The use of any cutting tool inevitably leads to wear and a reduction in the sharpness of the cutting edge. The cutting edge is the working part of the tool, formed by the convergence of two or more planes that come into direct contact with the material being processed. The angle of convergence of these planes is commonly referred to as the sharpening angle.
Sharpening angles can vary significantly depending on the tool and the material being worked.
Depending on the nature of the tool, sharpening and maintenance can be performed in two main ways, manually or using various mechanical or electric devices. The use of mechanical and electrical devices often allows for more efficient and precise sharpening compared to manual methods.
Before beginning the sharpening process, and simply to understand which tool should be sharpened on what, each user must divide their tools into conditional groups. Doing this immediately clarifies what abrasives and additional accessories may be required and how much work lies ahead.
Since we do not have a specific example here, all manual cutting and shaping tools can be divided into the following technical groups:
Each of these tool groups has its own technical features that determine sharpening methods. These features dictate the set of sharpening tools, abrasives, and accessories needed, which may overlap or differ considerably.
Sharpening knives requires high precision due to the thinness of the blade.
Scissors and nippers also require a certain level of precision, but due to the design of the tool itself. Experience and knowledge are required here as well.
Chisel and plane blades also have design features that need to be considered during sharpening. Along with woodworking tools, users may also own tools for wood carving.
If you have a variety of garden tools, the sharpening process can also be quite varied. You might own garden shears for trimming trees or various soil cultivation tools. These also require regular maintenance, a good example being a scythe, hoe, or shovel.
A separate group consists of various drill bits and lathe tools. While lathe tools are rarely found in home settings, drill bits for various materials are usually available in significant quantities. Unlike other tools, drill bits and lathe tools cannot be sharpened by hand, they require electric equipment.
In every individual case, you need to choose the appropriate sharpening materials and/or adapt what is available to your needs.
As mentioned at the beginning, each tool has a working segment equipped with a cutting edge. This is one of the key components of any cutting tool.
Each tool has a working segment or blade. Both serve as the base for special planes called bevels. Bevels are planes on which additional bevels, or so-called secondary bevels, may form. At the intersection point of the primary or secondary bevels, an edge is formed, known as the cutting edge.
The sharpness of a tool depends primarily not on the properties of the steel but on the surface finish and the correct angle chosen for specific tasks.
Before starting the sharpening process, it is necessary to thoroughly inspect the surfaces and the cutting edge of the tool to determine the extent of damage and the amount of work needed. This will allow for the proper selection of tools.
The next step is to choose a sharpening tool. Once you have selected an abrasive or device to perform the sharpening, inspect the condition of the sharpening equipment and abrasives.
Only if the sharpening equipment is in proper working condition and the abrasive surfaces are ready should you proceed with sharpening your tool.
Ideally, if you already have the tools and equipment, they should be kept in ready-to-use condition after each work session. This is especially important for abrasive materials. Hand or mechanical abrasive stones should be leveled and cleaned after each use.
As mentioned earlier, selecting sharpening equipment and checking its condition are steps typically taken simultaneously and are determined by what you plan to do with your cutting tool in terms of sharpening.
Generally, users can select from the following categories of sharpening equipment based on the sharpening method:
Among the most commonly used household cutting tools are various knives and scissors, some woodworking tools, and certain garden tools.
Accordingly, among the most common sharpening tools and accessories are:
Honing rods and manual mechanical sharpeners are commonly used in the kitchen for quick edge restoration of various types of knives made from moderately hard steels. They are intuitive and require no special explanation.
Full-size sharpening stones, whether natural or synthetic, require more user knowledge. These abrasives offer more options for high-quality sharpening of kitchen knives made from common and more complex steels. Additionally, specialized leather-working knives can be sharpened manually on such stones. Full-size stones are often also used to sharpen straight razors and various woodworking tools such as chisels and plane blades. Of course, the sharpening techniques vary, but full-size stones can handle a wide range of tools, depending greatly on user experience.
Specialized sharpening stones are used, for example, to sharpen garden shears and similar tools.
In the category of household mechanical, semi-professional, and professional bench grinders, one should consider sharpening systems that can accommodate a wide range of tools. Because of their flexibility, sharpening systems can handle both small and large blades of various shapes and complexity.
Example: Using a specialized clamp, you can secure the blade of a rounded chisel or scissors and sharpen the tool with far greater precision than by hand on a full-size whetstone.
These clamps can also be used to sharpen scissors.
A similar technique allows chisel sharpening on a grinder using special auxiliary clamps.
Alongside all the conventional sharpening tools and devices, there are household electric sharpeners. These allow fast and relatively easy sharpening of nearly all types of kitchen knives and some tourist or hunting knives.
Household electric sharpeners with dual wheels are essentially standalone devices capable of efficiently sharpening almost any cutting tool. Some complex operations may require additional components. There are both conventional electric sharpeners and specialized ones designed specifically for knives.
Other specialized sharpening devices, such as those for drill bits, belt sanders and grinders, machines for sharpening manicure and hairdressing tools, and professional sharpening systems, are encountered far less frequently but can be used fully by the user when needed.
In practice, the sharpening process is classically divided into three stages: coarse honing, sharpening, and finishing. Depending on the degree of damage, start with either the first or second stage, choosing a tool accordingly, coarse honing if the edge is significantly worn, or straight to sharpening if it just needs restoration.
In most household cases, sharpening on medium-grit abrasives followed by finishing on finer abrasives or leather is sufficient. This method is effective, economical, and time-saving.
Additionally, periodic light finishing is often enough to maintain your cutting tool’s sharpness, reducing the need for full sharpening.
As mentioned at the beginning, any tool will eventually become dull, and sharpening is a natural necessity. A properly sharpened tool makes work easier and requires less effort. Moreover, it extends the tool’s lifespan and helps prevent breakage. Finally, working without applying excessive force makes using a well-sharpened tool significantly safer.
TSPROF sharpeners will help you sharpen all your knives and more: straight scissors, chisels, plane irons and other cutting tools.
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