The sharpening technique consists of trying to wear down the edge of the knife, sharpening the blade, and polishing any possible imperfections that it may have, which allows the cut to be perfect. Every cook knows how important it is to keep the knives we have at home sharp, as this is how we guarantee proper cutting of food.
However, there are many people who have no idea how to do it. Today there are many ways and techniques that you can use to sharpen a good knife. In this sense, if we want to obtain a good cut of meat or need to properly chop vegetables, vegetables, or fruit, we must have a very sharp knife, so that the cuts can be made safely, precisely, and with minimal effort.
In this way, the food is cooked properly and we avoid accidents of cuts on the hands. Next, we are going to explain 3 simple ways to sharpen your knives from the comfort of your home with very useful tools, such as manual or electric sharpeners, sharpening steel, or a practical whetstone, which you can buy at any knife store or by the Internet.
1. The Plain for Sharpen A Knife
This tool is a cylindrical bar made of steel that is used to sharpen knives, as well as other cutting instruments. Sharpening steel is generally used so that the metal part of the knife does not degrade and is used regularly to delay having to sharpen this utensil with a sharpening stone or another tool.
Its usefulness lies in keeping the knives sharp between each use, being frequently used to obtain more effective results, and not being recommended to try to revive the blade when it is already weak. Keep in mind that the sharpening stone reduces the life of the knife because it corrodes the metal at the edge, so the longer you delay using it, the longer your knife will last.
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But anyway, with steel you can achieve that the metal of the knife is always realigned, since the notches, flat spots, and possible cracks disappear, it does not corrode the metal and it maintains the edge of the knife.
To sharpen the knife with this practical manual tool, it is recommended that the sharpening steel be magnetized, as this will help to align the sharp blade, which should be at an approximate angle between 15 and 20 degrees of inclination, for better results. and make sharpening easier.
You should hold the handle of the steel tightly and start sharpening from the area closest to the handle, sliding the knife towards the tip and along its surface.
The movements must be constant and at an accelerated rate on each side of the knife blade, an action that must be repeated several times. Next, the knife is washed carefully and it will be ready to be used.
Get used to using the steel frequently before making cuts with your knives, because this is how the sharp part of the blade is evened out from possible imperfections, being an excellent method for the maintenance of these kitchen utensils.
2. Sharpening Stone For Sharpen A Knife
This tool has been used for years to keep knives sharp and provides optimum results for knife preservation. The most common are made of silicon carbide and are designed to be used dry or wet, not tolerating being oiled, but there are some models that are suitable for smearing oil and have a label that identifies them.
In addition, it is an economical product to keep knives in optimal condition and is highly recommended for its value for money.
To sharpen the knife with the stone, the first thing to do is soak it in water for approximately 10 minutes. Then you have to secure the stone on the countertop. For this, it is advisable to place a wooden board or a cloth under it, to prevent it from moving. Make sure the thick side of the stone is facing up.
Next, one of the sides of the knife must be sharpened with an approximate inclination of 20º, with your dominant hand firmly holding the handle of the knife, while the subordinate hand holds its base, forcefully press the blade on the stone in the area to be sharpened, it glides across the entire stone pushing back and forth more smoothly. This process must be repeated for each side several times.
To check the sharpness you must run your thumb perpendicularly along the edge, if you feel a smooth texture the blade is sharp enough. Now, the opposite side of the knife must be sharpened, repeating the entire process in the opposite way. To polish the blade, the stone must be turned on the fine grain and the sharpening process repeated.
3. Manual And Electric Sharpener For Sharpen A Knife
You can also use a manual device to keep your knives properly sharpened. They are easy to use and you just have to introduce the metal blade of the knife through the slits of the sharpener, moving the utensil from the base towards the tip and bringing it towards you.
This manual tool incorporates different openings in its structure so that sharpening is more precise, with a coarse-grained part that serves to wear down the metal blade of the knife, as well as a fine-grained part, perfect for polishing and shaping the blade.
Firstly, the blade of the knife must be introduced through the thick side to wear down the metal, recovering the angle and eliminating the imperfections that the blade has. Afterward, the blade must be passed through the fine opening to outline and polish. After that, it is washed with soap and water to remove the remains of steel, so you will have the knife ready for operation.
For their part, electric sharpeners have a system similar to the previous one, with the difference that the work is done by pressing a button. The knife is placed in the sharpening opening, the button is pressed, and the sharpener does the job of sharpening the knife without any effort.
