What you need to know about knife sharpening services

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knife -sharpening -services
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Knife sharpening is an essential part of any restaurant. If you are looking for a professional knife sharpening service, it might seem like a simple task, but many things need to be considered when choosing a suitable knife sharpener.There are three types of sharpeners, manual, electric and whetstones or oil stones. Each type has its pros and cons, so it is essential to know what you want before deciding which one to buy.

This post will discuss each type and how they work, and what would be best for your needs.

Manual Knife Sharpeners

Manual sharpeners are inexpensive and easy to use. You need to apply even pressure with your fingers or a few strokes in the same direction, and you have an evenly sharpened knife. They are easy to use, but they do not sharpen as a more expensive option because it relies on manual labor, leading to uneven edges. More of the downside is that they can be challenging to control at times, which means you might end up accidentally damaging your blade in the process, causing it to get out of alignment with the edge. For this reason, manual sharpeners should only be used by someone who has a steady hand to receive a more professional knife sharpening service from it. There are different types of manual knife sharpening tools in the market today from which you can choose the ideal one to be used in your restaurant.

Whetstones Sharpeners

Whetstones Sharpeners

Whetstones or oil stones are what professional chefs rely on when it comes to honing their steel blades and other tools used in culinary arts. These sharpeners come in different grades, so make sure you pick one up that will suit your needs. An example is the double-sided whetstone kit which includes one side made of coarse grit (typically around 120) for dull edges and a more nuanced side (usually between 240-600 depending on the blade material) for finishing and polishing.Pressing and running your knife against a traditional whetstone at the correct angle (usually 20 degrees) will sharpen your blade without overdoing it, so long as you’re using a consistent pressure for both coarse and fine sharpening stages. You’ll need to use the appropriate coarseness of grits on each stone – usually starting with a medium-grit, then moving up to an extra-fine or finest grit by the end of the process. As seen, you would also need to have some bit of skills for the best results when using a whetstone.

Electric Knife Sharpeners

Electric Knife Sharpeners

Powered knife sharpeners are expensive, but they’re also easy to use. Most powered sharpeners will automatically guide your blade back and forth over a rotating stone wheel which does all of the work for you: make sure not to apply too much pressure as it can cause damage or alignment problems if there’s any tension on the blades!The downside is that they generally have more moving parts than manual models, so they might be less durable in some respects (especially when using coarse grits). There are two main types of power-driven sharpener – belt grinders and rotary whetstone systems. Belt grinding wheels rotate against each other while one spins at an angle relative to the other.Rotary whetstone systems utilize two sets of stones. For coarse sharpening on these models, you’ll need to manually move the blade across its surface while it’s running at high speed (you don’t have to worry about how hard you push down as long as your angle remains consistent). Fine-tuning can be done using an electric motor controlled by variable speeds, so all you have to do is maintain steady pressure along the entire blade.

What to Consider When Choosing a Knife Sharpener

There are factors you can consider before purchasing a knife sharpener.   

  • The cost of the tool
  • Check whether it is easy to use- does it require some skills?
  • How long will it serve- is it durable?
  • Check on the safety of using the tool.
  • Consider the material of the tool.
  • It would be best if you also considered the method of using it-powered or manual.

You could decide to either sharpen the knives by yourself or hire a sharpener. The way to pick a professional knife sharpening expert is to think about what kind of knives will be sharpened. If they are all the same, choose whichever one has the best prices for your budget and offer at least an essential service (i.e. free consultation).

What Types of Kitchen Knives Should You Sharpen?

There are countless styles with different blade lengths, but most importantly, slicers or chef’s knives should have their edges stropped on a leather belt. In contrast, utility and bread knives typically require only honing, which may involve sliding them across just one side of either ceramic or steel.

Final Thoughts

In any case, be sure that you don’t apply too much pressure while sharpening. This is because it can cause permanent damage due to metal fatigue, which leads to broken knives in most cases – just let gravity pull the edge down while pushing through with light force until it glides smoothly across the blade.

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