Knife Sharpener?
Is there anything laying around a common house hold that could be made into a knife sharpener? I found a really pretty, but dull knife today, and i want to sharpen it, but don't wanna spend any money on a sharpener (i have no clue how much they actually cost). Any ideas?
I always thought those kitchen-sharpener things were just a big rod of steel; if you could get one of those you'd be able to sharpen things with it. :confused:
Kecibukia
03-09-2006, 04:52
Is there anything laying around a common house hold that could be made into a knife sharpener? I found a really pretty, but dull knife today, and i want to sharpen it, but don't wanna spend any money on a sharpener (i have no clue how much they actually cost). Any ideas?
If you have a decent knife set , you have one. It's the round thing that few know what the hell it's for. Some can openers have them in the back. They're ussually not very good so if it's a nice knife, don't use it on it. You can pick up a whetstone for a few dollars at most sporting goods stores though.
Gift-of-god
03-09-2006, 04:56
You can use a metal file, as in a file made for filing metal. However, unless you know how to do it, you may end up making the knife worse. Wait and find someone who knows how to sharpen a knife, then ask him or her to show you.
Is there anything laying around a common house hold that could be made into a knife sharpener? I found a really pretty, but dull knife today, and i want to sharpen it, but don't wanna spend any money on a sharpener (i have no clue how much they actually cost). Any ideas?
a whetstone is pretty cheap (couple of bucks) if you can't spare that, a fine file would work, but you have to be very, very careful.
Sandpaper, should work well also.
but again, you need to know what you are doing. make a mistake and you either cut yourself or you break the blade.
Oh, and there are two kinds of stones, one can be used dry, but there are others that require moisture... either water or Oil so look carefully.
I always thought those kitchen-sharpener things were just a big rod of steel; if you could get one of those you'd be able to sharpen things with it. :confused:
it's actually a sharpening stone.
Good Lifes
03-09-2006, 05:28
I got a stone at the local dollar store that has course on one side and fine on the other. But it matters how dull the knife is and what it's made of. Anything harder than the blade will sharpen it eventually. If it's really dull you would want to file then course stone then fine stone then steel. If it's just a little dull and it's carbon steel then you can hone it with the back of a stainless steel knife as stainless is harder than carbon. Put the point of the stainless knife into a cutting board Hold the dull knife at a slight angle, the same angle as it was first sharpened and push the sharp side away. A few strokes on one side then a few on the other. If you're using something like one knife to sharpen another it helps it you have two people, a lefty and a righty. If you really want to get it really fine and it's good enough steel you can strap it with a piece of leather. Find a way to hold the leather tight and use it as you would another sharpener. That's how the old timers sharpened their straight razors.
Dissonant Cognition
03-09-2006, 06:09
If you have a decent knife set , you have one. It's the round thing that few know what the hell it's for.
That's not a sharpener, but rather a honing steel; "They're ussually not very good" for sharpening, because that isn't their purpose. It is used to reshape the edge of the blade. At the microscopic level, that edge is actually rather rough, with lots of jagged teeth that get bend over with use; the honing steel bends them back. If the edge is sufficiently worn or rounded, however, the honing steel isn't going to do much, and the blade will require actual sharpening (which involves removal of material, not just reshaping).
In general, sharpening can be divided into two phases. First the edge is sharpened with an abrasive sharpening stone which shapes the blade primarily by removing material. Second, the edge is honed, or steeled, Steeling is done by passing the blade against nearly-smooth hard metal steel which plasticly deforms the material of the blade's edge, smoothing out rough edges. Honing, or stropping, may also be done by polishing the edge with a fine abrasive such as rouge or tripoli on a piece of stout leather.
( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharpening )
The honing steel is used for phase two, and as part of normal maintenence of the blade. Proper use should help make actual resharpening a relatively infrequent requirement.
Der Fuhrer Dyszel
03-09-2006, 06:19
When in doubt, go out and grab a stone and sit for eight hours attempting to sharpen the knife....... not that I knew anyone crazy enough to do that.
*cough*
:D
That's not a sharpener, but rather a honing steel; "They're ussually not very good" for sharpening, because that isn't their purpose. It is used to reshape the edge of the blade. At the microscopic level, that edge is actually rather rough, with lots of jagged teeth that get bend over with use; the honing steel bends them back. If the edge is sufficiently worn or rounded, however, the honing steel isn't going to do much, and the blade will require actual sharpening (which involves removal of material, not just reshaping).
( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharpening )
The honing steel is used for phase two, and as part of normal maintenence of the blade. Proper use should help make actual resharpening a relatively infrequent requirement.
Actually a good sharpening steel is a very fine round file and does remove metal albeit only a very small amount. It has very fine teeth that are raised above the surface of the steel run straight down the length of the steel. It is mostly useless in creating a decent bevel edge but is very useful in maintaining one. The teeth on the steel are created by upsetting the metal before tempering, just like in other files. The file part is matte in this photo while the rest is shiny.
http://z.about.com/d/chinesefood/1/0/g/3/sharpencleaver6.jpg
That wikipedia article on sharpening really needs help.
Dissonant Cognition
03-09-2006, 06:56
Actually a good sharpening steel is a very fine round file and does remove metal albeit only a very small amount.
Ah. **stands corrected**
It is mostly useless in creating a decent bevel edge but is very useful in maintaining one.
Essentially the point I meant to get to.
[NS]Fergi America
03-09-2006, 13:58
I'd fork out for a sharpening stone if you don't have anything handy. Like others said, they're only a couple of bucks.
As for the actual sharpening, practice on some piece of crap knife first. It can take a few tries to get it right, and until you get the knack, you have a good chance of making the knife even duller. I dulled a few before I could actually get an edge on one. Never managed to break one, though!
Theoretical Physicists
03-09-2006, 16:05
Is there anything laying around a common house hold that could be made into a knife sharpener? I found a really pretty, but dull knife today, and i want to sharpen it, but don't wanna spend any money on a sharpener (i have no clue how much they actually cost). Any ideas?
I used to use one of those metal rods, but now I have one of these:
http://www.cutco.com/assets/prodimgs/enlarged/80.jpg
No knowledge of how to sharpen knives required.
Megaloria
03-09-2006, 16:13
Just a spoon to cut things for a month, then go to the knife, and be amazed at how easy it seems!
Get yourself a whetstone.
Insert Quip Here
03-09-2006, 17:16
See if the butcher at your local grocer will sharpen it for you. This is often done for free (no joke?)