If there’s anything that can affect how long or how well you can use your knives, it is how you maintain them. Thus, knowing how to use a diamond sharpening stone to sharpen your knives something you should know.
If you want productive work in the kitchen without forcing your way in cutting meat and slicing vegetables, you need a sharp knife. It is an absolute necessity that you sharpen and maintain your blades daily.
The question is, “how?” More specifically, how do you use a diamond sharpening stone to make your knife good as new? We are here to show you how to do that in the step-by-step instructions below. Here we go.
What You Will Need;
You don’t need many things for this tutorial. Just take out the following items:
- Diamond sharpening stones
- Lubricant (water or oil)
- Your knives
It is strongly recommended to sharpen your knives wet than dry. For diamond stones, you can use either water or oil, but water is the most ideal. While you may use oil, it isn’t suggested because it will not exactly help the knives.
We use oil when sharpening blades because it soaks into the stone’s pores. It stays there, which prevents clogging and keeps the stone in good condition. Using oil doesn’t provide the same benefit using diamond sharpening stones, so water is the best choice.
Step-by-Step Instructions To Use A Diamond Sharpening Stone
In the step by step procedure of how to use a diamond sharpening stone, we will start by preparing it.
1. Preparing Stone for Sharpening
Follow these steps to make sure you can safely and efficiently sharpen your knives:
- Put in a Damp Towel or Cloth: Place both the sharpening stone and damp cloth/towel on a flat surface to prevent from sliding while you sharpen your knives.
- Start with the Stone’s Coarse Side: Starting on the coarse side makes it easier and faster to form the blade of your knife back its correct shape.
- Lubricate: Check the instructions included when you bought the knife to be sure if lubricating is recommended. If it is, just put a small line of water down in the middle of the stone. Massage it across the stone. Now, you are ready to begin sharpening.
2. Holding the Knife for Sharpening
The recommended angle for when sharpening knives is at a 20-degree angle. To find the right angle, follow these steps:
- Hold the Knife DownHold the knife down at the 90-degree angle.
- Move the Knife to Half a DistanceFrom the 90-degree angle, move the knife at half a distance to make a 45-degree angle.
- Move Again to Half from the Second StepFrom the 45-degree angle, move the knife at half a distance again to make a roughly appropriate angle for sharpening your blades. Adjust the angle as needed.
3. Sharpening Knives with Diamond Sharpening Stone
Here is how to use a diamond sharpening stone in making your knives good as new:
- Draw the Blade Down and Across: When you have positioned the knife at the correct angle, start sharpening by drawing it down and across the stone slowly. Do it in a smooth motion from the heel to the tip of the blade.
- Repeat the Process: Repeat step 1 several times. You will have to repeat the motion described above several times based on how dull the blades of your knives are. This way, you can ensure it will be as sharp as you want.
- Flip Blade to Sharpen the Other Side: When you are done on this side, flip to the other side. Start sharpening the reverse side following the same motion described in steps 1 and 2. You should also sharpen it in the same number of times to be consistent.
- Return to the Original Side: Next, go back to the original side. You will now sharpen the blade starting from the tip to the heel. Do this slowly in the same number of times you did before.
- Flip Again to the Other Side: When you are done, flip the blade to the reverse side again. Just like in step 4, sharpen the knife from the tip to heel in the same number of times for consistency.
- Repeat Steps 1 to 5 Using the Stone’s Fine Side: In the last step, you will be sharpening your knife using the fine side of the sharpening stone. Repeat steps 1 to 5. Remember to be consistent and on the same angle to ensure that you sharpened both sides equally.
IMPORTANT: Diamond sharpening stones come in different grits. The standard grits are extra-coarse, coarse, fine, and extra-fine. The sharpness of your blade after using the stone depends on the grit, so choose wisely.
How to Tell if You Have Sharpened Your Blades
When you first sharpen your dull knife, you will feel a burr. You will quickly feel it if you run your finger from the knife’s spine to the edge. While you sharpen from coarser diamond stone, this burr jumps from side to side.
When you feel it on both sides, start using the finer stone. As you get to the stone’s finest grit, you will feel the burr turn smaller and smaller until it is gone. If the blade cuts through paper easily, you are done sharpening your knife.
Conclusion
They say a dull knife is more dangerous than a sharp knife in the kitchen. Would you be willing to prepare foods with a blade that can’t cut well? It will be too much work. You cannot expect to cook a delicious meal that way.
Hopefully, this article helps you. A diamond sharpening stone has many advantages to offer when sharpening blades. With the steps above, you can maximize those benefits. Of course, always be careful as the sharpening process can be dangerous.
How to use a diamond sharpening stone? It is not an overly complicated process. Just keep the steps mentioned above in mind, clean your diamond stone thoroughly after use, and you can have sharpened blades ideal for kitchen work.
Related Posts you might be interested to read also:
Top 5 Best Diamond Sharpening Stone Reviews in 2022 How to Clean Diamond Sharpening Steel in 4 Steps
