IT’S ALL ABOUT THE ANGLES
What determines the best sharpening angle? The answer is one that plagues knife neophytes and old hands alike.
“The best angle of sharpening is one of those very intriguing topics that many have explored but most have come up with different answers,” states Jake Broce, online marketing coordinator for A.G. Russell Knives. Agrees Kyle Crawford, brand manager for Work Sharp, “The answer is often different for everyone.”
He says the two keys are knife type/use and edge retention/maintenance. In fact, all of our story sources cited the intended use of the knife as a deciding factor. For tough chores such as chopping or batonning, a wider angle is best. “Generally, the wider the angle of edge, the more steel is behind it, which increases the edge’s toughness,” Broce observes. “For kitchen knives that see light duty cutting food on cutting boards, or a task-specific hunting knife like a camping knife, a low angle is ideal,” counters Crawford.
