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To maintain the cutting properties of a knife, it is necessary to sharpen them regularly, and a homemade knife sharpening device will help keep these tools in proper condition. A good, sharp knife makes cooking much faster, freeing up extra time for rest. IN this material We will consider the manufacture of special devices for quick and high-quality sharpening of knives.
When a knife is manufactured at the factory, it is given the necessary sharpness. However, with his frequent use it gradually loses its cutting properties. To make a knife sharp again, you need to sharpen it, but doing it correctly is not so easy. Improper sharpening will not give the desired result, and time and effort will be wasted.
Knife manufacturers, responding to the requests of their customers, provided a number of sharpening devices. But factory fittings may not suit knife owners for various reasons. For example, an inappropriate sharpening angle or high price devices. In this case, it may be easier to make a sharpener yourself.
What you need for proper sharpening
Most an important condition Getting a sharp knife is the angle of its sharpening. It would seem that the smaller this parameter, the sharper our tool will be. This is partly true, since a cutting edge that is too thin will wear out and become dull faster.
The sharpening angle depends on functional use knife:
- Up to 15 degrees – razor and surgical instruments.
- Up to 20 degrees – devices for cutting vegetables, fillets or bread
- Up to 25 degrees – knives with multi-directional functionality.
- Up to 30 degrees – hunting and camping knives.
- Up to 40 degrees – cutting tools special purpose. For example, axes or machetes.
Bottom line! The whole process comes down to restoring the cutting ability of the tool, while maintaining the factory sharpening angle. Violation of the angle can lead to deterioration of the knife.
Sharpening devices
Sharpen a knife at a certain angle without having special devices It’s very difficult, and not every professional can do it. They can be purchased in specialized stores, or made with your own hands. Below we will look at several simple and affordable devices that can add sharpness to most household cutting tools.
A simple machine made from wooden blocks
This method is considered the easiest to manufacture and use. The sharpening material is securely fixed at the desired angle, and sharpening is carried out by holding the knife blade strictly vertically.
To make a simple knife sharpening device you will need:
- Four identical wooden bars.
- Bolts and nuts for connecting the bars together.
- Sharpening bar.
- Protractor for determining the sharpening angle.
- A drill or other tool for drilling holes in pieces of wood.
The bars are connected in pairs and drilled through them through holes for fastening with bolts. Pairs of bars are installed perpendicular to each other at an angle of 90 degrees. Installed between parts of the structure grindstone at the required angle, measured with a protractor. The nuts on the bolts are tightened, tightly fixing the abrasive.
The advantage of this device is the relative cheapness of materials and ease of manufacture. Anyone can cope with it, even without relevant experience. The main disadvantages include the inability to smoothly adjust the desired angle.
Sharpening machine from mounting angles
This turning method is considered the most convenient, but creating such a device will require additional effort. It is based on the technology of the famous company Lansky Sharpeners. You can purchase an original machine in company stores, but its cost will be quite high. Below we will look at how to make a similar mechanism yourself.
To assemble the structure, you will need the following materials and tools:
- Two metal corners measuring 90x90 mm and 6 mm thick. They are the basis of the mechanism that holds the knife blade.
- A metal pin with a thread with a total length of at least 16 cm. It will be the basis for holding the sharpening stone.
- Two metal bars required to fix the abrasive.
- A thin long rod or knitting needle.
- Pliers. Will be needed for bending.
- Saw for working with metal.
- Tool for processing metal surfaces.
- Nuts and bolts for fastening and fixing.
- Drill and set of drills for metal.
Having purchased necessary materials in a specialized store, you can begin assembling the structure. Make without drawing correct design will be almost impossible, since all dimensions must be observed to obtain the correct sharpening angle. To do this, use the drawing below.
IN metal corners holes are drilled according to the drawing attached above. The edge of the corner that will hold the blade is thinned by grinding. This is necessary so that it does not become a hindrance when sharpening the knife. All drilling sites are processed to remove all possible traumatic areas.
In two metal bars, threads are cut to match the diameter of the connecting pin and grooves in which the abrasive will be attached. The diagram of the clamp presented below will help you assemble it quickly and without unnecessary difficulties.
A metal rod or knitting needle is bent on one side with pliers. The bent end is inserted into the hole of one of the bars. Its purpose is as a guide when turning to set the desired angle.
The principle of turning on this device:
The main advantages of this machine are its compactness, simplicity and efficiency of sharpening, and the ability to select and fix the angle. The device can be held in your hands, or installed using a holder in a vice. This allows you to take it with you on a hike and use it in the field.
Among the disadvantages, it is worth noting a limited set of angle parameters and the inability to set an arbitrary value.
This video describes in detail how to make a device for sharpening knives with your own hands using the Lansky system:
Blade locking machine
This method is a modified version of the previous method. The knife is fixed on the base of the machine, and its owner himself adjusts the turning angle. In this case, the compactness and mobility of the machine are lost. It can only be used at home.
To make such a device you will need:
- Sheet plywood or chipboard. You can use parts from old furniture.
- Threaded stud. It will act as a tripod.
- A block of hard wood.
- A metal plate for attaching and holding the knife blade to the base.
- Fastening Consumables- nuts, bolts.
Assembly of the structure begins with preparing the base. We make the base and legs from wood. They are cut so that after connecting them the base slope is 20 degrees. A threaded pin is installed in the lower part to form a tripod. For additional strength, all places can be treated with sealant or a special adhesive.
A metal plate is installed in the center of the base. First you need to drill a hole in it corresponding to the hole in the base of the machine. Through it, the plate will be pressed against the plate, and thus the knife blade is held.
It is recommended to purchase an aluminum plate, as it will not damage the blade if pressed hard. Also suitable for this purpose are rubber gaskets that reduce negative impact metal on metal and increase the coefficient of friction, which prevents the blade from accidentally moving during a point.
The fastening mechanism for the emery stone is made from the remaining part of the pin and two wooden or metal blocks. Holes are drilled in the bars to suit the size of the stud and secured with nuts on both sides. The stone will be secured by tightening the nuts. This process can be simplified by improving the holder with a spring on the handle side.
To set the sharpening angle, you will need two wooden blocks fastened together with a hinge mechanism. In one part it is necessary to drill a vertical hole to the diameter of the stud. With this part it will be put on a tripod, adjust the sharpening angle and at the same time be rotating mechanism along the horizontal axis.
In the second part, a horizontal hole of slightly larger diameter is drilled. The pin with the emery stone will move in this hole, so it is necessary to completely eliminate the possibility of getting stuck.
Sharpening order:
The main advantages of this method are the ability to set any sharpening angle and quick replacement of the abrasive element. Such homemade machine will help bring any blade to perfect condition.
Disadvantages include relative bulkiness and increased manufacturing complexity. Some parts may require special tools to make.
If you still have any questions about the installation and use of this device, then this video will help you fully understand the essence of the process:
Choice of abrasive element
The whetstone plays an important role in sharpening blades. Most often, to determine the coarseness of an abrasive, a system of digital designation of grains per unit of measurement is used.
Depending on the functional need, the following gradation is distinguished:
- Up to 250 – high roughness. Not used for sharpening knives and other cutting tools.
- Up to 350 – coarse abrasive. Used to correct physical defects or very dull blades.
- Up to 500 – medium abrasive. Used for fitting instruments. Has little demand and is rarely used.
- Up to 700 – fine abrasive. The most used type of sharpening tool in everyday use. Allows you to sharpen the blade to an acceptable sharpness.
- Up to 1000 – ultra-fine abrasive. Suitable for grinding surfaces and bringing already sharpened tools to perfect sharpness. Not effective for sharpening dull knives.
Thus, if you wish with maximum efficiency To sharpen your cutting tools, you need to combine different types of abrasives. For example, particularly dull knives are brought to an acceptable condition rough stones, then sharpening is carried out with a fine abrasive. The process is completed by grinding with ultra-fine stones.
Emery also differs in its origin:
- Natural. These include Japanese water stone, which requires special skills and great patience to work with.
- Diamond. The most wear-resistant and varied in roughness. The most effective and relatively cheap.
- Ceramic. They are considered something in between stones of natural and diamond origin.
- Artificial. They are distinguished by their low cost, but with frequent use they quickly become unusable.
The myth about supposedly self-sharpening knives was quickly shattered... About everyday life. This is not surprising, the laws of physics are laws of physics, and even marketers, so to speak, are powerless against them. If there are no sharpened knives in the house, if you remember the famous bard, there is nothing good. Today the editors of the site will help solve the problem of dull blades and tell you how and with what you can properly sharpen a knife at home. We will introduce our readers to different types devices for sharpening knives, we will tell you about their effectiveness, and also teach you how to make a simple sharpening machine at home.
Read in the article
Types of devices for sharpening knives
A whetstone for sharpening knives is probably the very first device of this type. A simple, and, most importantly, affordable tool has been successfully coping with its task for many millennia.
To this day, the classification of machine tools depends on this once uncontested sharpener. Depending on the type of abrasive material, they can be:
- bars;
- sharpening stones.
By drive type:
- manual;
- electrically driven.
By place of use:
- domestic;
- professional.
However, in modern world a whetstone can only sharpen a simple hunting knife. In other cases, the quality will leave much to be desired. In addition, only soft metals can be sharpened with a stone; if the cutting part of the blade has a hardness above 55 HRC, you cannot sharpen it with improvised means.
Important! Each type of blade has a different edge angle. And during sharpening it must be held along the entire length of the processed surface of the product.
Some types of modern sharpening stones are still used today. An example of this natural stones– Japanese water stone (we showed it in the photo above) or American “Arkansas”. Master sharpeners even conduct special master classes on sharpening knives using natural stone. It is interesting that before the processing process it is soaked in water, sometimes with a soap solution, and after work it is dried. The whole process resembles a sacrament for initiates. So it should come as no surprise that these grades are overly expensive and most sharpening devices use artificial abrasive surfaces.
Knife sharpening stones
These are artificially turned bars with an abrasive coating that are suitable for manual sharpening both carpentry and plumbing tools, and for kitchen knives.
The bars, depending on the material from which they are made, can have varying degrees of wear resistance and grain size. Let's consider the main types of materials that are used in the manufacture of sharpening stones:
- Natural stones, such as novaculite or Japanese water stone. Working with such a tool is not very easy. They require certain skills and craftsmanship.
- Diamond(with diamond coating) – can be different shapes and graininess. Wear-resistant. Reasonable price.
- Ceramic. Refer to more modern look whetstones for sharpening. They combine the strength of diamond coating with the hardness of natural stone.
- Artificial: electrocorundum or carbide. Quickly grinding abrasive is of low quality and the same price.
Artificial abrasives are created by mixing diamond powders of different fractions, as well as electrocorundum and carbide.
Important! Great value at the same time, it has the material used for gluing the rock, as well as the percentage of all elements. The stronger and better composition(this also applies to the particles themselves), the more durable the sharpening abrasive will be.
Moreover, there are two types of bonding of elements - galvanic bonding and soft bonding. In the first case, the crystals are glued strictly to the surface of their base, made of a nickel alloy. In fact, the crystals are located very thin layer on a block. A soft binder is a chaotic arrangement of binding and abrasive elements. The second type is less wear-resistant.
Sharpening stones for knives
If we talk in more detail about sharpening stones, we need to talk about the main types used in such tools, this will help you understand the process in detail and understand how to sharpen a knife correctly. But before talking about them, it is impossible not to mention the stages of sharpening, which in this context will play a decisive role in the description different materials and machine tools.
| Stage | Description | Illustration |
| Sharpening | Restoring a blunt edge without adjusting the sharpening angle. |  |
| Finishing | Grinding the edge with fine grain abrasives. |  |
| Edit | Polishing bevels and cutting edges with a ceramic pencil, GOI paste or on a leather belt. |  |
| Resharpening (deep sharpening) | Complete restoration of the desired sharpening angle, blade profile geometry and elimination of chips on the edge. Most often, such work is carried out on special machines. |  |
Let's move on to a description of the main options for sharpening stones.
Japanese water stones Waterstone
They are used equally effectively at all stages of sharpening. There are artificial analogues (ceramic based), but professionals use original, natural materials. Stones require special care, after all most important rule masters - a perfectly smooth surface of the grindstone.
A comment
Ask a Question"To check the level of the stone, use simple method. Wet the timber and place it on paper sheet on a flat surface. The imprint will allow you to evaluate the level of evenness of the stone.
"Novaculites, or “Arkansas”, “Turkish”, “Belgian” stones, are natural schists and chalcedony interspersed with tiny particles of garnet and quartz. Today, both natural stones and their artificial substitutes are used.
Important! Stones only work in combination with a special oil lubricant. The extraordinary and unique structure of the stones allows them to be used at different stages of processing.
Musat for sharpening knives
Musat is a kind of file, most often installed vertically. The peculiarity of this tool is that its surface is magnetized, which means that metal flour will not fall on you.
Musats come in different shapes: round, faceted, flat with beveled edges Each variation has its own merits. For example, round musat weighs little, but oval sharpens better, since its edges provide more complete contact with the surface being processed. Tetrahedral - more universal, here you can improve the quality required angle sharpening.
Household manual knife sharpening machines
We can talk for hours about the options and varieties of hand-held machines used in everyday life. These include the usual home mini-sharpeners, known to almost everyone, and more specific devices with a polishing wheel.
The easiest way to work is with mini-sharpeners that control the stroke of the tool. In this case, the degree of sharpening depends on the effort the person makes.
Household electric knife sharpening machines
Electric sharpeners are more convenient. Working with them saves time. Most often, such drive machines have various modes works that are regulated by switches.
Typically, such machines are compact, safe, simple and reliable, since all grinding wheels hidden inside the case. In this case, the sharpening angle is adjusted by a special spring, which completely eliminates errors in sharpening.
Professional manual sharpeners for sharpening knives
Professional hand tools are a bit like a carpenter's vice. The object to be sharpened, the knife itself, is clamped with special clamps.
The sharpening machine itself is mounted on a stop. It is very important here to properly secure the machine and avoid the device slipping during sharpening.
A comment
Tool selection specialist at VseInstruments.ru
Ask a Question“If you do not have the skills to operate this tool, it is better to use automatic sharpeners. In addition, such a machine cannot be assembled without certain knowledge.
"
Professional electric knife sharpening machines
Professional machines are distinguished by their versatility. Usually this is a device with a massive abrasive disk. Such tools allow you to sharpen not only knives, but also locksmith tool, for example, planes and chisels.
The combination of low speed and constant cooling gives high-quality processing products already at the stage of formation of the cutting edge. And at the final stages of work they provide the blade with razor sharpness. The professional tool provides a large number of nozzles and replacement discs. Moreover, the clamp where the blade is secured can move freely along the support in the horizontal direction. Moreover, you can adjust the sharpening angle.
How to sharpen a knife correctly
For high-quality sharpening of the machine, you need experience and certain knowledge. Let's start with the basics.
Optimal sharpening angles and degree of sharpness for kitchen knives
It's no secret that there are a lot of knives for different materials. A good housewife has her own knife for vegetables and meat. Let's look at the correct sharpening angles for different tools.
| Tool type | Sharpening angle |
| Razor and medical scalpel | 10-50° |
| Professional for chefs | 20-25° |
| Universal | 25-30° |
| For complex work | 25-30° |
| Kitchen cutlery | 55-60° |
| For fillet | 15-20° |
| Home universal | 30-35° |
| Deboning and cutting | 25-30° |
| Professional for fish | 25° |
| Professional for vegetables | 35° |
| Hunting and “Swiss” (spicy) | 30-35° |
| Hunting and “Swiss”, resistant to blunting | 40-45° |
For your information! The sharpest knives are considered to be blades with a sharpening angle of 50°; such versions, with a certain grade of steel, can cut nails. When sharpening knives, you can vary the angle at your discretion within the mentioned range.
In general, the sharpness of a blade depends on the shape of the blade. And it, in turn, must correlate with certain clear correspondences of the relationships between the blade and the blade.
How to sharpen a knife at home with a whetstone
The process is simple, but quite painstaking. Without sharpening experience, trying this process is pointless. Typically, craftsmen use two sharpening stones with different abrasive densities - with a large grain and a fine one.
Almost everyone home handyman cutting tools are available. Over time, the cutting edges lose their former sharpness, and working with such a product becomes unbearable. There are two options for solving this problem: have the tool sharpened and pay a lot of money, or assemble a knife sharpening device yourself and sharpen the products yourself.
Causes of blade dulling
The dulling of the blade can be explained as follows. During cutting, the blade is exposed to tiny abrasive particles, be it fruits or vegetables. Cutting edge The blade gradually wears off and the knife becomes dull. Another reason is to hold the blade when cutting at a certain angle.
Some areas of the blade are subject to increased stress and increased wear.
There are types of knives that are impossible to sharpen yourself due to the textured blades. Also, knives made from ceramics cannot be sharpened. But, as a rule, the quality of the steel in such products is high, and they rarely become dull. There are a variety of knives of low quality, and they have to be sharpened very often. As practice shows, if the steel is of poor quality, then sharpening will solve the problem for a while, and then the blade will become dull again.
To sharpen knives you will need abrasive wheels. If it is not possible to purchase ready-made circles, you can make them yourself using wooden blocks and sandpaper of different grain sizes.
The standard sharpening angle is 20 - 30 degrees. It is quite difficult to maintain the angle during sharpening, and therefore it is necessary to make a simple knife sharpener, in which it is not necessary to maintain optimal angle. The basic rule in this process is maintaining a precisely specified constant angle. No force required here. The main thing is that the block and blade meet at a certain angle. This is the basic rule of the sharpening technique.
Basic mistakes
As it may seem at first glance, sharpening is simple, but if you delve into the process itself, you will notice quite a large number various nuances. Most people make simple mistakes when sharpening knives, which leads to uneven sharpening or damage to the knife. Common Mistakes when sharpening:
- The cutting edge was not sharpened. As a result, small burrs form on the sides, which temporarily give sharpness to the blade, and after working with the knife for a short time, the blade again becomes dull. To prevent this problem, you should carefully sharpen both edges, and then, as you sharpen, use sandpaper or a circle of different grain sizes.
- Presence of paint, oil, dirt on the tip. The bottom line is that during turning, fat, dirt, oil and other components mix with grinding abrasives and lead to scratches and microchips of the blade. After such sharpening, the blade quickly becomes dull.
- Pressure plays an important role. You need to remember one simple rule: sharpness does not depend on the force used, but on the duration of sharpening. Excessively strong pressure leads to chipping of microparticles from the blade and poor sharpening.
- Incorrect angle selection. The angle may vary depending on the grade of steel and the purpose of the tool. For home kitchen knives it is 20 - 25 degrees. For other types of blades that will have to withstand heavy loads and work with hard materials, the angle will be 40 degrees.
By following simple but at the same time appropriate rules for sharpening, you can not only save time, but also not damage the product.
Sharpener "Domik"
A good tool for sharpening knives. Despite its simple design, the sharpener does its job well. This structure consists of a bar rectangular shape, the upper edge of which is made in the form gable roof. The angle of inclination of one face is 20 - 25 degrees, which is optimal. The product must be installed with a blade close to one of the roof ridges, then take abrasive wheel or a block of sandpaper and move along a horizontal line. This ensures a constant angle of inclination, which leads to uniform sharpening of the blade.
There are also complex designs homemade grinding machine. For manufacturing you will need the following materials:
- A piece of board measuring 500x150x20 mm.
- A metal pin with a thread that will serve as a guide for the bar.
- M8 bolts and nuts and wood screws.
- Clamping nuts or wing nuts.
- Ordinary PCB or plexiglass, which will serve as a substrate for the knife and a kind of movable frame.
- To attach the knife you should take Neodymium magnet. The usual one will not work, since its downforce is quite low.
The board must be cleaned, processed, and then made into a rectangle. Another board should be made rectangular in shape, which will serve as a stand or support. Its height should be such that the slope of the main board is 20 degrees. You can fasten them together with wood screws. Then attach the resulting structure to the workbench or cut out a tabletop in advance, to which one of the studs will be attached. After securely attaching the pin to the tabletop, you need to take a 200x100 block and make two holes in it: one for the main pin, on which the movable carriage with the sharpener will be attached, and the other for the pin, which is attached to the tabletop.
Now you can begin assembling the carriage with the sharpener holder. For the pin that will hold the carriage, you need to make two clamps from wood, plexiglass or metal. Drill holes in the clamps, put them on the stud and secure them on both sides with nuts. The carriage will rotate freely along its axis.
The next step is to install a neodymium magnet on a previously prepared plate. It needs to be done longitudinal groove- so that the tripod can be moved up and down. Drill a hole in the middle of the frame and insert a bolt with a nut, which, in turn, will press the plate. You can simply glue a neodymium magnet to the end of the plate to hold the knife.
The homemade device is ready for use. It can be used to sharpen chisels and planes.
It should be noted that sharpening is carried out without water, so the abrasive paper or wheel will wear out greatly, but this option is quite suitable for sharpening knives and tools at home.
Homemade knife
If the farm has a sharpening machine, it will make the process easier, but there is one circumstance. When sharpening on a machine, it is almost impossible to apply even pressure on the knife. Therefore, it is possible to make a device for sharpening knives, which will serve as a guide for the blade and ensure uniform pressure. The result is a simple but effective electric sharpener. To make it you will need the following components:
- Beam.
- Four bolts or four studs with M8 thread.
- Four lambs.
- Self-tapping screws for wood.
Opposite the electric sharpener, a guide is attached along which the slider will move. The guide itself can be attached to the workbench or a pre-made frame can be made. It must be mobile. To do this, you can cut a longitudinal groove in the frame and secure the tripod with two studs. Then take two bars, drill holes on the sides, insert studs and tighten them with screws on both sides. The next step will be the mount on which the cutting product will rest. This can be done using small pieces of timber, which should be attached to the sides of the moving carriage.
After this you can start sharpening. Set the movable carriage to the desired height and clamp it with the thumbscrews. Move the tripod itself to the required distance, securely fasten it and sharpen the product by moving the knife along the side guides.
Sharpener LM
If in the future you plan to do professional sharpening tools in large quantities, then you can make a sharpener called: Lansky-Metabo. Fixture drawings for sharpening knives with your own hands look like this:
If the product is clamped in the clamps with the root part, the sharpening angle will be greatest. A knife with this angle can be used as a “cleaver” and for processing hard wood. You can also easily sharpen knives from jointer. Knife clamps can be made from angle iron or wood. The disadvantage of this design is the complexity of assembly and the large number of parts.
If it is not possible to assemble a complex tool for sharpening knives, then you can make do with improvised means and make manual knife sharpeners. A simple sharpener can be made from a corner frame into which a touchstone is mounted.
If you add a sliding carriage to the sharpener, you won’t have to hold the knife at a certain angle, which, in turn, will have a good effect on sharpening the blade. To make a movable carriage you will need a triangular block and a magnet. It is best to use a neodymium magnet, which allows you to attract the knife and fix it securely. If such a magnet is not available, then you can take components from the HDD (hard drive).
Before you give a knife or other product for sharpening, you should familiarize yourself with the material, which will help not only in making a sharpener with your own hands, but also save a certain amount. The main aspect is to gain additional experience, which will be useful in the future.
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Regardless of what guarantee the knife manufacturer gives that they will not require sharpening during use, sooner or later this question will still arise before the user. It doesn’t matter whether this applies to kitchen utensils or camping accessories, because... A sharp knife is the key to success in fishing and hunting, while traveling and when cooking. Devices for sharpening knives - types and rules of use, as well as how to make them yourself - this is the topic of today’s review by the site’s editors.
The simplest sharpening device cutting tool is a block, and the device for its use is a clamp for the angle of the surface to be sharpened
Knives can be classified according to the following indicators:
Whetstones and whetstones
A whetstone (sharpening stone) is an abrasive tool used to sharpen cutting edges household appliances and kitchen utensils, carpentry and plumbing tools.
The industry produces four types of stones for sharpening knives:
- natural– novaculite and Japanese water stone are different at a high price and difficulty of use;
- diamond– most popular look products are distinguished by a variety of both geometric dimensions and grain size. They are characterized by wear resistance and efficiency of use, as well as low cost;
- ceramic– modern type sharpening tool, is distinguished by its combination positive qualities natural and diamond analogues;
- artificial– everyone known species electrocorundum or carbide, they are low in cost, but during use they crumble and are not suitable for finishing cutting edges.
Hand tools
- Must for sharpening knives.
Almost everyone knows what musat is, but many don’t even suspect that this is the name of this product. The reason for this is that musat, as a rule, comes with sets of knives offered for sale through trade organizations.
Musat is a rod made from various materials, equipped with a handle and characterized by the roughness of the working surface.
The roughness of the drawing is the size of the notch applied to the rod, and it is this that determines the degree of roughness of the cutting surface of the knife after processing. The musat is equipped with a rod that has a certain degree of magnetization, which ensures that metal particles formed during use reach food and kitchen utensils. Musats are classified according to:
- rod shape– round and oval, flat and tetrahedral;
- materials used– ceramics and metal, diamond and mixed designs.
Each type has certain advantages and disadvantages that determine the possibilities of using the device and its purpose.
- Manual machines.
Household manual sharpening machines for sharpening knives vary in their design, but in any of them a whetstone or whetstone acts as the main element. The impact of the abrasive tool on the cutting surface is carried out using the efforts exerted by the user. The main task performed manual machine, is the creation and maintenance of an optimal sharpening angle of cutting edges for the entire period of work, which is achieved by rigidly fixing the knife in a given plane. The industry produces various models of such equipment, differing in size and methods of fastening abrasives and processed knives, as well as the materials used and cost.
Household electric sharpeners do not take up much space and are very functional, because... their design, as a rule, provides various fixed sharpening angles for different types knives and other cutting tools (scissors, screwdrivers, etc.). The ability to quickly and efficiently sharpen the cutting edges of knives is very important for catering establishments, where the speed and quality of cooking depends on sharpening. Professional knife sharpening machines are functional devices equipped with an abrasive tool. High Quality execution, allowing not only rough sharpening, but also fine-tuning the cutting edges of knives for various purposes.
Professional models, in addition, as a rule, have several operating modes that allow sharpening with different efficiency, necessary for knives made of different metals or ceramics.
How to properly sharpen a knife at home
Everyone knows that a knife must be sharp, and for this it needs to be sharpened, but how to do it correctly is often not known to every user. It should immediately be noted that for correct execution work required:
- Know the sharpening angles for each type of knives and other cutting tools.
- Be able to work on a variety of equipment or using available tools.
Sharpening angle of knives for various purposes
For knives used in for various purposes, the sharpening angles of the cutting edges are different, which is determined by their purpose and nature of use.
This value is for:
- table knives - 55–60˚, because ready-made dishes are quite soft and cut easily; moreover, with a smaller sharpening angle, there is a possibility of damaging the dishes during eating;
- hunting and folding models – 40−45˚, which is explained by their versatility;
- kitchen knives – 30−35˚;
- used for professional cutting of vegetables - 35˚;
- used for professional cutting and deboning of meat – 25−30˚;
- used for professional fish cutting - 25˚.
Some types of knives are sharpened with different sharpening angles, such as those intended for slicing bread (the angle is 15˚), but this is a narrowly targeted use in which sharpening must be done quite often, because with a decrease in this indicator, the durability of the cutting edges decreases.
How to sharpen a knife at home with a whetstone
In order to properly sharpen a knife using a whetstone, you must follow several rules for performing the work:
- it is necessary to select the optimal sharpening angle corresponding to the purpose of the knife;
- the blade must be positioned in relation to the plane of the block strictly within the specified sharpening angle parameters for the entire period of work;
- Sharp and jerky movements should not be allowed, they should be smooth and sliding;
- When performing work, the block should be moistened generously with water diluted with soap or detergent.
How to sharpen using musat
The process of sharpening a knife using musat is shown in the following figure.
The work is carried out as follows:
- The musat is installed on a flat surface strictly in a vertical plane;
- the upper part of the device is combined with the sharpened edge of the knife near its handle, after which the knife moves along the rod of the grinder in an arcuate movement directed from top to bottom;
- the movements are repeated several times on both edges of the knife.
I would like to note that experienced users can perform this operation in weight, without rigidly fixing the rod of the device used.
How to properly sharpen a knife on an electric sharpener
When using models equipped electric drive, basic requirements for the performance of work that allows correct sharpening, are the same as in the case of using a whetstone or whetstone.
But, besides this, there are additional requirements that can be formulated as follows:
- It is not the abrasive that should be moistened with water, but the surface of the knife being processed, which is explained by the fact that water is not retained on a rapidly rotating wheel;
- the blade must not be allowed to overheat, which can lead to its damage, which occurs when the edges being processed are strongly pressed against the abrasive surface;
- can be used to rigidly fix the sharpening angle additional accessories, mounted rigidly to the body of the sharpening machine or in the hands of the user;
- when working on sharpening machines For industrial purposes, it is necessary to use personal protective equipment, such as gloves and safety glasses.
When using small devices intended for home use, the main requirement for sharpening is the time it takes to complete the operation; all the rest (fixation of the sharpening angle, protection, etc.) are performed by the machine itself, according to its design.
Typical mistakes when doing DIY work
At self-sharpening Many users accept knives typical mistakes, which can be formulated as follows:
- Creating an incorrect sharpening angle prevents the knife from being used for its intended purpose or reduces its functionality.
- Excessive pressure when working on electric models or incorrect direction and nature of movements when using a whetstone or sharpening stone contribute to damage to the surface of the knife and destruction of its edge.
- Sharpening the cutting surface without first cleaning it from dirt and foreign substances leads to the abrasive becoming washed out and damaged.
- Using only one grinding stone when sharpening cutting edges. This device is intended only for finishing or straightening knife blades; it is not intended for basic sharpening.
- Failure to complete the sharpening operation again leads to rapid dulling of the cutting edges.
- Using an abrasive (whet stone or whetstone) of only one grit size.
Making a machine for sharpening knives with your own hands
Although nowadays you can easily buy necessary equipment and equipment designed for sharpening knives and other cutting tools, however, handicraft citizens continue to make knives with their own hands in their free time. When making a knife sharpener with your own hands, you need to decide on its type (manual or electric) and the type of abrasive materials used (block, wheel, sanding belt), as well as the available materials that will be used to make the body of the assembled device and its frame. Let's consider the option of a manual sharpener using an abrasive stone and plywood as a structure frame. Appearance The assembled device is shown in the following figure.
