Different methods used in Argentina to sharpen a knife

When we think of Argentina, our mind flashes the images of the leather handbags.  Another thing the country is most famous for is a knife. Gauchos mostly use knives made in Argentina and is an age-old tradition.

Gaucho knife is the characteristics ofthe Argentine knives and is must-have for fighting or killing animals and otherutilities.  This multi-purpose knives need repeated sharpening and honing for its efficiency and to make precise cuts.

A dull knife is not safe, and demands extra efforts only to welcome - accidents and pain. Even for slicing vegetables a sharp nice is important to make even cuts and work faster.

Most people may not accept, but ignores regular sharpening out of anxiety. However, it is not that daunting a task and regular practice can make you a professional guy. There are different methods to sharpen a knife in Argentina and some of them are listed below -

Whetstones

Whetstone made of ceramic or diamond is a very old technique used till date - to sharpen the knife. This is a reliable and durable method, that gives you extremely sharp blades and a new edge, besides thinning of knives.

For quick and flawless results you need to wet the stone in cold water for 10 minutes. Be cautious of the right amount of pressure and spine of the knife at 15-18 degree angle - for professional grade sharpness.

A whetstone has two sides - coarse and a fine side.  Go for the former if you want a smooth edge, and use the later for a razor sharp edge. These fantastic sharpener works well for blunt knives, unlike the sharpening rods.

Sharpening rods

Ceramic or diamond coated rods are must have, when your knife becomes very dull or to fix the edge damage. These sharpening rods are an excellent age-proven option for honing knives - between the sharpening sessions, but do not work well for blunt knives.

However, they may not be as cheap as whetstones, but yield faster results. Sharpening knife is similar to whetstones in regards to giving long lifespan to your knife.

You need to be mindful of the vertical orientation of the knife and applying light pressure.  You need to be consistent at 20-degree edge angle to get a sharp working edge.

Pull through sharpeners

Pull through sharpener is an ideal choice to get a sharp knife with a jagged edge for a cooking enthusiast. The cooking knives do not need sophisticated sharpening method. So, this option is suitable, if you are not using the knife for tasks like hunting.

You need to pull your knife through the grinding wheels. Do it several times without pushing on the wheels with coarse or fine grit. However, the effect is of short duration, and not suitable for thinning the knives.

Electric sharpeners

An electric sharpener is the supercool, cheap, quick and easiest way to sharpen the knife.  It is an automatic process and you do not have to brainstorm recalling the best angle to hone or sharpen the knife. The good news is that the results are equivalent to any of the manual  sharpening method.

This method also sharpens stainless steel blades with minimum efforts. However, the worst part is cleaning the steel residue. If your knife needs only honing then this is not the safe option - as it may chip away a portion of the blade.

Conclusion

The above methods are the effective one to sharpen your knives. Choose the method, that best suits your knife considering its type and utility. Never forget to test the sharpness of your knife once done with the sharpening. You can simply test it on a paper or a vegetable, before putting the knife to rest.

A sharp knife does not remain sharper unless you keep maintaining it. Periodic honing is necessary to avoid ridges and nicks on blades as well as unnecessary accidents.

If you are a beginner then do watch some online free tutorials for right position and angle for sharpening your gaucho knife. That’s all, go ahead and let us know your feedback.