Sharpening for beginners

[Buchan]

Morning all!
I am doing a teaching session for vet students on postmortem technique. To keep a good edge, what would you recommend for real beginners? I've seen these use by fishmongers that look like they won't damage the blade too much>

This has to be simple, they won't be interested in the black-belt level of detail that some of us like, because we enjoy it. It just needs to work. Blade life is less important

 

[Heym SR20]

Sharpening a knife is one of those essential life skills that anybody who uses a knife should have.

I would suggest teaching the real basics of keeping correct angle as you move the blade across a stone or a steel. Teach the basic principles and you can sharpen a knife on pretty much any abrasive surface.

There are plenty of wonder devices to make sharpening easy. Most kitchens have a drawer full of unused ones. But they do not substitute for basic skills and a bit of time.

Teaching - use a stone to get the primary edge, then a strop or steel to finish it off.

Plenty will opine on different stones - a lot really depends on what culture you are from. Brits traditionally have used oil stones, Japanese- water stones, other like diamond steels. Not sure it really matters - blade angle and technique is what matters.

 

[Cottis]

If the knife is already correctly sharpened, that device will work very well at maintaining a straight edge for the duration of your post mortem unless you are subjecting the blade edge to some horrific abuse.

 

[finnbear270]

Purchase a small box of disposable / blade swap scalpels?

 

[wytonpjs]

There’s a reason why most cutting facilities use those - they work! Simple, effective and should be student proof

 

[Jagged77]

I think as far as simplicity goes whilst also sharpening effectively and correctly, the Spyderco Sharpmaker takes some beating.

If the blade is sharp then a simple good quality steel will bring it back without the need to remove any metal.

 

[wytonpjs]

Purchase a small box of disposable / blade swap scalpels?

As an emergency spare, I carry one of these:

https://www.havalon.com/piranta-original

Same concept as scalpels, just bigger!

 

[Will the chippy]

Having worked in processing poultry I've seen more sharp knives ruined by a steel by someone well meaning. One of the bench top type steels mentioned above should serve you well. I don't like the carbide pull through ones that remove metal, they can soon knacker a decent blade.

 

[willie_gunn]

Morning all!
I am doing a teaching session for vet students on postmortem technique. To keep a good edge, what would you recommend for real beginners? I've seen these use by fishmongers that look like they won't damage the blade too much>

This has to be simple, they won't be interested in the black-belt level of detail that some of us like, because we enjoy it. It just needs to work. Blade life is less important

View attachment 436844

I have one of these in my larder. If you already have a sharp knife then running the blade through one of these every few minutes works well, and is much less effort than using a regular sharpening steel or stone, but it won't really put an edge on a blade that is blunt.

Are they going to be using boning knives for a postmortem? I thought - perhaps wrongly - that they would be using a scalpel, but I guess it depends on the size of what's lying on the slab!

 

[Buchan]

Sharpening a knife is one of those essential life skills that anybody who uses a knife should have.

I'll do a bit on this, but time doesn't allow for it.

Purchase a small box of disposable / blade swap scalpels?

For beginners small blades, even the PM ones, are higher risk of cuts so they will be using basic boning type knives

Thanks so far folks!

 

[Monarch Country Products]

Bit of technique required with the Work-Sharp Benchtop sharpener, but delivers very sharp knives: