A knife is an integral attribute of any kitchen. Today, the production of these cutting devices is engaged in a lot of manufacturing companies. In an effort to increase demand, developers decorate their products in different ways. In addition, all kinds of supports and holders are provided for the blades. How to grind knives on emery correctly and simply? This question is of interest to many owners, since a well-sharpened blade is simply necessary for cooking. With such a knife, cooking will be a pleasure. Information on how to correctly, easily and simply sharpen knives on emery is contained in the article.
What makes the knives blunt?
According to experts, this problem is mainly faced by those housewives who prefer to cut meat or any other products on hard surfaces. As a result, the blade becomes unusable very quickly. Also, the blade may become dull if there are bones in the meat. To save yourself from the need to carry out daily fine-tuning of the blade, it is advisable to work on special cutting boards. When choosing such products, experts recommend giving preference to wooden planks. It is undesirable to use plastic, glass or ceramic, as they also strongly blunt the cutting edge. The prevailing stereotype that knife sharpening is the prerogative of men, is completely wrong. A woman will be able to cope with this task if she knows how to correctly and easily sharpen knives on emery.
About electric grinder
Many home craftsmen use angle grinders, which are popularly called grinders, for sharpening blades. However, according to experts, this tool is not quite adapted for this task. This is explained by the fact that in the grinders there is no adjustment of the mode, that is, the owner will not be able to increase or decrease the number of revolutions. The reverse situation is with an electric sharpener, which many craftsmen call emery.
This equipment is equipped with a motor, with the help of which the axis rotates with abrasive wheels mounted on it. With the emery knife, you can give the knife a primary shape and restore its geometry. For rough work, coarse circles are used. Fine-grained craftsmen perform the final processing of the blade.
About Power Tool Requirements
In addition to the question of how to sharpen knives on an emery, beginners are also interested in what should be the electrical equipment? As experienced craftsmen recommend, it is advisable to work on a fine-grained abrasive wheel. In addition, the emery should rotate at a speed of 150 rpm. At high speeds, the metal will overheat, which will adversely affect its cutting properties. Many modern devices are equipped with special clamps that serve as guides - they control the angle of contact of the knife edge with an abrasive surface. Further on how to sharpen knives on emery correctly.
Start
Before you begin, you need to know how to sharpen the angle of a knife on an emery. According to experienced masters, depending on the purpose of the blade, the angle can vary from 20 to 40 degrees. Due to the fact that it will be problematic to determine it, experts recommend focusing on the width of the supply - the width of the blade, which is subject to grinding. If the angle is maintained correctly, the width will be the same over the entire edge. If it turns out to be uneven, most likely the master made a mistake somewhere. The optimal approach width is 0.2-0.3 cm. If this indicator is higher, for example, 0.4-0.5 cm, then this indicates that the knife has too sharp a slope.
About sharpening and dressing materials
Editing a knife can be done on a grindstone, musat (a special device in the form of a round file), sandpaper, and even on a regular ceramic plate. To sharpen, you will have to acquire a grindstone, special diamond and electric sharpeners. Judging by the numerous reviews, most prefer to do this work on grinders.
How to sharpen emery knives?
Sharpening can be done with two to three movements of the blade along the abrasive. However, it is better to set the equipment at low revolutions so that, rotating, the circle gradually removes a certain amount of metal from the edge. Some masters (in order to speed up the process) press the knife strongly against emery. However, this is not worth doing. Otherwise, the knife, despite the fact that it is sharpened fast enough, is also quickly dull. The reason for this is overheating of the metal; it is also called release in the midst of specialists. During sharpening, the surface of the knife must be constantly cooled. To do this, a container of cold water is placed near the emery bar. From time to time, the blade is lowered into it as it heats up. The abrasive wheel should rotate from the butt part of the knife to its edge. The blade should be moved across the abrasive in only one direction - from the handle to the tip. After each pass, the sharpened surface is carefully inspected and, if necessary, cooled. When sharpening a product with a double-sided cutting edge, the fixing angle does not need to be changed. It is enough just to rearrange the knife on the other side. Many beginners are interested in how to sharpen emery knives from various steel? Information about this later in the article.
About sharpening blades from "Damascus"
Judging by the reviews of the owners, Damascus knives are dull very quickly. Due to the fact that such blades consist of alternating soft and hard alloys of steel, it is impossible to use electrical equipment for such cutting products. Rough intervention in the structure of the knife will lead to a decrease in the unique properties of the metal. The owner of "Damascus" will have to confine himself only to manual sharpening. Work is carried out on an emery bar. It should lie on a wooden board. You can use chopping. For convenience, it is recommended to put a towel under the stone. Some emery masters are placed perpendicularly, while others are at an angle of 45 degrees.
Before proceeding, it is necessary to determine the hardness of the metal. To do this, just look at the angle of sharpening. The harder the steel, the larger the angle. To sharpen knives on a fine-grained donkey only along the cutting edge. If the knife is notched, you can correct the situation by using emery with a larger grain size. However, the work ends only with "velvet" abrasives. Judging by the reviews, often there is a need to give a damask knife an attractive appearance. According to experts, the slopes are always polished only before sharpening. If you put a gloss on the already finished cutting edge, then you can simply round it.
Damascus knives
Often beginners wonder how to sharpen damask knives made of damask steel on an emery. Like blades from Damascus, these cutting products are also considered elite and require careful handling. A feature of such knives is the very high hardness of the alloys used. According to the owners, damask blades easily cut steel nails. Knives are also sharpened manually on a pre-moistened emery.
Begin on a coarse grain. Then you can switch to emery with a smaller grain size. Finishing is carried out on a ceramic surface. Judging by the reviews of home craftsmen, sharpening a knife manually is a long process.
Finally
According to experts, to check how well the knife is sharpened, you can draw them on paper. A blade with a sharp cutting edge will cut the sheet in a straight line. However, blades with weaker sharpening are also suitable for the kitchen. The main thing is that when slicing vegetables and fruits, you get smooth cubes.