A dull knife is a dangerous knife. So which knife sharpener is best for your blade? In this modern age, you can use modern and fast tools for your knives. The market is producing advanced and technical sharpeners as the technology is improving.
So, there is big competition among them. In this era of modernism, you are worried about picking the best and compatible one.
But the main thing is the bonding that must be present between the manufacturing of the knife sharpener and your task. If there is no compatibility then there is no question of output.
Is a knife sharpener necessary?
Working with a knife is easy, but maintaining this knife is not an easy job. As the time passes, you can feel less capacity for working the knife.
Usage affects the shining surface of the blade as well as its sharpened edge.
In this condition, you must choose the best knife sharpener that matches perfectly with the blade composition.
Contents
Types of Knife Sharpeners
Here are some knife sharpeners with their properties. You can choose one of them according to your job and need.
Manual Sharpener
This is the simplest and traditional type of sharpening tool for knives in the field or kitchen. It supports beginners and professionals with its simple structure.
This simple structure allows easy usage and high control over the sharpening activity. The long-lasting and strong structure supports a high burden of the task.
You can carry it along with your luggage when you are going on a trip.
Traditional Style Knife Sharpener
It is the oldest styling knife sharpener. We put the blade in a perpendicular direction of the sharpener.
This tool ensures the sharpened and gliding blade with precise control. It gives some percentage of honing to the blade but it depends on your choice and selection.
Handheld Sharpener
Another type is the handheld sharpener. Its structure is comfortable in your hand`s grip.
You can give a perfect and sharper blade edge by continuous movement over the dull blade. One of the best advantages is the ease of usage even if you are not a professional.
The handle prevents sudden slipping. After the sharpening, you can enjoy the shiny surface of the blade with its high speed of cutting. This type saves money and time, as there is no need for electricity.
Electric Knife Sharpener
On the industrial level, it is best amongst many others. The powerful motor provides assistance for sharpening in less time. Mostly these electric sharpeners come with knives. So, these have great compatibility with the knife’s blade.
The angle through which you have to pull the knife in the sharpening machine is important. Good sharpening knives have a guide to use this sharpener.
Usually, the electric sharpener has two slots for dealing with the dull and de-shaped blades. The grinding and sharpening are done mostly by the stone in the electric sharpener. That gives a perfect honing and sharpened edge to the blade.
There are different levels of grinding for ensuring tuned and sharpened edges even when you are operating on the badly dull edge.
A perfect electric sharpener allows you to work as a professional. Just put the right angle and pressure on the blade and your knife is ready for speedy work. You have less control over the electric sharpener as compared to the manual sharpener.
You can check the detailed guide on best electric knife sharpeners on knifemetrics.
Sharpening Rod
The function of the sharpening rod is honing the blade after its usage. The honing rod cannot take the place of the knife’s sharpener.
Actually, the sharpening rod is a misunderstood concept. It is a honing tool with little access to the sharpening of the blade.
You can hone the blade shape perfectly by using this honing rod. Knowing about the quantity of the applied pressure you can align the blade perfectly. The appropriate angle between the blade and rod is also a necessary thing that must be kept in mind.
You can sharpen the edge along with honing. It depends on the cut differences and your priority of choosing sharpening along with straightening of the blade.
Some brands offer honing rods with the knife. You must choose these knives for easy dealing with the sharpening rod. Blades and honing rods must have enhanced acceptance between them.
Some types of cuts for sharpening the edge are given below.
Regular Cut Steel
This is the commonest type of sharpening hone in homes due to its easy and cheap availability in the market.
Diamond Steel
It is a honing rod with a minor coating of diamond abrasive. It is similar to some sharpening stone.
Combined Cut Steel
It is a combination of plan and rough surface for giving the function of aligning and sharpening.
Ceramic Cut Steel
It is a honing rod with a ceramic material for providing minor sharpening along with honing.
Sharpening Stone
It is one of the preferred methods of sharpening knives in modern kitchens. Even the beginner can cope with the sharpening stones easily with a little practice. The market provides different types of stones with different performances. Put your knife’s edge perpendicular to the stroke. You must be familiar with the angles and pressure for proper stroking.
Sandpaper is another way of sharpening the knife just like with sharpening stones. There are two types of sharpening stones
Natural Sharpening Stones
Arkansas is the natural type of sharpening stones. It comes in fine powder and as well as in coarse form. This knife sharpener is highly compatible with daily usage and among professionals.
Man-made Sharpening Stones
Indian stones and crystolon come under the category of man-made sharpening stones. If you are a professional and want a fine cutting edge with enhancing sharpness then go for India stones.
On the other hand, beginners should choose a crysolon for their sharpening activities. Many stones have a mild composition with diamonds and ceramics for better results. This makes a perfect edge for fast and professional cutting.
Final Words
All types of knife sharpeners have been discussed. Hopefully, you are familiar with the inners and outers of each type. You can choose one of them according to your need and choice.
As a domestic user, you can choose manual and electric knife sharpeners because there is no need for special learning before gaining a tuned and sharpened edge.
On the other hand, as a professional, you can choose any type of knife sharpener. it must have the highest compatibility with your work and capabilities. Sharpening stones and rods require some practice before working by them.