Experts suggest that tools should be polished frequently during frequent use, at least once before and after each use. In fact, grinding steel does not really sharpen the blade, but corrects and cleans the edge of the tool.
One of the most basic polished steels is a metal bar with a handle, and straight grooves are distributed on the metal bar. The polished steel is magnetized, which can attract the molecules of the cutter and rearrange them in a straight line. After the tool is rubbed and polished, the steel can be corrected and some tiny scratches can be eliminated. Unmagnetized ceramic polished steel also has this effect. As a new trend, diamond polished steel is becoming more and more popular in kitchen utensils. Its surface is covered with a layer of single crystal diamond, which has the same good effect as traditional polished steel, but it is more durable, lighter and faster than traditional polished steel.
When using polished steel, the blade touches the top of polished steel at an angle of 20 degrees, and then the whole blade gently strokes the whole polished steel to the bottom, as if cutting a polished steel with a knife. Every time, the front and back are polished alternately, so that both sides of the blade are polished evenly. A simple way to judge whether a tool has been polished is to gently touch it with your thumb along both sides of the blade. If both sides feel the same, you have polished it. If one side feels slightly rougher than the other side, then gently polish this side, comparing each time until both sides feel the same.
Grinding tools using natural grindstones First, we list the types of natural grindstones that can be used for grinding and their particle size equivalents (grinding capacity):
Waxita stone)-looks like marble, and its particle size equivalent is 300-350. A good rough stone can remove small scratches and form an inclined outline.
Hard Arkansas)-white or light gray, the particle size is equivalent to 500-600. Used to perfect the edge at the end of grinding.
Black hard Arkansas)-black or dark gray, and its particle size equivalent is usually 800- 1000. It is a very good polishing stone and can be used to polish sharp blades. Over the years, this kind of stone has been almost exhausted, and only a few places still produce this kind of stone. This kind of stone is generally not needed for sharpening knives. At first, only people who used folding razors liked to use it to sharpen their knives.
Generally speaking, we choose a tile stone and a hard Arkansas stone as natural grindstones, and the size of the grindstone depends on the length of the blade. For example:
Portable knives -3-5 inch long grindstones
Hunting knife -4-8 inch long grindstone
Chopper -6-8 inch long millstone
The use of sharpening oil can prevent tiny metal chips from being embedded in the grindstone. Don't use ordinary lubricating oil, it will block the concave hole of the grindstone. When sharpening a knife, the contact angle between the blade and the grindstone is the most difficult part to grasp. Lay the knife flat on the grindstone, and then slowly lift the back of the knife until the inclined plane of the blade is parallel to the surface of the grindstone. Lifting it too high will blunt the blade, and lifting it too low will not sharpen the blade. You can try a 20-degree angle grinding. When grinding, cover a lot of sharpening oil on the grindstone, and do not dry grind it, because metal chips will be scraped off and embedded on the surface of the grindstone, damaging the grindstone and the blade.
Start rough grinding with Washtar grindstone, with the blade facing the grindstone surface and the back facing yourself, so that the knife surface forms a 20-degree angle with the grindstone surface, and then push the knife forward as if to cut a small piece from the front end of the grindstone. Repeat this action 2-3 times from bottom to top, then reverse the knife so that the blade faces you, and then polish it at an angle of 20 degrees with the grindstone surface for the same number of times. Pay attention to grinding both sides the same number of times. When this grinding process is completed, you can get a clear bevel line, so you can prepare for the final grinding process. We use hard Arkansas grindstones for fine grinding. Similarly, we need to apply a lot of sharpening oil to the surface of the grindstone and repeat the rough grinding until you get the sharpness you expect, so the grinding is completed.
Please note that the grindstone should be cleaned with cloth after each grinding, and once a year, you should thoroughly clean the grindstone with special solution and wire brush to make the holes in the stone smooth and clean. Remember: a blunt knife is more dangerous! In fact, a knife with a perfect sharp blade is safer than a blunt knife, because it is easy to cut, and you don't need to exert great strength or look clumsy at work, so it is more efficient. No matter how expensive and exquisite the tool is, it is impossible to keep yourself sharp, so you must regularly polish and maintain the blade to keep it in the best condition. Grind the tool with DMT diamond whetstone and return to the catalog. First, apply a little water to the diamond surface of the sharpener, so that the back of the knife faces you. The blade contacts the surface of the abrasive tool at an angle of 20, and pushes the tool from one end of the abrasive tool to the other. For example, push one side of the blade from the bottom to the top of the sharpener, then reverse the knife and push the other side back from the top to the bottom of the sharpener. This alternating action can make both sides of the blade evenly polished. The number of knife grinding depends on the bluntness, material and strength of the blade. When using the portable sharpener, for the sake of safety, the blade should always be back to the direction in which the finger holds the sharpener, and the two sides should be grinded alternately at an angle of 20. The grinding method is the same as that of a large sharpener.
After grinding, you can cut paper, food, wood and other things to test the sharpness of the knife. Residual metal chips may rust, so clean and dry the grinding tool after each use.