The sharpening stones are basic to maintain a good cut in our tools, such as knives, chisels or scissors. There are many different types of stones, but the most common – and ancient – are water sharpening stones. Today we analyse one of the best known brands of our country in this type of stones: A Pedra Das Meigas.
A Pedra Das Meigas
Within the wide range of sharpening stones offered by A Pedra Das Meigas, we have selected kit 120. It is a set of 3 stones to the water with a grain of 700, 1200 and 6000. Each one measures approximately 27cm of long, 7 wide and 3 thick. It is the most complete kit of the brand and one of the most recommended. And it is that this selection of stones is one of the most balanced in the market, both by dimensions, as by type of grain and price. With them we can cover virtually all types of sharpening, without spend lot of money. This kit presents a total price of € 44, while a single stone combined in brands such as Zwilling is more than double.
Each stone has a strong and shock resistant consistency. The thickness guarantees a long shelf life, ideal for professional spaces where constant daily sharpening is necessary. In addition, the kit 120 includes a non-slip foam base in black, something simple, which allows a better fixation during sharpening. Likewise, this set of stones is accompanied by a book of instructions and tips for use. It is a very positive point because the stones of other brands are usually sold loose, assuming that the buyer already knows how to use them.
On the other hand, the presentation is improvable. The plastic blister distorts the quality of these stones. Even so, the container can be used as a base to submerge the stones before sharpening, so that they can be completely covered.
Sharpening stones performance
Following the instructions, these stones present a scale of sharpening. Each one is marked with a label with the type of grain and function: 700 for fine grinding, 1200 for polishing and 6000 for final refined. This indication allows us to avoid possible confusions, especially if the sharpening will be done by different people.
In our case, we wanted to test the stones with a high-performance knife: the Wüsthof Classik Icon, a range that we also analysed a few weeks ago. The hardness of its steel with its special edge can make these stones difficult. In addition, we have not opted for a chef-type knife, which by its dimensions allows a comfortable sharpening. In this case, we preferred a lace, with a 12 cm blade, similar to any table knife.
Analysis and conclusions
We remove the stones from the container and wet them in water, one by one, inside a container. Our advice is that you wet them well since they are large, getting them to completely submerge if you are going to sharpen several knives. The water allows to gradually release the pore of the stone, while in dry it will sharpen the blade more sharply.
We take the stone of 700, completely wet, and place it stretched on the table. Here we can use the foam base that accompanies the kit or an easy-drying stora. With water still on the surface of the stone, we hold the knife with one hand and support it on the stone. The edge of the knife must be in accordance with the degree of inclination of this on the stone. If the time is parallel to the stone, we will scratch and deform the edge. The same will happen if the leaf is too raised. To avoid this, it is advisable to have patience, help each other with both hands and continue to drive the knife while maintaining the inclination of the edge it has as standard. It may cost you a little at first, but it is a mechanical task that requires tact and care.
We pass the knife 3 times on each side. If the sheet is very nicked, we must repeat the process until the sheet is corrected.
Once we have finished with the first stone, we clean the knife and do the same with the grain of 1200 (polishing). It is important to keep the stones and the knife clean, especially when passing from one stone to another. This will allow us to avoid transferring small grains from one stone to another and thus maintain the properties of each one.
Finally, we repeat the step with the stone of 6000. In the final sharpening, we will have to pass more times since the grain is very fine. As a minimum, it would be advisable to take about 6 or 8 passes. You can perform the paper test or peel a tomato to find out if the sharpening is the desired one.
In our case, we can say that kit 120 of A Pedra Das Meigas presents an excellent value for money. It is an ideal product for domestic or professional use and resistant to the demands of today. Its weight and dimensions maintain the stone quite well during sharpening. Although the packaging can be improved, it has all the requirements, although we miss a support or wooden box to serve as support. Also, we would have liked a stone with a finer grain, 10,000 or 12,000, to get a round result. In this case, A Pedra Das Meigas does not have sharpening stones of this type, at least for now.
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