In recent years, ceramic knives, which can be chosen in any store utensils, have become very popular among housewives. The reasons for their wide distribution, in the first place, are convenience, strength, durability and sharpness. Of course, when using such knives, you should know some rules for handling them. The most common question regarding their use: are ceramic knives sharpened? Some manufacturers say that ceramic knives do not need sharpening. This is not quite true. Despite the fact that ceramic knives are dull and worn much slower than steel knives, it is necessary to periodically correct and sharpen them. Large companies for the production of ceramic knives offer factory edits and sharpening, but, alas, this option is available only in some countries of the world.
In this article, we'll talk about whether you can sharpen ceramic knives at home and how to do it.
How to sharpen a ceramic knife?
If you do not have the opportunity to take the knife to a specialized workshop, or you want to learn how to do it yourself, remember the first rule: do not sharpen the ceramics with ordinary sharpeners, "stones" or emery graters. The only way to sharpen a ceramic knife is to use abrasive surfaces that are harder than the knife itself (better with diamond spraying, in extreme cases, you can use electrocorundum). The fine diamond crumb is coping with the ceramics, returning it to its former sharpness.
Sharpening of ceramics is a long-term process. The duration of the process is mainly due to the fact that the blade of the ceramic knife can not be pressed against the abrasive surface with force. Also, carefully monitor the smoothness of the sharpening and avoid sharp knife strokes on the sharpener.
Today, two types of household sharpeners for ceramic knives are on the market: electric and manual. Below we will consider both of these types in more detail.
Sharpener for ceramic knives: two main types
- The electric torch for ceramic knives is a small device equipped with a pair of small diamond-coated discs. The disks are driven by an electric motor. Powered by AA battery or rechargeable battery. To sharpen, you need to insert the blade of the knife between the discs. The quality of the sharpening of blades in electrototal is quite high - even much blunted blades can, if not return, then bring it closer to its original state. The main plus of the electric sharpener is its ease of use. The main disadvantage is the high price.
- The second type of knife for ceramic knives is manual . In appearance, they resemble manicure or pedicure nail files - a flat surface with a diamond-dust coating, equipped with a holder. Hand-held sharpeners are more suitable for shallow correction, "straightening" of the surface. It's good to sharpen a very blunt knife with their help, but for this you will have to make some efforts. At the same time, experienced craftsmen say that the manual sharpener gives much more control, and therefore better opportunities to sharpen the blade. Of course, only those who really know how to sharpen knives will be able to take advantage of this freedom and the opportunity to the full. If you have never done this in your life - it is better to choose electrototal.
By the way, it should be noted that the shape of the blade of the ceramic knife is different from the steel one. The classical version of steel grinding on "three corners" is not suitable for ceramics. The blade of the ceramic knife in the cut must be slightly convex - this requirement is due to the peculiarities of the material, in particular, to its fragility.
The main plus of manual sharpener is cheapness. The main disadvantage is that it should be used, an inexperienced "grinder" can not only not improve, but even aggravate the situation.
Sharpening ceramic knives should be done regularly, at least every two to three years, without waiting until they finally become dulled or until chipped on the blade.