Knife sharpening is the process of precisely grinding the blade by sliding it over a hard, rough surface. This is usually done with a knife grinder. However, the knife sharpener is not always available when you need it. Fortunately, you can also use a number ofuse budget resourcesto sharpen your knives.
Please note, however, that not all of the home remedies mentioned will actually sharpen your knife like a classic sharpener. But they will certainly smooth and refine it.
Why it is important to have sharpened knives
Knives are the most used household appliance and tool at work. Whether kitchen knives, pocket folding knives, mocking knives, surgical knives or scalpels, they should always have a sharp blade. A perfectly sharpened knife is the basis for its functionality, so its maintenance is always the need of the hour. All knife blades become dull with prolonged use.
The correct sharpening angle for knives is usually specified by the manufacturer. For standard kitchen knives it is 19° and for pocket and hunting knives the sharpening angle is 24°.
Sharpening knives with coffee cup
Ceramic coffee mugs are easily accessible in most households. Simply turn the cup upside down and run the knife over it until you achieve the desired level of spiciness.
If it is working well, you will see discoloration on the cup, indicating that the ceramic is removing the steel and sharpening the blade.
Sharpening knives with a leather belt
The leather belt you may be wearing right now is a quick and easy way to sharpen your knives. Many professionals even use leather belts to shape the blade.
Make sure that the belt has no seams and run the blade along the side of the cutting edge. Hold the knife as if you were trying to sharpen it, but move it backwards.
Sharpen knives with sandpaper
Using sandpaper to sharpen your knife is a good option because it gives you the option to use different grades of sandpaper to get your knife to its absolute sharpest state. If your knife is very dull, you can start with coarser sandpaper to get it going and move on to finer sandpaper as you continue sharpening.
We recommend covering the sandpaper with tape or attaching it to a countertop or flat surface so you can sharpen your knife without it slipping away.
Once you have positioned the sandpaper so that it no longer moves, you can begin sharpening the knife blade. To do this, simply hold the knife blade at a twenty degree angle and slowly run it over the sandpaper.
Take your time and sharpen your knife blade slowly. A few strokes will not be enough.
Nail file for a sharper knife
Similar to sanding, place the nail file on a hard surface and run the blade of the knife over it at an angle of about twenty degrees.
Smooth stone for sharpening the knife blade
Even though you may not have one of these at home, you can use a nice, smooth stone to sharpen a knife blade.
If you don't have onehave smooth stone lying around, it's best to look for one near a stream or river. There is no better stone for sharpening a knife blade than a stone that comes from the river and is very smooth.
Hold your blade at about a twenty degree angle to the surface and sharpen your knife using smooth, controlled movements.
Sharpen knife with another knife
This isn't as cool as the movies and TV shows where someone sits on a rock, scrapes two knives together and sparks fly everywhere. If you get sparks while sharpening your knife using this method, stop. You're doing something wrong.
To properly sharpen your knife using this method, simply hold the second knife in your non-dominant hand and the knife you want to sharpen in your dominant one. Using smooth, controlled movements, move the blade of your knife along the back of the other knife at an angle of about twenty degrees.
Edge of a car window for sharp knife blade
One of the unique methods for sharpening knives is to run the blade along the edge of a car window, which works surprisingly well.
To sharpen your knife blade using this method, crank theWindows of your own vehicledown (please don't use your neighbor's window) and align your blade with the edge of the rolled down window at about a twenty degree angle.
Move the blade of the knife along the edge of the window in a light, slow movement in a controlled manner. As with most of the other methods on this list, you are sharpening your knife on an object that is not intended for sharpening, so this may take some time.
Just be careful and don't damage your car glass. Go slowly, and if you see the knife scratching the glass, leave it alone. A good sharpening stone is much cheaper than new car glass.
How do you sharpen ceramic knives?
Can you sharpen ceramic knives? Yes, but you need a special sharpener and not just any old steel knife sharpener that will likely break or completely destroy your ceramic blade.
Ceramic knife blades are made from zirconium. Zirconium has a Mohs hardness of 8 (diamond has 10), which means it is highly scratch and abrasion resistant. And since zirconium has a lower hardness than diamond, a diamond component is required for sharpening.
This means that you can sharpen a ceramic knife with a whetstone or file as long as it is equipped with micro diamonds.