Knife Sharpener

Knife Sharpener

A tool that is used to keep one's knives sharp. There are a few different kinds of knife sharpeners, which one chooses is about their level of skill, need and also the blades they want to maintain. People who invest in high-end kitchen knives may want a stone in comparison to a pull-through sharpener.

Types of knife sharpers

The most basic knife sharpener is a grindstone. There are different kinds of stones, some finer some a bit coarse. A grindstone can sharpen a blunt knife and polish the blade too. Using one takes some practice though, as knowing the correct angle and pressure are important. To use a grindstone well one needs to accquire the skill. A grindstone does take away quite a bit of material from the blade.

Honing steel is a rod like knife sharpener that one sees butchers and chefs make quick use of. These work better for a knife that is already in a relatively better condition. It makes quick work of sharpening them up on the fly and takes a bit less skill compared to the grindstone. Unless it is diamond coated it will not remove steel, so it makes it harder to sharpen a dull knife with them. Also, it is unable to remove nicks well from the blade.

The most common knife sharpener is the pull through kind. These are the ones that have a V-shape made from two or more pices of metal. This is simpler to use and makes for quick work. A pull through knife sharpener can help take out small nicks too. It does, however, eat away a lot of material. One must keep even pressure or it will make the blade uneven along the edge. 

An electric sharpener is perhaps the fastest. This would make sense if one has a very large amount of cutting and time is of the essence, such as in commercial kitchens. The disadvantages are that it takes away a lot of material and does not work well for a thin knife.

Comments

Which knife sharpener works for you is a matter of what your needs are. If you are looking for a more traditional approach for high-end knives you may pick up a grindstone. But if you need something that works quick everyday kitchen use the pull through sharpener may be a better option.

There are many brands that produce the various kinds of knife sharpeners. Some of the top simple and effective  sharpeners are from Victorinox. 

The price of knife sharpeners varies depending on the type and brand. Generally, not an expensive tool.