|
2torial #0685:
Learn2 Sharpen a Knife
Look sharp!
There are few tools more dangerous than a dull
knife. It'll slide when you want it to cut, and
it'll cut when it stops sliding--usually when it
hits your hand. Ask ten different people how they
sharpen their knives, however, and you may get ten
different answers. Not only that, but each of these
ten methods are all sworn to be the best by ten
venerable trail guides from ten mountain towns
(who've all been sharpening knives since they were
knee-high to a carpenter ant and don't you forget
it buddy). What's a poor soul with a dull knife to
do? You can start with this 2torial, which will
lead you out of the tangled thicket of
knife-sharpening opinions.
There are a number of commercial one-step
sharpening utensils available at the local hardware
store. They generally have some sort of ceramic or
diamond-impregnated surfaces, and are used by
drawing the knife through a narrow V-shape of some
kind. Although they're certainly convenient,
they can also cause problems by exerting uneven
pressure on the blade--creating waves in the
blade as it passes through the V-shape. The method
below, while requiring a little more time and
concentration, has a much greater chance of putting
a good edge on a blade and not damaging it,
provided it's done careful attention.
A note on knives with a scalloped or serrated
edge: these cannot be sharpened using this method.
Scalloped knives (such as a bread knife) generally
require professional attention when they become
dulled. Serrated knives (the never-need-sharpening
variety) are usually very low quality, and are
meant to be thrown away when the edge becomes
damaged or unusable.
 Step
1
| 
