Ceramic sharpening rods are a must if you love to be in the kitchen. They are a part of your cutting. Without them, you would have knives that do not do their jobs right and your work prolonged which is something none of us want. People who understand the need to sharpen their tools also know the importance of sharpening rods.
What are Ceramic Sharpening Rods?
Ceramic sharpening rods are sharpening rods made of a material that makes it very easy for them to sharpen knives. These Ceramic Sharpening rods are a quick, easy, and effective way to keep your kitchen knives sharp. A built-in angle guide provides a consistent, repeatable angle for sharpening knife edges quickly and accurately. These rods keep your knife from losing much of its metal. They are typically used to give your knives a nice steel cut without shaving off a lot. Using a knife will cause it to get rough edges.
Furthermore, your knife can get damaged and lose its tip shape. The ceramic gently presses the tip and the rough edge into alignment, straightening the edges without unnecessarily removing the metal. This will keep your knives sharper longer without sharpening them as often. This is the best thing to do when you have a knife that is sharp but needs to be sharper. This rod will make the knife as sharp as you want without doing much.
How to Use Ceramic Sharpening Rod?
Ceramic sharpening rods are very easy to use. Take a cloth and a cutting board. Fold the cloth and put it on the cutting board. Then take your ceramic sharpening rod and put the pointy tip facing downwards on the table on the cloth. This will help hold down properly. Make sure you have a firm hold on the handle, as you do not want it to slip and hurt you. Set the knife to the desired angle and gently run the edge along the ceramic in a downward slicing from heel to toe. Once one side looks sharp enough, switch to the other side of the knife and repeat the movement. Repeat ten to twenty times, depending on how sharp you want the knife to be, alternating left and right. Sharpen your knives this way twice a week, and your knives will stay sharp for months or even years.
When to Clean Sharpening Rod
If you use your sharpening rod quite often, you are bound to get it dirty. From dirty, it does not necessarily mean that your ceramic sharpening rod has dust particles on it. This means that you have been using it for quite some time without cleaning it properly after use. When you use the rod, you use it to sharpen things. The process requires the sharpening rod to shave off some metal pieces. These metal shavings are bound to get onto your rod and make it dirty. The ‘dirty’ here refers to the metal pieces on your sharpening rod. Depending on the color of your sharpening rod, it can change its color when dirty. When the rod looks a different color from what you initially had, it becomes dirty.
Another thing you can look for when finding if your sharpening rod needs cleaning is to look at how well it works. If the rod is having trouble sharpening your knives, it is time to clean the dirty sharpening rod. The metal shavings on the sharpening rod will hinder the knives’ sharpening and might give them a rougher finish than when you started.
Ways to Clean Ceramic Sharpening Rod
If your ceramic sharpening rod needs cleaning, here are some things you can do to clean it and start working fine again.
Honing Oil
The pores of the ceramic rod tend to become clogged with shavings and dirt. The more shavings clog the sharpener, the less smooth and effective the sharpener will be. These rods should be cleaned with honing oil. Add a few drops of oil. After the oil has been applied, it will remove the metal shavings from the pores, making it easier to clean them now. Once the savings are out, wipe the surface of the rod with a cloth to remove all the dirt and the shavings.
Dish Soap and Warm Water
Another method to clean off the shaving and the dirt is to use dishwashing soap and warm water and lift off any ceramic residue left on the stone with a cloth. Apply the soap and rub it on the sharpening rod gently. Once the soap has been applied, rinse it with warm water to remove the soap and the dirt. Finally, dry it with a cloth.
Magic Erasers
The magic eraser is another trick that can help you and your sharpening rod. This will not only remove the colored pencil scribbles off the wall but also help you get your sharpening skills back. It can also magically remove ceramic shavings and metal splinters from sharpeners. You need to learn how to approach erasing properly and how many erasers you need to make erasing as clean and effective as possible. Once you have, it figured out, you can get to the sharpening of your ceramic rods to make them as good as new.
Warm water and Brush
Another way you can clean your ceramic sharpening rod is to use warm water and a brush. Take a pot and fill it with warm water. Put the sharpening rod inside the pot of warm water. Take your brush and gently start cleaning the sharpening rod. It would be best to be as gentle as possible, as harsh movements may damage the sharpening rod’s pores. Do this until the sharpening rod is clean of any dirt.
These are some ways to keep your ceramic sharpening rods clean and your knives sharper!
