Besides their exceptional beauty, ceramic knives have the advantage of being harder than titanium, carbide, and high carbon steel. Ceramic is pretty lightweight and won’t absorb odors.
It’s the second hardest material after diamond. It can hold its razor-sharp edge for many years, reducing the need for sharpening. But like all knives, they will eventually get blunt after months or years of use.
With that in mind, sharpening ceramic knives at home is almost next to impossible. This is because you can’t use traditional sharpening tools like oilstones. These tools aren’t hard enough to sharpen ceramic blades.
In this article, we provide tips on how to sharpen ceramic knives. We’ve listed several options you can try to restore your ceramic blade to factory sharpness.
How To Sharpen Ceramic Knives?
Some tools you can use to sharpen ceramic knives include:
- An electric knife sharpener
- Diamond sharpening rod
- Work sharp knife and tool sharpener
- A fine to very fine diamond stone
- Sandpaper
Explaining Those Tools with an Example for You
We will discuss at length on these tools and how exactly they operate. These tools are some of the world’s best-recommended tools for sharpening ceramic knives. They are made specifically to ease the work for a person who does not know how to sharpen ceramic knives.
1. Electric Knife Sharpener
An electric knife sharpener is an excellent tool that you can use to sharpen your ceramic knife. Invest in one that is diamond abrasive because it can remove nicks easily. A good example is Kyocera Sharpener For Ceramic Knives. This tool is easy to operate and will not require special sharpening skills or experience to use.
It also has an indicator light, guide slots, and assist rollers that provide a controlled sharpening and pressure.
Procedure
- Clean the ceramic knife. Make sure there is no leftover food on the blade so that it can sharpen perfectly.
- Find a flat board or even a table surface to place your tool. Ensure the surface is very stable to avoid accidents.
- Connect your electric knife sharpener to a power source. Set the knife in its sharpening space. Ensure the edge of the blade perfectly touches the sharpening stone before you start sharpening.
After putting the blade in the proper position, turn on your machine. Then gently slide your knife through the stone. Sharpen both sides of your blade, then check to see if the edge is sharp enough to your liking. After that, you can turn off your machine.
- Check your ceramic knife to see if it is sharp enough. If not, repeat the same process until you get to your desired sharpness.
The upside to this machine is that it lets you sharpen your ceramic knife easily without damaging it.
Remember not all-electric sharpeners are compatible with ceramic knives. So watch out and make sure you purchase a ceramic-friendly sharpener.
2. Sharpening Rods
Sharpening rods are slightly less convenient than electric knife sharpeners. You can still use them to sharpen ceramic knives. They are also pretty simple to use. When purchasing a sharpening rod, ensure you get one made from diamond steel.
Sharpening rods are also lightweight compared to some of the sharpening tools. Therefore, they are very easy to handle, and they provide an effortless sharpening experience. A good example includes a Messermeister Ceramic Rod Knife Sharpener.
How does it work?
- Hold the handle of the sharpening rod horizontally or upright.
- Strike the blade of the ceramic knife against the rod about 3-4 times on every side.
3. Using a Work Sharp Knife and Tool Sharpener
This is a heavy-duty sharpening machine that sharpens both ceramic and steel knives. It is lined with an easily replaceable belt that has an abrasive grit. It is very suitable for someone who owns at least two ceramic knives.
It will enable you to sharpen your ceramic knives like a pro – quickly and easily with a repeatable, consistent result.
The price might be high compared to the other sharpening tools. Even so, it is essential to invest in buying a work sharp knife to sharpen numerous blades.
Most people might perceive the tool as a complicated machine just from its looks, but it does not require a lot of skill to operate.
An example is the Work Sharp Knife Tool Sharpener Ken Onion Edition.
How does it work?
- Slide your clean ceramic knife onto the sharpening cassette.
- Start sharpening the knife from the right side of the tool. Squeeze the power switch. Start pulling the cutter straight and steadily along the sharpening tool towards the point on your blade. Pull the knife for at least five strokes.
- Repeat the same process on the left side of your sharpening cassette.
Note that a work sharp knife is very effective in sharpening both straight and serrated ceramic knives.
4. Sharpening Diamond Stone
Diamond stones have been a standard method of sharpening ceramic knives. They have different grit levels that is, 200 grit, 600grit, 1000grit, 1500grit.
Note that when you are sharpening your knife, you can move from one grit level to another. The different grit stones will bring your ceramic knives to a smoothly sharp blade.
How it works.
- Ensure that your ceramic knife is clean and there are no food derbies left on the blade.
- Pass each side of the blade of your ceramic knife over the stone
- First, pass it over the 200grit diamond stone as you move up to higher grit levels. Usually, 1000 grit is enough for home cooking, but if you need your blade to be sharper, you can use up to 1500 grit.
5. Sand Paper
Using sandpaper is one the most affordable and accessible ways to sharpen your ceramic knife.
How to use it:
- You need to clean the knife before you begin to sharpen it with sandpaper.
- Lay the sandpaper on a flat table or counter.
- Put some drops of water on the sandpaper to make it wet. This will help in ensuring the ceramic knifes blade slides well on the wet edge as you sharpen
- Hold your ceramic knife on the handle and sweep its edge across the sandpaper. Remember to move the blade at a 20-degree angle. Additionally, don’t apply too much pressure when sharpening your knife with sandpaper.
- Repeat the procedure until both sides of the blade until it is nicely sharp.
Note it’s pretty time-consuming to sharpen any knife with sandpaper. So if you want to sharpen your ceramic knife using this method, ensure you have enough time to spare.
What Are The Correct Ways To Maintain Ceramic Knives?
It would be best if you kept your ceramic knife sharp and in great condition throughout its use. This is no small task but it is important to protecting your ceramic knives. Here are some of the things you would want to keep in mind:
- Only using your ceramic knife to cut vegetables, fruits, tender steak, chicken breast, fish fillets and any other soft foodstuffs. Do not use ceramic knives to cut any frozen food.
- Make sure you hand wash your knife after usage. Never use a dishwasher to clean your ceramic knife because it makes the knife dull.
- Ensure you do not expose your ceramic knife over an open fire.
- Always ensure you keep your ceramic knife inside a box or on a knife holder.
- Remember always clean your ceramic knife with a towel after every use. You will need to follow the manufacturer’s cleaning and maintenance instructions. It’s important.
- Other than that, anytime you are sharpening your ceramic knife, ensure you do not put too much pressure on your blade as you sharpen. Instead, sharpen it gently.
Knife Safety Tips During Sharpening
As you sharpen your knife, remember your safety is also essential. For instance, when you are using a stone for sharpening, ensure it is on a flat, stable surface to prevent it from slipping from your hand and cutting you.
Whenever you sharpen using a rod, ensure you hold the knife away from your body and away from other people. Make slow movements of your blade against the sharpening rod.
When you make quick movements when sharpening, not only does it result in less smooth sharpening that can render your knife useless, but it could also lead to injuries.
It would be best if you also considered getting yourself a pair of cut-resistant gloves to use whenever you sharpen your ceramic knife.
Final Words
Remember keeping your knife sharp will immensely improve your blade’s cutting ability and also help minimize injuries.
Knowing how to sharpen ceramic knives using the right tool is very important, especially if you intend to use your knives for a long time. Sharpening will keep the edge razor-sharp and help the knife last for years.
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