechanical sharpeners remove a huge amount of metal and overheat the cutting edge. Exceptions, such as Tormek (Tormek T9 costs more than 50 thousand rubles in the minimum configuration. Equipment for the machine will have to be purchased separately and also expensive.), are HELL expensive.
• Not all “factory” designs fix the blade rigidly enough.

Homemade sharpener

On homemade device The one I use has been used by at least a thousand knives, chisels and other cutting tools, so I have no doubt about its effectiveness. The design is extremely simple, and the most expensive thing about it is the sharpening stones. In the description I will not give specific sizes, only general ideas.

bed

The bed is a piece of iron from the “Young Bookbinder” set. It is quite large and massive, so it does not wobble even on “crooked” bases.

Rack

The tripod from the photo enlarger turned out to be an excellent donor. The standard lifting mechanism, which I use to adjust the angle of the stone relative to the plane of the blade, works smoothly and is securely fixed.

Inclined rod

A calibrated rod with a diameter of 10 mm is designed to hold and move the sharpening stone. It is attached to the lifting mechanism through a hinge - a steering end from a go-kart. The following parts are put on the rod: a plastic nut, a spring, two clamps with fixing screws, a nut on the back (so that the rod does not fall out of the hinge). This design allows you to work with stones of different lengths and quickly change them: I never fix the locking screw of the near clamp, and the stone is held by the spring force.
Blade locking mechanism
Mechanism elements:

• Bracket. The part is made of duralumin and serves as a clamp.
• A bronze bushing with a semicircular groove is clamped motionless in the bracket.
• The shaft is seated with a gap of 0.1 - 0.15 mm, i.e. it rotates freely. The spring presses the fixing axis against the bushing.
• The channel is fixed to the shaft.
• Two pairs of jaws with M8 hammer bolts move freely along the grooves in the channel. After tightening the nuts, they are firmly fixed in position. The angle between the surfaces of the jaws adjacent to the channel flanges is about 75 degrees.

The bushing is made using lathe, jaws and channel - on the milling machine, bracket - on the drilling machine. The remaining parts and blanks were found in the garage.

Sharpening procedure

If a used knife is being sharpened and it is necessary to maintain the angle of approach, then the work is performed in the following order.
We clamp the blade in the jaws, having previously adjusted their position in width.
Before installation, we seal knives with a polished blade with masking tape to avoid leaving scratches.
Draw the cutting edge with a waterproof marker. We install an abrasive stone with the largest grain. We make several careful movements with the barbell from ourselves. Based on the abrasion of the marker marks, we determine whether the angle is chosen correctly. If the stone catches along the edge, then it needs to be enlarged, that is, the hinge must be raised. After correcting the angle, the abrasive should remove marker marks along the entire plane of the cutting edge.
Now you can proceed directly to sharpening. We make reciprocating movements with the bar and move along the edge of the knife until chips, creases and other defects are completely gone. We apply light pressure only when moving away from ourselves. The rod should return empty. On the last passes we release the pressure on the bar.

Pull the channel towards you and turn it 180°. We sharpen until the width of the inlet on both sides is approximately the same.
To visually inspect the edges, you do not need to constantly bend over. One of the advantages of the device used is that the knife is attached once, it can be rotated as much as you like, and it will always stop in the desired positions.
When the second side is finished, a burr will appear on the first. You may not see it, but you can clearly feel it with your fingers. You need to make sure that the burr has formed along its entire length, otherwise later there will be “dull” areas and the work will have to be redone.
You need to control the burr by moving your finger from the butt to the cutting edge, but not along it! Otherwise, cuts cannot be avoided.

The width of the cutting edge along the blade depends on the geometry of the slopes. On this knife, the lead at the tip is thicker than the rest.
Before moving on to a finer abrasive, use a sponge or paper towel to remove sawdust. We remove the risks from the previous stone on both sides. In this case, the burr should separate: not crumble in the form of dust, but fall off in thin threads.
Depending on the grain size, the second stone can also “pick” the burr. In my case, this is exactly what happened. Then we move on to the next grain.
We check the result of the work on a newspaper: we make a cut with a broach and control its smoothness. If there are any defects left, they will stick.

If you wish, you can try shaving the hair on your wrist.

The best way checks - cut with a knife what it is intended for.

Abrasive stones

I use a set of diamond stones on a metal bond (4 pieces). coolant – tap water. Some sharpeners wet the diamonds with soap emulsion. Some people generally work “dry” (see video). I sharpen according to the stone manufacturer's instructions, which recommends wetting the stone with water and periodically brushing off any metal filings.
Grain sizes on bars (in microns):

• 125/100 – formation of the cutting edge, changing the sharpening angle;
• 63/50 – rough grinding;
• 20/14 – fine grinding;
• 7/5 – polishing.

I started working with the first stone and finished with the third. I use the fourth one quite rarely, only at the request of aesthetes.
Instead of diamond bars you can work artificial stones from electrocorundum. There are even more a budget option: Glue strips of sandpaper of different grits onto aluminum or glass forms. The most important thing is that all the stones in the set must be the same thickness.

Knife sharpening video

In the video, the huntsman sharpens his working knife (Bohler M390 steel) on the device described above. He only uses one 63/50 stone and thinks that's enough. Characteristic movements along the edge - this is how he removes the burr.
Perhaps I missed something in the description of the process or device, deviated from some canons, I don’t pray to Arkansas and Japanese water stones. I suggest discussing these points in the comments.

Sharpen knives correctly- This is a very valuable ability. Any housewife will confirm that a poorly sharpened knife can significantly complicate any cooking process. In fact, sharpening knives is not difficult, the main thing is to choose The right way, with which you can sharpen them. Our article will help you choose this method, and will also tell you how to properly sharpen kitchen, Japanese, ceramic, hunting and any other knives at home.

With a whetstone or whetstone

To properly sharpen knives with a whetstone or whetstone, you need to stock up on two copies at once, one of which must be coarse-grained structure, and second - fine-grained. Immediately before sharpening, you should thoroughly wet the knife blade. clean water, tilt it 20 degrees, after which you need to fix a whetstone or sharpening stone of a coarse-grained structure on a table or any other flat surface. The whetstone or whetstone should also be moistened with water, and only then can you begin to sharpen the knife. This should be done until burrs form on the blade, which can then be easily smoothed out with a fine-grained stone. It is necessary to sharpen knives with a whetstone or a whetstone on both sides, after which they should be washed in clean water.

On the machine

To properly sharpen a knife on a special sharpening machine or, as it is also called, on an electric sharpener, you should have some knowledge and skills. Sharpening knives on an electric sharpener is not at all an easy task, since if you do it incorrectly, the knife can be completely damaged, after which no sharpening will help. It should also be remembered that when the discs rub against the blade, they tend to heat up. Not every material can withstand high sharpening temperatures.

To properly sharpen a knife on a machine, you should do this on the side surface of the sharpening wheel. The knife blade should be rotated 25-30 degrees, and it should be sharpened until burrs appear on the blade. They will need to be carefully removed and the knife blade slightly adjusted using a fine-grained sharpening stone.

Electric knife

An electric sharpener is the most convenient way to properly sharpen a knife at home. Most often, it has two modes: direct sharpening and polishing. All you need to do to sharpen your knife is: insert it into a special hole and wait a while, while the electric knife sharpener does everything for you.

Musat

Sharpening knives with musat is quite difficult. More often Musat is used to polish a knife, sharpened in some other way. To properly sharpen a knife, you need to choose ceramic grinding stone or one with the addition of diamond chips. Next, you just need to run the blade over the musat several times, achieving the desired result, then wash both devices and put them away on the table.

Sandpaper

To properly sharpen a knife using sandpaper, you need to place it on a flat surface, and holding the edge of the sandpaper with one free hand, take the knife in your other hand and begin sharpening it with sliding movements. Do not wet the sandpaper or blade with water. But you will need double-sided tape if you want to secure the sandpaper to a flat surface.

How to sharpen different types of knives correctly

For kitchen knives will do any sharpening method, provided that the knives are not ceramic. The main thing is to sharpen it correctly, following all the recommendations from our article.

Knives ice screw should only be sharpened using a whetstone. It can be of any shape, however, it should be understood that its surfaces must be flat. Ice drill blades need to be sharpened in the following way : Place the whetstone on a flat surface so that it does not wobble or slide in different directions. After this, take the drill knife in your hands, place it on the sharpening stone and make several circular movements. This will remove burrs and prepare the knife for sharpening. Next, grab the blunt part of the drill knife and begin to sharpen it, rotating it in different directions. You only need to sharpen the outer part of the ice drill blade, otherwise there is a possibility of completely ruining the device.

Knives for meat grinders can be sharpened using a whetstone. To do this, you need to place it on a flat surface, moisten it a little top part, and then put a knife on it, which should be sharpened. Now begin to carefully rotate the meat grinder knife in different directions, sharpening only outside knife During sharpening, the block must be regularly moistened, which will ensure more effective sharpening.

Hunting the knife is usually sharpened by hand using a whetstone. In this case, it is advisable to immediately determine the degree of inclination of the blade when sharpening, as this will affect the final result. Optimal inclination for sharpening a hunting knife - this is about 15-20 degrees. In this case, the sharpening stone must be placed on a flat surface and pre-moistened with any oil. Then you need to take a hunting knife in both hands and apply it to the surface of the emery stone, then forcefully draw the blade crosswise. For each side you need to make about ten movements to perfectly sharpen a hunting knife at home.

Japanese knives are of special quality and durability, so they need to be sharpened in a suitable way. In order to sharpen a Japanese knife by hand, a Japanese knife designed for this task is ideal. water stone. It looks like a whetstone and has a double coloring: on one side the water stone has White color, and on the other – dark brown or orange. Before sharpening a Japanese knife using a water stone, it (the stone) should be immersed in water for several minutes. When the stone does not emit bubbles, you can start sharpening. First, you should sharpen a Japanese knife on a coarse-grained brown surface, and then polish it with a white one.

Ceramic knives can only be sharpened using a sharpening machine, and only if there is a tool for it diamond-coated nozzle. In this case, it is advisable to have minimal skills in working with this tool, otherwise there is a possibility of permanently damaging the ceramic knife. To properly sharpen a ceramic knife using a sharpening machine, you need to lean the blade against a diamond-coated abrasive wheel, tilt the blade 25 degrees and turn on the machine. Be careful: than smaller angle tilt, the sharper the sharpening will be.

Vaccination The knife should only be sharpened on one side. This is done as follows: turn the knife so that its blade is directed in your direction, then begin to sharpen the upper section of the knife, gradually going down. Adjust the blade angle so that the blade is about the fastest at the end. The grafting knife must be sharpened using a whetstone and a whetstone, the surface of which should be regularly moistened with water.

Disk knives for fleshing, like knives hand plane, can only be sharpened using a sharpening machine. It is best to give such knives to professionals who will sharpen circular knives or hand plane knives as needed. It is better not to sharpen such knives on your own, especially without any skills in working with a sharpening machine.

If our tips did not help you sharpen a knife correctly and effectively at home, then we advise you to watch a video guide for sharpening knives, as well as read a book or any other educational literature on this topic. Sharpening knives is not an easy task, so it requires at least minimal knowledge.

Knives are the most used tool in household. Whether it's kitchen knives, folding knives, office knives or surgical scalpels, they should always have a sharp blade. During operation, the cutting edge of any, even the most advanced tool, becomes dull and the problem of sharpening knives is always relevant. In order to maintain sharpness yourself, you need to know how to sharpen knives correctly and master this useful skill.

Cutting angle

As the sharpening angle decreases, the sharpness of the blade increases, but the risk of destruction of the cutting edge by lateral load increases. Typical cross-section angles of a symmetrical tip are about 25−30 degrees. Very sharp knives can be 20 degrees or less. Various knives are sharpened differently depending on the purpose, the geometry of the blade and the material from which it is made.

These features are important when deciding how to sharpen a knife. For example, a surgical scalpel is a sharp but fragile instrument that cannot be restored after losing its cutting properties. Straight razors are also unusually sharp, have a very shallow cutting edge angle, and require stropping once a day or more often. Another extreme case is an axe. It is used primarily for splitting wood or impact cutting, so it can have a blunt point angle that does not require frequent sharpening. Generally, the harder the blade material, the shallower the angle.

The composition and hardening of steel affects the sharpness. The latter is limited by the grain size of the material from which the blade is made. For example, European kitchen knives are typically made from soft materials with a point angle of 20−30 degrees and a hardness of 52−58 HRC, and tools for the kitchen of the East are traditionally made from hard steel with angles of 10−20. It is not uncommon for these products to have a hardness of 59-60 on the Rockwell scale or higher.

Types of edge processing

There are several technological operations to restore the cutting properties of the blade. The need to use each of them depends on the type of tool, its condition, and the stage of restoration of properties. They are very important for understanding how to properly sharpen a knife at home. Here are some of the edge processing methods:

All these procedures can be applied in stages and simultaneously as stages of complete restoration of the tool or separately, depending on the tasks or purpose of the blade.

For example, straight razors are straightened before each use and even during the shaving process, but they are processed on stones only a few times a year, and the edges do not require restoration for years. A hard steel kitchen knife may need abrasive only once a year, while butchers using carbon steel tools can only get by with sanding every few cuts.

Types of wear

Typically, the technology for how to properly sharpen kitchen knives is a set of measures consisting of coarse and fine sharpening with possible subsequent polishing if the material of the tool allows the sharpness to be increased by the final procedure. For quality steels up to noticeable loss cutting properties, the tool is capable of making 200-500 cuts on food products and maintaining an acceptable sharpness for a long time after that.

Intervention in the edge geometry may only be necessary in case of severe wear once every few years, except in emergency cases. The main damage that leads to the need to remove large amounts of metal with abrasives occurs mainly when using the blade as a lever. Such stress can even cause the blade to bend or break.

Great forces on hard objects are no less destructive for the knife. Attempts to cut ice, bones, or accidentally hitting the side of the pan lead to chipped edges. Also, the canvas can be damaged as a result of severe corrosion, usually from exposure to food acids or from high temperatures and aggressive chemical substances V dishwasher. The corrosion pits that form on the edge require its complete restoration.

To avoid such damage, you should follow simple rules:

Sharpening methods

Knife connoisseurs often demonstrate a fanatical approach to the issue of sharpening. Possessing a large arsenal of devices, they achieve extreme sharpness from cutting tools, thereby turning sharpening into an art or a very expensive hobby. For household needs, the approaches they use are hardly justified, since the equipment used for these purposes can be many times higher than the cost of the knives themselves, while there are many ways to obtain razor sharpness. inexpensive ways.

On the other side of the spectrum are users who have no idea how to properly sharpen a knife with a whetstone or using scrap materials. For people who are not keen on the intricacies of this matter, it will be a pleasant discovery that there are many inexpensive ways to obtain a razor-sharp blade that do not require complex devices or unattainable skills.

On the grinding wheel

An extremely undesirable method for processing. Due to the fact that it is difficult to properly limit the place of contact of the abrasive with the blade from heating, there is always a risk of steel tempering, and therefore loss of the original hardness of the cutting edge. Therefore, for regular sharpening quality tools rotating abrasives, without properly organized cooling, are unsuitable. In most situations correct sharpening knife means processing it by hand.

But in the case of very large chips on a blade without a circle, removing such large quantity metal can be indefinitely long. If the knife is inexpensive, and the damage indicates that this is an exceptional case, then it makes sense to use an electric sharpening wheel or a grinding machine. The abrasive on the device should rotate without beating and at low speed. Numerous videos about the details of restoring edges using this method are easy to find on the Internet.

On abrasive stones

Sharpening metal tools using stone blocks - the classic method. The stones intended for this differ in shape and abrasiveness. From a geometric point of view, for household purposes it is enough to have flat rectangular bars. The vast majority of knives can be processed on such stones, with the exception of those that have crescent-shaped (concave) sections of the cutting edge or serrated sharpening.

The technique itself looks like this: it is necessary to make smooth, repeated cutting movements along the plane of the stone, moving the entire surface of the edge along it. In this case, it is necessary to comply constant angle inclination of the blade to the plane of the block. The issue of choosing the grain size of a stone or set of stones is very important. Grit is measured in grits. This unit of measure refers to the number of abrasive particles per square centimeter of stone surface.

If the knife is sharpened on a regular basis and just at the moment when it is still capable of cutting, then one 600 grit stone will be enough to maintain it. To restore a cutting edge or sharpen a very dull tool, you will need a stone of 200-300 grit. The ideal would be sequential processing on a set of several stones with a gradual reduction in grain size. The optimal set of bars looks something like this:

1. 300-400 grit. For rough processing.
2. 600-800 grit. Sharpening after the previous stone.
3. 1000 - 1200 grit. Polishing.

Processing on the last stone on the list allows you to cut loose hair and paper. Although many experts recommend mirror polishing with ultra-fine abrasives of 1000-1500 grit, for most household knives the use of stones with an index higher than 600 grit hardly makes sense. It is also necessary to keep in mind that the price of stones increases with decreasing grain size. In terms of the materials from which the bars are made, they can be divided into natural and artificial by origin, dry and wetted (with water or oil) by method of use.

Sharpening devices

The greatest difficulty in manual sharpening is the need to maintain a constant angle of inclination to the plane of the stone. Various manufacturers offer devices that take over this operation. There are systems that involve mounting on a metal rod passing through adjustable holes. Thus, with their help, it becomes possible to move the abrasive relative to a rigidly fixed knife blade at a strictly defined angle.

No less popular are the so-called V-shaped devices. They look like two replaceable abrasive rods in a vertical plane at an angle to each other, fixed in a wooden or plastic base. To sharpen a knife, it is enough to make sliding movements with the blade along the stones perpendicular to the substrate.

Some manufacturers offer electric sharpeners with several stages of sharpening and even different angles. These systems are generally designed for kitchen use and have the same disadvantages as a grinding wheel. In addition, even the most expensive models do not provide more than two sharpening angles. Their main advantage is speed. Many models allow you to restore the knife within a few minutes.

Sandpaper or cloth

This is a great way to get acquainted with sharpening simply and cheaply, without the risk of ruining expensive abrasives. There are many methods for conveniently fixing a sheet of emery on a block or wrapping it tightly wooden block. Abrasive sheets are available in a wide range of grits at the appropriate stores. For the home handyman All that remains is to form them into a hard and smooth surface. Compared to stones, sandpaper When sharpening, it is better to use lighter and more frequent movements - strong pressure easily chips away the abrasive grain. Otherwise, the technologies for working with a knife are similar.

In such a matter as sharpening knives, it is important to remember that a sharp blade can cause a lot of trouble and therefore requires careful handling. But, paradoxically, people cut with dull knives more often in the kitchen. This is because an unsharpened tool requires more strength and energy to operate, thereby increasing the likelihood of incorrect and unintended movements.

We use a knife to prepare food, cut food, and perform other housework. Therefore, it is very important that the knife blade always remains sharp. Theoretically, there is nothing difficult in sharpening knives, but in practice it turns out that not everyone can sharpen a blade well. To have an idea of ​​what to sharpen knives with and how to do it correctly, we recommend reading our article.

Before you start sharpening a knife, you need to find out what material it is made of. There are several types of knives:

• • Carbon steel knives are the most affordable, made from an alloy of iron and carbon, easy to sharpen and remain sharp for a long time. Among the disadvantages, it can be noted that the knife blade oxidizes from interaction with food or an acidic environment, due to this, rust and stains appear on the knife, and food acquires a metallic taste. Over time, after plaque forms on the blade, oxidation stops.

• • Low carbon stainless steel knives are made from an alloy of iron, chromium, carbon and in some cases nickel or molybdenum. Stainless steel knives are inferior in hardness to carbon steel, so they quickly become dull and require regular sharpening. The advantages include corrosion resistance.

• • Knives made of high-carbon stainless steel are a higher class of knives, with a higher carbon content and additions of cobalt or vanadium. Due to the higher quality alloy, this type of knives does not require frequent sharpening and is not subject to corrosion.

• • Damascus steel knives are mainly made as edged weapons, but there are also kitchen options. A Damascus steel knife is a multi-layer blade made of different high quality alloys. The disadvantages include the high cost of knives.

• Ceramic knives have gained popularity because of their sharpness and ability not to become dull for a long time. But besides the advantages, Ceramic knives have a significant disadvantage, which is their fragility when dropped from a height and poor resistance to fracture.

Sharpening tools

Touchstone (sharpening stone)

Sharpening stones are available with different amounts of abrasive grains per square millimeter. Therefore, for rough sharpening and finishing grinding, you need to use bars with a minimum and maximum abrasive content. In the touchstones foreign production information about the number of abrasive grains is on their labeling. Sharpening stones domestic production you have to choose “by eye” or ask the seller which whetstone to use for initial sharpening and which for final sharpening.

Mechanical sharpener

Mechanical sharpeners are mainly used for sharpening kitchen knives. Although the sharpening process is quick, the quality leaves much to be desired. For this reason, for hunting and sporting knives, it is recommended to use other sharpening methods.

Electric sharpener

Modern models electric sharpeners allow you to achieve high quality sharpening due to the built-in function of automatically determining the angle of the blade. The electric sharpener is great for both household use, and for sharpening knives in catering establishments. The lineup electric sharpeners presented in wide range, so the price may vary, but if you want your knives to always remain sharp, then buy more “advanced” and expensive models.

Musat

Musat - designed to maintain the sharpness of the knife edge. In shape, the musat resembles a round file with a handle. Musats are included in knife sets, and many owners often confuse them with a tool for fully sharpening a blade. Please note that with the help of musat you can maintain the sharpness of a sharpened knife, but if the knife has become completely dull, you will not be able to sharpen it with musat.

Sharpener "Lansky"

This sharpener is used for sharpening small and medium-sized knives. The design of the sharpener allows you to sharpen the blade at the angle you choose. The Lansky sharpener consists of a rod with a removable touchstone and two corners connected to each other. The corners simultaneously serve as a vice for the knife and a scale for selecting the sharpening angle. The sharpener kit also includes sharpening stones of different grits with ANSI markings.

Sharpening and grinding machines

Sharpening machines are used mainly in production for high-precision sharpening of rotating shaft blades. In addition to high-precision machines, there are abrasive wheels with electric drive and rotating discs for grinding. Sharpening knives on such machines should only be done by an experienced craftsman, because due to the speed of rotation of the circle or disk and high temperature heating, with any unsuccessful movement, the knife blade will become unusable.

Do-it-yourself blade sharpening

Sharpening a knife with a whetstone

Sharpening a blade made with a sharpening stone is considered to be of the highest quality, provided, of course, that it was carried out by an experienced craftsman. To sharpen a knife on a whetstone, do the following:

1. 1. Place a low abrasive grit sandstone on a stationary surface. If the block is small, it can be clamped in a vice.

1. 1. Holding the knife at an angle of 20-25 degrees relative to the surface of the block, begin moving the knife along the whetstone with the cutting edge forward.

1. Move the blade along the block so that during movement it touches the surface of the whetstone along its entire length.
2. As you move, try to maintain the same blade angle.
3. After making 2-3 movements, turn the knife over and repeat the sharpening process on the other side of the blade.
4. Thus, alternating sides, sharpen the knife until an edge (burr) appears along the edge of the blade.
5. Swap the coarse whetstone for a grinding whetstone.
6. Sand the knife blade until the edge disappears.
7. Test the sharpness of the knife by cutting a hemp rope folded several times, or try cutting a sheet of paper.

How to sharpen a knife using a sharpening stone, see also in the video:

Sharpening a hunting knife on a Lansky sharpener

Hunting knives are made of hard steel, so their initial sharpening requires sharpening stones with a low content of abrasive grains.

• Clamp the knife in a sharpener vice.
• Place a sharpening stone with a low content of abrasive grains on the rod.
• Select the angle of the block (for hunting knives it is usually from 20 to 30 degrees).
• Insert the rod into the desired hole.
• Lubricate the whetstone with the special oil included in the sharpener kit.
• Start moving the block along the knife blade, from the base to the tip.
• Flip the sharpener over and repeat the process on the other side of the knife.
• Once the edge is formed, change the stone and do the final sanding.
• Because the Hunter knives are mainly made with a double-sided blade, then after finishing sharpening on one side, change the position of the knife in the vice and begin the sharpening process on the other side.
• Once you've finished sharpening, polish the knife blade with felt.

How to sharpen knives in a Lansky sharpener, watch the video:

Sharpening scissors

Sharpening of scissors must be done on a special sharpening machine. Sharpening blades using improvised materials (sandpaper, the edge of a glass, etc.) can temporarily improve the sharpness of scissors, but not for long. If you do not have the opportunity to sharpen scissors from a professional, you can try self-sharpening on an abrasive stone. When sharpening you need to follow a few simple rules:

• The sharpening stone should be fine-grained.
• The blade is sharpened over the entire surface of the edge at the same time.
• The angle of the blade should match the factory edge.
• The movement of the blade along the stone should be from the screw to the tip.
• Scissors need to be sharpened disassembled.

When sharpening scissors, do not rush; patience will be your ally in this matter.

You can also watch the video on how to quickly sharpen scissors:

Sharpening plane and chisel blades

Sharpening the blade of a plane and a chisel are practically no different from each other. Therefore, the sharpening process described below applies to both tools:

• Place the chisel on the whetstone at an angle of 30-40 degrees.
• Holding the chisel with your hand, fingers free hand press the chamfer against the touchstone.
• Start running the chisel over the whetstone until a burr forms on the smooth side of the chisel.
• Change the whetstone to a fine-grained one and do the final grinding of the chisel.
• Check the sharpness of the chisel blade by removing shavings from the corner of the block.

In addition to manual sharpening, the chisel can be sharpened on a machine with a rotating abrasive disk:

1. Turn on the machine and let the disc reach full speed.
2. Holding the chisel with both hands, place its bevel against the sharpening wheel.
3. Be sure to maintain the angle of the chisel, otherwise you will damage the blade of the tool.
4. Do not press the chisel with great force and do not hold it on the blade for too long, this will lead to overheating of the metal and destruction of the blade.
5. While sharpening, wet the blade with water.
6. The final grinding of the chisel blade is best done by hand, using a fine-grained stone or sandpaper.

Do not forget that when sharpening products on a machine, a lot of sparks and small particles are generated that can get into your eyes, so be sure to wear safety glasses. To avoid damaging your hands on the rotating disk, wear gloves.

You can also learn how to sharpen tools from the video:

Tips for quickly sharpening a blade using improvised tools

Stone

You can quickly sharpen a knife on a hike or at a picnic using an ordinary cobblestone. Use any stone lying on the ground instead of a whetstone and run the knife blade along its surface. You won't achieve razor sharpness, but you will return the knife to working condition.

Second knife

It is quite possible to sharpen two knives at once, without sharpening stones or tools. To do this, you need to take a knife in both hands and begin to sharpen the blade of one knife on the blade of the other. After 5-10 minutes of this work, the knives will become sharper than before.

Glass objects

The knife blade can be slightly sharpened on the rough edge of glass or ceramic objects. For example, about the bottom of a glass or the edge tiles. The main thing is that the surface is rough.

Leather belt

A leather belt is more suitable for finishing and giving the knife blade a razor sharpness than for rough sharpening. But if there is nothing at hand except a belt, then you can try to sharpen the knife on it. To do this, you need to tighten the belt and start moving the blade along it; you may not achieve strong sharpness, but you will polish the knife to a shine.


By learning to sharpen knives and tools yourself, you will acquire a skill that will be useful to you throughout your life!

A knife is an essential attribute of any kitchen. Today, many manufacturing companies produce these cutting devices. In an effort to increase demand, developers decorate their products in different ways. In addition, all kinds of stands and holders are provided for the blades. How to sharpen knives using sandpaper correctly and easily? This question interests many owners, since a well-sharpened blade is simply necessary for cooking. With such a knife, cooking will be a pleasure. Information on how to properly, easily and simply sharpen knives on sandpaper is contained in the article.

What makes knives dull?

According to experts, this problem is faced mainly by those housewives who prefer to cut meat or any other products on hard surfaces. As a result, the blade very quickly becomes unusable. Also, the blade can become dull if there are bones in the meat. To save yourself from the need to carry out daily polishing of the blade, it is advisable to work on special cutting boards. When choosing such products, experts recommend giving preference to wooden planks. It is not advisable to use plastic, glass or ceramic ones, as they also dull the cutting edge. The prevailing stereotype that sharpening a knife is the prerogative of men is completely false. A woman can also cope with this task if she knows how to sharpen knives using sandpaper correctly and easily.

About the electric sharpener

Many home craftsmen use angular blades to sharpen blades. grinding machines, which are also popularly called grinders. However, according to experts, this tool is not entirely suitable for this task. This is explained by the fact that grinders do not provide mode adjustment, that is, the owner will not be able to increase or decrease the number of revolutions. The situation is the opposite with an electric sharpener, which many craftsmen call an emery sharpener.

This equipment is equipped with a motor, which rotates the axis with abrasive wheels installed on it. Using sandpaper, you can give the knife its original shape and restore its geometry. For rough work, coarse-grained wheels are used. Craftsmen use fine-grained materials to finalize the blade.

About the requirements for power tools

In addition to the question of how to properly sharpen knives on sandpaper, beginners are also interested in what electrical equipment should be like? As recommended experienced craftsmen, it is advisable to work on fine-grained abrasive wheel. In addition, the sandpaper should rotate at a speed of 150 revolutions per minute. At high speeds, the metal will overheat, which will negatively affect its cutting properties. Many modern devices are equipped with special clamps that act as guides - they control the angle of contact of the knife edge with the abrasive surface. Read more about how to properly sharpen knives using sandpaper.

Start

Before you begin, you need to know how to properly sharpen the corner of a knife using sandpaper. According to experienced craftsmen, depending on the purpose of the blade, the angle can vary from 20 to 40 degrees. Due to the fact that determining it will be problematic, experts recommend focusing on the width of the approach - the width of the blade that is subject to grinding. If the angle is correct, the width will be the same along the entire edge. If it turns out to be uneven, most likely the master made a mistake somewhere. The optimal width of the inlet is 0.2-0.3 cm. If this figure is higher, for example, 0.4-0.5 cm, then this indicates that the degree of inclination in the knife is too sharp.

About materials for sharpening and straightening

The knife can be edited on a whetstone or musat ( special device in the form of a round file), sandpaper and even on a regular ceramic plate. To sharpen, you will have to acquire a sharpening stone, special diamond and electric sharpeners. Judging by numerous reviews, most prefer to do this work on sharpening machines.

How to sharpen knives using sandpaper?

Sharpening can be done with two or three movements of the blade along the abrasive. However, it is better to set the equipment at low speeds so that, as the circle rotates, it gradually removes a certain amount of metal from the edge. Some craftsmen (in order to speed up the process) press the knife firmly against the sandpaper. However, you shouldn't do this. Otherwise, the knife, despite sharpening quickly enough, will also quickly become dull. The reason for this is overheating of the metal, which is also called release among specialists. During sharpening, the surface of the knife must be constantly cooled. To do this, place a container with cold water. From time to time the blade is lowered into it as it heats up. should rotate from the butt of the knife to its edge. The blade should be moved across the abrasive in only one direction - from the handle to the tip. After each pass, the surface to be sharpened is carefully inspected and, if necessary, cooled. When sharpening a product with a double-sided cutting edge, the locking angle does not need to be changed. You just need to move the knife to the other side. Many beginners are interested in how to properly sharpen knives made of various steels using sandpaper? Information about this is further in the article.

About sharpening Damascus blades

Judging by reviews from owners, Damascus knives become dull very quickly. Due to the fact that such blades consist of alternating soft and hard steel alloys, electrical equipment cannot be used for such cutting products. Rough intervention will lead to a decrease unique properties metal The owner of the Damascus will have to limit himself only to manual sharpening. The work is done on an emery block. He must lie on wooden board. You can use the cutting room. For convenience, it is recommended to place a towel under the stone. Some craftsmen place the sandpaper perpendicularly, while others place it at an angle of 45 degrees.

Before you begin, you need to determine the hardness of the metal. To do this, just look at the sharpening angle. The harder the steel, the larger the angle. Knives should be sharpened using fine-grained whetstone only along the cutting edge. If the knife is jagged, you can correct the situation by using sandpaper with a larger grit. However, the work ends only with “velvet” abrasives. Judging by the reviews, there is often a need to give a Damascus knife an attractive appearance. According to experts, bevels are always polished only before sharpening. If you apply gloss to a finished cutting edge, you can simply round it.

Damask steel knives

Beginners often wonder how to properly sharpen damask steel knives using sandpaper? Like Damascus blades, these cutting products are also considered elite and require careful handling. The peculiarity of such knives is the very high hardness of the alloys used. According to the owners, steel nails can be easily cut with damask blades. Knives are also sharpened by hand using pre-moistened sandpaper.

You should start with coarse grain. Then you can switch to sandpaper with a smaller grit. Finishing is carried out on ceramic surface. Judging by reviews from home craftsmen, sharpening a knife manually is a rather long process.

Finally

According to experts, to check how well a knife is sharpened, you can run it across paper. A blade with a sharp cutting edge will cut the sheet in a straight line. However, blades with a weaker sharpening are also suitable for the kitchen. The main thing is that when cutting vegetables and fruits you get even cubes.