How to sharpen a knife with musat. High grade Victorinox sharpener is the best choice for a kitchen knife. Editing a knife with musat

To cook food, it is impossible to do without a knife. The blade must be sharp and durable. Therefore, in order to correct a sharp edge, professional chefs are helped by musat for knives, which, in turn, returns the original qualities to the cutting object.

What is musat for knives, and why is it needed at all? Musat is a device that allows you to make a sharp cutting edge. To keep the blade of the knife constantly sharp, use a special musat for sharpening. This tool helps to give an attractive look cutting tool. The musat knife does not require additional sharpening. It is constantly in working order. Musat for knives is sold at any hardware store.

When sharpening occurs in other ways, a layer of coating is removed from the blade, which reduces the service life. Musat for sharpening knives allows you to save perfect look metal surface that will last a long time. In its proper form, musat is such a device with a shape similar to a round file. The hardness of the device necessarily exceeds the hardness of the knife.

Depending on the field of application, they are divided into groups:

household - the cheapest tools, 18-23 cm long. Used for sharpening soft kitchen knives;
universal fixtures 26-29 cm long. They are equipped with high-quality cutters. The price of such products is much higher. Suitable for dressing hard blades;
professional - the tool is distinguished by its dimensions: 26-36 cm. To cut meat in everyday life, knives rule with thin musat (32-36 cm). Chefs use short musat (26 cm).

The musat sharpener differs from similar designs in its appearance and structure.

Kinds

This tool comes in several varieties. The sharpener musat has different shape and material of manufacture. The device is:

round;
oval;
faceted;
flat;
tetrahedral.

Each group has special characteristics. How to buy musat for a specific job? For example, choosing a round one, you need to remember that it weighs little. To create a large contact with the surface, it is better to opt for an oval fixture. The use of sharpening equipment of this form makes it possible to achieve highly efficient sharpening.

Editing knives with musat shows an excellent result if flat tools are used. They are able to create maximum linear contact. Tetrahedral fixtures are a combination of several types, necessary for special sharpening.

By material

To make an accurate choice of musat, you need to pay attention to the material of manufacture. Its further use depends on it. The tool is made from several materials:

diamond;
ceramics;
metal.

This musat for knives is distinguished by its original ceramic coating. The equipment has several surfaces with varying degrees of abrasiveness. On one side there are notches that can easily cope with the metal layer of the knife. The other surface is made perfectly smooth. It is used for polishing as well as straightening the cutter.

To sharpen a knife made of steel with low hardness, it is better to use ceramic musat. He edits wide blades as well as old knives.

Diamond

Features of musat for diamond-based knives deserve attention, because this option is considered the best. A few movements are enough for a dull cleaver to become very sharp again. Diamond musat is used for polishing and straightening a knife blade. It is not used for the sharpening procedure.

The industry manufactures tools from special chrome-plated steel, which is characterized by high hardness. outdoor part coated with diamond particles. His oval shape helps to avoid the formation of notches on the surface. This attachment can easily handle any blunt kitchen cutter. After it is edited, the blade remains sharp for a long time.

Rinsing of diamond musat after work must be done manually. This will keep the tool in working condition for a long time. It is strictly forbidden to store diamond tools near solid objects.

Metal

Musat steel is made of chrome-vanadium steel. Its main advantage is considered high hardness. The working surface is made smooth. The tool is designed for polishing the surface and straightening the blade. Not used as a sharpener.

Mixed

This tool is distinguished by its working surfaces. One is rough, the other is smooth. Excellent sharpness after straightening is created by the smooth side.

By function

Musat is used only on knives with a durable, non-chipping edge. The blade they have is of medium hardness. The device is used for dressing cutting objects with a hardness of 50-60 HRC. If it is below 50 Rockwell units, the musat will begin to cut off the cutting edge, it will remove the metal layer, finally ruining the functional part.

When the hardness of the blade exceeds 60 HRC, when dulled, the edge of the knife begins to chip. Sometimes it is flattened, jammed, but with a high hardness of the metal, the musat will not be able to fix it. She'll just snap.

With low hardness, the surface of the device will slide along the cutting edge without leaving any marks. In these cases, musat is not used at all. It is considered a useless tool.

For grinding

Why do you need musat for knives? Almost all purchased knives require fine-tuning of the blade. This operation is carried out by grinding. This the finest process allows you to achieve a special sharpness of the cutting edge. Using musat, you can get without the use of grinding machines sharp blade, which will freely cut a sheet of paper. Grinding can be of different forms:

round;
flat;
tubular.

Professionals use this tool to create and maintain the desired shape of the blade, as well as to give it maximum sharpness. It is best to handle kitchen knives that are not completely blunt with this device. They are made with soft blades. This grinding tool is not able to sharpen the knife, it can only straighten it.

For initial sharpening

The most popular musat among professional craftsmen are steel standard tools, on the surface of which there are notches. The form of the device may be different. Each master chooses the type with which it is easiest for him to work.

To perform the initial sharpening, use round steel screws with a standard notch. Usually the length of the tool is in the range of 25-30 cm. At home, it is much more convenient to work with a tool with a length of 20 cm. The cost of round devices is lower than faceted, oval and mixed tools. Therefore, they have become the most sought-after correct elements. Regardless of the shape of the tool, its length must always exceed the length of the cutter blade by at least 5 cm.

How to use

To achieve maximum effect tool, you need to know how to use it. The work must be carried out in a certain technological sequence:

put a towel on a flat surface;
the instrument is placed in a vertical position. Its tip should touch a non-slip surface;
hold the knife with their free hand, maintaining an angle of 15-20 degrees;
the movement of the cutter should start from above, slowly falling down;
the direction is maintained: first from oneself, then towards oneself;
after sharpening one surface, the operation is repeated on opposite side. You need to start from the base, end with the tip of the blade.

4-7 movements on the surface of the musat are enough to return the cutting edge to its original sharpness. If you use a diamond tool, it is enough to run the blade once on each side.

Aweigh

Such knife sharpening is usually shown by professional craftsmen. Behind the seeming ease of the operation, there is a huge amount of experience and training. To sharpen a knife on weight, it is necessary to maintain an angle of inclination of the tool of 20 degrees relative to the working blade. Each movement must be very fast. However, no juggling, excessive haste is allowed. Smoothness of movement with simultaneous speed comes with experience.

For sharpening on weight, you must follow a certain sequence:

the knife in the hand is set with the blade down on lower part musat. The cutting part of the cutter should be in the “away from you” position;
the blade is held on the surface of the musat "on itself", maintaining the correct angle;
movements should be carried out quickly and easily, without pressure. This method is considered dangerous as the blade can come off and injure a person;
several wires are made, then the blade is turned over, the operation is repeated.

In order for the knife to freely cut a sheet of paper on weight, it is necessary to draw the blade along the snap-in about 5-6 times. This number only applies to cutters that are adjusted every day.

To sharpen a very dull knife, the number of operations increases several times. To sharpen a new device, you need to perform an operation with pressure. The movement is carried out in the direction "away from you". The angle of inclination is increased to 30 degrees.

Hold the whetstone in your left hand and the knife in your right

Hold at a 20 degree angle

Leading towards the handle

We repeat 6-8 times

with support

This way is much easier. It can be used even by a person without experience in sharpening operations. The device in this case rests on a hard surface, such as a board. This helps to work under right angle. The sequence of actions is similar to the above, but there are some differences:

The tool rests on the table strictly vertically.
The required angle is set: 20-25 degrees.
The blade moves along the musat only perpendicularly.
The base of the tool, as well as the knife, must touch in the upper position. The tip touches at the very bottom.

Movements are performed, starting from the top, gradually going down. To move up, the blade must be taken away from the tool.

How to properly care

After use, the device must be stored in a suspended state. Can be hung on a hook, set on a stand. Rinsing can be done with any detergent using a washcloth or soft sponge. These simple rules will help increase the life of the equipment.

Wash in soapy water

Can be processed with sandpaper (ceramic only)

According to professionals, the best are musat with polished working surface where you can see your own reflection:

Facilitates the work of the magnetized tip of the product. It helps to quickly remove metal dust that has settled on the surface of the knife.
In order not to injure the fingers during operation, there must be a special guard between the rod and the handle.
Ceramic musats are considered the most durable. They perfectly sharpen knives, removing a minimum layer of metal. The disadvantage of these products is their high fragility. After a fall or impact on the surface, a crack or chip may appear.

When choosing a musat, it is necessary to take into account the grade of steel from which the blade is made, as well as its hardness. Now you know what musat is, and why it is needed in everyday life.

Must have a guard for safety

Choose a magnetized tip

The best is ceramics.

Video

To prepare a tasty and beautiful dish, you need to pay attention to every little thing, including the sharpness of the knife. During operation, the blade becomes less sharp, and this not only makes it difficult to grind ingredients, but can also cause cuts.

In order for this device to always remain smooth and sharp, many chefs use musat for knives. This device has become especially popular in recent times, with it you can align and sharpen the blade.

What is musat for knives

There are many various tools for sharpening. These are special stones and others mechanical devices and electric knife sharpeners. However, among this variety, an increasing number of people choose musat. Why are these tools so popular, and what are they?

Musat for sharpening knives is a special rod from the grinding base, which is attached to the handle. Such tools differ mainly in the degree of softness of the material. This indicator determines what the blade will become after using the musat: smooth or rough.

The advantage of musat is that their surface is magnetized. Thanks to this, after sharpening, there will be no metal crumbs left in your kitchen, they will “stick” to the tool. To remove them, just wipe the musat with a damp cloth.

Musat types

Ceramic musat is great for sharpening large and wide blades.

It is very important to choose the right tool so that the effect of its use is the best. To do this, first of all, you need to pay attention to its purpose. There are such musats:

for grinding a blade that has already been sharpened;
for the initial sharpening of the edges of knives.

And also it is worth deciding on the material of musat, which is most often "diamond" or ceramic.

The first type of musat is made of hard chrome steel, which is then covered with "diamond" sand. Sharpening with the help of such devices is very fast. For an excellent result, it is enough to run the rod once on each side of the blade.

"Diamond" musats have many advantages.

Besides, distinguishing feature"diamond" tools - oval shape. It eliminates the possibility of the formation of depressions on the tip. Even if you accidentally press too hard on the musat in some place, there will be no unwanted notches or grooves left. At the same time, the sharpening rod made of "diamond" steel is quite rough to "bring to life" even the most blunt blade. After processing the edge with "diamond" musat, it remains sharp and smooth for a long time.

With all its advantages, this kitchen appliance is also very easy to store. It does not require special care. And in order for the musat to last longer, it is enough to follow only two rules: do not put it in the same box with other solid objects and wash it by hand, not in the dishwasher.

A ceramic rod is also used for sharpening and final grinding of cutting surfaces. Such models are round or oval.
Musat from this material perfectly sharpens large and wide blades. It is suitable even for the "cleaver" with which meat is cut. With it, you can sharpen a heavily worn knife, and it will do an excellent job of polishing the blade.

How to sharpen knives with musat

Before talking about the rules for using this tool, it should be noted that musats are intended only for knives with a smooth blade. They cannot be used if the cutting surface is wavy or serrated.

When sharpening a knife with musat, the blade does not become thinner, but only straightens. This is its main difference from other sharpeners. This feature allows you to use musat before each cooking, since even frequent sharpening will not affect the durability of the blade.

How to sharpen knives with musat? Remember that a good effect from the use of musat is achieved only if it is used correctly. Follow this sequence of actions:

Place the end of the tool on a non-slip surface. Best suited for this is spread on kitchen table towel.
During the sharpening itself, hold the knife blade at an angle of 20 0.
Swipe the cutting surface over the musat several times. First from the bottom up, and then back and forth.
Repeat the same steps for the other side of the blade.

It is important not to apply too much pressure on the blade while sharpening, otherwise a notch may form on the blade.

How many times does it cost to run a knife along the musat rod so that the blade becomes optimally sharp? If you are using a "diamond" tool, once on each side is enough. And when using a ceramic rod, you need to repeat these movements 3-6 times.

Editing a knife with musat

To straighten knives, you will need a tool and a non-slip surface.

Musat can be useful not only to sharpen the blades, but also to correct them. How to do it right? There are certain rules on how to edit a musat knife:

as with sharpening, place the musat on a non-slip surface (a towel or cutting board is suitable as a “lining”);
tilt the musat to the left by 20–25 degrees;
attach the tip of the knife on the right to the very beginning of the rod and draw it from the base to the tip, directing the movement down;
do the same with the other side of the cutting device, tilting the musat to the right.

These actions are performed until the knife blade acquires the desired sharpness.

How can you tell if a knife is sharp enough?

After sharpening, be sure to check whether the blade is well sharpened. To do this, you can use one of these methods:

Select a strand of hair at the back of the head, and press the knife against it at a right angle. Run through your hair from top to bottom, without making sudden movements. If the blade is still blunt, it will slip easily, while a sharpened point will "cling".
Take a newspaper or piece of paper and hold it upright. In this position, try to cut the sheets: if you succeed, the sharpened knife is already quite sharp.

For many chefs, musat has become an indispensable item in the kitchen. This is due to the fact that it is easy to use, does not damage the blades of knives and lasts a very long time if used correctly.

Not really

When preparing food, it is very important that the knife is sharp. This not only makes it easy to cut through any food, but is also much safer than using a dull tool. That is why every professional chef has at his workplace and often more than one.

Why is it needed? The fact is that in the process of work, the cutting edge of the knife “crumples” a little, because of which the tool loses its qualities. Musat helps to solve this problem. It evens out the edge and returns the knife to its former sharpness.

What is musat

Used for sharpening knives various fixtures. These are stones, mechanical, etc. However, musat is gaining more and more popularity today. What is it?

This tool is a rod made from various materials, with handle. And they use it, as already noted, to align the working edge of the knives.

Such tools are characterized, among other indicators, by the roughness of the drawing. It is she who affects how smooth or rough the surface of the sharpened knife will be.

Metal crumbs that form when sharpening or straightening a tool will not fall on the floor or on the table. The fact is that the surface of any musat, as a rule, is magnetized. Thanks to this, all the "unnecessary" particles remain on it. After work, it remains only to wipe them with a damp cloth.

Kinds

These devices are of several types. Moreover, they differ both in shape and in the material from which they are made. So, there are round musats. They also include oval fixtures. Another variety in the form of execution is faceted tools. This group includes flat and tetrahedral musats.

Each type of tool has its own merits. So, for example, a round musat weighs very little, and an oval one contributes to greater contact between its surface and the edge of the cutting device, which makes sharpening more efficient. However, the best possible results are still achieved with flat instruments, which provide the most complete linear contact. Well, and tetrahedral devices are, one might say, a combination of two types of musat.

The surface of the rod can be made of the following materials:

Ceramics. Such musat for knives is also used for sharpening cutlery, and for its polishing.
Metal. Tool with frequent notches. It is used only for sharpening knives.
The so-called "diamond". On their surface is applied. They sharpen knives, but do not rule.
Mixed. One side of such a rod will be rough, and the other side will be smooth.

musat. Method 1

Professionals usually rule knives with a musat directly on the weight, without resting the tool on anything. In this case, the whole process consists of the following steps:

The heel of the knife is placed on the upper end of the musat. Turn the cutting edge towards you.
We move the blade towards ourselves along the tool. The angle between the surfaces should be 20 degrees. You don't need to press hard on the knife. We press it lightly. How exactly - you will feel for yourself with a little practice.
Musat for knives is equipped with a special guard that will not allow the cutting tool to injure your hand. It is near it that the tip of the device stops after the completion of the second stage.
We place the musat over the knife and press the heel of the latter to the tip of the first. Gently pull the knife towards you. Let's not forget the corner.
Repeat the previous steps in a circle 3-4 more times. However, if your knife is pretty blunt, you will need to sharpen it a little more until it is sharp enough.

How to check if the tool is well sharpened? Try cutting up a piece of newspaper. If the knife does not cling to it, but passes smoothly through it, then you did everything right. Rinse it well warm water(you can use a cleaning agent), wipe dry with a towel. Do not forget to remove the steel particles from the musat with a damp piece of cloth.

We rule the knife with musat. Method 2

If the first option requires some skill, then this method is often chosen by those who first try to use musat for knives. So, let's do the following steps.

We rest the tip of the musat on the table or cutting board strictly vertical. Tilt it slightly to the left by about 20-25 degrees.
We place the knife at the handle of the musat, to the right of it, the cutting edge is directed downwards. We move from the heel of the first to its tip, sliding down towards the table. We do not touch on the latter.
We return to the starting position. Only now we tilt the musat to the right, and place the knife on the left.
Again we draw the cutting edge from top to bottom. We hold the angle between the tools at 20 degrees.
Repeat the above steps until the knife is sharp enough. After that, we wash it, and wipe the musat well with a damp cloth.

Conclusion

Every self-respecting culinary specialist already has this indispensable and easy-to-use device in his kitchen. Now you also know, musat, and what these devices are, so you can easily make a choice and get a new assistant.

No matter how high-quality a knife is, sooner or later, due to high loads, abrasive wear and electrochemical effects, the geometry of its blade is distorted, and the knife stops cutting properly. If the wear is negligible and only straightening of the blade is required, then the musat will help you in this matter.

Musat - this is a metal or, less commonly, a ceramic rod on the handle, used to restore the sharpness of the knife. The metal rod has a notch (ribs) on the surface; in appearance, such a musat looks like a round file.

Musat cleans the already sharpened edge of the blade from the metal fringe on it, smoothing out bumps and burrs on it.

In this article, we will consider what musat are and their types, how to use musat, and recommendations will be given on how to choose musat.

Musat types

Musats differ from each other in shape and the material from which they are made.

1. Types of musat in form:

oval;
round;
Faceted - flat and tetrahedral.

2. Types of musats according to the material used on the surface of the rod itself:

ceramic musats - coated with ceramics;
diamond musats - contain diamond chips;
metal musats (the most common) - contain frequent notches (ribs).
mixed - on one side of the rod - rough surface and, on the other hand, is smooth.

If the musat has a special abrasive coating (diamond, ceramic or other), then such a musat is more like a knife sharpener, and works on the principle of a needle file. They can restore a very dull or not very high-quality knife, but you should not use it on high-quality knives: it can ruin them.

For quality knives, it is appropriate to use either smooth blades or notched blades.

Rules for using musat:

the applied force should be insignificant and distributed evenly along the entire length of the cutting edge of the knife;
observe the angle of 15-25 degrees and the direction of movement;
the musat and the knife must be in contact with each other on the cutting edge;
both sides of the knife should alternately touch the musat, it is impossible to draw first on one side several times, and then on the other.
the movement of the knife about the musat should start from the end of the knife blade (the junction of the blade and the handle) at the beginning of the musat and go through a large arc with slight pressure, ending with the knife edge near the handle of the musat.
the length of the musat should be at least 5 cm longer than the length of the blade of your knife.

IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER: Musat can be edited, but not sharpened!

With heavy wear the knife already needs to be sharpened with special abrasive tools (bars, water stones, special devices) or sharpening machines.

How to choose the right musat?

In professional use, the most popular are standard metal musats with a notch. The shape of the musat depends on purely personal preferences. On the professional kitchens and in meat shops usually they use round metal musats with a standard notch, from 25 to 30 cm long, and for the home, musat of a shorter length (20 cm) is better suited. A significant role in the distribution of round musats was played by their cost: the price of oval, faceted and mixed musats is much higher than for round ones.

Whichever musat you choose, its length must be at least 5 cm longer than the length of your knife blade.

In the online store "Meat Technologies" You will be offered standard round and oval honing stones by Giesser Messer (Germany), as well as Luxstahl (Germany) diamond lugs.