Chemical sharpening of hooks
The points of each hook are first made with a normal needle grinding method. The wire then goes throughout all the other stages to make it into a finished hook and it is then heat-treated.
After that the hooks go through a process in which a chemical attacks the surface. The thinner parts of the wire are affected and, in particular, the point.
The chemical smoothes or "eats away" the metal and, in effect, refines the point. This is quite a critical operation because if the chemical sharpening goes on too long it will eventually dull the point and may weaken the barb. Furthermore, if the chemical attacks one side of the point more than the other then the point will be weakened. Finally, it is important to remember that chemical sharpening will not make a weaker point into a strong one. It is more likely to make a suspect point even weaker!
The method used is similar to that which has been used for surgical needles for many years.
- NOTE *** In most cases trying to sharpen chemically or laser sharpened hooks will actually blunt them!
First answer by Philocalist. Last edit by Philocalist. Contributor trust: 56 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 26 [recommend question]
