Why You Need Knife Sharpeners
When you have car trouble, your first reaction isn't to run to the dealer and buy a new one, right? Similarly, when you get way behind on your yard work, you don't up and move to a new house. That said, why, when your kitchen cutting tools start to grow dull, why would you throw them away when you could just sharpen them? To do that, you need something to sharpen them with - they are many different options available, with different costs and functionalities. This article will offer some useful tips on finding the best knife sharpeners.
People have been honing blades for thousands of years. The basic concept is really simple - all you need to do to sharpen a knife is to grind it against a rough surface, preferably some kind of whetstone. That doesn't mean you should just run out to your driveway and start grinding at the nearest rock. You'd likely just end up damaging your knife instead of improving it. The grinding surface needs to be rough, but any big lumps in the surface will prevent effective sharpening.
While it's possible to grind a knife by hand against a whetstone, for the most consistent edges, you may want to consider more complex setups. For instance, the crock stick setup, wherein two brace sharpening stones in place to keep the angle consistent. This is important in order to achieve the exact level of sharpness you want for your blade. Other similar methods use an adaptable clamp configuration to hold the stones in place and maintain the angle.
It can't be stressed enough how important it is to maintain a certain angle when honing a knife. All cutting edges are crafted to with a certain degree of sharpness, controlled by the angle of the blade. If you sharpen a blade at the wrong angle, you can make a blade too sharp or too dull for its intended function, as well as making it more likely to snap or bend.
For chefs or people who just want the highest quality cutting tools, some of the most well respected manufacturers are J.A. Henckels and Wusthof. Blades from these companies can be tremendously expensive - up to $2,000 for a set - so you want to take extra good care of them. High quality knife sharpeners will help keep your investment safe, so you shouldn't skimp.
Knife sharpeners come in two broad types: electric and manual knife sharpeners. As noted above, manual sharpeners involve using a whetstone and manually scraping the knife on it. Electric knife sharpeners do the bulk of the job for you. All that's required from you is to keep the blade straight while pulling it through the machine. Both manual and electric knife sharpeners can give you a polished, sharp edge, but electric knife sharpeners trade convenience for an increased price tag
One of the top electric knife sharpeners on the market is the Chef's Choice 120 3 Stage Diamond Hone Knife Sharpener by Edgecraft. These versatile knife sharpeners will sharpen all of your kitchen cutting tools, even a serrated blade. It will even sharpen hunting and sporting knives for the outdoors man in your family. This sharpener also polishes and hones your blades, keeping them looking brand new for years to come. This sharpener costs around $150.00, but it's a small price to pay to keep those high quality cutting tools in shape.
If manual sharpeners are more up your alley, try the Spyderco Triangle Sharpmaker. This simple, easy to use sharpener is the perfect option for those who want to manually sharpen their blades.
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