Global Knife Sharpener
Finding a good Global knife sharpener can be a bit tricky. Global knives hold an edge really well but the strength and toughness of the blades can make sharpening them a pain.
Normally, chefs, cooks, and butchers sharpen kitchen knives with sharpening steel, but this material is too course to perform well when sharpening your global knife. Global knives are made from molybdenum/vanadium stainless steel and require different methods to get best results. The very best sharpening tools to use on your global kitchen knives are Japanese waterstones and ceramic stones.
Let’s take a look at Japanese waterstones. Firstly, a waterstone needs to be soaked in water for awhile before being used, about twenty minutes should do it. Waterstones are a fairly fast sharpening tool because the particles of the stone are loosely bound together and the water continually washes out the old particles leaving new particles to do the sharpening.
The other really good choice for keeping a sharp edge on your Global knives are ceramic stones. Like with a waterstone, it’s a good idea to soak a ceramic stone in water before you sharpen a knife with it. But in this case about five minutes of soaking should be plenty of moisture because water is used mostly as a lubricant with a ceramic stone. Ceramic stones are harder than waterstones so they will sharpen a blade a bit faster and last longer.
Both ceramic stones and waterstones are available in different grits and sizes.
Here are a few sharpening tips that will let you sharpen your Global knives like a professional no matter what type of stone you use.
Unless your knife has been neglected or damaged, a medium grit stone should be used to begin sharpening. Then follow up with finer grit stones until you get your desired level of sharpness. Hold your knife against the sharpening stone at about a ten degree angle and push the blade across the stone with smooth steady strokes. Keep up a steady place until your blade is sharp and burr free. Be sure to sharpen the other side of your blade as well of course. As you move the knife across the stone a residue may build up. Don’t wipe that residue off the stone until you are finished sharpening. It may actually help sharpen your blade! When you are done sharpening simply clean up your knife with warm water and towel dry.
