Saturday, November 15, 2008

How To Find A Good Knife Sharpener

Knife sharpening has always been one of the most important parts of tool maintenance, even dating back to the when the first primitive tool was made. In Colonial times, a grist mill was many times the first building to be set up when a new settlement was formed. This is because pioneers knew that without sharp tools, the building processed would be a very slow process.

The sharpening tools of today use the same techniques as old girst mills, whet stones and manual sharpeners, the difference is in the amount of power they use. For instance, grinding wheels once powered by water wheels are now zapped with electricity to speed up the sharpening process dramatically. And because electric knife sharpener appeared, we do not need to spend so much time to properly sharpen all our cutting tools. A knife sharpener can come in several forms. Gardening tools and axe blades are best sharpened with a bench top grinder.

You really should keep your knives sharp, since you will cut more effectively and do it in safer way. Its best to sharpen your chain saw often not only because you will get a better, cleaner cut, but because it will be safet to use the saw. You take an abrasive end of a drill bit attachment and insert it into the drill which will rotate the end as your saw blade is held against it. You will choose the best knife sharpener for your chain saw if you find the one that has a lot of tips, since they are the ones that will wear out quickly.

Tormek manufacturers a round knife and scissor sharpener that is a bench top grinder with water which helps to reduce friction. There are people who like to use paper wheel for honing the edges of their knives, while the grinder will come with a leather strop instead.

What is important with the knife sharpening is the skill of the owner and his ability to determine when he needs to change the angle. You can have educational courses and sharpening classes, they are a great idea if you really want to master the sharpening skills.

No comments: