The invention is an abrasive article for sharpening cutting blades mounted within a grinding apparatus. The article is a soft matrix in which are embedded abrasive particles, and this matrix is preferably encased within a dry and non-adherent shell or capsule. The article is capable of being fed into the apparatus, wherein it is crushed, leaving the abrasive particles free to contact and sharpen the blades by abrasion.

In one aspect, a method of preparing a meat skinner blade is provided which includes: abrading an upper edge of a steel strip to form an angularly-offset two-facet blade edge; and, honing the two-facet blade edge of the steel strip to impart a vertical taper along the two facets of the two-facet blade edge. Advantageously, the subject invention provides a blade for meat skinning, de-membraning, and derinding having, in use, a downwardly-turned edge with vertical tapering. This provides for a robust design capable for more cuts, and, thus, longer use life, than standard meat skinner blades.

A sharpening system for a meat grinder is provided. The sharpening system embodies two types of sharpening stones for sharpening the cutting edges of the knife blade and the hole plate, respectively, of the meat grinder, wherein each type of sharpening stone operatively associates to the drive arbor of the meat grinder. By interchangeably replacing the knife blade along the drive arbor with one type of sharpening stone so as to sharpen and resurface the hole plate, or replacing the hole plate along the drive with the other type of sharpening stone to sharpen and resurface the knife blade, the present invention provides hands-free sharpening with no additional machines or tools.