If there are knives in the house, then sooner or later they become dull, and they have to be sharpened. Despite the seeming simplicity of this procedure, sharpening knives, however, is a fairly difficult task. Proper sharpening of knives is not available to everyone. This applies equally to sharpening kitchen knives, sharpening collectible knives made of expensive steel grades, and knives for any kind of professional activity. Consider the question of how to sharpen knives correctly.
What materials are sharpening stones made of?
AT this case It's about stones manual sharpening knives. Such stones (they are also bars for sharpening knives) are of four types, depending on what materials they are made of:
- from ceramics;
- from diamond stones;
- from natural stones found in nature;
- from Japanese water stones.
Each of the listed bars has individual properties and characteristics.
Detailed characteristics of stones for manual sharpening of knives
Bars made of ceramic materials are considered the most common and affordable. For the most part, it is these bars that are sold in all economic trading establishments. Such bars are divided into several subspecies. The most common bar type "boat". This is a very poor-quality bar: with its help, only rough sharpening or editing the sharpening angles of the knife blade is possible. Somewhat better are the bars, on one side of which there is a smooth surface, and on the other - a rough one.
As for diamond bars, professional sharpening of knives with their help is quite rare. Firstly, it is difficult to sharpen knives with diamond stones. Secondly, a blade sharpened with diamond bars becomes dull again very quickly. Third, diamonds scratch deep cutting edge knife, and, in addition, destroy the blade itself, "eating" it.
It is best to sharpen knives with natural knife sharpening stones, as well as Japanese water stones. Most of them are brought from abroad, and they have a high price.
How to choose the right knife sharpener
When choosing a whetstone for sharpening a knife, there are several tricks. These tricks have been tested over the years and therefore should be taken into account. First of all, you need to pay attention to the size of the bar. Its length should be twice as long as the knife blade. If you plan to sharpen the knife with your own hands, you should also pay attention to what the surface of the bar is. It should be smooth and not have cracks or scratches.
To sharpen kitchen knives, a double-sided ceramic bar is enough. You can also purchase two or three bars with different grain sizes for this purpose. It is better if such bars were produced back in the era of the USSR. Soviet whetstones considered to be of the highest quality. Of course, they cannot be found in stores now, but they are still found in markets and flea markets.
All these tips are quite acceptable for sharpening kitchen knives. If we are talking about sharpening more serious knives (for example, hunting knives), then in this case, in addition to grindstones, the well-known GOI paste is also needed. After sharpening, it polishes the cutting edge of a sharpened knife.
Compliance with the rules for sharpening knives
To properly sharpen a knife, you need to know and strictly follow the rules for sharpening it:
- It is necessary to clearly maintain the angle of sharpening knives. A knife for some special application should have a sharpening angle of approximately twenty degrees. If this is a utility knife, then the sharpening angle can be greater (from 30 to 40 degrees). The sharpening angle largely depends on the quality of the steel of the knife blade. If the steel is of high quality, then sharpening can last a long time. Usually kitchen knives do not sharpen at a small angle, for them they try to withstand a larger angle;
- It is not necessary to press the knife with force during the sharpening process. Strength when sharpening does not matter, but the grindstone fails very quickly;
- Before you start sharpening the knife, you need to wash the bar with water diluted with any detergent;
- In the process of sharpening, the blade should slide along the bar, and not vice versa. Moreover, strictly from oneself, and not in the reverse order, and also not in the “back and forth” sequence. One side of the knife is sharpened until a so-called burr appears on the cutting edge. After he appeared, the second side of the blade is sharpened in exactly the same sequence;
- After sharpening the knife on a rough stone, it is recommended to complete the turning process on a fine-grained stone. The sharpening process in this case is the same.
If this is a kitchen knife, then after sharpening on a fine-grained stone, the process can be considered complete. If this is a more “serious” knife, then after a fine-grained stone, the blade will have to be polished on the skin, while using GOI paste.
Learn more about sharpening Japanese knives
Japanese knives are sharpened in a slightly different way. The fact is that the blade of Japanese knives has a slightly different design than most other knives. Japanese knives are sharpened on one side only. Thanks to this geometry, products cut with a Japanese knife cannot stick to the knife blade.
Otherwise, Japanese knives are sharpened like all others. First, there is a preliminary sharpening on a stone with a rough surface, after which the sharpening is completed with a fine-grained whetstone. Finally, the sharpened edge is polished.
What is a knife sharpening machine?
Many under the machine for sharpening knives mean all sorts of home-made grinding units. In fact, it is highly undesirable to sharpen knives with such sharpeners. In just a few sharpenings, a homemade knife sharpener can ruin any knife to the point where it can only be thrown away.
It is better to purchase a factory-made knife sharpener. With it, knives are sharpened quickly and reliably, to a razor-like state. In addition, with this tool, you can easily desired angle sharpening. True, the factory tool for sharpening knives costs a lot, more than 7 thousand rubles.
Device for sharpening knives at home
However, a high-quality device with which knives are sharpened at home can also be made with your own hands. It's not that difficult. A drawing for such a device can be easily found on the Internet.
On the Internet, you can find instructions for making two homemade knife sharpeners. One device in its design resembles a branded Lanski sharpener. The other fixture bears a strong resemblance to the Edge Pro Apex. The first sharpener is easier to make than the second, but on the second model you can sharpen the knife faster and better.
Set for sharpening knives in the field
If someone needs to go hunting, or hiking, or geological exploration, or for some other need, then, of course, a complete set for sharpening knives in a backpack may not fit. However, a truncated knife sharpening kit is highly recommended to put in a backpack. A double-sided bar, a piece of leather for straightening a blade - this is a camping kit for sharpening knives.
Such a set in the field can be very useful. It is clear that you cannot sharpen a damask blade with such a set, but for a simpler blade, a camping set for sharpening knives will fit perfectly.
What mistakes can be made when sharpening knives
When sharpening knives, you can make a number of typical mistakes:
- It is impossible to fully sharpen a knife with just one stone. For proper sharpening, you need to use several stones with varying degrees granularity;
- The knife can not be sharpened without noticing small burrs on the cutting edge;
- It is impossible to fully sharpen a knife without first cleaning it from the remnants of dirt or grease;
- Another mistake is choosing the wrong sharpening angle. With a large sharpening angle with such a knife, it is very difficult to cut products in thin layers. With a large sharpening angle, the knife will soon become dull in the process of cutting hard products.
A fully-fledged knife can be sharpened only if all of the above simple rules are observed.
This review continues my series of reviews of various knife sharpeners. Today we will talk about a diamond bar from the Venevsky diamond plant for sharpeners Apex type.
As usual, the review is presented in text and video versions. Video attached at the end of the review.
WHAT IS THIS
By themselves, Venev diamond bars are widely known and popular among sharpeners. There is a big thread on Hansa dedicated to them, they are mentioned in many topics related to sharpening.
But this format is new. Until now, Venevian stones have been produced in a format for manual sharpening in three sizes: , and . Users of sharpeners such as Apex have adapted to sawing these bars and using them in sharpeners. This procedure is quite feasible at home, albeit with certain troubles. True, a bar 200 mm long does not fit into a standard mount, so two options were used: either the bar was shortened, or the mount was removed from the guide, holding the bar with your hand. Bars with a length of 120mm have their own minus - a shorter length. But all these difficulties were paid off by the performance of the bars and their reasonable cost, especially considering the fact that the bars are double-sided. From time to time, regrets and wishes were expressed on the forums: “oh, there would be forms specifically for a sharpener!”.
And now there were bars created specifically for the sharpener, having the appropriate fasteners and standard size 150X25. Hooray! Finally. But then a dilemma arose. It turned out that a sharpener block costs about the same as a standard stone, and even more. You can buy a review hero for 1180 rubles or a 120X35 bar for 900 rubles or a 200X35 bar for 1132 rubles. And this despite the fact that the standard bars are double-sided, i.e. it's two stones in one. This alignment has led to the fact that people thoughtfully scratch their turnips and think what to prefer - convenience or economy? There is no single answer, everyone sets priorities for himself.
WHY
Today, there is a steady trend in the knife industry: hard steels are becoming more widespread. Moreover, the point is not only in hardness as such, but also in the fact that carbide-forming alloying additives, primarily vanadium, are widely used.
Not so long ago, a person who was used to sharpening a banal stainless steel was often baffled by D2 or P6M5 and had to hear “this knife is not sharpened! The stone wears out, and at least henna to the knife! ”, But there vanadium is only up to 2.1% maximum. Today, people unanimously turn up their noses at steels that are below S30V and hardness below 59HRC, and S30V with its 4% vanadium is already considered mediocre steel, and vanadium monsters with 9% are no longer such a rarity.
In short, hard steel knives with high content vanadium has already begun to dominate, and they somehow need to be sharpened.
In principle, rumors about the impossibility of sharpening knives from such steels are greatly exaggerated. In most cases, they can be sharpened without the use of diamonds, the same S30V and M390 are perfectly sharpened with ordinary stones. But at the same time, sharpening modern knives often turns into a problem, taking a lot of time and leading to severe wear of the bars. In general, if you need to regularly sharpen modern knives, alas, you can’t do without diamonds.
The YouTube review was posted before the text review was written. And in the discussion under the video, one viewer has already complained that it is not possible to sharpen a vanadis knife with aluminum oxide-based stones - the bars simply slide along the blade without removing the metal. This is an illustration of the above.
ORDER
Everything is simple here. I ordered it in an online store, received a confirmation of shipment and a track number by mail, watched the parcel travel around Russia, and received it in a couple of weeks. With shipment to Kazakhstan, it cost 1326 rubles (even before the devaluation. Eh ...). In general, everything is normal and normal.
THEORETICAL ASPECTS
There is a lot of controversy and myths around diamond bars.
There are two extremes:
1. Diamonds are the best abrasive out there, everything else loses to them in every way, except maybe the price, so you can buy diamond bars and you will get the perfect tool for all situations.
2. Diamonds can only be used if you don't feel sorry for the knife. Yes, diamonds work very quickly, this cannot be taken away from them, but at the same time they work very rough, creating a defective layer of metal, leaving microdefects that go deep into the blade and lead to chips on the cutting edge. Sharpening with diamonds is very short-lived, there is no hardening effect, etc. etc.
I do not pretend to be the ultimate truth, I will simply express my subjective opinion. In my opinion, as usually happens, the truth is in the middle, and both extreme points of view are not unequivocally correct. Diamonds should neither be absolutized nor demonized. It's just a tool that in a certain situation and application is optimal, and in another situation and / or application is not very good. It has its advantages and disadvantages, which must be taken into account when choosing a tool for sharpening.
First of all, it is wrong to talk about “diamonds in general”. Diamond powder caricatured in a lap, diamond powder in the form of free grain on a lap, diamond paste on paper, a diamond bar in a galvanic bond, a diamond bar in an organic bond - these are all diamonds, but they work in very, very different ways.
Speaking specifically about diamond bars, they are different. In practice, the most common are two options: bars on a solid galvanic bond and bars on a soft organic bond. Venev diamonds are representatives of the second category. 
Bars on a galvanic bond are a metal plate on which diamond crystals are fixed (usually using a nickel bond). The diamonds form a layer simply distributed over the surface of the bar. This version of diamonds is produced by many manufacturers - both the Chinese, and Edge Pro, and the Poltava plant. A diagram from the DMT website illustrates this technology well: 
Diamond crystals are firmly fixed in the bond and strongly protrude above its surface.
Venevsky bars are made fundamentally differently. Here, diamond crystals are evenly distributed in a bundle and form a layer with a thickness (on a bar from a review) of 3 mm. Basically it is the same as traditional whetstones- abrasive powder distributed in a bundle, only here diamond powder is used instead of silicon carbide or aluminum oxide powder.
How does this difference affect the properties of the bars? It has a very strong effect, so much so that it is not worth giving these bars some kind of generalized assessment of “diamond bars in general”.
Bars on a galvanic bond very quickly and very effectively remove metal from the treated surface. This is the merit of a rigid bond and strongly protruding diamonds, which play the role of cutters that cut deep into the steel. In most cases, such a stone provides the fastest sharpening compared to other abrasives (although due to certain features sometimes it can lose in speed). In any case, it is to this type of stones that the assessment of diamond stones as the fastest and most effective abrasive fully applies.
The downside is a few features.
Firstly, it is clear that since diamond “cutters” cut metal very effectively and deeply, the traces they leave are very rough. Talk about the very rough work of diamond bars refers again to them.
Secondly, if such a bar is curved, then it can only be straightened by bending the plate on which the diamonds are applied, and this can be done, to put it mildly, not always.
Thirdly, during operation, the diamonds are gradually worn out, torn out of the bundle, and the bar literally goes bald. As a result, the bar gradually loses its original efficiency and speed.
Fourthly, diamonds often protrude very unevenly above the surface of the bond - either as a result of insufficiently high quality workmanship immediately on a new bar, or as a result of uneven baldness. Individual protruding diamonds leave deeper marks, create more pressure and the risk of defects.
Bars on an organic bond in their properties are very similar to ordinary sharpening stones. Diamond crystals do not protrude much above the surface, they are recessed in a soft bond. Because of this, such a bar, by definition, cannot work as quickly and efficiently as a bar on a galvanic bond.
The flip side of this is a few features:
Firstly, with an equal size of diamonds, a bar on an organic bond works much less rough than a bar on a galvanic one. The risks left are not so deep. Talk of horrendous rough diamonds plowing open the cutting edge mercilessly doesn't really apply to this type of stone.
Secondly, such a bar can be easily leveled.
Thirdly, it retains its properties during operation. When it works upper layer diamonds, diamonds below it appear from under it, and so on until all 3 millimeters of the diamond-bearing layer are worked out. According to user reviews, with intensive (but correct) use, Venev diamonds serve without problems for 5 years or more.
Fourthly, there is no problem with individual height-cutting diamonds. But another problem appears - diamonds can be unevenly distributed over the volume: thick in one place, empty in another.
If you look at the results of the comparison, you might get the impression that Venev diamonds are better than galvanized bars, because they have much more advantages. But it is not. I'm not trying to draw a conclusion about the superiority of one over the other. They are just DIFFERENT, each type has its own pros and cons that need to be taken into account.
Electroplated diamond bars are indispensable when you need to remove a large number of metal (remove damage, form leads, change the angle of the RC, etc.). And when performing peeling, all their disadvantages go by the wayside, paying off with productivity. But if you need to ensure accurate metal removal, then they are rude. So both types of bars get along quite well in one set, they are used on various stages sharpening, and when used reasonably do not lead to negative consequences for a knife.
Returning to the extreme points of view, which were mentioned above. Are diamond bars perfect tool for sharpening all types of knives and steels? No, they are not. For some knives and steels, they work poorly.
Is it so bad that it’s better not to sharpen knives with diamonds at all? No, with judicious use, the risk of negative effects can be eliminated or minimized.
INSPECTION
The bar arrived in a plain envelope 
Inside there was a sales receipt and a bar, which was in a leatherette case, traditional for the Venevsky factory. 
The cover, in principle, is nothing special. The velcro is quite normal. The case material itself is unlikely to impress with some amazing wear resistance. But the very presence of a cover is still a plus, since the bar is protected from any accidental impacts. 
Let's move on to the bar itself.
The first thing that catches your eye is the reverse side of the form. She looks simply gorgeous. Well, true. The surface seems to be strewn with diamonds and shimmers and gleams when you tilt the bar. The inscriptions are easy to read and look good in terms of aesthetics. 
The original Edge Pro diamond bar looks very pale against the Venevian one. 
External design does not affect the functionality, but still creates a pleasant impression of the product. Smallness is discordant with this splendor of the blank's edges, which have traces of rough processing. The plant would have to remove these traces, since they paid attention to the trade dress of the bar.
Well, okay, the bar was not purchased in order to admire it. We examine work surface.
There is some unevenness in coloring - somewhere lighter, somewhere darker. I don’t know what is the reason (after the first sharpening, the color became uniform).
If you look with the naked eye, shaking the bar, you can clearly see diamonds shining on the surface. I spit it this way and that, it seems that the distribution of diamonds is quite uniform, I did not notice the difference between the different sections.
Looked under a microscope. It also gives the impression that the bond is quite homogeneous, and the diamonds are evenly distributed. 
I measure the bar. It turned out 150.6X25X3.1. There are deviations from the declared dimensions, but a thicker working layer is a plus, not a minus.
One of the most intriguing questions is “what about flatness?”. Traditional Venevskie whetstones for manual sharpening often complained that they were crooked. AT recent times they began to write that the quality had improved, but there were still no reviews about the bars for sharpeners. So… 
There is a slight saddle shape, but within the acceptable range. I didn't even level up. Edge Pro bars had about the same saddle.
Summing up, we can say that the workmanship is good, no obvious flaws were found.
IMPRESSIONS FROM WORK
Before talking about what results the stone gives when sharpening, I want to note one very pleasing feature of diamond stones. They deliver a minimum of hassle in terms of the sharpening procedure. Unlike water stones, no soaking is required, and the sharpening process does not generate as much dirt. Sharpening is easier and cleaner, less space is required.
The bar is easily cleaned of sludge, dries quickly after washing.
Now about the results.
For the sake of experiment, I tried a bar on different knives and steels - from “pan” soft stainless steel type 40X13 and worse to quick cut and powder with all sorts of intermediate options between them-type 8Cr13MOV, 440С, etc.
If you just make some general conclusion, then the bar works well, quickly and copes with all the steels that have been tried. We can say that it is quite universal and, in general, can be a single type (but different grain sizes will be needed) of a bar for different knives.
But there are also nuances.
The bar cuts soft kitchen stainless steel like plasticine. Sharpening happens very quickly, literally a few movements are required. The cutting edge under the microscope looks pretty decent, the risks fall evenly 
All this is great, but I consider the use of Venev diamonds for such steels to be unjustified. Firstly, ordinary stones, including penny Chinese ones, can easily cope with such steels. Secondly (and this is the main thing), such inferior steels wear out the bar more than hard ones. It seems to be a paradox, but in fact this is understandable: on hard steel, the diamond works like a cutter, cutting and scratching hard carbides, and in such inferior steel it gets stuck like in plasticine, and as a result, diamonds simply tear out of the bond, which leads to rapid wear bar.
In general, it is pleasant to work on such steels with this bar, but too wasteful.
Steels are “simple”, they are also middle peasants, such as 440C, AUS8, 8Cr13MOV, the bar sharpens easily and very quickly. On this group of steels, especially at low hardness and high toughness, there is still a risk of tearing diamonds out of the bond, but not the same as on the previous group. The use of a Venevian bar for such knives is, perhaps, generally justified, although it does not provide any special advantages compared to conventional ones. abrasive stones. The absence of soaking and dirt is yes, it is more convenient to work. But in terms of speed, ordinary stones can compete with Venevsky. At the same time, diamonds work, whatever one may say, rougher than ordinary stones. It must be understood that the softness and delicacy of Venevian diamonds are quite relative. This is against the background of bars on a galvanic bond, they work delicately, but the properties of diamonds as crystals have not gone away. So I still prefer to sharpen fine-cut knives at a small angle with other abrasives.
And, finally, the most interesting group of steels, for which, in fact, the bar was purchased - solid high-alloy powders and toolboxes. It is on them that the Venevsky bar fully reveals its merits.
If I say that the bar eats these steels like crazy, it will be a strong exaggeration. This can only be said about diamond bars on a galvanic bond. The Venevsky bar rather simply confidently removes metal, allowing you to sharpen these knives in the same way as you usually sharpen knives from medium steels, and not swear because you crawl and crawl with a stone on the knife, but the result is not visible.
To the naked eye, of course, the risks are clearly distinguished: 
In general, sharpening knives made of hard alloy steels is the main niche for such bars, in my opinion. I do not want to say that Venev diamonds have no alternative in this respect. Not at all. It is quite possible to pick up bars that, in a given situation, will cope with sharpening no worse or even better than the Venevsky ones.
The main advantage of Venevsky is that in them combined at the same time universality, speed of work, softness of work, durability, convenience of work. Alternative options are more highly specialized, they are superior to the Venev ones in some of the parameters, but lose in others (galvanic ones are faster, but coarser, silicon carbide on a soft bond works more delicately, but it has a lot of wear and a lot of dirt, etc.), and the Venev ones combine merit in all these respects.
ABOUT SHARPITY AND GRAIN
The 50/40 grit option was chosen to introduce the new bars for two reasons:
Firstly, this bar is a “workhorse”, which bears the main load during sharpening, and if you take a bar to begin with, then the most running one is better.
Secondly, it was interesting to test one point of view. Quite often among sharpeners, the opinion is expressed that 50/40 is the optimal grit to achieve “working sharpness” and that it makes no sense to bother sharpening to a high degree of sharpness - this is a waste of time that has no practical meaning. This is expressed specifically in relation to Venev diamonds. Sounds tempting. If you practice this approach, then sharpening is simplified to the limit. The 50/40 block works quickly and allows you to not only sharpen, but also repair small damage, i.e. in fact, it can generally become the only bar from which sharpening begins, and on it it ends.
The cutting edge obtained as a result of sharpening at 50/40 is, of course, quite "toothy", which is clearly seen in the photo under a microscope. How sharp it is can be clearly seen in the video. Is it possible to consider that such sharpness is optimal? Everyone decides for himself. In principle, yes, the knife is quite sharp, it allows you to shave off the hair from the forearm, etc. But I would not consider such sharpening optimal for all options for using a knife. Such sharpening is good when you need to cut some ropes, tarpaulin, meat and other similar materials - it cuts very aggressively, “with a crunch”. But if you need to plan something, when you need increased durability of the RC, I will choose a more subtle and thorough sharpening and finishing.
CONCLUSION
I will summarize for those who do not have time to read the entire review.
The manufacturing quality of the bar (dimensional conformity, flatness, even distribution of diamonds in the bundle) is good.
- Impressions from the results of sharpening are positive
-Very convenient to work as no soaking is required, no sludge removal problems, no as much dirt as when using water stones.
- The main advantages are a combination in one bar of universality, productivity, accuracy of work and durability.
-Although the whetstone is universal, in my opinion, it is still better to use it for sharpening knives made of hard alloy steels, which are problematic to sharpen with traditional abrasives.
Flaws
- There were no obvious deficiencies. But one can, perhaps, note a rather high price, in connection with which the whetstone for sharpeners experiences internal competition from whetstones for manual sharpening of the same manufacturer. You have to choose: "savings or convenience?"
-Another factor is not a disadvantage, but rather a feature of Venev diamonds: the speed of work is moderate. It is normal, but it can deceive the expectations of those who have heard enough about the crazy speed of diamond bars.
QUESTIONS WITHOUT ANSWERS
Just in case, I clarify that all the above conclusions are made with respect to one particular bar with a 50/40 grit with a concentration of 100%. To what extent they can be extended to other options, I do not know yet. This version of the bars is new, and so far there are practically no reviews.
I myself have questions that would be interesting to get answers. Perhaps someone will tell you if he knows and / or has already managed to purchase?
1. How stable is the quality of new bars of different grain sizes? Previously, on small bars, there were problems with uneven distribution of diamonds in a bunch
2. Has anyone compared bars of the same grit but with different diamond content (25/50/100%)?
3. What is the difference between the new bar options and the old ones? I decided to purchase a line of bars from coarse to fine and it turned out that there is a variety of bars on sale with a slightly different designation ( letter designation Coarse, Medium, etc. and another grit range is 60/40 instead of 50/40). Recently, even in their description it was indicated that they had some kind of new improved bundle, but now I don’t see this phrase. So how do these options really differ and which one to prefer?
I plan to buy +45 Add to favorites Liked the review +57 +104
A sharp knife in the kitchen is the key to peace in the family. After all, stupid cutlery can cause irritation to the hostess, which will necessarily affect not only the cooking process and appearance dishes, but also on the mood of loved ones.
Of course, you can take the knife to the workshop, where it will be processed with high quality. But first, it will take certain time, and secondly, the head of the family may feel disadvantaged, having lost the opportunity to show their skills. Therefore, experts recommend purchasing at least one abrasive block for home use.
Classification
There are 5 types of abrasive stones for sharpening knives:
- ceramic;
- diamond;
- from water Japanese stone;
- from artificial water stone;
- from Arkansas stone.
Each of them has its own characteristics, which will be discussed below. In any case, the tool is usually presented in the form of a three-dimensional rectangle made of special stones or with a surface made of abrasive material.
Ceramics
Bars of this type are made from microscopic electrocorundum grains or silicon carbide. Their undoubted advantage is slow wear. Such bars will last a long time if used to straighten the blade.
A negative moment, experts call a rapid change in the grinding properties of the surface of the bar due to clogging of the gaps between the microparticles with metal shavings. Such stones require constant cleaning and the use of lubricating fluids.
To prolong their life, masters in the field of sharpening recommend periodically grinding the bars under running water. good care will allow for a long time to carry out the editing of home knives without visible material costs.
diamond bar
The surface of the bar consists of natural material or artificial crumb, similar to diamonds in strength. There are two ways of coating a bar.
In the first case, small granules of a nickel alloy are, as it were, smeared over the working part of the tool. Due to the high degree of graininess of the bar, sharpening of the knife occurs at a high speed, but leaves visible scratches. And, besides, unlike ceramic samples, the surface of the tool itself is ground off without the possibility of further restoration.
In the second case, organic-based crystals are used, which reduces the number of scratches and increases the life of the bar.
This natural tool has its own rules of use. So, before use, experts recommend soaking the stones in water - each sample in a separate container - and waiting until they stop emitting bubbles. After that, they are taken out, fixed on a stand and proceed to sharpening. It is first made on a coarser bar, periodically wetting it with water, and then polished on a fine-grained one.
The complexity of working with natural stone, the high degree of wear and high cost do not contribute to the spread of such sharpening among the inhabitants. But through the use of Japanese water stone, you can sharpen any stubborn knife in a professional workshop.
artificial water stone
This material is slightly inferior to natural samples, but has the same degree of graininess over the entire structured surface, which greatly facilitates the turning process and reduces the cost of the material.
Despite the second place among water samples, these stones have proven themselves well in home use.
Arkansas stone
This most expensive tool for home use contains quartz particles. When working, it carries out minimal grinding of the surface, which ensures an excellent result.
The only drawback, experts call the need to use a specialized lubricant, without which the abrasive bar will deteriorate in the very first sharpening. Working without technical oil will lead to clogging of the surface with processing waste that cannot be removed from the pores by any means. As a result, an expensive tool will simply have to be thrown away.
Bar parameters
The quality of sharpening a knife depends not only on the material of the tool, but also on such indicators:
- forms;
- granularity;
- hardness.
Abrasive bars-boats are widely used. The shape of a regular rectangle is also quite popular, which, although easier to handle, slightly reduces the quality of processing.
The grit parameter determines the amount of metal removal. So, the most powerful removal of the working part of the knife provides a material with an indicator of 200 microns.
Different hardness is used for different sharpening. So, softer abrasives are used for roughing, and the hardest materials are used for final processing.
How to choose an instrument?
In order to sharpen a knife with high quality and hassle-free, you need to purchase right tool. The abrasive stone must meet the following conditions:
- be 2 times longer than a knife blade;
- not have chips and cracks on the surface;
- have the correct geometric shape.
It is better if there are several bars at home with varying degrees of graininess. To polish the cutting part of specialized knives after sharpening, it is necessary to use GOI paste.
How to sharpen
For the first time, even having a super bar made of high-quality abrasive material, it is recommended to sharpen the knife that you do not mind spoiling.
In addition, experts advise to adhere to a number of rules:
- Moisten the bar with water and grease with any detergent solution.
- Put sharpening tool on a hard surface at an angle of 45° to itself.
- Give the desired angle of inclination of the knife so that the connection between the knife and the handle is outside the stone and perpendicular to its long part.
- Perform several slides away from you, and then 40 times towards you.
- Turn the knife to the bar with the opposite cutting side, and repeat the movements.
- Sliding to achieve the elimination of a burr, which is not always visible visually, but is determined by touch.
- If a double-sided abrasive bar is purchased, then finishing the knife is carried out by the second side with a smaller grain size. The same manipulation can be carried out with another tool or musat.
The sharpening procedure of the tool should be accompanied by periodic wetting in order to eliminate small metal debris. If you need a perfectly sharp device, then editing can be provided with a piece of leather treated with GOI paste. The movements of the leather device in this case should go in the direction from the cutting edge of the knife.
Sharpening bar analogues
Of course, the purchase of abrasive bars - perfect option for a good host. In the absence of such, you can resort not only to the services of specialized workshops, but also to purchase special knife sharpeners:
The penultimate option, despite the high cost, leads to a quick grinding of the blade. Manual devices require the use of certain efforts. Specialized systems are expensive, but they allow you to give the correct shape and sharpening angle to a kitchen knife, as well as keep the cutlery in working order for a long time.
A few last words
There are a lot of people who find any reason not to do housework. This also applies to knife sharpening. And if a man does not have a soul for this, you should not purchase expensive stones or entire grinding systems. Enough to buy cheap hand fixture for emergency needs and make it a rule: carry knives to the workshop, and free time spend on your favorite family activities.
What do you sharpen your knives with?
— I have diamond bars!
- Ah, you probably don’t know that they are not suitable for every knife ...
(From a conversation with a blacksmith)
Quickly sharpen a knife while hunting or fishing, or remove the cutting edge on a newly made or completely ruined knife - with the help of a diamond whetstone you will do it easily and simply. Only two conditions...
- You have chosen the right diamond bar for your tasks.
- And mastered initial technique editing and sharpening on diamonds.
We'll talk about this. The article will not contain any complex terms and concepts, for example, “deposition of diamond abrasive powder on steel surface bar with epoxy resin" or "diamond retention with electroplated nickel")). No, I'm not talking about that today.
The purpose of this material is to teach how to choose a diamond bar for your needs and use it if necessary.
And to lighten our conversation, see joke video, which we have specially removed for this purpose. Yes, this video is about diamond bars.
VIDEO: Diamond bars. The main thing is not to get carried away))
Well, now let's continue. What is a "diamond block"? Usually, this is a plastic or aluminum base, on which two metal plates are fixed, on which, with the help of chemical methods abrasive diamond grains are planted and held.
Rice. 1 The structure of the double-sided diamond stone for sharpening and dressing knives
The great advantage of diamond bars is that even an "experienced" bar that has seen more than a dozen knives remains absolutely flat. “What other advantages do these bars have?” You ask.
Please:
Diamond bars: advantages
- The grains of diamond abrasive have sharper edges than other abrasives and do not change their shape during operation.
- Diamond stones are not brittle, they will not break from impact, as, for example, natural or artificial stones for sharpening.
- Sharpening on diamond stones does not require special oil - just slightly moisten it with water.
- The diamond bar will not become clogged when sharpened with particles of the processed steel of the knife. To clean the bar, it is enough to rinse it in water and wipe it dry with a rag or fiber.
- Diamond bars wear down steel very quickly. This allows you to save the working surface (length) of the bar for a longer time compared to ceramics or natural abrasive.
But do not rush to run to the store or surf the Internet for buying a diamond bar. These bars have two drawbacks that may be important for you:
Diamond bars: disadvantages
- Efficient grinding of knife steel during sharpening on diamond stones, in inept hands, can lead to irreparable damage to the blade.
- And the second drawback is the "price". Yes, diamond bars are somewhat expensive compared to natural abrasives, since the production technology of good (read branded, branded) diamond bars are quite expensive. And prices start, as a rule, from 800 rubles (11/02/2016). Seen cheaper? Bypass this bar! After 5-10 sharpenings, it will be bald - you will have to throw it away, but you don’t want that, do you?
We will fix your hands now)) - more on that below. And the second drawback "price" is more problematic to fix. It's all in your hands. Sorry for the pun.
Diamond bars: designation and marking
But first, let's learn how to choose a diamond bar. Have you seen their designation? Look: 2500/2000, 2000/1600, 1600/1250, 1250/1000, 1000/80, 800/630, 630/500, 500/400, 400/351, 315/250, 250/200, 200/160, 160/125 , 125/100, 100/80, 80/63, 63/50, 50/40 , 40/28, 28/20, 20/14, 14/10 , 10/7, 7/5, 5/3, 1/0 .
Confused? Actually, nothing complicated. These designations are accepted according to GOST 9206-81 (diamonds) and are divided into:
- 12345 — Diamond stones for repair work associated with intensive metal removal, namely, restoring and changing the shape and profile of the blade and cutting edge.
- 12345 - Diamond bars for removing traces of peeling operations, grinding and basic sharpening work, namely obtaining the specified parameters of the blade and cutting edge.
- 12345 - Diamond stones for removing the grinding of the blade surface, fine sharpening and finishing of the cutting tool.
- 12345 - Diamond bars for dressing cutting edges, polishing the surface.
Now fine? And the marking is deciphered as follows, for example, “125/100” means that on this side of the bar there are diamond grains of at least 100, maximum 125 microns.
Usually on the bars (on both sides) the manufacturer puts a stamp that indicates its graininess. Here is this:
Rice. 2 Diamond bar marking Considering that we are talking about double-sided diamond stones, you yourself understand that one side is intended for coarser sharpening operations, the other for straightening and polishing the cutting edge.
"Cool! One diamond bar for two operations!” you exclaim.
Yes, that's right, "two in one". As a rule, the greenish side of the bar is coarser, and the brown side is thinner. If there is no marking, you can feel it tactilely with your fingernail, or take a magnifying glass and feel it visually.
Universal diamond block
Now, listen to the advice of the experienced. A diamond bar in which one side is marked with the value "100/80", and the second "50/40" covers 99% of grinding operations. Believe me, this bar will be enough!
Little experience in sharpening operations or no need to remove the cutting edge before cutting the hair? Buy this bar! He will always be with you. Put it in your backpack when you go out into nature, take it with you on hunting and fishing trips - the universal diamond stone will sharpen your knife while cutting a wild boar carcass, a rich catch or when cutting food in the kitchen.
Do you make your own knives? Or sharpening knives is your hobby? Use our “Abrasive Chart” to find diamond or other stones to suit your needs.
Rice. 3 The table of abrasives will help you navigate when choosing a grinding material for your needs Download it in high resolution here
The knife accompanies the man with early childhood and to old age. Each of us knows that it is a blunt blade that cuts the hand most often. To do this, it is enough for the blade to slide off the surface.
In order to avoid this, as well as to make the cutting process quick and comfortable, the knives are sharpened. But for sharpening knives, there are many different devices and methods, it is worth considering them in more detail.
Sharpening: principle and options
Blade sharpening is the process of removing the edge along the entire length of the blade at a certain angle with an abrasive. The sharpening angle depends on the hardness of the steel and the tasks facing the blade. So for household kitchen and hunting knives, the sharpening angle is 30 ... 35 degrees, hunting knife with resistance to blunting, sharpened under 40 ... 45.
Somewhat apart are the blades, which require a special sharpness of the blade, usually these are chef's knives or knives for professional food processing, in this case the sharpening angle is from 25 degrees.
Separately, it is worth considering the sharpening angles of the razor and surgical instruments, since they require the sharpness of the blade. For a dangerous razor, the sharpening angle is 14 ... 15, for surgical instrument from 12 to 25 degrees.
Sharpening of knives is carried out by two methods, manually using abrasive stones or special devices and mechanically using grinding machine with a rotating abrasive wheel.
The first option requires skill, but at the same time it is easier to learn and accessible to everyone. Abrasive stones are used for sharpening various types, common:
- Arkansas, known as novaculitis;
- Japanese water stones;
- diamond bars;
- ceramics.
Each type of stone has its own advantages and disadvantages. These stones will be discussed separately below. For quick sharpening of kitchen knives, knives with a fixed or variable attachment of abrasive planes are often used, sharpening in which is carried out by moving the blade between sharpening surfaces.
Mechanical sharpening on the machine is much simpler, less time consuming, but requires constant temperature control and compliance with safety regulations.
Important! When sharpening on a machine with an abrasive from electrocorundum, it is necessary to control the temperature of the blade metal; when overheated, the steel of the blade can change its physical properties.
The main types of grindstone
In the course of the evolution of mankind, materials of natural origin suitable for sharpening knives were determined, although at the beginning of civilization, even ordinary sandstone was trusted to sharpen blades.
Now the information on metal processing has been structured and stones with the best abrasive properties have been selected.
Invented and worked out methods of working with them. In addition, widespread synthetic materials often the best properties than natural counterparts.
Arkansas stones
Novacula is a razor sharpening stone. This is a dense siliceous rock of homogeneous quartz crystals. Mining is carried out in quarries, Arkansas stone bars have several degrees of graininess, they are distinguished by excellent abrasive ability, but at the same time, due to their dense structure, they require the use of oil for sharpening.
Sharpening "dry" will clog the pores of the stone with dust and metal, causing the stone to fail. The main disadvantage of these bars is the price and uneven production with improper sharpening of the blade.
Japanese water stones
A natural stone originally from Japan, it has a high sharpening ability, but at the same time it is quite difficult to use. Sharpening knives on it is almost a ritual. Unlike novaculite, this abrasive is softer.
Sharpening is done with water. The process itself is quite complicated and time consuming. Stones are produced with a grain size from 600 to 30,000 grit in the Japanese JIS classification, while 10,000 grit is enough for superfinishing the blade.
Therefore, 30,000 is already excessive grit for blades. domestic use. Before work, the bar itself must be soaked in a container of water, after impregnation, remove it and create a mud mass on its surface using Naguro, the second abrasive bar in the water stone set.
With the help of this suspension, sharpening is performed. The surface of the abrasive is quickly and unevenly developed, for this reason, it is required to periodically restore it with the help of special bars.
Synthetic stones
Diamond sharpening stones, synthetic materials - electrocorundum, chromium oxide or diamond grit on a silicate or ceramic binder. These stones have a uniform structure, different (depending on the bar) grain size and good operational characteristics.
The cost of such stones is usually low, the bars themselves are available. Sharpening can be done both “dry”, which is not recommended, or with the use of water or oil.
Ceramics
These materials are used for blade finishing, finishing or superfinishing. The grain size of these materials is small, but at the same time they are quite cheap and will allow you to smooth out scratches from a peeling abrasive or straighten a knife with a serrated sharpening.
The use of a liquid is mandatory, since the pores in fired ceramics clog very quickly, the surface becomes smooth.
Whetstones are widely used various shapes, from standard bars, which are best worked on a stable plane, to core sharpening stones, with which the blade is corrected on the go.
One thing remains unchanged, no matter what kind of bar, and what kind of metal, but for high-quality sharpening, lubricants are always used: water or oil.
Sharpening rules
First you need to prepare everything necessary materials. A sharpening block, a container of water and a paper towel or a plain sheet of paper. A piece of rag will also come in handy.
Immediately you need to determine the angle of sharpening. For example, 35 degrees is the most optimal angle for a kitchen knife or 40 for a sharp hunting knife.
Inspect the stone, if it has a trough or a significant development, then it should be leveled, otherwise the sharpening will be uneven.
The leveling of the stone is done with another stone, some types of stones, such as Japanese stones, have special comb stones included to restore the surface.
The bar is installed on a flat, stable surface, a table is perfect. To minimize slip, a cloth or rubber is placed under it. You can fix it on the table and in another improvised way. The surface of the bar is wetted with water or machine oil.
The position of the blade is adjusted by improvised means, for example, by putting a paper clip on the back of the blade or placing a coin. If the owner of the knife has strong nerves and a sharp eye, then simply holding the knife in the desired position is enough.
The knife is placed at an angle of 40-45 degrees to the center line of the blade, sharpening is carried out by forward movements of the blade away from you. For high quality sharpening, it is worth doing it in two steps.
First time on a coarse-grained peeling stone. Then, on finishing, fine-grained. During sharpening, it is necessary to periodically wet the surface of the stone. The check after sharpening is carried out both visually, examining the edges of the blade to the light, the sharp part of the blade is uniform along the entire length, should not give glare.
You can also plan a sheet of paper on weight. A sharpened knife cuts smoothly, without hooks and paper tears. The cut of the sheet is even, without shaggyness and tears. If the edge of the paper is torn, the sharpening of the knife must be repeated.
Conclusion
There are many stones, but each of them has its own characteristics, and, like a knife, it is selected under the arm. Synthetic stones are budgetary in operation. They are inexpensive and widely distributed.
But at the same time, to achieve softness of sharpening, you can only use natural stone, which has its own characteristics. Japanese water stones are good in terms of quality. But their price is very high.
In addition, sharpening with such bars is long and inconvenient. In addition, it requires mood and skill. The same should be expected from Arkansas.
Hence the conclusion, each stone is suitable only for its owner, if in nature or to correct the kitchen in between the series and reading the newspaper, then it is better to take synthetics.
She will forgive small mistakes, and the quality of sharpening does not play a role here. But for the sharpness of a hunting or combat knife, before a long trip to nature, you should use natural stones.
After sharpening, the knife is sharp, with edges and shape close to ideal. If you give the knife a lot of time and warmth, it will definitely not let you down, at the right time.
Video
