There are five main types of knife sharpeners, each with unique features, strengths, and weak points.
Stone Sharpeners
Whetstones and grindstones were some of the ancient sharpening tools used to sharpen almost all kinds of blades. Sharpening with a whetstone involves pushing the blade back and forth until the desired sharpness is achieved. Over the centuries, whetstones have evolved into sharpening stones. These are modern sharpening bars made of Novaculite, aluminum oxide, and silicon carbide. They are also referred to as Arkansas, India, and Crystolon stones, respectively. Among the three, only the Arkansas stones are natural; the rest are manufactured. There are many kinds of Arkansas sharpening stones, and they vary in coarseness. India stones are best for fine sharpening a knife, while Crystolon is often used for initial coarse sharpening. Diamond abrasives are sometimes mixed into these stones to get the optimal cutting edge.
Handheld Sharpeners
Handheld sharpeners are simple sharpening tools design to simplify the sharpening process. Some may argue that handheld sharpeners are limited as they have fewer slots to sharpen with. But modern technology and designs have emerged. For example, the Le Beau sharpener and honer is a handheld sharpener capable of sharpening almost all kinds of blades. It can even perform as a serrated blade sharpener. Its adjustable angle allows it to accommodate European and Asian knives. It is also made of nitride rods that don’t peel the metal off your blade, making it a superb knife sharpening tool, like most handheld knife sharpeners. The Le Beau Honer is portable and can fit right in your coin pocket. Its revolutionary technology, designed by RC Le Beau, is used by many chefs, adventurers, army, and game hunters all across the United States.
Serrated Knife Sharpeners
Handheld sharpeners like the Le Beau Honer can be effective for serrated knives. There are knife sharpeners specifically designed to sharpen and maintain serrated blades like bread knives and other dentated blades. Serrated knife sharpeners are mostly machine-operated these days. Electric knife sharpeners can also do the task. However, the popular serrated knife sharpeners are those manual types and, in fact, also portable. They are mostly made of stainless alloy with a cone shape, much like a big needle. They have the same grove with files but only a lot smaller. Most files are also flat. The serrated knife sharpener is the most difficult to use among the knife sharpeners, and it’s also labor-intensive. The user must go through each of the curves or serrations to fully sharpen the blade.
Sharpening Steel / Rods
Sharpening Steel or sharpening rods are flat, oval, or round in cross-section and up to 1 foot (30 cm) long. They are either made of steel, ceramic, or diamond-coated steel. Steel and ceramic honing steels feature longitudinal ridges. On the other hand, diamond-coated steels are smooth but embedded with abrasive diamond particles. Contrary to popular belief, sharpening rods re-align the blade rather than sharpen or hone them. The term just became popular in the 1980s. Nonetheless, these steel rods play an essential role in maintaining knives and making sure they perform well. Today, steel rods are popular in big restaurants, slaughterhouses, and meat shops because they are easy to use and handy.
Electric Sharpeners
Electric sharpeners are the latest trends in knife sharpening tools. It commonly utilizes a 2 or 3 step process for creating, sharpening, and honing the edge on a knife using coarse grits. When an electric knife sharpener is turned on, a sharpener will spin the sharpening stones; the user then places the knife through the slots, sharpening the blades to the desired sharpness. Though it is easy to use, many experts believe that electric knife sharpeners can easily damage the blade. Many users point out the issue of control. For them, manually sharpening the knife is still the best way to maintain and sharpen its blade.
To know more about Le Beau Honer, the ultimate knife sharpener, visit RC Le Beau’s website today and check the videos and the latest promos.
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