With proper care, you will not have to sharpen it for quite a long time. It will be enough just to correct it periodically, and for this you just need a tool called musat. It will help to straighten the cutting edge of the knife and increase its sharpness.
What is it - musat for knives, how does it look and how to use it correctly? Surely you have seen more than once how professional chefs or butchers in the market straighten knives with a rounded tool that resembles a file with a handle and a corrugated core. This is the very Musat.
Why do you need musat for knives?
With regular use of musat, you will not have to resort to sharpening the knife, and this will significantly extend its service life, since each one removes a lot of metal from its working surface.
And if at home you have to resort to the procedure only a few times a day, then with the professional use of knives, chefs and butchers have to edit the knife blade more than a hundred times in one working day. One can imagine what would happen to their working tool if each time they used not musat, but a stone or a sharpening machine.
Choosing a sharpener for knives musat
Let's make a reservation right away that there are musats exclusively for straightening knives, and there are - for straightening and sharpening. If you need a tool exclusively for sharpening, feel free to buy a steel or glass nut with notches and ribs. For sharpening, choose between ceramic and diamond blades.
At the same time, keep in mind that you will not be able to edit or sharpen the cutting edge of the knife with musat if the metal hardness exceeds 60 units on the Rockwell scale. For such knives, you already need a diamond stone or a special sharpener.
If the hardness of the metal is below 50 units on the same scale, then during the editing and sharpening, the musat will remove a lot of metal, which is highly undesirable. So before buying a musat, it is recommended that you first find out the hardness of the blades of your cooking tools and decide on the rules for sharpening and editing them.
When choosing a musat, you need to pay attention to the quality and manufacturer, but it is equally important to choose the right tool of the right dimensions. As a rule, the musat is equipped with a working rod 20-40 cm long. The optimal length of the rod is 5-6 cm longer than the length of the blade of the main kitchen knife.
Musat rods are round, oval or square in shape. There are also combined tools on sale, when one longitudinal half of the rod is glossy, the second is rough. The smooth side is needed to give the knife the perfect sharpness at the end of the edit.
How to use musat for knives?
If you want to learn how to use knives correctly, you should get into the habit of adjusting them with a knife each time before using it and immediately after finishing it.
While editing a knife with a musat, you must move its blade in the direction from the handle to the tip and at the same time move the blade along the musat rod from its tip to the handle. It is enough to repeat the operation 2-4 times, no more is needed, otherwise it may lead to the opposite result.
You need to drive the knife along the musat to sharpen knives at an angle of 20-25 degrees. In this case, you can not make an effort, it should be rather a light touch. Musat must be placed vertically, resting the tip of the rod on the countertop, after placing a towel under it to prevent it from slipping.
Experienced cooks correct knives on weight, but for this you need to have sufficient skills. To learn how to use the tool, it is better to first practice on inexpensive knives and only then move on to editing expensive and high-quality knives.
It is impossible to imagine a kitchen without knives, but even such seemingly durable items also need constant care. After all, if the knife is dull, then it becomes simply impossible to work with it in the kitchen. For use various devices: musat, disk sharpeners, stones, etc.
Although everyone uses knives every day, not everyone is familiar with such a necessary item for sharpening them as musat. In this article, we will consider in what cases and how exactly musat should be used.
What is musat?
Musat is a shaft with a handle made of certain materials and used to level the cutting edge of a knife and increase sharpness, i.e. to keep it always in working order.
Outwardly, rods for sharpening knives are very similar to musats. The difference between them lies in the fact that musats clean the already sharpened edge of the blade from the metal fringe on it, smoothing out bumps and burrs on it, and the rods - peeling the metal along the edge of the knife blade, sharpen it into an acute angle.
There are also desktop horns, which use two twigs, with a special very durable coating in a plastic case attached to the table.
Musat types
Musats differ from each other in form and material used.
Types of musatov in shape:
- round - oval and actually round;
- faceted - flat and tetrahedral.
Types of musat according to the material used on the surface of the rod itself:
- ceramic musats - coated with ceramics;
- diamond musats - contain diamond chips;
- metal musats - contain frequent notches.
- mixed - on one side of the rod - a rough surface, and on the other - a smooth one.
Musats with ceramic and diamond coatings can be used for both sharpening and grinding knives, and metal musats can only be used for sharpening.
How to use Musat?
It is very important to use all types of musat correctly, adhering to the following rules:
- little effort to distribute evenly;
- observe the angle of the direction of movement of 15-20 degrees;
- the musat and the knife must be in contact with each other on the cutting edge;
- both sides of the knife should alternately touch the musat, it is impossible to draw first on one side several times, and then on the other.
The process of how to sharpen knives with musat goes like this:
How to choose the right musat?
To decide on the choice of musat, you need to know what it is for and where it will be used. For frequent use (in professional kitchens), a round metal musat with an average grain size of 18 to 30 cm long is more suitable, and a shorter musat (18-20 cm) is better suited for the home.
Whichever musat you choose, its length must be at least 5 cm longer than the length of your knife blade.
I will not reinvent the wheel, but simply give excerpts from the materials of the Free Internet:
A word about Musat
Used to straighten a knife.
Real musat is a metal plate with notches. Or a metal rod with longitudinal grooves. In addition, many people prefer to use a hard, smooth steel rod as a musat.
Musat, probably due to its similar appearance, is also called a ceramic (or diamond-coated metal) rod, usually with a handle. Ceramic musat can not only fix the knife, but also (within certain limits) sharpen it. Ceramic rods come in different grain sizes. By and large, kitchen knives can also be dressed on a ceramic stone with a stand, but for an S-shaped or concave cutting edge, in addition to the “musat”, it is difficult to adapt something.
The difference in the work of steel and ceramic musat is obvious - roughly speaking, ceramic (or diamond) stone removes metal, and steel musat smoothes and straightens.
It so happened that until recently there was no musat in the house. The knives had been trimmed haphazardly with a regular hardware store block, and their cutting edge was far from perfect. Yes, and seat me for editing-sharpening the kitchen was not an easy task.
Then I came across information about the "magical" properties of musat and decided to purchase it. Offline (at least in our province), these things are rare, and therefore are not cheap. Usually they come in a set with two or three knives, and the cost of the set is 2-3 thousand - do I need it? That is, of course, it can and should be, but if you think carefully, then you don’t need it yet - there are enough cutting tools in the kitchen (two small fillets, one meat grinder and a larger universal fillet).
In general, I ordered two musat: steel and ceramic.
Priced at $5.25
Overall length - 377 mm
The length of the working part - 253 mm
Working part diameter - 11.5 mm
Weight - 262 g 
Priced at $9.96
Overall length - 315 mm
The length of the working part - 200 mm
Working part diameter - 14 mm
Weight - 144 g 
Below are a couple of pictures from the site (www.messermeister.ru/articles/-/85/), explaining the principles of operation of the musat: 
clicking on a small picture will show a cartoon 
Since the steel one arrived a week earlier, all the kitchen knives, as well as some of the folding ones, were adjusted on it. And I have to tell you: “It really works!”
You sit in the kitchen in the evening in front of a TV or a laptop, and between times 3-5 times “whack-whack” with a knife, take a piece of paper, cut it, it’s fine! This is if you do not start the state of the blade. If you start it, you will have to work longer, but no tension - you even get pleasure. And before your eyes, the kitchen tool is changing for the better. Truly a magical item!
And most importantly - the wife is happy! (thus I partially justified my spending on "incomprehensible" knife hobbies) 
Ceramic musat has two surfaces of different degrees of "roughness". One of them with obvious notches allows you to remove a layer of metal and provide a semblance of sharpening the cutting edge. The other is smooth, designed for straightening and polishing. 
Ceramic musat, providing at least the same functions, treats the knife more gently than steel. This means that with a careless strike of the knife blade on the surface of the musat, the likelihood of chipping or jamming will be less. Knives made of mild steel are more reasonable to rule ceramics.
So far I am quite satisfied with steel, especially for such a price for the kitchen - an ideal option! The ceramic one will probably go to the reserve or as a gift: I have a normal sharpener, but for serrated blades the diameter of the sharpening pin will be too big.
According to my observations, if the steel at the knife is too soft, when dressing, the knife should move forward not with the cutting edge, but with the butt. Thus, we will insure against damage to the knife blade by the musat itself, and the jams, however, will straighten out. And of course, the amount of pressure to select individually. 
I wanted to write in the end that editing with musat is a sparing method of giving the knife its former sharpness, and cheap sharpeners hellishly spoil and devour the cutting edge, killing the knife, causing it to suffer and agonize, trying in vain silent attempts to dissuade the owner from continuing the executions, but perhaps not I will ... Well, it will be necessary to fight back in the comments later - a thankless task.
Something like this ... Thank you.
I plan to buy +75 Add to favorites Liked the review +69 +145Reading 7 min.
Views 34 Published on 03.07.2019When the knife blade is worn, abrasive tools or special machines are used to restore the sharpness of the cutting edge. Musat for sharpening knives is used for quick dressing, cleaning an already sharpened blade from bumps and burrs.
Musat is a metal or ceramic rod with a handle, designed to correct the cutting edge of a knife.
What is musat for knives
Musat is a tool that looks like a metal or ceramic rod with a plastic or wooden handle. To prevent cuts to the hand, a guard is provided, located between the handle and the working part of the musat.
The grinding base of different products is distinguished by the softness of the material. The surface of the rod can be smooth or rough. The advantage of musat is a magnetized surface. Due to this feature, metal particles do not fly apart, but remain on the tool rod.
Musat is used to dress blades with a hardness above 50 HRC, otherwise the tool removes too much metal. Ineffective at hardness over 60 HRC.
Types of fixtures in shape
Products may have a different cross-sectional shape of the rod.
Possible options:
- Round. The tool is light weight.
- Oval. More convenient to use, have greater contact with the surface of the knife.
- Faceted. There are flat, tetrahedral and D-shaped. In the first case, linear contact with the blade is provided, in the second and third, special sharpening is carried out due to the combination of the functions of a flat and volumetric tool.
There is also a V-shaped desktop musat. It consists of 2 rods that are installed on the base at the right angle.
Musat with a round section.
Musat with an oval section.
Flat Musat.
D-shaped section of musat.
Desktop V-shaped musat.
Musat varieties by material
Musats are made of metal or ceramics, may have an abrasive coating. Each product has different performance characteristics.
Metal
The rod is made of hard steel (chrome vanadium), characterized by resistance to corrosion. It can be smooth or have notches of various sizes.
Aluminum rods are less common. Such tools are designed to correct bends, have low abrasive properties.
Diamond
The shaft has a rough texture, so the tool quickly returns sharpness to a dull blade. It is made of chrome-plated steel, on which diamond sand is applied.
Diamond musat is intended for finishing alignment or correction of small damages on the knife edge. The working part in most products has an oval shape, which eliminates the formation of recesses on the blade and prevents the formation of notches when pressed hard. After processing, the metal holds sharpening well.
Ceramic
All-ceramic rods are lightweight but brittle. Therefore, musats with ceramic coating on a metal base are more often used. The cross section in this embodiment is round or oval. A feature of the products is the presence of surfaces with varying degrees of abrasiveness.
Ceramic-coated musat is often used for large, wide blades.
Mixed
The tool has 2 types of surface: smooth on one side and abrasive on the other. This combination allows you to create a high level of sharpness of the blade.
Mixed musat on one side has a ribbed surface for straightening a knife. Types by function
Musat is intended for straightening a knife, however, some types of tools can be used for sharpening.
For grinding
Steel musats, having a smooth surface, are distinguished by gentle polishing, they remove a small amount of metal. For dressing, notched rods are also used, which have a velvety texture due to the large number and low height of the ribs. A coarse cut is used if the edge is not only bent, but also polished when grinding hard steels.
The rougher the rod, the more intensive the removal of material from the blade. For polishing low hardness steel blades, it is recommended to use a tool with a smooth ceramic surface. Grinding is carried out with light pressure.
For initial sharpening
Abrasive blades are suitable for sharpening.
Ceramic musat for initial sharpening of knives. These include the following types:
- With rough ceramic coating. Not for use on hard blades.
- Diamond.
The abrasive surface acts as a grindstone. The softer the material of the cutting part of the knife, the finer the coating should be. The amount of metal to be ground down depends on the grit size and the pressing force.
For deep sharpening, musat is not used, because. can damage the blade. For this purpose, it is recommended to use special machines or whetstones.
How to choose a good musat for knives
When choosing a musat, you need to pay attention to the presence of a guard that makes the use of the tool safe.
It is important to evaluate the quality of performance:
- Regardless of the type of material from which the musat is made, the surface of the rod must be uniform. The presence of small defects and roughness on smooth steel is unacceptable. When processing a knife, they can lead to damage to the blade. The surface structure must have a uniform density.
- If the rod has notches, they should be evenly and parallel, without protrusions and notches.
- The diamond coating should not crumble or crumble.
- The ceramic coating must not be chipped or damaged.
- Musat should not be less than a knife blade (the best option is 5 cm longer). Universal products range in size from 26 to 29 cm (often included in knife sets). For home use, a length of 18 to 20 cm is often sufficient. Longer products (up to 36 cm) are intended for professional use.
One of the requirements that professional chefs have for tools with a smooth steel surface is that they have a polish that allows you to see your own reflection.
You can edit with the help of musat in different ways, changing the location of the knife and tool. There are 2 classical techniques: on weight or with support on the surface. In both cases, the edge is processed on both sides of the blade alternately. It also changes the location of the cutting edge up or down.
It is important to sharpen the knife correctly with a musat: the blade should be located in relation to the rod at an angle of up to 20-30 degrees. Sliding at the same level is less efficient than moving the working part of the knife along the entire length of the rod.
In midair
The method involves the location of the tool on weight.
The algorithm of actions is as follows:
- One hand holds the musat in a horizontal position.
- In the other hand is a knife. The blade (from the handle) is applied with the tip up to the end of the rod.
- When the brush is moved down, the blade descends, slides along the rod towards its base (from the handle to the tip). Only the brush should move, because. moving the knife increases the risk of injury from the shifting tip.
- The hand holding the musat does not move.
It is safer to place the musat a little down (away from you). In this case, the blade is applied from the handle to the base of the rod at the guard. The knife is lowered so that its cutting part slides along the musat along its entire length to the tip. The risk of cutting yourself is minimal, because. movement is directed away from the hand with the tool.
The “In midair” position assumes that work with musat is carried out on weight without additional support. Calmly
It is assumed that there is a support on which the musat is held vertically with the handle up.
Editing is carried out according to the following algorithm:
- The working part of the knife is applied with the base at the handle under the guard of the musat. The recommended angle is 10-15°.
- The hand with the knife is pulled back, while the blade slides down the rod, moving towards the tip. The movements are reminiscent of cutting bark from a branch.
This is a safe way, causing injury with a blade is almost impossible. As a support, it is important to choose surfaces that do not slip.
Blade Sharpness Determination
You can check the sharpness of the cutting edge with your finger, but you can not run it along the knife. Move the blade across your finger. This method requires training and experience.
To check the quality of the blade dressing, you can use a standard sheet of A4 paper. There are other reliable and safe methods:
- Paper. Holding the sheet in weight, you need to cut off a thin strip from it. A properly sharpened knife cuts through the paper neatly without wrinkling it. The sharper the edge, the thinner the strip can be cut.
- Tomatoes. The pointed cutting edge easily cuts the tomato under the influence of the weight of the blade, without crushing the skin.
- Hair. This method requires accuracy. It is necessary to bring the blade to the hair on the hand (against growth). If the edge is not straightened, the hair will bend. A sharp edge will cut it off.
You can check the sharpness with a fingernail. It is necessary to attach a knife across the growth of the nail plate. With a dull edge, the blade will slide down under its own weight. A sharp canvas will leave a small notch, it will be held. The method requires careful application, you can not make sudden movements.
How to properly care
Musat should be stored in a suspended state or on a special stand.
The instrument must be washed by hand using a soft sponge. Musats with abrasive coating cannot be stored with solid objects.
In preparing delicious and beautiful food, every little thing is important. The sharpness of the knife plays an important role in this. In the process of cutting food, the blade becomes dull, which makes it difficult to grind, and also causes cuts. In order for the knife to always be sharp and even, musat (ceramic or diamond) is used. This useful device is especially popular recently. It helps sharpen and straighten the blade.
Definition and purpose
There are many sharpeners on the market. These are all kinds of stones, mechanical devices, electric sharpeners, etc. Despite this, buyers most often prefer musat. Such a high popularity is due to the many advantages of the device. Yes, and this tool looks very presentable.
Sharpener musat - a device for straightening knives with a special rod, which is a sharpening base attached to the handle. Tools differ in the degree of softness. This indicator determines how the blade will be after using the sharpener - rough or smooth.
The advantage of such tools for dressing knives is that they have a magnetized surface, so that after sharpening there are no traces and metal chips.
It will simply “stick” to the tool shaft. To remove them, just use a damp cloth and wipe the musat.
Ceramic musat is ideal for fixing wide and long blades. The choice of tool is extremely important, since the final result depends on its quality. First of all, you need to pay attention to the purpose of the subject. On sale you can find such desktop musats:
- for primary sharpening of the knife edge;
- for grinding a knife that has already been sharpened.
It is also important to choose the right material for the manufacture of the product. The most common is a diamond or ceramic rod.
The diamond specimen is made from chrome-plated steel, which is subsequently coated with "diamond" sand. With the help of such a tool, sharpening is done very quickly. For a high-quality result, it is worth once to draw a knife on each side of the rod.
Diamond tools have a number of advantages. Their main distinguishing feature is the shape. The stem of such a tool is oval, which prevents the formation of depressions on the blade. Even if you press hard on the musat, there will be no notches or grooves left. The sharpening rod of such a tool is rough, thanks to which it “returns to life” any, even a hopelessly blunt point. After processing with a diamond rod, the knife will remain sharp for a long time.
With all the list of advantages, the kitchen helper is also quite easy to store. He does not need special care. In order for the musat to last as long as possible, you only need to follow a couple of rules - do not store next to solid objects, and do not wash in the dishwasher.
A ceramic sharpening tool is needed in order to grind the blade and make it sharp. Musat is round or oval. This knife sharpener handles wide knives perfectly. It is also suitable for the "cleaver", which is used for cutting meat. Musat will make sharp even a worn knife, besides, it will perfectly polish the blade.
Correct sharpening
Before learning the rules on how to use a knife sharpener, you need to consider that this tool is designed exclusively for smooth blades. They must not be used on wavy or serrated blades.
Sharpening with musat does not lead to a thinning of the blade, but only straightens it. This is what distinguishes the tool from other devices and devices for sharpening. Thanks to this feature, you can sharpen the knife before each use, since even too frequent processing will in no way affect the life of the kitchen knife.
It is possible to achieve the desired result when sharpening with musat only if the rules for using the tool are observed. During the procedure it is important to follow a certain sequence of actions:
To achieve the ideal sharpness of the blade, it is enough just to pass over the tool from one to several times. If diamond musat is used, then the blade is sharpened the first time, the ceramic rod requires repetition of movements 2-5 times on each side.
Editing a knife
To perform the editing of the knife, you will need a sharpener that rests on a comfortable surface. At the same time, the device not only sharpens the point, but also corrects the blade. It is not difficult to perform the procedure correctly, you do not need to have special knowledge and skills. There are a few rules to help you straighten your knife:
All actions must be repeated until the knife acquires the desired sharpness.
Blade Sharpness Determination
After sharpening and straightening the knife, you need to check whether the blade is sharp enough. To do this, you can use one of the many methods:
Many cooks cannot imagine cooking without this kitchen helper. Its popularity is due to its ease of use and safety for knives. Such a device, when used correctly, lasts for many years and always perfectly fulfills its purpose. There is simply no better way to sharpen steel kitchen and pocket knives.
