To make cutting tools easy to use and serve for as long as possible, you need to keep them sharp and ensure the proper sharpening of cutting edges that are already blunt. This is a complex multi-stage process, which requires using appropriate equipment to achieve a qualitative result.
There are many sharpening devices available for a quick sharpening of household and kitchen knives. However, these are not the best tools for maintaining and restoring blade sharpness. Proper sharpening is done with sharpening stones, allowing a craftsman to control the entire process. The next step is blade stropping, which allows you to achieve the maximum effect and maintain the achieved result.
Sharpening and stropping: features and differences
The sharpening of a cutting tool is done in two stages, the first of which is sharpening itself. This is a rough treatment with several objectives:
- removing large surface defects of the knife, such as nicks, chips, and cavities;
- forming an even cutting edge of the blade;
- ensuring a correct and uniform sharpening angle over the entire length of the blade.
High-quality sharpening of cutting tools is carried out with a sharpening stone or a block made from an abrasive material. To achieve the best result, water stones are used, which are soaked in water beforehand. The fluid allows for even metal removal, makes it easier for the blade to slide, and also protects it from point overheating caused by friction.
The sharpening processing is carried out sequentially on several stones of different grit sizes from the coarser to the finer:
- First, the blade is sharpened with a 400-600 grit block to remove noticeable defects and roughness, giving it an even shape.
- The next step is sharpening with stone(s) of 1000-2000, 2000-3000 grit.
- The finishing step is processing the blade with a more than 3000-4000 grit block, allowing it to obtain the flattest surface.
Sharpening alone, even with several stones, is not enough to maximize the sharpness of a blade. The next necessary step is stropping. It allows you to get the flattest and smoothest surface, remove microscopic unevenness, burrs, bends of the cutting edge, which can’t be seen with the unaided eye. Thick fabric, leather, special ceramic surfaces, honing rods, discs or other means are used for cutting edges’ stropping. However, they are meant for removing only small irregularities and are not capable of removing much metal. Processing can be done both dry or with a special polishing paste.
Sharpening and stropping complement each other when preparing a cutting tool for work. Stropping can be used independently as a preventive measure. However, it is not able to return the sharpness, if there are already significant cutting edge defects. In this case, you will have to sharpen the blade. Sharpening itself without subsequent stropping allows you to return the sharpness, but such a knife cuts worse and becomes blunt faster.
Image | Name | Current Price |
|---|---|---|
| Finew Knife Sharpening Stone Kit | |
| Benicci Premium Knife Sharpening Stone Kit | |
| BeaverCraft Leather Paddle Strop | |
| BeaverCraft PW1 Sharpening Wheel | |
| BeaverCraft PW2 Sharpening Wheel |
The Best shаrpening set for cutting tools
To sharpen a cutting tool properly, you need to choose a good equipment. Let’s start with considering the best sharpening tools for knives.
Finew Knife Sharpening Stone Kit
Finew Knife Sharpening Stone Kit is the best sharpening knives kit. It is also suitable for sharpening other cutting tools. The kit includes two water stones, a bamboo non-slip holder, a knife guide to maintain the sharpening angle, a flattening block to restore the surface of a sharpening stone, and a leather strop. With it, you can sharpen both kitchen knives and other household tools.
The kit includes double-sided blocks of 400/1000 and 3000/8000 grit. Their size (7.2″ х 2.6″) is enough for sharpening even large tools. You’ll also like the flattening stone that helps to smooth the surface of the blocks, and the leather strop. Keep in mind that there’s only one knife guide, so alternate sharpening angles can only be obtained manually. This is the best sharpening system for domestic use, which is suitable for most knives. Other tools will require additional accessories.
Benicci Premium Knife Sharpening Stone Kit
Benicci Premium Knife Sharpening Stone Kit is the best sharpening device for frequent use. The kit includes a basic tool sharpening set. There are two double-sided stones 400/1000 and 3000/8000 grit, as well as a block for stropping their surface. It is large and has slots for dust discharge, so it allows you to quickly smooth the surface of water stones after use.
The kit also includes a tool to maintain the sharpening angle, but it is not adjustable and is only suitable for small blades. To sharpen large tools, you have to find the best sharpening guide that allows you to work with different knives and other equipment.
Tools for blade stropping
After sharpening, you need to strop a blade to get a perfectly flat and sharp edge. Special tools and consumables like stropping compound will help you do this. Some of them are mentioned below.
BeaverCraft Leather Paddle Strop
BeaverCraft Leather Paddle Strop is a tool for finishing blades, which is made of natural leather and wood. The block is double-sided; therefore, you can use two processing compounds at the same time, and the leather is tough, even, and durable. There are two holes that allow you to screw the tool to the workbench or pull through a lanyard to hang it on the hook. The only disadvantage is that wood can bend when exposed to temperature and humidity changes.
The kit also includes green universal polishing paste, which is easy to apply to the leather surface. You can apply a harder or softer composition to the other side of the leather strop. The work surface is 9.5″ long and 2″ wide. That’s enough for stropping small cutting tools like knives and chisels as well as large tools like axes and cleavers.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0793PPW73?maas=maas_adg_210BCDFC7A85E6189DF0870731CA74D1_afap_abs&ref_=aa_maas
BeaverCraft PW1 Sharpening Wheel
BeaverCraft PW1 is a stropping wheel that can be used together with a drill, impact wrench, angle grinder, or on a table grinder. The kit includes a wheel 3″ in diameter and 3/4″ wide, an adapter to install it on a drill or wrench, as well as blocks of polishing paste. The wheel is made of strong bull leather, which is durable at lower speeds but does not like high speeds. It is appropriate for stropping both straight-blade knives and shaped tools. This is a good basic stropping kit necessary for a beginner carver.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B079427FKN?maas=maas_adg_C677DD517A693C307C11CEB6C89C6372_afap_abs&ref_=aa_maas
BeaverCraft PW2 Sharpening Wheel
BeaverCraft PW2 is a stropping wheel for finishing the cutting edges of tools. It is made of felt and measures 3″ in diameter and 3/4″ wide. The kit contains a chucking rod 1/4″ in diameter. The device is universal, it can be used in conjunction with an angle grinder, drill, impact wrench, or a small desktop sharpening machine. The main thing is to stick to moderate revolutions since at high speeds over 3000 RPM the wheel wears out quickly.
The 3″ diameter makes the tool versatile. It can be used to strop common kitchen knives, small woodworking tools, and other household tools. Problems may arise only when working with long blades and using a drill or straight shaft sharpener. In this case, the end of a large knife may abut against the body of the power tool, thereby not allowing you to maintain a single blade angle.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B093C88BKC?maas=maas_adg_3DFCD2367EA8D2899D293ECBEF166E54_afap_abs&ref_=aa_maas
Using the equipment described above, you can achieve the sharpness of the most popular cutting tools. It is suitable for kitchen knives, wood cutting tools, small hatchets, cleavers, and other blades.
