Whether you are a culinary genius or you only use knives to slice bananas into your cereal, you are probably aware of the irritating qualities of a dull blade. Diamond knife sharpeners purport to be able to hone your knives to razor sharpness, but they are also a subject of some curiousity. The best way to decide if your kitchen needs a diamond knife sharpener is to understand exactly how and why they work.
History
Knife sharpeners are also known as scissors grinders, and they used to be real people. In the middle ages, it was very expensive to buy new knives or blades. Knife sharpeners would travel the lands, sharpening all blades in a household for a fee. Fortunately, now we have knife stones and other means of sharpening blades that enable us to make sharp, clean cuts whenever we like.
Function
Diamond knife sharpeners use a substance called diamond abrasive to hone blades. Diamonds are the hardest substance on earth, so they are perfect for grinding and sharpening blades of iron or steel, which would break many other substances. However, these sharpeners are not actually made of diamonds, but are coated with a hard abrasive substance that grinds away at the blade of the knife.
Features
Diamond knife sharpeners are coated with industrial diamonds that have been bonded with steel. These diamonds are very tiny, like grains of sand, and not of a quality that could be used for jewelry or scientific purposes. The majority of the knife stone is not diamond like in any way. Only the coating has anything to do with diamonds.
Types
Diamond knife sharpeners come in many forms. Some are simple stones that you hold in your hand and pass the blade of the knife across. Others are a countertop appliance that scissor the blade in between two stones to hone and sharpen both sides at once. You can also purchase pocket diamond knife sharpeners that look exactly like a pen until you push the stone out.
Misconceptions
Many knife stone companies use the word diamond in their names, but this does not necessarily mean that the stones are coated with the diamond-steel alloy. If a product is described as a "diamond-hone" product, for example, this may just mean that the company thinks that this stone is as good as a diamond stone. Make sure that you know exactly what you are actually getting before investing in a diamond knife sharpener.
Benefits
Diamond knife sharpeners are among the best sharpeners in the world. You will get a strong, sharp blade when you use them. Also, they do not require as much sharpening as other stones, so your knives will last longer because they are ground much less.
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