What is the Best Hunting Knife Sharpener?
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Electric Sharpeners
Using an electric sharpener involves a two to three step process that would help one hone or sharpen the edge of a blade.
- The first step in using an electric sharpener involves the use of a coarse grit that serves the purpose of sharpening the extreme dull cutting edges of a blade.
- In the last step of the sharpening process, people have the option of using a fine grit to hone the sharp edges of a blade.
Once the electric knife sharpener is turned on, the sharpening stones in the machine spin in such a manner that if a knife is drawn through the slots blades are sharpened to a person’s desired standard.
Electric sharpeners have highly simplified the level of precision with which individuals sharpen knives given that the machines have guides that enable users to obtain the perfect angle when sharpening a knife.
Handheld Sharpeners
Just like the electric sharpeners, handheld sharpeners have largely simplified the sharpening process. However, the difference between the electric sharpener and the handheld sharpener lies in the fact that the handheld sharpener has fewer sharpening slots.
The advantage of having a handheld sharpening tool is that one can carry it along to any place the user wishes to go to without straining.
The manual operating technique employed in using this device as well as the device's small size makes it easier for cooking professionals who are always moving from place to place to rely on the handheld sharpeners to refine the edges of the knives they use.
The handheld sharpener also can be used for reclaiming dull or blunt knives to regain their usual cutting edges.
Sharpening Stones
The most common types of sharpening stones used in different localities across the universe are made of materials comprising of aluminum oxide, Novaculite, and silicon carbide.
Stones made from Novaculite are referred to as Arkansas stones while those made from silicon carbide and aluminum oxide are referred to as Crystolon stones and India stones respectively.
Arkansas stones are natural sharpening tools while Crystolon, as well as India, are synthetic sharpening tools. Nonetheless, the sharpening stones vary in texture and they range from the very fine to the very coarse grit types.
While Crystolon is often used in sharpening crude knives or blunt knives, given their coarse surface, an India stone, on the other hand, is best suited for sharpening blades with fine edges.
Sharpening versus Honing Steels
Regardless of what you may think, most sharpening steels are not often used to sharpen knives.
Sharpening steel is primary used to hone knife blades. However, other types of sharpening steel tools are developed for carrying out minor knife sharpening undertakings.
Also, people who might be in possession of either the electric sharpeners or the stone sharpener do not need a viable steel sharpener to sharpen their knives regardless of how suitable the steel sharpener might seem.
The different types of cuts on steel sharpeners include ceramic, combination, diamond and regular. The differences in the cuts create a variance in the prices of the sharpening steels as well as the level of abrasion that would be attained in the process of sharpening a knife.
Unfortunately, the sharpening steel tools could best sharpen knives made of steel. This is because the manufacturers of sharpening steel products develop these items with the aim of ensuring that their products are used to sharpen the steel knives they manufacture.
Establishments that manufacture steel knives as well as sharpening steel tools use the strategy as outlined above to beat the competition.
- Regular cut - this is the most common type of sharpening steel. This tool is primarily made from steel.
- Diamond cut - other than the steel element of this sharpening tool, the outer coating of the sharpening tool is engulfed with diamond abrasives.
- Combination cut - this tool is made up of a rough surface for minor sharpening tasks as well as a smooth surface used mainly for polishing already sharpened knives.
- Ceramic cut - this tool is made of ceramic just as the name suggests and it can be used for conducting minor sharpening tasks to help in aligning blades as per a user's needs.
Serrated Knife Sharpeners
This sharpening tool was developed for the sole purpose of sharpening serrated knives, which can be damaged by other sharpening tools.
However, particular knife sharpeners aside from the serrated knife sharpener can be used can be used on serrated knives that is why it is important that individuals exercise caution while purchasing a knife sharpener.
Individuals need to examine a knife sharpener before making a purchase. The manual would indicate of the product in question accommodated serrated knives as well to encourage the buyer on whether to purchase the sharpening tool or not.
Nonetheless, the best sharpening tool that can be advised for anyone with a serrated knife is a serrated knife-sharpening tool.
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