Five Types of Knife Sharpeners

Essential to learning how to sharpen a knife you have to become educated on the types of knife sharpeners that are available and what they should be used for. This article will walk you through that process.

Why is it important to know what types of knife sharpeners are out there? There are a couple of reasons. First, if you own a knife you're going to want to keep it sharp so that it's safe to use and, secondly, you want to get the correct sharpener for your needs and experience. Here's a quick rundown of the types of sharpeners and what they should be used for.

1. Bench Stones. Bench stones are by far the most common sharpener. A bench stone is basically a rectangular stone that the blade is drawn across to achieve an edge. They can come as a loose stone or mounted in some kind of case to make them easier to handle. The popular stones are India, Arkansas, Japanese water, ceramic, and Diamond. The India and Arkansas stones are typically used with some type of honing oil while the Japanese water stones use water. Diamond stones require no lubrication. The key point to using a bench stone is that it's critical that you maintain a proper angle between the blade and stone in order to achieve a good edge. It takes practice in order to achieve this.

2. Butcher's Steel. Butcher's Steel is a steel rod mounted to a handle and is used in the kitchen for kitchen knives. The steel won't grind a bevel so they are mainly used to keep the knife sharp between grindings. Besides steel, the rods can also be ceramic or diamond coated.

3. V-Sharpener. The V-sharpener is two rods that are crossed, forming a V, and mounted in a base. The rods can be made of either steel or ceramics and are useful for re-sharpening between grindings or touchups. The knife is sharpened by placing the edge in the V where the rods cross and pulling the blade towards the user. The V-sharpener is very easy to use.

4. Clamping Systems. Clamping systems are just like they sound. A clamp is used to hold the blade in position while a stone is moved across the blade in order to sharpen it. These systems are slower than others because you have to take the time to set it up but they are perfect for beginners because, with the knife clamped, and with the use of stone guides, the angle between the knife and stone is constant.

5. Electrical Grinders. With the electrical grinder, a motor turns the sharpening material (stone, paper, etc.) while the user applies the knife to the sharpening material. These electrical grinders come in many varieties and can produce a razor sharp edge in no time. In the hands of an inexperienced user, though, an electrical grinder can quickly ruin a knife. Because of that, I would only recommend these to experienced sharpeners.

There you have it. Five types of knife sharpeners to help you keep your knives or cutlery in top condition. Used properly, a knife sharpening system will last you for years and is essential in learning how to sharpen a knife.