How to Use a Ceramic Knife Sharpener
A knife is an effective cutting tool only if it's sharp. The edge of a knife dulls with use and must be sharpened. A knife sharpener straightens out the edge of the blade and shaves away a small amount of metal to cut a new edge. There are many types of knife sharpeners, but a ceramic-rod knife sharpener is one of the easiest to use. Rods are installed in a wooden base and are angled to put the correct angle on the blade.
Instructions
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Place the base on a solid surface, such as a table, and insert the ceramic rods in the predrilled holes in the base. The rods will form a "V" shape. Some bases have multiple holes drilled at multiple angles; choose the one that has the angle you want for your blade.
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Hold the knife as vertically as possible, and make a slicing motion down one of the rods. Go from the top of the rod to the bottom, and from the heel of the blade (nearest your hand) to the tip.
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Make multiple passes, then carefully test the edge by dragging your thumb across the flat of the blade toward the edge. The sharpening action should have raised a rolled edge, call a burr. If it hasn't, repeat sharpening one side until you raise a burr.
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Move the blade to the other ceramic rod (the other side of the "V") and repeat the sharpening process until you raise a burr again, this time on the opposite side.
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Continue sharpening side to side until you've achieved the desired angle.
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Stretch out the leather strop (a belt also works) and drag the edge of the blade backward (not in a cutting motion) across the leather. Repeat on both sides until the burr is polished away by the leather.
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Tips & Warnings
Knife-edge angles are different depending on the application. For example, a filet knife requires a shallow edge of 15 or 20 degrees per side. A utility or hunting knife may require 30 or 35 degrees per side.
References
- Photo Credit Thomas Northcut/Photodisc/Getty Images
