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How to Use a Sharpening Stone



A sharpening stone is the easiest way to return your knives and other cutlery to a useful state once they begin to dull. Not only knives but also scissors, razors, chisels, and plane blades can be sharpened with a stone. Sharpening stones are made of very hard stone or a manufactured material, such as ceramic or diamond stone. Usually in the form of a block that you hold in your hand or set on a flat surface, although they can also be found in the form of bench stones, wheels, or rods, these blocks are also called whetstones or waterstones.

Most stones are assigned a grit size; the finer the grit, the finer the grinding ability. Some sharpening stones are fine on one side and coarse on the other. The coarser grits begin the sharpening process, while a finer grit sharpening stone is necessary to refine the blade.

When using a sharpening stone, there are three keys to success. First, ensure that you are leaving a controlled edge angle on the knife blade by using an angle guide. Second, make sure that you establish an entirely new edge by sharpening until you raise a burr on the steel. Third, make sure that the new edge is smooth by honing or polishing the blade.

Before using a sharpening stone to sharpen your knife, moisten it with water or oil. This moisture will absorb the metal and stone dust that will be created during the sharpening process. It also makes the stone more effective at sharpening the knife. Diamond stones sometimes have an interrupted surface covered with dozens of recessed dots that collects the removed metal swarf and keeps it out of the way as you sharpen your blade.

To use a sharpening stone, try to hold the knife as if you are trying to slice a very thin layer off the surface of the stone. One of the most important parts of using a knife sharpener is to maintain a consistent angle as you sharpen the blade of your knife. Many people accidentally lift the edge of the blade against the stone, creating too much of an angle between the blade and the stone. Over time, this will diminish the quality of the edge you are able to achieve. To correct this problem, you may want to use an angle guide when sharpening your knives to ensure a consistent angle.

While sharpening your knife, Place the blade across the stone, and tilt at the desired angle. For most kitchen cutlery, this is somewhere between 15 and 35 degrees. The optimum angle should be stated in any paperwork you have for your cutlery, but use 20 degrees if you are not certain. With your wrists held rigid, draw the blade against the stone. This grinding action will remove a thin layer of the blade. Periodically move the stone so that you are working on a different section of the blade. Ensure that the blade is sharpened to a point by rubbing the stone on each side of the blade until the tip of the blade reaches the desired sharpness.

When sharpening a knife using a sharpening stone, keep sharpening until enough steel has been removed to form a burr on the edge of the blade. This burr will be removed during the honing and polishing process, but it is the easiest way to ensure that you have removed enough metal, exposing a completely new knife edge. Once the knife is polished, it will be ready for use again.
About Author Steve Efren :

http://www.sharpenem.com has a full range of knife sharpeners for kitchen or hunting use. Also check for current specials on knife sharpening systems


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Article Added on Friday, February 19, 2010
Other Articles by Steve Efren

•Using Oil or Other Lubricants With a Sharpening Stone
When learning how to sharpen knives, often one of the fist things to confuse people is whether oil or water are needed on sharpening stones. A sharpening stone is one of the easiest way to sharpen your blades, whether you want to restore the sharp edge on your kitchen cutlery or need to sharpen some woodworking tools. There are many varieties made of stone or any number of manufactured materials, and they are usually found in the form of a block. With these and other types of knife sharpeners,...

•Using a Pull Through Knife Sharpener
A pull through knife sharpener differs from an ordinary knife sharpening stone because the pull through style ensures an accurate and consistent angle. In contrast, when using a sharpening stone you must physically hold the knife against a sharpening stone at the specified angle. Each knife blade is designed to have a specific blade angle for optimum performance. Additionally, too sharp of an angle can make the blade more likely to bend or break. A pull through knife sharpener takes the guess...

•Knife Sharpening Angles
Today, more and more people are sharpening their knives themselves to save money and avoid the hassle of sending the blades out for sharpening. If you have recently started sharpening knives and other household blades, you need to know about sharpening angles. Too many people ignore the angle they are creating on the blade, believing that it doesn't matter as long as the knife is sharp. When sharpening your knives, the angle is actually among the most important considerations, as it determines...

•Maintenance Stropping and Sharpening of a Straight Razor
A straight razor is a traditional men’s accessory that must be properly maintained to ensure a sharp edge. The blade geometry is carefully designed to provide an ideal edge with relatively little effort over time, but this doesn’t mean that using a straight razor is completely maintenance-free. The level of maintenance required depends on the razor material. Some are stainless steel; these require less care since they won’t rust. Other razors must be rinsed in water and dried thoroughly...

•Sharpening Hand Plane Blades
Keeping your woodworking tools sharp is a necessary step, as it is difficult to enjoy working with wood when you're using dull tools. In fact, using dull handplanes can waste time and materials, not to mention being frustrating to work with. Though it's a time consuming activity, sharpening hand plane blades must be done no matter how often you use the tools in your workshop. Regardless of the method you choose for sharpening your tools, always remember that it will be a lot easier to sharpen...

•Using a Strop
If you are considering sharpening your own knives, you may have heard about a strop. A strop is a strip of leather that is used to hone the blade of a knife, straight razor, or other blade. Although usually made of cowhide leather, there are certainly other types available. It is an optional step at the end of the sharpening process, usually used for fine knives and straight razors. After you’ve sharpened the blade using a sharpening stone or other sharpening device, you should still fine-tune...

•Sharpening Accessories by GATCO
In 1989, John Anthon and his wife, Nancy, founded The Great American Tool Company. This company would become GATCO, known for its complete line of top-quality sharpeners and accessories for knives and tools. Today, GATCO Sharpeners and Timberline Knives are industry-leading collections of precision-made knives and sharpeners backed by a 100% customer satisfaction guarantee. Loyal Gatco customers include sportsmen, military and law enforcement personnel, woodworkers, and professional chefs. The...

•Choosing an Industrial or Professional Knife Sharpener
For most home cooks or occasional users of tools with blades, a simple pull-through knife sharpener, sharpening stone, or sharpening steel should be sufficient. After all, this occasional task takes just a little elbow grease, and your knives will be back in top condition in no time. On the other hand, if you use your tools frequently, often find yourself chipping them or otherwise wearing them down, or are a professional chef or anyone else who uses an assortment of kitchen knives on a daily...

•Electric Sharpeners
Electric sharpeners are one of the easiest ways to sharpen your knives. Electric knife sharpeners work the same as a sharpening stone, except that the machine does all of the work. Particularly useful if you do a lot of sharpening or have to remove a lot of material to expose a sharp edge on your knives, an electric sharpener is a good choice to make the job go much faster. Most electric sharpeners have an adjustable angle guide, with removable sharpening stones or ceramic plates to polish the...

•How to Choose a Knife Sharpener
Knife sharpeners are very important if you want to keep your knives in top condition. There is a wide range of sharpeners available, including small hand-held blocks to large electric sharpeners. All knife sharpeners are designed to restore the blade of a knife to its original sharpness. Since most people are not professional chefs with a lot of experience sharpening knives, they do not know what to look for when purchasing a knife sharpener. However, a knife sharpener is a very useful tool to...

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