Why You Should Never Use a Blunt Knife in The Kitchen

The knife is probably the most used item in the kitchen aside from the stove itself. It is no doubt an instrument of great importance and must be sharp at all times for optimum use. There is only problem, through wear and tear the knife you use will only get blunt with time so it is important to use knife sharpeners to keep that blade at its very best. Blunt blades will not be able to cut through tough meat for example and is often the cause for unwanted kitchen accidents.

There are two main types of knife sharpeners available in the market and those are the electrical knife sharpeners and the more traditional stone sharpeners. Both types have their benefits and can be chosen based on your usage and requirements. The logic behind knife sharpening is that you use an abrasive and rough edge to remove the blunt metal from the edge of your knife to literally keep it on point.

What options do you have in the market?

The options you have in the market are plentiful the type of stone knife sharpener will depend on the type of knife you use. A water stone is most commonly prescribed type of knife sharpener for both western and Japanese knife sharpeners. It is one of the most common types of sharpening stones out there. With a bit of practice, good knife sharpening can be mastered. The water stone is actually a regular block of stone which is commonly used to sharpen the edge of your blade with its effectiveness measured in the grit count it has.

A good water stone would have a grit count of around a 1000 so when you do look at your options on the market, you might want to consider this feature. Another popular type of sharpener is the “Pull-through sharpener” which utilizes two closely placed steel plates which rotate. You place the blade of your knife between these two plates and slowly pull your knife towards you.

If this action is repeated about 10 to 15 times, this should be more than enough to keep your blade sharp. This is a fairly simple concept and it certainly does the job; however, it is not recommendable if you look to use it for a brittle knife. “Pull through” sharpeners are seen as a quick method to sharpen a knife and are even used by professional chefs.

How do you use a stone sharpener?

The first step is of using a water stone is to soak it in water for about 5 to 10 minutes. The stone should ideally soak in the water well. Even after you take it out, make sure the stone is never dry. Keep splashing on water if necessary. The next step is to hold the knife at the right angle against the stone and just glide the blade of your knife along the stone from the tip, this action can be repeated till your satisfied with how you sharp your blade is. To finish off you can polish the blade with a wet cloth etc.