Power
Drive power installed in an electric grinding machine. The indicator is expressed in watts. The larger and harder the tool being processed, the more powerful the electric sharpener is needed. However, for sharpening knives at home, a power level of up to about 450 W, or even less, is quite sufficient.
Min. grain
The smallest grit provided in the design of the sharpener or among the complete replacement whetstones. It also indicates the standard grain size for models that have only one type of abrasive surface.
The universal unit for grit is GRIT. Simplified, GRIT grit can be described as the smallest number of holes per square inch of a sieve, at which individual abrasive grains can no longer wake up through this sieve. Accordingly, the higher the GRIT number, the finer the grain will be and the lower the granularity will be.
The purity and intensity of sharpening directly depends on this indicator. The finer the grit, the finer the finish and the lower the abrasive performance, and vice versa, coarser surfaces are well suited for initial sharpening, roughing and/or removing large amounts of material.
Here is a rough table of recommendations for optimal GRIT grit for different applications:
80 – 600 — peeling work (for example, correcting the thickness or geometry of the cutting edge or the entire blade).
600 – 3000 – preparatory work (elimination of traces of peeling), initial sharpening.
3000 – 6000 – semi-finish and fine sharpening.
More than 6000 – final finishing, polishing, straightening of the cutting edge.
At the same time, it is worth remembering that the processing features also depend on the material of the abrasive (see above). For example, ceramic surfaces with
...the same grain size work more delicately and more slowly than diamond ones. More detailed recommendations on optimal grit values and the specifics of various materials can be found in special sources.Max. grain
The largest grain size of the abrasive surface provided in the design of the sharpener (or among the replaceable whetstones supplied as standard).
See “Min. graininess" above. This parameter is indicated only if the sharpener has several abrasive surfaces with different grain sizes. The greater the difference between the minimum and maximum graininess, the more universal this model is, usually, the more options it offers in terms of processing intensity. On the other hand, a wide variety of abrasive surfaces has a corresponding effect on the cost.
Sharpening angle
The sharpening angle provided by the sharpener. It is indicated only for models whose design provides sharpening at a strictly fixed angle (most often, two abrasive elements are used for this at the appropriate angle to each other). For Lansky and Apex machines (see "System"), as well as for stones (see "Type"), this parameter is not given — in such devices, the angle can be adjusted independently.
The smaller the sharpening angle, the sharper the knife, the easier it enters the material being cut and the better the cut is, especially when working with delicate materials. On the other hand, as the angle decreases, the cutting edge becomes more brittle, requires delicate handling, and dulls faster; therefore, for dense, hard materials, knives with relatively large sharpening angles are used.
As for specific values, in modern sharpeners there are indicators from 15 ° to 30 °. For comparison: Japanese kitchen knives are mainly sharpened at 10 – 20 °, classic chef's — 25 -30 °; and for a folding pocketknife, 30° is still considered a small angle. More detailed recommendations on sharpening angles can be found in special sources.
Serrated sharpening
Possibility of using a sharpener for
sharpening serrated blades.
Such blades have a serrated cutting edge, for which the classical method of sharpening, on a flat surface, is unsuitable: such a procedure will simply erase the teeth and, at best, turn the serrated blade into a classic smooth one. Therefore, for sharpening in this case, special devices are used: thin rods made of abrasive material, somewhat tapering towards the end. With such a rod, each individual tooth is sharpened separately; this work can be quite laborious, but it allows you to restore the full performance of the serrated blade. At the same time, note that for blades with fine teeth, even such a specialized sharpener may be too large.
Weight
The weight of the item, expressed in grams.
A lightweight design is convenient for handheld and pocket sharpeners (see "Type"), as it allows for extended use without fatigue if the sharpener is meant to be held in the air. On the other hand, heavier weight is typical for stationary devices, which need to maintain stability during the jerking motions of knife sharpening.
