Sharpening Misconceptions

One of the biggest misconceptions is that the use of honing rod or Steel will sharpen your knife.

While the honing rod has a place in the kitchen,  it won’t actually sharpen your knife.

Sharpening a knife involves creating an entirely new sharp edges on your blade.

What is the difference between Honing and Sharpening a knife?

Honing: A honing steel basically pushes the edge of the knife back to the centre and straightens it.

Honing should be done often — some even hone before each use. 

Sharpening: On the other hand, is a process where bits of the blade are ground and shaved off to produce a new, sharp edge!

Can you sharpen Secateurs?

To sharpen blades of shears and secateurs, use a fine sharpening stone.

It is important to sharpen only the outside blade on bypass secateurs and the upper surface of hoes.

How do you flatten a sharpening stone?

Start with a reliably flat surface, such as a piece of 1/2″ thick glass (with edges ground smooth).

Apply 100-grit, self-adhesive, wet-dry sandpaper and rub the wetted (or oiled) stone over it until flat.

Repeat with a few strokes on 400-grit paper to remove any course scratches.

Why do you need to wet a sharpening stone?

Conventional wisdom says that using water or oil with a sharpening stone is better than sharpening dry.

This is because the fluid helps float away the swarf, or waste material, and prevents the stone from clogging.

What Grit Whetstone do I need?

Whetstones come in a range of Grits:

• Less than 1000 Grit are typically used to repair knives with chipped edges.
• 1000 to 3000 Grit are used to sharpen dull knives.
• 4000 to 8000 Grit are finishing stones and are used to refine your knife-edge.