Gadgets Philippines – May 2017

88 MAY 2017 http://www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph

BULLETPOINTS

Words by Ren Alcantara

First off, and this is probably the most complicated

part of the process, is you’ll want a sharpening

kit that has some form of angle guide. The

importance of this can’t be stressed enough.

Sharpening freehand on a stone requires a lot

more practice than I have time for, and while I can

get a decent edge on a stone with no angle guide,

it’s never anywhere near as sharp as when I have

my complete kit.

My weapon of choice is the Lansky Sharpening

System. Depending on the kit, this will include

stones of varying grit, and an angle guide, so

you can keep the angle of each stroke perfectly

consistent. More than almost anything, is key to

getting a very sharp edge on your blade. There

are other great options out there, and I have tried

a few, but this is what I happen to have, so I’ll

stick with it. The main reason I have this is for a

constant angle, so it shouldn’t matter what you

use (even freehand), as long as you have the same

angle for every stroke of the stone on the steel.

The first thing I do when getting ready to sharpen

my knife is to check if there is any one area that

will need particular attention. Maybe there is a

small chip, or a spot whose edge is rolled over. If

any area needs extra seeing to, I take note of it for

later. The knife then goes into the Lansky system’s

clamp, after which, I draw on the very edge with a

marker, for reasons I will get into shortly.

Now, depending on the wear on the knife, I’ll

either go with an appropriate grit of stone. Too

coarse, and you’ll be removing more material

than necessary, and adding an extra step to the

whole process. Too fine, and you’ll be at it all day,

wearing your smoother stones out in the process.

This is something you’ll be able to tell from

experience, but if you must, you might as well go

too rough than not rough enough.

Now, remember how we drew on the edge of

the knife with a marker? This is so we know we

have the right angle when we start sharpening.

Hold the stone against the edge of the knife and

make sure the very edge is resting on the flat of

Keeping my knives sharp is a matter of personal pride. Whipping out a knife that cuts through simple tasks like it

doesn’t even know it’s doing work gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. Getting that laser-sharp edge took a lot of

practice, and my share of trial and error, as well as a few tools to help make the job infinitely easier. I hope to pass

this knowledge on to you, gentle reader, so that we can all have knives worthy of cutting cardboard, hamburger,

and craft materials alike.