Knife with a straight cutting edge. The sharpening angle of knives is its most important characteristic.

One of the main elements of work in the kitchen is a kitchen knife. It would seem, what could be easier? But not every housewife knows what they are and why to use one or another type.

Especially for you, we have prepared a selection of the main types of kitchen knives and their purposes with photos and brief characteristics. Let's try to figure out which of them are really needed in the kitchen, and which are useful only occasionally and just take up extra space.

The main types of kitchen knives

Despite all the diversity, three knives are rightfully considered the main chef's trio, without which the cooking process seems extremely difficult and labor-intensive. Consider each of the knives in more detail.

Chef's knife. A versatile tool that can replace most other knives - except perhaps the bread knife. However, many cooks manage only with them - a matter of technology. A fairly large heavy knife, despite its size, is easy to use. Shredding vegetables, slicing meat, peeling fruit... All this is easy to do with a chef's knife.

A wide blade eighteen to twenty-five centimeters long should be perfectly sharpened and strong enough. Strength is essential for handling frozen foods.

Considering that the highest requirements have always been put forward for the quality of this knife, we have prepared for you.

Another important component of the "big three" is a bread knife with a serrated blade. The length of such a knife is about twenty-one centimeters. Its characteristic feature is a blade similar to a saw-hacksaw, processed by the serrated sharpening method. in a special way the serrated blade easily cuts the bread pulp, but does not crumble it.

The last required tool is a small one. vegetable peeler, with a blade about seven to eight centimeters. The small size allows you to comfortably hold it in your hand and thoroughly peel potatoes, zucchini and other vegetables or fruits - something that is difficult to handle with larger knives.

Popular types of knives

Of course, these are not all types of knives for use in the kitchen. If you go to a special chef's shop, the variety of knives will amaze you. We offer to study in more detail those of them that can be a good addition to the main cook three.

Perhaps at the top of this list should be utility knife, which is found in almost every home. The classic-shaped blade usually reaches fifteen centimeters. This knife is suitable for both meat and vegetables. It is easy to use and does not require special skills.
However, with soft or, conversely, too hard products, such a knife will not cope.

Few people know that the potato peeler available in almost every home is actually also a kind of knife. A vegetable peeler, if you use the official terminology, thanks to two blades turned towards each other, is very convenient for peeling vegetables and fruits. Floating blades provide additional ergonomics - the hand gets tired of such a knife much less than if you were trying to peel potatoes or apples with a regular knife.

Another useful knife kitchen hatchet. A wide square blade up to eighteen centimeters long is indispensable for chopping meat. Due to its high strength, it allows you to easily cut through large pieces of meat, including frozen.

Its peculiarity is also interesting: if most knives need to be cut along the product, such an ax should be lowered deeper.

Important: if you decide to purchase a kitchen hatchet, pay attention to the handle! It should be comfortable and not slip in your hand - otherwise you may be injured.

For a non-professional home kitchen, it will not be superfluous to purchase a small sandwich knife with a slightly rounded blade. Who among us does not like to make a couple of sandwiches for breakfast or afternoon tea?

The peculiar shape of such a knife will allow you to conveniently spread butter and other soft products on bread: pates, melted cheese, soft cottage cheese or mousse, jam ...

The 8 cm wide blade makes it much easier to make sandwiches.

A fillet knife with a narrow and long blade of twenty centimeters will also come in handy in the kitchen. The shape of the knife and the raised tip make it easy to fillet the fish, separating the fillet from the bone, and cut the meat into thin slices. But be careful: such a knife is not suitable for solid foods, so avoid cutting frozen meat or fish.

The Japanese santoku knife is not very popular with us. Oddly enough, this handy wide twenty-centimeter knife is not very famous. But the Americans have long appreciated it - many professional chefs switch from chef's knives to santoku. And in almost every house you can find such a model.

Thanks to the lowered tip, the knife is more ergonomic than its chef counterpart. It is convenient when chopping meat or shredding. The tip allows you to filigree cut even the most capricious products, including bread.

Another less popular knife will come in handy for many cheese lovers. That's what it's called - cheese. It is better to use it for soft varieties - with hard ones you can handle a universal or chef's knife. The indentations or holes on the blade of the knife allow you to cut soft cheese, avoiding its deformation and sticking. nice bonus- at the tip of such a knife there is often a small fork for carefully transferring cheese to a plate.

Fancy knives

If you really like to cook without being afraid of experiments and non-standard dishes, you should be interested in the following types of knives. They are not often used in the home kitchen, but they can make life much easier for the enthusiast cook.

For lovers of stuffed vegetables, no doubt it will come in handy. cavity cutting knife. The oval shape of the blade looks unusual, but once you take it in your hands, you will understand all the convenience. The pointed edge allows you to quickly remove the pulp from zucchini, eggplant and other vegetables. If you wish, you can even prepare pieces of meat for stuffing - but for this it will be more convenient to slightly freeze them.

Another one interesting model- knife for cucumbers. However, with its help, you can quickly cut any hard vegetables or fruits into thin, neat slices. seven parallel blades ensure a clean and precise line, so your plate of fruit or vegetable cutting will look perfect.

The so-called chopping knife is also interesting to use. The semicircular blade is crowned with two handles at once. It is proposed to work with him with two hands. Such a knife is suitable for cooking chopped steaks, quickly chopping a large amount of meat or vegetables, and so on.

The knife is often used in professional kitchens, but amateurs are afraid of it. And in vain. Yes, working with chopped products requires certain skills - but after spending a couple of hours on training, you will notice how much easier it has become to work with chopped products.

Popularity Japanese cuisine could not but affect the market of kitchen appliances in Russia. If you love sushi bars, why not try preparing their menu at home? Thanks to its flexible long blade (about twenty centimeters), a kitchen sashimi knife will allow you to cut salmon and any other fish into thin, almost transparent slices. Your sushi will look perfect!

The eternal competitor of sushi is pizza. Fans of hot cakes with cheese are familiar with attempts to cut a hot product, only from the oven. The cheese stretches unaesthetically, sometimes falls along with the filling ... To avoid such troubles, purchase round pizza cutter. A rotating blade with fine teeth allows you to quickly cut pizza into neat, aesthetic slices.

Of course, we could not describe all types of knives - experts number up to two hundred. However, we hope that the selection will help you decide on the necessary minimum, which will greatly facilitate the cooking process and make work in the kitchen quick and enjoyable.

The whole variety of knives can be reduced to three types:
- knives are awkward;
- folding knives;
- knives with a removable blade.
Knives of each type have their own characteristics and undeniable advantages, although knives of the third type are less popular. Despite the great popularity and convenience of folding knives, the leadership still remains with the most ancient knives - clumsy, or, in other words, with a fixed blade. They are also called "fixeds" in knife slang.

These knives have certain advantages over folding knives:
- a knife with a fixed blade is always ready “to work”, since it does not need to be opened, like a folding one, in which the blade can jam at the most inopportune and decisive moment;
- a clumsy knife has no risk of spontaneous folding of the blade.
Due to their reliability, it is these knives that dominate the kitchen, they are indispensable as hunting, tourist, combat knives.

The external simplicity of the knife is deceptive. It has a rather complex design and operational parameters that determine the nature of its use.

So, the knife consists of a blade (1) and a handle (2). The point where the contours of the blade converge is called the point (3). The sharpened side of the blade is the blade (4). It consists of surfaces tapering at a certain angle, called slopes (5), and a cutting edge (RK). The side opposite the blade is called the butt (6). On the side surface of the blade there may be stiffening ribs in the form of protrusions or grooves - valleys (7). The unsharpened part of the blade adjacent to the handle is called the fifth (8). Sometimes there is a limiter between the blade and the handle - one or two-sided guard (9), which protects the hand from injury. The part of the blade that forms the hilt or is inside the hilt is called the blade tang. The part of the handle, which is, as it were, a continuation of the butt of the blade, is called the back (10), the opposite part from the side of the blade is the belly of the handle. The part of the handle farthest from the blade is called the head or pommel. Sometimes a hole (11) is made in the top, into which a lanyard is passed.

The main component of the knife is the blade. It is on him that the main part of the work falls. The handle determines how comfortable this work will be performed.

Blade

The blade of a knife is a strip of steel, which is sharpened on one side and forms the blade and edge of the knife, the other part is called the shank and serves to attach the blade to the knife handle.

Blade performance depends on its geometric features. In accordance with the purpose of the knife, the blade must have a certain shape. The most common blades are flat. However, there are knives with a spiral-shaped blade, or with a blade in the form of a hollow metal tube. Of course, the scope of such knives is limited and very specific. They are mainly designed for stabbing.

Knife blades are subdivided, firstly, according to the side profile of the blade, and secondly, according to the shape of the cross section of the blade.

Blade side profile shapes

According to the shape of the side profile, flat blades are divided into several types.

1. Blade with a straight butt (normal blade). Universal blade, suitable for both cutting and piercing with a point. This form is common especially with hunting knives. Rounding to the point increases the length of the cutting edge of the knife, which facilitates skinning and butchering meat. Also used in Finnish.

2. Blade with lower butt line (drop- point). The tip is at the level of the central axis. Such a blade cuts and stabs equally well. In addition, it is slightly lighter than a similar blade with a straight butt. On the front of the butt there can be either a “false blade” formed by descents without sharpening, or a full-fledged blade that helps the blade to enter the material being cut more easily when pricked. characteristic feature is the shortened length of the cutting edge. Such a blade has high piercing characteristics and is very versatile in use.

3. Blade with an increase in the line of the butt (trailing- point). In such a blade, the length of the cutting edge is greater than the length of the butt. It is difficult for them to pierce anything, but it is very convenient for cutting non-hard materials. Thanks to the extended cutting edge, less effort is expended when cutting, and the efficiency is increased, since a longer cut can be made in one stroke of the hand.

4. Bowie blade (clip- point). From the butt to the tip of the knife, a bevel "pike" is made. It brings the tip closer to the line of application of force during the injection. It is similar in configuration to the drop-point, but has a thinner point. This type of blade is often found on military and combat knives, which, thanks to the “predatory” profile, have a more original and intimidating look. They are also well suited for household tasks. These knives are especially popular in the USA.

5. Blade type "goat's leg" (wharncliffe blade). A form opposite to the first type - a blade with a straight butt. A straight blade allows more precise control of the cut. But due to the lack of a point, piercing becomes impossible. It is used, for example, for vegetable knives.

6. Blade type "tanto". He comes from Japan, but acquired the form we are used to thanks to Cold Steel, USA. The blade is characterized by extreme stability of the point due to the fact that the massiveness of the blade is preserved to the very point. Such a blade is convenient for power thrusts, but its cutting qualities are limited. Mainly used in combat knives.

7. Spear Blade (spear- point). The tip is located on the middle line of a double-edged blade. This form is perfectly adapted for injection, therefore it is usually used on daggers and combat knives. Bilateral sharpening allows you to make movements without turning your hand and without thinking about which side of the blade the blade is on.

The type of side profile determines the shape of the blade - the cutting edge of the knife. It can be straight, convex or concave. The most functional and convenient straight blade. It is it that is used for most of the operations performed by the knife. In addition, it is easy to sharpen. If the blade has a pronounced convex part, then this part is called the abdomen. The belly gives a concentration of effort on a limited part of the blade when making a cut. A concave (sickle-shaped) blade is used to rip up a surface.

Often there are reliefs on the surface of the blade - descents and supplies. They form the thickness of the knife blade and the sharpening angle. Their shape determines the quality of the cut. The profile of the descents is clearly visible on the cross section of the blade.

Cross section of the blade

The cross section of the blade, or profile, is one of the main parameters that determine the functionality and strength of the knife. Knowing what type of profile a blade has is necessary not only in order to choose the right knife for yourself in accordance with its functionality. The type of cross section also determines the type of sharpening and the angle of sharpening, as well as the correct placement of the blade on the grindstone.

There are many types of blade in the section, but their classification is reduced to seven main types. All these types are different variations of an ordinary wedge, side surfaces which can be straight, concave, convex. The wedge pushes the layers of the material being cut the easier, the smaller the angle of the working edge (that is, the angle of sharpening) it has. Concave edges form a small sharpening angle, and also give the blade elegance and lightness, but at the same time such a knife is less durable and reliable. Blades with convex edges are much stronger, their sharpening angle is thicker, but at the same time, they are also heavier.

Let's analyze the main types of blade profile.

1. Pentagonal profile with connections. Most often found in utility knives of the middle price range. The characteristics of a blade with this profile are perfectly balanced. It is characterized by a uniform force when cutting products and sufficient strength of the cutting edge and the blade itself, which goes well with a high-quality cut. This type of sharpening is used by most craftsmen, as it is very technologically advanced and inexpensive to manufacture.

2. Blade with convex (lenticular) descents. Often used in professional models. The sharpening angle of the cutting edge of such a blade is large, which adversely affects the smoothness of the cut. But such a blade retains strength and sharpening even with prolonged loads and chopping blows. This type of sharpening is carried out exclusively by hand, it is expensive to manufacture, and therefore it is used mainly in expensive blades: high-quality chef's knives, bladed weapons from Japan, author's products.

3. Blade with concave slopes. This shape of the blade is also called a razor blade, as it is used in straight razors. With this form, a good cut and deep penetration of the knife into the material is ensured. True, sometimes this can create certain difficulties when working with large items. Blade with razor slopes cuts and cuts well. Most often used in knives that require a high-quality cut: hunting, skinning, fishing.

4. Straight wedge with leads to the cutting edge. An optimal and quite technological type that provides a good cut with sufficient blade strength. It is often also called the European type.

5. Pentagonal blade profile. The thinning of the blade starts approximately from the middle of the blade. Often found in the knife industry, especially Scandinavian models, so this type is otherwise called "Scandinavian descents". Thanks to its flat descents and small sharpening angle, it is ideal for cutting. Less suitable for cutting due to the low strength of the thin cutting edge. Mainly used for general purpose knives.

6. straight wedge. The decrease in the thickness of the blade starts from the butt and smoothly descends to the blade. When cut, the blade looks like a triangle. This form is very convenient for cutting, reduces the weight of the blade. But the blade, especially the point, is very thin and can deform or break under load. Therefore, a straight wedge is rarely used in modern knives.

7. Chisel profile. The edge of the blade is sharpened only on one side, on the other the blade remains almost flat. Such one-sided sharpening allows you to make the cutting edge as thin and sharp as possible. For knives with a similar one-sided sharpening, special properties and cutting techniques are characteristic: with inept use, the blade begins to divert to the side, so additional efforts and attention are required. It is used in highly specialized tools and Japanese chef's knives, as well as in tanto-type blades.

Depending on the geometric profile of the knife, the sharpening angle of the blade is formed.

The generally accepted sharpening angles for knives of various types are:
- up to 10 degrees: razor blades, blades for thin sections, surgical instruments;
- from 10 to 20 degrees: cutting tool, designed for a delicate cut on a fairly soft material (vegetable, fillet knives);
- from 20 to 25 degrees: chef's knives of various functions;
- from 22 to 30 degrees: hunting and universal knives (tourist, cutting);
- from 25 to 40 degrees: knives for universal and heavy work.

Blade cutting edge type

According to the type of cutting edge, or sharpening, all knives can be divided into 3 groups: smooth, serrated, combined edge.

1. Smooth cutting edge. The most common type of sharpening and the most versatile. It is suitable for working with the widest range of materials. The main factor affecting the quality of the cut is the sharpening angle of the cutting edge. The large angle is ideal for splitting or chopping hard materials. A small angle allows the tool to effectively cut softer materials, but cuts fibrous and compacted tissues worse.

2. Serrated sharpening. The type of such a blade and the principle of its operation is very similar to a saw. Sharpened teeth, as a rule, have an unequal shape and size, but after a certain interval, a series of teeth repeats again and again. This blade structure significantly increases the coefficient useful action blade, while the applied forces are reduced due to the increase in the length of the cutting edge compared to the length of the blade itself. The serrator is ideally suited for cutting fibrous materials, viscous fabrics such as ropes, ropes, wood, cardboard, leather. True, the cut at the same time turns out to be uneven and it is difficult to perform household work with such a knife. Compared to a smooth cutting edge, such a knife retains its sharpness for a long time, dulls only after a very long period of use and requires special sharpening tools to sharpen it.

3. Combo, or combined sharpening. It is a combination of the two previous types. It began to be used in order to increase the versatility of the knife when working with various materials. For hunters, fishermen, tourists, extreme athletes, it is important to have tools at hand that perform a wide range of work. Therefore, knives with a combo cutting edge are very popular among these categories of users, as well as among the military, rescuers, and police.

Sometimes on the butt of the blade you can see large sharpened teeth. These are the so-called shock teeth. They are designed to inflict lacerations on the enemy. They used to be used in combat knives, but are now rare. A variation of such a knife is a hunting knife, which has a skinning hook on the butt for skinning animals.

point

The tip (toe) determines the punching and penetrating qualities of the blade. These properties, although similar, have differences. When punching, they hit hard with a knife, the hardness of the tip to break is important here. Tanto-type blades are well suited for such strikes. With a penetrating cut, it is the sharpness of the tip of the knife that is important, as with drop-point and bowie blades.

Despite the name, the point may not be sharp, but may have, for example, a rounded shape. As a rule, the tip is located on an axis passing through the center of the plane of the knife. There are also knives with a raised edge, which allows you to concentrate the effort in a certain place. Less common are knives with a lowered edge. They are used to obtain a neat straight cut on a hard surface.

Doly

If you look at the knife in profile, on many blades you can see longitudinal cuts - valleys. They can be on one or both sides of the blade. These grooves are also called “blood streams”, since there is an opinion that when a penetrating blow is applied with such a knife, blood comes out of the wound through the valleys, which improves the penetration of the blade into the enemy’s body. But in fact, their purpose is more prosaic, but more significant for the functionality of the knife. First of all, they lighten the weight of the blade, which is especially important for knives with lenticular slopes and thick butt, and at the same time increase the lateral rigidity. The valleys also prevent sticking (freezing) of the cut product on the blade. Doles can be through. But this is more of a design trick. The mechanical strength of the blade is thus weakened.

On the blades of many knives you can see the logo of the manufacturer, the name of the knife model, the type of steel, the facsimile of the master. On inexpensive knives, inscriptions are usually applied with paint or stamping. On expensive models, engraving or etching is used.

Combination various elements described in the article defines a huge variety of types and models of knives. Features of their design have developed either on the basis of the centuries-old experience of peoples different countries, or were the result of the development of knife masters and designers, taking into account the use of modern technologies.

In the hands of a professional, a knife can become a precision tool or weapon. The variety of possibilities of the tool is amazing - from straightening pencils to combat use.

At the same time, the efficiency will increase many times if the correct angle of sharpening the knife is provided. Its centuries-old use has formed not only a variety of traditions, but also a scientific approach to the shape of the blade.

The table below lists the main types of products and approximate sharpening angles.

IMPORTANT! Any knife has several planes, each of them has its own degree of deviation in relation to the plane.

The device and angle of sharpening a hunting knife

Let's make a reservation right away that such a blade requires permission to carry, since it is a melee weapon. Regardless, you use it for its intended purpose, or it hangs on the carpet as an interior decoration.

The main parts of a hunting knife:

the handle (1) and the actual blade, or blade (2). The correct blade corresponds to the length of the entire tool, that is, its plane (8) extends along the axis (14) from the nose (25) to the nut (3) that fixes the handle (5).

A sleeve (7) is molded or welded on the back of the plane, which fixes the handle with the help of an occipital tip (15). Hunting knives in the back of the head may have a hole (16) for a leather belt.

The handle is separated from the blade by a forging (6). This is not just a pen, it has a rather complex design. The back (4) and belly (17) lie comfortably in the hand.

For fixation, a sub-finger notch (18) and a notch (20) can be provided. So that the hand does not come off with a direct blow, a limiter, or fang (19) is installed.

The blade has even more constituent parts. A butt (11) extends from above, like an ax. To the spout, it goes into a bevel (12), which has its own cutting edge (13).

A bloodstream, or dol (10), is stamped along the plane. Next comes the descent (23). Together with the rise (24) it forms the basis of the blade geometry.

The edge of sharpening (9) separates the descent from the plane. From the handle towards the point follows the heel (21) - the part of the blade that does not require sharpening. Next is the cutting edge (22).

IMPORTANT! The sharpening angle of the knife is not only the cutting edge, the convergence of the descent is also indicated in the parameters.

About the angles of sharpening a hunting knife and an ax - a video of a real hunter.

A knife, like any other tool, requires maintenance, in addition, its cutting part needs to be updated from time to time. No wonder there is an opinion that you can cut your hand only with a blunt blade. Usually, this comes from the fact that the blunt blade breaks off the cut off part, and as the saw tears the skin on the holding hand.

In order to avoid such injuries, the knife blade must be periodically updated. Sharpen at a certain angle, which depends on the purpose of the blade and varies from 15 to 45 degrees from the center.

Blade material and knife blade shape

The main materials for the manufacture of the blade are metal alloys. The method of their manufacture can be different, from forging to stamping, they are united by one thing - metal. The metal of the blade has hardness, in addition, it must be elastic so as not to break the knife blade with a slight misalignment.

Also in the characteristics of the metal importance has wear resistance, or a tendency to retain sharpening. At the same time, the excessive fragility of the blade, which is noted with increased hardness, often leads to chipping of part of the cutting edge upon impact.

Most often for the manufacture of knives use:

• carbon steels, it has high strength characteristics, is relatively cheap, but at the same time prone to corrosion;
• alloyed steels, with the addition of hardening and elastic additives, in this case the metal is a little more expensive, but alloying additives increase strength characteristics and resistance to rust;
• damask and Damascus steels, special grade metals obtained during smelting or forging, are characterized by increased characteristics of hardness, elasticity and resistance to blunting, at the same time they often have a high cost;
• titanium and zirconium alloys, enough expensive metals, having excellent performance characteristics, resistance to corrosion, but at the same time rare due to their cost;
• knives made of carbon steel covered with various coatings, in fact, representing metal plates normal operating parameters, with an overestimated cost due to coverage.

The hardness of steel is one of the main characteristics when choosing a sharpening angle, but not a determining one.

In addition to the hardness of the metal, it is necessary to take into account the shape of the cutting part that was originally present on the blade. modern knives may have the following sections:

• wedge-shaped, most common domestic knives, in this case the edge of the blade is a symmetrical triangle;
• shaving, the sides of the triangle have a concave shape, this allows you to keep sharpening at 15-20 degrees;
• chisel, common on the products of Japanese craftsmen, in this case the blade is sharpened only on one side, the second side is completely flat;
• chopping, sometimes called Chinese, a section with convex edges of the wedge that came from Japan, this type of sharpening allows you to keep the shape of the cutting edge for a long time during chopping blows.

Depending on the hardness of the steel and the cross-sectional shape of the blade, the angle of the edges is selected. In addition to these, there are other types of knife sharpening, but they are less common.

It is worth noting that, despite the existing table of sharpening angles, it is selected by a person independently, for the most convenient operation of the blade.

Cutting edge and sharpening abrasives

Despite the apparent simplicity of sharpening the blade, in fact the shape of the cutting edge looks quite complicated. The sharpening angle creates only common edges of the cutting edge, the edge itself is formed by supply lines, narrow strips of the blade, which constitute the edge that cuts the material.

In order to bring out the cutting edge of the blade, it is necessary to process the slopes with an abrasive, creating a wedge.

Choosing an abrasive is not an easy task; in the modern world, various kinds of synthetic grinding materials are widely used, such as electrocorundum or diamond bars on a binder.

But, as before, professional sharpeners believe that the best result is achieved only when using abrasive stones of natural origin: novaculite or Arkansas, Japanese water stones.

Sharpening of knives is carried out with the obligatory use of oil or water. This allows you to wash out dirt with solid abrasive particles from under the blade, which will otherwise scratch the blade, in addition, the presence of lubricant will save the surface of the stone from ingrained dirt and metal chips.

It should be noted that the surface of the grinding stone must be perfectly flat, otherwise the cutting edge will be wavy, which will ambiguously affect the quality of sharpening.

You need to be especially careful when sharpening the knife one and a half, in this case there is a risk of cutting your hand when editing on the sharp edges of the blade.
For ideal sharpening, it is necessary to alternately change the grit of the bar, moving from coarse grain, whose task is to create a rough edge and descents, and ending with polishing, which polishes descents and creates supplies.

The grain size of the abrasive is determined by the size of its particles than larger size particles, the rougher the processing of the edges of the blade.

It is optimal to have 2-3 bars with different values ​​​​for sharpening a knife. The first one is for rough sharpening, the second one is for edging and the third one is for grinding. Although the final editing can be done with a polished piece of steel, a leather belt or a ceramic bar.

How to determine the angle of sharpening a knife

As you can see, the sharpening angle determines not only the sharpness of the blade, but also the resistance of its cutting edge to blunting. If professional kitchen knives are undermined almost constantly during operation, then home knives, as a rule, have a large angle, and, consequently, increased resistance to blunting.

Blades designed for felling have a sharpening angle of 35 degrees or more. This guarantees a greater resistance of the cutting edge against chipping of the cutting edge during impacts.

It should be noted that each tool has its own sharpening angle.

It makes no sense to sharpen the razor at 45 degrees, it will keep its sharpness for a long time, but at the same time it will not cut hair, at the same time, when editing a hunting knife at 25 degrees, it will cut beautifully and evenly only for the first five minutes, and then the blade becomes dull.

Optimum sharpening with a curved cutting edge. Such a section withstands shock loads for a long time and does not blunt.

Separately in this row is a surgical and medical instrument, there are completely different rules for sharpening knives, a different hardness of steel and a different section shape.

Blade sharpening

Correct sharpening of knives is carried out in the following order:

1. Training. it is laid on a flat surface, if necessary, a towel or cloth is placed under it so that during operation it does not slip on the surface of the table. It is also worth putting a container of water or oil on hand to wet the blade.
2. The knife is placed with the blade on the leveled surface of the bar at an angle of 40-45 degrees with the tip away from you, it is best to install an angle limiter on its blade. In its quality, clerical clips proved to be quite good. This will help maintain the sharpening angle.
3. The blade is evenly sharpened by moving towards itself, the cutting edge in the light should be even, without wavy bends. The wedge itself is symmetrical, the faces are the same in size.
4. After rough straightening and creating descents, it is the turn of a bar of smaller grain size. The metal is periodically wetted with water. This is necessary to wash off the remnants of abrasive and metal dust. After the slopes of the blade are ground, the bars must be washed in running water with soap, the knife itself must be washed and wiped thoroughly.

During editing, it is worth monitoring the observance of the sharpening angle, it is for this reason that it is recommended to use limiters.

They will help to initially maintain the angle, and in the future, with experience gained, it will be possible to sharpen the blade “by eye”.

Sharpening on Japanese water stones

This knife sharpening technique requires some preparation to use, unlike Arkansas or synthetics, sharpening a knife on such stones necessarily requires the use of water.

1. It is necessary to soak the stones in a container with water, when they are saturated, remove them and rub them a little with the leveler offered in the kit. A thin film of dirt should appear on the surface of the stone. In no case should it be removed, this dirt will sharpen the blade.
2. The process of creating a cutting edge is practically the same as previously described, with one exception, do not forget to add water. Japanese stones are sharpened with a lubricant, not a dry abrasive.
3. Do not forget to change the grain size of the stone in time, from a larger grain size to a smaller value.
4. After sharpening, the stones must be washed and dried. Do not forget to level the surface of the bar after the appearance of the development.

Sharpening with such tools is actually a ritual, but it is worth noting that knives sharpened in this way hold sharpening very well and perfectly cut everything that is needed.

Sharpening with power tools and outdoors

The simplest, but at the same time the most dangerous way for the tool. It is enough to overexpose the blade a little in one place, as heat release the steel and weaken it. But at the same time, it is the electric grinder that will help you quickly adjust the blade to the required sharpness.

Therefore, when using such a dressing tool, it is worth keeping a container of water on hand, where you periodically lower the blade. to cool the steel.

There are situations in our life when sharp knife required in the absence of any sharpening tool.

In nature, for example, or in the mountains. How to proceed in this case?

In this case, first of all, you can think about ceramics, if available. ceramic tableware, then its broken edge will allow you to correct the cutting edge without much labor. If not, then any stone will help.

Ideally, of course, pick up sandstone, but in such a case, any stone with a flat surface is suitable, river pebbles, for example. Pay attention to the surface of the stone, a large number of pores or granular structure already indicate that the stone is a good abrasive.

Then it all depends on your ability to work. Modern steels do not lend themselves well to abrasive natural minerals. With improvised means, you can also fix the knife if necessary. The final finishing of the edge is done with a piece of leather or polished on a piece of smooth stone.

Sharpening knives made of Damascus steel and Japanese welded blades

The main problem when dressing such blades is the uneven production of abrasive when sharpening the blade, in these blades layers of hard and soft steel alternate, and if they are chaotic in Damascus, then Japanese welded steel has a hard cutting edge, so it is important to maintain the required angle.

Use for these knives is either water stones or synthetics, such as diamond. Arkansas will quickly work out without bringing a tangible effect.

Threading Damascus blades is more difficult than high carbon or alloy steels.

The difference between Damascus and carbon steel is its hardness and the presence of a multi-layered cutting edge, which plays into the hands when cutting or chopping with this blade, but is imperceptible when dressing.

Conclusion

Sharpening a blade is quite difficult, especially for a beginner, the difficulty is fixing the angle of sharpening, the appearance of scratches on the blade and a wavy cutting edge. You can avoid these problems to the maximum, it is worth practicing on cheap kitchen knives, and only then proceed to straightening knives made of high-quality steel. Don't forget about lubrication.

Do not forget about the parameters for choosing the angle of sharpening and abrasive: the hardness of the steel and the purpose of the blade are the defining parameters. In addition, do not forget about the care of stones and a knife after removing the edge. The metal must be thoroughly wiped from moisture. Rinse and dry the stones, remember to level their surface.

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