How to sharpen a shoe knife?
How to sharpen a shoe knife? |
||||
|
|
||||
| Whetstone is a solid block made of aluminium oxide or ceramic coated in diamond particles. It’s a versatile type of sharpener as it can both create an edge and maintain an existing one. | ||||
 |
Various sizes are available. You can get large bench whetstones for a workshop as well as small portable ones. | |||
Which whetstone is best? |
||||
 |
Whetstones can be used wet or dry and come in numbered grades ranging from 240 (coarse) to 8,000 (ultra fine). Many have two, three or four sides, with a different grade on each one.
A whetstone set in a stand is easier to use than a hand-held one as it won’t move around while you’re drawing the blade across. |
|||
 |
You use a coarse whetstone, or the coarse side of a multi-sided stone, to create a sharp edge, then a finer stone, or finer side of the same stone, to refine and polish it. | |||
 |
Although whetstones can be used dry, many people prefer to lubricate them. Water helps the cutting action by minimising the friction between the blade and the stone. It also washes away swarf – tiny metal shavings that come away from the blade during sharpening. | |||
 |
You usually have to soak the whetstone in water for 10 to 20 minutes beforehand, depending on the manufacturer’s instructions. | |||
 |
Some whetstones are designed to be coated with honing oil. This type can take a little longer to sharpen the knife and is also messier to clean up afterwards. | |||
How to use a whetstone |
||||
 |
Hold the knife at an angle of 20 to 25 degrees and rub the blade back and forth across the stone. Work on small sections until the whole blade is sharp, then turn it over and sharpen the other side.
If you have a multi-sided stone, sharpen the knife on a coarse side first then finish it off on a finer grained side. |
|||
 |
Finally, rub the blade up and down against a thick piece of leather (also called a strop) or canvas to remove any burrs. | |||
 |
||||
