Knife Sharpening 101

Knife sharpening has come on in leaps and bounds since the days of traditional bench grinder. While you can still find these, there are many other tools available now that do can do an even better job sharpening knifes. When choosing the right knife sharpener for you, it all comes down to personal preference and what kind of knife it is that you are sharpening.

Sharpening with Grinding Wheels

Grinding wheels use grains that are abrasive throughout the wheel. These grains then rub against the knife, chipping away the knife material and in turn making a dull edge knife sharper - think of it as exfoliation for your knife. The abrasive grains that are used in grinding wheels vary a great deal. Aluminium oxide is perhaps the most popular kind of metal used, but many different types of metallic oxides are also used. If you have bronze or annealed steel knifes, however, seek out the aluminum oxide version. Other kinds of oxides used in grinding wheels include:

- Zirconia alumina is a combination of two metals: aluminium and zirconium oxide, which are extremely durable when combined, making this kind of grinding wheel the second most popular. This kind of grinding wheel does fine with steel and works especially well with alloy material knife blades.

- Ceramic aluminium oxide is a new fangled abrasive material used in grinding wheels, but it is catching on fast. It combines the strength of other oxides with an ability to precision direct the sharpening process. Ceramic aluminum is rarely used on its own, but the companion metal that goes along with it varies depending on what kind of knife the wheel is designed to sharpen.

Sharperning Shapes and The Perfect Grit

Shapes and grits also play an important role when choosing the best knife sharpener for you. Wheels aren't always what you expect them to be, for instance. In fact, the so called straight wheel is the most popular type of sharpening wheel. Cylinder shaped wheels are also popular, thanks to the cutting surface they have on the front.

Last but not least, you have to consider the grit size. Too much grit, and your knife will be whittled away to nothing. Too little, and you'll walk away with knife as dull as when you started. The lower the number on the grit wheel, the coarser the grit is on the wheel. Many people give their knifes a go with coarse grit to get the hard stuff out of the way and then use fine grit for spot sharpening.

Peter Wilson very often writes articles on themes similar to chain saw sharpening and chain sharpeners. You can learn about his articles on chain saw sharpening and chainsaw sharpening here.

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Knife Sharpening 101
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