Having a sharp knife, whether it’s a kitchen knife, a hunting knife, a pocket knife, or any other kind of blade is something that’s a bit underrated. You’ve probably heard the saying that a dull knife is far more dangerous than a sharpened one, and you should take that to heart and always keep your knives as sharp as possible.
Not only for safety reasons but for performance reasons, as well. Having a knife that’s sharpened and tended to perfection can really change whatever it is you’re doing and make it simpler, faster, and much easier. Some people prefer to take their knives out for sharpening every once in a while, but this means that you’ll be knifeless until you can get them back from the shop. That’s why a lot of people opt for home knife sharpening systems.
There are a bunch of sharpening systems out there and they all differ from each other. There are your basic knife sharpening utensils that use simple brackets to sharpen knives and then there are the more sophisticated, quality-made systems that take the guesswork out of knife sharpening completely. These are called blade sharpening systems and they’re an excellent investment for anyone who’d like to easily and quickly take their knives to razor-like sharpness. Let’s talk a bit about them, what they offer, and their benefits.
Different Stones for Different Grit
By buying a quality-made blade sharpening system, you’ll receive a complete set of everything you’ll ever need to sharpen your knives for a long, long time. The first and probably most important items in these sets are the sharpening stones. The best and most durable sharpening stones are diamond stones. We all know that diamond is one of the toughest materials around, so making sharpening stones out of it only makes sense. What’s more, the surface of these stones is different, and you can get up to five different stones in one set, all of which will offer different grit and will be used for different purposes.
Grit, as known in psychology, basically means courage. However, when it comes to knife sharpening, it has nothing to do with being courageous and everything to do with the level of coarseness of any given stone in your sharpening system. The grit is an important feature as it lets you know which stone to use for which kind of knife. For example, your sharpening system may include three stones of different grit and two stones for finishing up and refining the edges. The higher the grit, the finer the sharpening will be, so if you need to sharpen a knife with chipped edges, you’ll need to use a stone with a grit of less than 1000. However, for something like a fillet knife, which needs really thin, razor-sharp edges, you should go for a finer sharpening stone and refine the edges to perfection.
Angle Control & Consistency
The angle under which you sharpen your knives is actually essential to a good sharpening session. Choosing the right angle and sticking with it is going to give you that razor-sharp look and feel and will prevent damaging the knife or skewing the blade. Sharpening system manufacturers know this, so when looking into one, choose a system that includes a fixed jig that will keep your strokes steady and consistent, maintaining the angle you’ve chosen until the very end.
Many people opt to have their knives sharpened by a pro because of the whole angle thing, but with a professional sharpening system, you’ll become the pro yourself and won’t need another set of hands to help you out. You’ll be able to effectively sharpen any kind of knife out there, whether it’s for home or outside use. All you’ll need to do is determine the angle, choose the right stone for the job, set your knife securely in the jig, and just start sharpening. It sounds easy because it really is.
Portability & Easy Use
I already explained how easy it is to sharpen your knives effectively at home, but I’d like to stress that a bit more. These professional sharpening systems come with an explanation of what each stone does, what its grit is, what it should be used for, and so on. They also come with instructions on how to choose the angle and how to sharpen the knife. You’re basically buying a complete guide along with the tools needed to sharpen your knives, refine the edges, and do all that while staying safe and sound.
Another thing that’s great about these systems is that they come packed in a case that is big enough to fit the whole system inside, but small enough to be easily transported from one place to another. Say you’re out camping and you’re using knives a lot for many different purposes. Depending on the length of your trip and the stress you put on your knives, you’ll eventually need to sharpen them. Instead of opting for weird solutions like coffee mugs or tin cans, you can just take out your conveniently packaged blade sharpening system and sharpen them on the spot.
As I said, these systems are designed to work with any kind of knife, so you don’t have to stick with kitchen knives. The systems are also very easy to clean and maintain and they have a long life, so you’ll be able to rely on them for years to come. The best thing about the systems is the fact that they aren’t expensive at all, so anyone could get razor-sharp knives and blades for years, and all that for a fraction of the money you’d spend if you were to take your knives out for professional sharpening regularly. It’s just a win-win situation all around!
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