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Petit tour d'horizon sur les différentes méthodes d'aiguisage

Petit tour d'horizon sur les différentes méthodes d'aiguisage

- Catégories : Informations TK

A central subject in the world of knives, sharpening is a subject that fascinates, divides or even irritates! And finally, everyone has his preferences, his degree of requirement and satisfaction.

To begin with, it is essential to know the steel of your knife, because this information will determine the effort and the possible result. Indeed, depending on the hardness and resistance to abrasion, the sharpening will be more or less long, and the use of a machine may be desirable, rather than to slave away by hand.

The sharpening equipment available on the Tellknives website has been selected because it meets our criteria of quality and efficiency when used according to the manufacturer's instructions. However, we have our preferences and we tell you all about them in this article...

Some users prefer traditional stones, others prefer more modern systems presented in kits such as the Spyderco Tri-angle or the WorkSharp Angle Set Sharpener, and still others prefer electric systems such as the WorkSharp Ken Onion Edition.

It is of course possible to combine these different systems depending on the knives to be sharpened (stones work wonderfully on small to medium size blades but for machetes, it is another story...).

On the other hand, you may not necessarily want to take out the electric machine to give a quick sharpening on the small kitchen knife; the Worksharp field sharpener will then be perfect.

In this article we will summarize the sharpening possibilities available to you. We are of course at your disposal for any further information or advice, depending on your needs. Do not hesitate to contact us.

The different sharpening methods

Sharpening is a matter of preference, choice, perfectionism - or not, budget, practicality and many other parameters.

As you may have noticed, there are as many possibilities as there are users. Here we review the different equipment, with their advantages and disadvantages:

1) Sharpening stones

Widely used and coming from various horizons, they allow to obtain very good results. However, you need to have the knack, know how to choose your grain, and have the time to spare because this process is probably the longest.

Note that the stones are relatively impractical to take to the field because they require flat surfaces to be used properly (we rarely take them to go camping...). That said, some brands have made efforts in terms of size and transportability, such as the multipurpose stones from Spyderco and Fallkniven. These stones have been designed to be slipped into a pocket and benefit from a double version; a different grain on each side.

Some purists swear by whetstones because you have to "earn" your edge and it's true that the results you can get are amazing, with the right combination of know-how and good equipment.

This method is possibly the best for those who wish to obtain a true razor sharp edge.  And the skill... comes with practice!

There are several types of sharpening stones depending on their origin, their characteristics or their grain size, and this is a vast field! Without summarizing the different types of stones, here are the most common ones that you will certainly hear about.

Japanese stones are without a doubt the best known. In Japan, there is a real art of sharpening, it is an ancestral know-how. It is commonly accepted that they make the best stones. But objectively, today, all knifemakers make very good stones and it is difficult for the amateur who sharpens 5-6 times a year to see a difference in quality between a Japanese stone and a stone from another country. 

Natural stones: they are the most difficult to tame because they do not allow to rely on a unique or uniform composition of the abrasion. This is why we only recommend natural stones to enthusiasts who regularly sharpen with this method.

Ceramic whetstones: perfect for sharpening blades with medium-hard to hard steel. 

Diamond sharpening stones: thanks to the exceptional hardness of this material, you will be able to sharpen your very hard steels. It is also possible to sharpen all other blades, but be careful, this type of abrasion removes a lot of material so, depending on the hardness of your steel, be more or less light-handed!

Mixed sharpening stones: they have two sides, allowing a versatile sharpening because you benefit from two different granulometry. This is very useful to multiply the grains without collecting stones!

It should be noted that sets of stones also exist and can be very useful. It is estimated that 2-5 different grits are needed for sharpening depending on the condition of the blade. Thus, stone sets can be recommended for totally blunt knives0. It's up to you to find the right compromise!

You can find our sharpening stones on our website. Please note that our online assortment is not (yet) complete, so do not hesitate to contact us if you do not find the sharpening stone you need or if you have any questions on this subject.

2) Manual sharpeners

There is a plethora of offers here as well, it's a matter of getting the right information about the products.

Some bars are efficient but they offer only one grain; it will then be advisable to equip yourself with several elements (for example with the Fallkniven if you want to make your edge correctly).

Some complete systems allow you to roughen, refine, and then perfect the edge, thanks to their multiple surfaces, like the Spyderco Tri-Angle or the WorkSharp Angle Set. 

Other systems, also multi-surface, are even more compact and can be taken anywhere, easily stored in the bottom of a backpack, like the WorkSharp Guided Field or the Benchmade EDC Edge. They'll keep your edge sharp until you get home.

The results are generally very satisfactory, and allow experienced users to obtain very good edges, but - and this is the whole point of this range and especially the complete systems - novice users will also achieve excellent results!

Indeed, the guidance is very easy and giving the right sharpening angle is a child's play. No need to spend hours (and hours...) to acquire the right movement as with manual stones. The result is all the more satisfying as it is obtained quite quickly, except for blades that are totally blunt AND made of very hard stainless steel... there, no miracle, you'll need elbow grease!

3) Electric sharpeners

Don't want to spend time sharpening your blades?

You've come to the right place. Whether it's because you're lazy or because you want to save time, electric sharpeners will give you the best results in the shortest time possible, especially when you're doing all your kitchen knives in a row! It is the cook who will be happy!

Of course, there are several systems: some are simple and designed for kitchen knives, like the WorkSharp E2 for example.

Others, more advanced and also allowing the sharpening of all other knives, like the WorkSharp Original Sharpener. Its efficiency will make your life easier for the sharpening of all your knives, from the small kitchen knife to the garden machete.

Finally, the pinnacle of electric sharpening is reached with the WorkSharp Ken Onion Edition. Equipped with a potentiometer, it allows you to adjust its power according to the steel and the sharpening stage. Even better, it allows you to choose your angle AND your sharpening! Indeed, thanks to a tension adjustment, you can work with a taut belt (and thus generate a flat edge) or with a less taut belt (and thus generate a convex edge).

This allows afficionados of convex-edged blades to keep and maintain them, something almost impossible with other sharpening methods.

The (logical) downside is that these electric systems are expensive, sometimes significant, and are slower to deploy than a manual system, if one needs to maintain a single knife. On the other hand, if you need to sharpen several blades, or if the knife(s) to be sharpened are really dull, then the electric system will prove its usefulness.

The icing on the cake, the WorkSharp Ken Onion Edition can be adorned with a really great option: an optional bench allowing you to resharpen and maintain axes and large machetes. Installed in 30 seconds on the basic machine, the optional bench will be very useful for sharpening anything that cannot be sharpened with common tools; lawnmower blades, scythes, axes, tomahawks, machetes, sickles, pruning hooks, and any other metal parts that need sharpening.

Thus equipped, you are the neighborhood grinder!

All kidding aside, we hope this information will be useful to you and we are of course at your disposal for any questions or additional information!

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