The term “Self-Sharpening” is like magic. When I first heard about this technology, I asked myself how do self-sharpening knives work? How on earth is it possible to sharpen a knife without human involvement?
Simply, the self-sharpening knives work covalently with the knife box or sheath. The knife’s edge passes through the knife block’s sharpening blades or sheath in every pull-off or put-off. In this way, knives remain sharp for longer.
I did extensive research on self-sharpening knives and found out their mechanisms, exciting facts, and tremendous utilities. I will share my research with you. This article is the best information hub for the mechanism of self-sharpening knives.
What is Self Sharpening knife?
By definition, these are a particular type of knives not required to sharpen by any external resources. The way they are meant to be used with knife block keeps it sharpen for a longer time. These knives can be used as steak knives, kitchen knives, or tool knife sets.
How Do Self Sharpening Knives work?
The mechanism of auto-sharpening knives is pretty straightforward. A self-honing knife sharpens itself on the way of its usage. Now, I will describe the self-sharpening procedure in three simple steps.
- We already know self-sharpening knives set comes with a knife block—the knife block works as a store for these knives—additionally, the block functions as a sharpener.
- There are a series of toughened stainless-steel blades attached with the knife block or the sheath. When you pull off or insert the knife into the block or sheath, the knife sharpens by the edge.
- With this process, the knife’s edge and the sheath or block’s edge slides against each other, and a very tiny amount of steel is decoyed from the knife block.
Check Out: How to Use a Bench Grinder to Sharpen Knives
How Do You Use a Self Sharpening Knife Block?
The knife block is responsible for sharpening the knives. If you purchase a set of knives, self sharpens, then storing these knives in the block is a prerequisite. If you store or keep the self-sharpening knives, then the blades will lose their sharpening capacity.
There are few thumb rules for using a self-sharpening Knife Block. Such as:
- While removing a knife from the block, pull out thoroughly at a natural speed. Don’t break the pulling-off motion suddenly. It will cause more steel to shear from the sheath or block. This will result in reducing the life span of the knife block.
- Never store an auto sharpening knife outside of a knife block.
- Don’t use other sharpening substances to sharpen a self-sharpening knife set.
- Just drop the knife inside the block slot, don’t push too hard. Just a gentle push will do it.
- Clean the knife block at least once a month. The procedure of cleaning is simple. Just revert the block, and bang against the floor or wall very gently and softly. This will clean up the inner steel dust.
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How Do Self Sharpening Clipper Blades Work?
There are basic differences between self-sharpening knives and clipper blades. The clipper blades are made of two or three series of blades. In each series, there are multiple pointy blades. There are two clipper series. One is upper clipper blades, and another is lower clipper blades. The upper and lower clipper blades are placed to run side by side, complementarily, and create resonance.
When power is on, each series’s pointy blades creating resonance are responsible for sharpening each other. The major issue with the self-sharpening clipper blade is heat generation. Though the blades are made of steel, as the resonance and heat generate, there are strong possibilities of rust development.
How Many Times Should You Run a Knife Through a Sharpener?
There is no exact number for that. If your knife is already sharp enough, you won’t need to pass it through a sharpener.
But if you think your knife is not doing great, then you may consider sharpening it. The self-sharpening knives set you to use; if they are losing sharpness, you may consider pulling off strategy from the knife box or sheath. The steps are as follows:
- Simply insert the knife into the sheath or knife box
- Pull off the blade from the box gently, without a break.
- Repeat the previous two steps three to five times.
- Apply the ice cube carefully onto the edge of the knife when these steps are done.
- Wipe the knife with a clean, dry cloth.
Now, see the difference; your knife is sharper than before. Actually, it doesn’t depend on the number of times you run through a sharpener; it totally depends on the knife to sharpen and determine the perfect strategy to sharp it.
Q1#. When Sharpening a Knife Do you Push or Pull?
Follow the traditional method of sharpening the knife with sand or stone. This pull-push method will be applicable.
The thumb rule is when you are sharpening a knife, closely observe its edge. You will see the blade’s far most edge is sharpest, and rearrest end is blunt. So, you need to push your knife from the blunt end to the sharp end.
Q2#.How Long Should It Take to Sharpen a Knife?
In the case of a traditional knife, it may take 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the knife’s size. Also, the sharpener you are using, the quality, the materials are vital facts here. But, the most crucial aspect is the pressure points while sharpening a traditional knife. It’s a long talk. I will talk through in another blog post.
Q3#. Are Self Sharpening knife sets good?
If you ask me, I will say self-sharpening is just a marketing brag. From a chef’s point of view, it’s nothing but a gimmick to sell poor-quality kitchen knives. The best quality knife sets will have honing stainless steel. The hidden sharpener is a fluke, and they don’t really add value in sharpening.
Self-sharpening knives are not durable; as I mentioned earlier, it shears away a tiny amount of steel at each encounter. So, there is a massive chance of decoying the knife blade in a shorter period.
Conclusion
A complete understanding of how self-sharpening knives work will help you make your buying decision ideally. The essential thing is, choose a knife according to your purpose; it will serve you the best.