Best Knife Sharpening Angles
There are many angles you can use on a blade depending on how you intend to use the knife. This article will help you choose the right one.
- Difficulty:
- Moderate
Instructions
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What are the Best Knife Sharpening Angles?
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The 90 degree Angle: This angle is one of the best to put on any knife. It holds its edge well, and can be incredibly sharp. This is also the angle that all razor blades are ground to. You can grind a 45 degree angle to a very fine point, and even though it might seem like a sharper angle would give a finer cut, the 45 degree angle forms a very solid point, so the edge is actually sharper and stronger.
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The Reason is the ShapeThe shape of the blade is a perfect corner, and if you know physics, then you know that this is the strongest shape. It is used in roofs, the pyramids and support beams, because the weight is evenly distributed. As far a knife is concerned, this edge shape provides maximum strength in downward cuts, and that means less wear and a longer lasting edge.
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The 45 Degree AngleThis angle is much sharper geometrically speaking, and it can also create a finer and sharper edge than the 90 degree angle. However, this sharpening angle won't hold that edge longer. Since the angle is sharper, the end of the point is thinner, it may cut faster for the first few uses, but you will find that the blade dulls very fast, and you are back to the grindstone once again.
Putting on a 90 Degree Angle Edge
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Set up your grinding stone on a flat table, elevated on a solid block so as to leave room for your hand on either side.
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Clamp the block to the table and secure the stone to the block by nailing a small piece of wood to both ends. Make sure the stone and the block underneath are secured.
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Spread about half an ounce of sharpening oil onto the stone.
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Grip the knife in your dominant hand, then the edge on the sharpening stone, making sure the blade and the stone form a 45 degree angle. You are creating a 90 degree total angle on the edge of the knife, so you will have to hold each side at the 45 degree angle to achieve this.
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Slide the knife along the stone, blade edge first, drawing the knife horizontally across the stone in a smooth, controlled motion.
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Repeat the process several times, using less and less pressure each time.
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7
Turn the knife over, reposition yourself on the other side of the stone, so the blade edge is facing forward, and repeat steps 5 and 6. This will give you a solid, 90 degree knife edge.
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Comments
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This is the worst advice I've ever seen in my life. an included 90 degree edge simply wont cut. my high performance knives are on average 10 degrees perside and hold an edge in wood for longer than your arm can take the strain.
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Most knives are ground to a 20-25 degree edge. 45 degrees is for axes and hatchets. 90 degrees? Even the terminology is wrong. I've never heard of a knife edge angle refered to as the sum of both edges. Some knives aren't even ground on both the obverse and reverse side.
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Hermann Wilhelm Merkel
Dec 15, 2010
Ok, it truncates comments. Now you'll never know the rest....
