Any knives need constant sharpening, so sooner or later there comes a time when you need to purchase a sharpening stone for knives. Sharpening knives with a whetstone is the most effective way and has a high-quality result. To date, the attention of the buyer is provided with many options for stones for sharpening knives, and they all differ according to different criteria. This article will help you figure out the choice of the best grindstone.
Types of grindstones
Stones and whetstones for sharpening knives differ according to different criteria, but the material of the product is fundamental. There are such materials for the production of grinding stones and whetstones:
- Ceramics;
- Diamond;
- Stones of natural origin;
- Water stone.
The most common and affordable material for most people is ceramics. It is this material that is distinguished by its affordable price and good results, so it flooded all hardware stores. The best option for home use is a whetstone with two sides that differ in the abrasive surface. Such a stone usually has a low cost, and it is also easy and convenient to use.
Knife stone hardness
All stones differ in the hardness of the abrasive. For comfortable use, it is important to choose a stone with a more comfortable abrasive surface. There are 2 types of abrasive: soft and hard. The soft one is distinguished by its speed of work, but it usually happens much less than stones with a hard abrasive surface. For Japanese one-sided sharpening knives, it is the aforementioned Japanese (water) stones that are suitable. As for ordinary knives of softer steel, whetstones and stones with a harder abrasive are suitable for them.
If we are talking about a European knife made of hard steel, which is not inferior to Japanese, but its chamfer is narrower, then for such knives a stone from the middle ligament is needed. Choosing a decent grindstone is sometimes quite difficult, because many manufacturers do not indicate the hardness of the abrasive coating. In this case, only a sales assistant will help, however, not all of them are competent enough, so you will have to look for the stone you need by fortune-telling.
Additional accessories to help sharpen knives
Some people do not know how to handle knives when sharpening them at all and therefore often make mistakes that can lead to an unsatisfactory result.It is for such people that they came up with special accessories that will help to carry out high-quality sharpening of knives:
- Knife sharpening angle lock. Thanks to this simple device, the angle of inclination when sharpening the knife will always be in one position, which makes the process incredibly easy.
- Support under a stone of sharpening of knives. Provides fixation of the stone itself and prevents it from sliding on the surface.
- Stone for restoring the surface of the stone. The purpose of this device is clear from the name, it helps to restore the abrasive coating of the stone.
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