We need a knife to cut onion, garlic, zinger, meat, fish, and all the other food. And this results in the dullness of the blade. Therefore, for its proper maintenance, it needs to be sharpened.
But now the question is, can you over sharpen a knife? The answer is a big no. You will bring your loss if you do it. And it will be harder to accept if the knife is an expensive one.
Keep reading below to know more in detail. Hope most of your confusion will be clear from this article.
Can You over Sharpen a Knife?
The knife sharpening process is held to grind away metal with the help of an abrasive substrate. Moreover, it is done to make the blade’s material new, sharp, and shiny. Most professionals and chefs who use a kitchen knife daily sharpen the blade two to three times per year.
To maintain the cutting edge every single day, chefs hone their blades for straightening it. Honing is actually a good maintenance option. So, if you are more likely to sharpen your knife frequently than the mentioned time, you are unnecessarily staining the blade.
However, there are significant differences between a Chinese chef knife and a meat cleaver. Mostly in houses, the Chinese chef knife is used. But the meat cleaver that professional uses might not even need to sharpen frequently.
Therefore, your first step for your dull knife will be to horn the blade. If you still notice that the cutting edge is not sharp enough, you can go for the sharpening option.
How often to Sharpen Knives
It is not a good idea to sharpen your knives after every few weeks or months. If you do so, this will result in losing a few plates of steel every time. Ultimately the quality of your knife will decrease over time.
Before selecting the sharpening process, you should know an essential point that horning should be done first before sharpening. In case you are not satisfied with the result, then hardly do sharp.
In general, sharpening should be done 2 to 3 times per year, and honing should be done 2 to 3 times per week.
Tools to Sharpen a Blade
There are many tools to sharpen a blade both professionally and unprofessionally. But it will be helpful if you know the procedure to execute at home. Below we have mentioned about 4 such tools that can be used effortlessly and without costing too much.
Whetstone
One of the most robust tools to sharpen the edge of the knife blade is the whetstone. It is a little rectangular piece of stone that is very much affordable. It may cost from $15 to $20.
A whetstone can be made of different materials depending on the company. It is claimed that Japan makes the best whetstones. But it is wise to use the cheap one if you are new to this product. Once you improve your skill on the regular one, you can go for the upgraded quality tool.
As a beginner, place a wet paper towel on a smooth surface. Put the whetstone on it. Whetstone will not slide because of the damp surface. Next, pour some water on the knife’s blade. This is due to making the friction lower.
Now set the knife at a 15 to 20-degree angle and the tip away from you on the stone. Your fingers should be on the blade except for the thumb. Your thumb will remain in the grip of the handle.
Keeping the constant angle, move the knife over the whetstone in a round motion. Repeat the same process on both sides three to four times.
Ceramic
It sounds weird, but you can perfectly sharpen the blade with utensils made of ceramic. Yes, it can be a ceramic mug or dish. But you will have to make sure that only the rough edge will be glazed.
You can also use a ceramic rod, but it is more like professional work. To start the method with a mug, make it upside down on a flat surface. Now notice the ring surface, which is rough and more rigid than the steel.
Apply the same process as used in a whetstone. Do not try to use this method on fancy cutlery as you might mangle and scrape the blade edge of no use.
Other Rocks or Stones
If you are out of ideas or in a place with limited options, rocks or stones can be your friends in need. You can easily find it on the bank of the river or the roadside. So, if the surface is flatter, you will get the maximum result.
Make your knife slightly angel and rub it steadily like the process mentioned above. And soon, you will get to start chopping the food without any further interference.
Electric Sharpeners
There are many electric knife sharpeners available in the market. It is an excellent option for the one who does not want to take any additional pressure. But you will have to pay much to get this tool. This can be from $30 to $40.
The procedure is almost the same, with the advantage of speed. This tool has both sharpening and honing slots. You will just have to drag the knife through the desired slot. Automatically it will give you polish knife edges.
Above all this, you need to go through the user manual to get the correct information as incorrect use can damage the blade. Some of the common mistakes are pressing downward, twisting, or pausing the knife’s stroke.
Do Knife Sharpens Wear Out
Yes, some knife sharpens indeed wear out. For example, smooth metal steel will never wear out as it is made from a soft piece of metal.
Like the metal one, ceramic sharpening steel will also never wear out. However, its surface may get clogged by the metal particles that are being removed for a long time. So those extra particles should be cleaned out using a scouring pad for getting the new tool again.
Diamond sharpening steels are only the one that does not wear out over time. Its abrasive is made from tiny diamonds that are fixed on the surface.
To Conclude
Among all the kitchen equipment, the knife is an essential one as without this almost no cooking can be started. But it will be difficult to chop any food if your knife’s blade is dull. In this case, knife sharpeners can be a blessing for you and your kitchen.
However, from the above information, you have already known complete information about knife sharpers. Additionally, the answer to “Can You Over Sharpen A Knife” is also given. You can now decide with your intelligence whether it will be worth to over sharpen or not.
Anything excess is not right, the same in the case of sharpening the knife. If you want your knife to sustain more, you should sharp it 2 to 3 times a year.