Perform 3 to 5 passes of the file over the cutting edge, then turn the knife over and repeat on the opposite side. No cherry-picked units sent by manufacturers. Dont worry, check out the ultimate guide on sharpening knives with a rock in the article below:Complete Guide: How To Sharpen A Knife With A Rock. Sign up to receive GearJunkie content direct to your inbox. With the blade facing down, place the heel of the blade on the stone and slide it down, ending with the tip of the knife at the bottom of the stone. Rocks washed smooth in river beds are ideal for this purpose. Support us! If the rock is large, sharpen the knife by passing the blade over the rock. Also, use common sense. If youre using a sharpening stone, some experts, like Buck Knives, recommend using a marker along the edge before sharpening it. Pocket knives are handy, but because of their accessibility, they get used for all sorts of purposes. There isnt anything on the bolt and nuts that will sharpen your blade. Step 1: Find a smooth, relatively flat rock, and clean it with water. Step 1: Fold the piece of sandpaper, or mount if one a wooden block, to form a rectangular surface with some height above the support surface. The window edge here acts like a honing rod, although you are moving the knife over the sharpening equipment instead of moving the sharpening equipment over the knife. You might have heard about some of these, but you might just as well discover tricks you didnt know. How dull your knife is will determine how many strokes you need to use. Sharpening your pocket knife in this way will restore the keenness of the edge on your pocket knife, but if more aggressive sharpening is required, one of the other messages would be more appropriate. Over the years, I've learned quite a lot about the outdoors and the gear I needed. How to Sharpen a Pocket Knife with Serrated Edges? Step 3: Take the second knife (in your right hand), and place it at a 10 angle to the blade of the first knife (in your left hand). Step 2: Take your knife, and place it at a 10 angle to the surface of the file, the blade directed away from you. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'sharpyknives_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_3',107,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-sharpyknives_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0');The initial costs are higher but you have an option of buying replacing diamond skin for all Atoma plates. This truth is particularly important for your pocket knife, the knife you will reach for most frequently when you need a blade. Let's dive in and explore how it can be done. 6 Best Ways: Sharpening A Pocket Knife With & Without Stone As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases with no additional costs for you. Make sure the surface is not too slippery. Any abrasive surface works. Share your own knife care tips in the . So if you are going to use diamond plates regularly and want to get the best quality on the market, check out the four Atoma diamond plates listed below (Amazon links). Be sure to hone each edge of the blade to ensure it sharpens evenly. They are harder than whetstones which means that they will sharpen your blade faster. Low grits will remove material aggressively for fixing damaged cutting edges, while fine grits will hone and refine the edge. "The clear vocabulary combined with visual references allowed me to recognize that, as usual, my weakness in. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. Apply a lubricant such as mineral oil to the stone to prevent the stones pores from clogging up with grit. Youd rather want to carry all the sharpening stones you can find! No sponsored content. Some methods are intended to do a proper sharpening and restore the edge, while others are intended to touch up an already sharp edge and simply improve the keenness of the edge. A honing rod is an option you can use to quickly restore sharpness to the cutting edge of your pocket knife. It is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. If you want to keep the same angle that your knife came with from the manufacturer, you can always contact the manufacturer or find the information in your owners manual. r/sharpening on Reddit: Flex Post: Finally got my pocket knife sharp What good is a knife that is so dull it will not cut anything? The Knife Hub is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. My family is scared to go near my knife though lol. I really dont know about anything about to sharpen knife without Stone. Step 1: Lubricate the brick that you have found with water. Take the duller of the two knives and run the blade along the spine of the other knife. Youve probably heard from other people, or even knife-making experts, that you shouldnt use a knife to sharpen your knife. If youre trying to use your knife and its not working as smoothly as youre used to, you should probably sharpen it. How to Sharpen a Knife Without a Sharpener - Insider You usually start off sharpening on the rough grit and then finish sharpening it on the finer grit. For a pocket knife, shoot for between 10 and 15 degrees. Step 5: Flip your knife over and repeat to sharpen the other side of the blade, this time dragging the knife back towards you. Or there are slightly fancier setups like the Spyderco Tri-Angle Sharpmaker Set. Of course, this trick could work better with a rougher belt. Follow our 6 best ways of sharpening your pocket knife both with a stone and without. You may also be able to find the specific bevel angle for your knife online. When you look at the edge against the light and the sharp edge looks round and shiny. Sharpening a Pocket Knife - YouTube Sharpen one side of the blade using rough grit. Approved. No matter which type of stone you select, keeping to one that is at least 2x6 inches will make your sharpening job easier. Deuter Aircontact Core Backpack Review: My Original Survived 10 Years Will the Updated Pack Last as Long? Until I really got into researching this, and trying out the methods, I had no idea about the bottom of a mug, but it works great. You are here basically using the top edge of the shovel blade (the foot rest usually thickened) as a sharpening rod to sharpen your knife blade. 1. That means lubricating it properly and you can do that by soaking the slate tile in some water. Diamond stones offer excellent cutting ability to sharpen the edge, particularly on stainless steel knives that are difficult to sharpen due to the wear-resistance of the steel. I have on occasionused the brick on a building to sharpen my box cutter. Step 3: Take your knife, and place it at a 10 angle to the surface of the sandpaper, the blade directed away from you. 1. All it will do, if it does anything, will be to damage your knife. If you are interested in checking out the best sharpeners for pocket knives we recommend and use you can find them by clickinghere(Amazon link). Looking for a sharp gift to give the knife 'knut' in your life? Try to find a fine-grit brick, for an optimal home sharpening of your knife. Bread knivesor serrated knivesare one of the small number of kitchen knives we think home cooks really need to own. How to Sharpen a Pocket Knife With Ease: A Step-by-Step Guide Outdoor Troop also participates in affiliate programs with ShareASale, AvantLink, and other sites. Some stones require a lubricant such as mineral oil or water (whetstones); others dont. If you have any other cool ways to sharpen a knife without a sharpening stone I'd love to hear them. Step 2: Place the mug upside down on a hard surface (a table usually does fine). How to Sharpen a Pocket Knife without a Sharpener? Does A Berkey Shower Filter Remove Fluoride? Hi Steve, Wow ! Step 3: In a smooth movement, drag the edge of the knife away from you, along the slate, keeping the same sharpening angle throughout the movement. For fixing and repairing an edge, we recommend a 250-grit diamond stone. Weve tested and loved the Wicked Edge GO knife sharpener. GearJunkie may earn a small commission from affiliate links in this article. When a burr has developed across the entire length of the blade, swap the sandpaper for the next higher grit and repeat the process. The most common is steel, but they can also be ceramic and diamonds. Best Overall: Work . Keeping a pocket knife sharp can be more challenging than other knives simply due to how frequently the knife is used. Often, you can simply start at this step to keep your blade in good condition. You can also use a honing rod to sharpen a knife. If you dont have a sharpening stone handy, it might be easier for you to find a slate. Run one side of the knife's edge along the rod. If you are wary of sharpening your knife without knowing the exact angle, you can go into your local knife shop for help, or call the manufacturer of the knife. The blade can then be passed over the sandpaper using the same method as you would on a whetstone. Honing is also a quick way to refresh an edge in between sharpenings. Every knife is a little different and has a specific edge angle. We like to learn new knowledge about knives and therefore we decided to establish this website. A knife should be able to cut smoothly through magazine paper without any hangups or tearing. The first is to tape the sandpaper to a solid backing, such as a granite countertop. 3, where you use a knife to sharpen a knife. Sweep each blade edge across the grit 20 times at a 20 angle. Honing rods are sometimes called sharpening steels, although their function is honing the edge rather than sharpening a dull knife. This one is also quite common, though less than the coffee mug. If it is not dirty, still clean it with water, so that you moisten it, like for sharpening stones. This tool is a quick-fix solution for a dull knifejust press the blade of the knife into the coarse side, pull in in towards you a few times, then move on to the fine side. Ceramic Stones: These stones must also be soaked in water before use, but for only three to five minutes. Run one side of the blade over the stone five or six times. As a small thank you, wed like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). It is designed to be carried in your pocket to be available at any time for any task that may arise where it could be useful. Last Updated: May 20, 2023 Step 3: Take your knife, and place it at a 10 angle to the rough surface of the mug. If the rock is smaller, you can hold the blade still and pass the rock over the blade. TIP: Sandpaper provides these basic sharpening qualities. This diamond abrasive is used in all three stages of knife sharpener. Is Reverse Osmosis Water Bad For Kidneys: Drinking Water Or Poison? This website also participates in Google Adsense. Position your knife at a correct angle. Know that you may not need to use the coarsest stone every time you sharpen your pocket knife. This will act like a sharpening rod when in contact with the blade. A 1200-grit stone works well as a finishing or polishing stone. Bike First, Electric Second: Velotric Thunder 1 ST E-Bike Review. They have a special place in the knife block, though. Unpolished glass in a good choice if you want to sharpen your blade. You can also point the beam of a bright light such as your headlamp directly at the knife's edge; a dull edge will reflect the light. Of course, this is wrong, and will damage the blades of both knives! We cover what tools you can use to sharpen your knife, how to find the right angle to sharpen your knife, how to strop your blade, and how to test for sharpness. 11 Ways To Sharpen Your Knife Without A Sharpener. If you are doing it right you will hear a nice clean stroke. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases with no additional costs for you. I'm going to show you FIVE common items that you can use to sharpen that tactical or pocket knife and put a useable edge back on your blade. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'betterhomesteading_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_8',130,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-betterhomesteading_com-medrectangle-4-0');Luckily, there are plenty of options if you end up in this predicament. For more information about sharpening a pocket knife, like how to test if the knife is sharp using paper, read on. Its also good to strop your blade fairly regularly, as even without the rest of the sharpening process, it can keep the knifes edge sharp for longer. The belt comes into the stropping phase of the sharpening process, to remove the burr created by the honing step on the blade of the knife. Shower in the Wild: Geyser System vs. NEMO Helio LX Head-to-Head Review, Miracle Blister Prevention: Why Leukotape Is the Surprise Solution. There are a vast number of sharpening methods and an equal number of tools. 2. It is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. Issue sharpening pocket knife : r/sharpening - Reddit You'll end up with a nice sharp edge on your knife, certainly good enough until you get home and get your real sharpener out of the coat pocket in the cloakroom! Step 1: Cut, or find a neatly cut glass bottle, so that the edge is not polished. You sharpen the serrated section in a similar fashion to the rest of the knife, except you work groove by groove instead of in a sweeping motion across the whole blade. Most kitchens will have a honing rod for touching up the edge of knives used in the kitchen. And, to assure complete independence, we buy all the products we test ourselves. In this method, you use the roughness of the sandpaper to sharpen your knife. Gather Your Sharpening Tools Sharpening tools come in all shapes and sizes. Different sharpening tools require you to use slightly different methods to achieve this, but the end goal is that youre using the abrasive material to remake the edge of your knife. Simply find the smoothest rock you can that will fit in the palm of your hand, and that has the flattest surface possible. 2.1.1 Step 01: Hold the Rod Vertically on a Solid Surface 2.1.2 Step 02: Locate the Bevel Angle 2.1.3 Step 03: Run the Knife Along the Rod 2.1.4 Step 04: Switch Sides, Finish Sharpening & Test the Sharpness 2.2 How to Sharpen a Pocket Knife with Brick 2.2.1 Step 01: Choosing the Brick 2.2.2 Step 02: Wet the Brick Check out this video from the Deer Meat For Dinner guy, where he shows you exactly how sharpen a knife in the wild. You probably know that while most of the surface of the mug/cup is polished, the bottom of the mug, the part that touches the table when you put it on a table, is usually quite rough. Hold the strap taught and make a few passes with your blade. You definitely dont want to do that. You should avoid scratching the blade while sharpening it: don't rush and try to keep within the original cutting area. If you are near a water source, a river rock can be an excellent knife sharpening tool. Diamond stones are a great pocket knife sharpening option, and you can obtain smaller-sized diamond stones for portability. Step 5: Lift the knife, turn it over, and bring it back towards you, using the same technique to sharpen the other side of the blade. Material on GearLab is copyrighted. Or, you can also use a simple sharpening stone. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'sharpyknives_com-banner-1','ezslot_2',103,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-sharpyknives_com-banner-1-0');Most of us have all heard the expression that a dull knife is a dangerous knife, and this is true because you need to apply more pressure to force a dull knife to cut. Just real, honest, side-by-side testing and comparison. People endure a dull blade senselessly--even though a dull knife takes more force to use. Just use one to sharpen the other! You can use several other methods to re-establish the edge on your pocket knife and restore it to working condition. The Knife Hub is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Step 2: Place the knife with the blade at a 10 angle to the surface of the rock, facing away from you. Use just enough to keep the surface clean as you run your blade over it about 20 times. In this method you will be using the edge of the car window like a sharpening rod. How to Sharpen A Pocket Knife Correctly - The Ultimate Guide You dont want to use them on brand-new expensive knives. Do I need to strop the knife after honing? These rods can be ceramic, steel, or diamond rods. Well, this is simply because people do it the wrong way. How To Clean Berkey Fluoride Filters The Simple Way, Smith's PP1 Pocket Pal Multifunction Sharpener, Smith's DCS4 4-Inch FINE & COARSE Diamond Combo Sharpening Stone, How To Get Rid Of Mosquito Larvae In Your Pond Or Pool, Breville Fast Slow Cooker vs The Instant Pot Duo: Head To Head. For sandpaper, wetting the surface with water makes for a much smoother job while allowing the swarf to be removed effectively. There are many ways to learn whether your knife has a dull edge the easiest is noticing that your knife isn't working right, thus making your task much harder. Step 6: Repeat until the edge feels sharp, remembering to work each side of the blade equally, and to keep the same angle of sharpening. TIP: You may find yourself in a situation where you dont have real sharpeners available to you. 5 Ways To Sharpen A Knife Without A Sharpener - YouTube % of people told us that this article helped them. Use your basic sharpening techniques to run the blade across the flat edge of the stone, use that river rock in the exactly the same way you would use your sharpening stone or diamond sharpener at home. Your goal in sharpening is usually to match that angle unless you want to completely re-profile the knife. Many sharpening methods have been designed to overcome this problem for pocket knife owners allowing you to keep your pocket knife as sharp as possible. Rather get decent sharpening equipment such as the, These 12 hacks are good short-term solutions, but in the long term, you will want to invest in some sharpening equipment. The key to this is that the edge of the car window, unlike the rest of the window, is not polished, and slightly rough. How can we improve GearLab? Simple. Youve probably seen this hack everywhere on youtube, but it simply doesnt work. You dont want to abuse your knife like that. Step 7: Repeat until you feel that your knife is sharp enough, remembering to work both sides equally. 12 Effective Ways to Sharpen a Pocket Knife - Be Prepared For It wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. A whetstone is any abrasive stone that can be used to sharpen a knife. These are really awesome tricks for sharpen a pocket knife. Make sure the surface is not too slippery. Remember that sharpening guides do not work well with curved blades. Keep in mind that guides do not do very well with a curved blade. Basically, in this trick, you take out the spark wheels out of two lighters, nail them down on a piece of wood next to each other, a stroke the blade of the knife between the two wheels, forwards and backwards. "I have been wanting to sharpen my pocket knife, but was unsure of what technique and stone to use. Nice work Chris!! Angle the knife blade about 15 degrees against the rough grit side of your sharpening stone. In this one you use your good old nail file as a sharpening stone to sharpen your blade. Sharpening your knife regularly with household items will damage your blade if you do it too often. Ideally, one should be using a specially designed knife sharpener to sharpen your pocket knife, something like the Smith's PP1 Pocket Pal Multifunction Sharpener or the Smith's DCS4 4-Inch FINE & COARSE Diamond Combo Sharpening Stone (both available on Amazon). : The key is to keep the angle between your stone and knife consistent. There are actually to methods to approach this trick. Carrying a pocket knife has a lot of benefits. With the pocket knife secured in the vice, with the edge facing you, draw the sandpaper towards you across the cutting edge. These stones are more affordable but are also generally considered a workbench-type sharpening system.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'sharpyknives_com-mobile-leaderboard-1','ezslot_12',113,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-sharpyknives_com-mobile-leaderboard-1-0'); Depending on the stone type, whetstones require an appropriate lubricant, either water or oil. Progress to a 1000-grit stone. Privacy | Cookies | Terms. We will discuss some of the ways you can sharpen your pocket knife wherever you may be. This trick proves very useful when you have two slightly blunt knives. Knife Sharpening Guide 101: How to Sharpen a Pocket Knife A burr is a thin strip of metal that rises along your knifes edge as you sharpen the blade. Alright, this ones a bit different from the others. You can use a handheld travel sharpener, like Smiths PP1 or Lanksy BladeMedic. Follow these steps to sharpen your pocket knife on a honing rod. Test it out on a piece of paper to know if you have a sharp enough edge. Blades that are curved or longer than your whetstone will need to be swept down and across the stone to evenly sharpen the entire blade. Now this is a super cool way of sharpening a knife. Sharpening guides attach to the knife and hold it at a steady angle. Place the knife in a vise, securing the handle in the vise. But Im very much pleased saw this things. Silicon carbide sandpaper is the best type for sharpening knives due to its efficient steel cutting capabilities. Step 2: Place the mug upside down on a hard surface (a table usually does fine). As you can see from the list, there are so many options for DIY knife sharpening that actually work Please dont pick the wrong ones, even if you see some awesome youtube videos that show you how to do it. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'sharpyknives_com-leader-3','ezslot_10',106,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-sharpyknives_com-leader-3-0');We will discuss all these methods for pocket knife sharpening to give you insight into the best methods you can use to keep your pocket knife blade primed ad ready for anything! Nail files, as you probably know, are quite rough, and are quite accurate representations of the texture of actual sharpening stones which are used to sharpen knives properly. Slate rock are usually the most effective. By honing your blade on this rough surface you'll remove the rough edges on the blade that are keeping your blade from cutting effectively. Simply flip it upside down and place it on the ground or on a stable surface where it's not going to slip around. However, keep in mind that these tricks must only be used in extreme cases. Buck does not offer sharpening to serrated edges. The point here is that the edge of a broken glass bottle is not polished. Ceramic stones generally last longer than whetstones but are a bit more challenging to use. Bill Raczkowski of the American Knife & Tool Instituteshared with usthat, Its a very light grip and low pressure on the knife thats best. That's right, you can sharpen your knives with 5 everyday items and a little bit of ingenuity. With this knowledge, you never have to use a dull blade again. Put the knife at an angle pointing away from you body and push down until you get to the point of the knife. ", http://www.artofmanliness.com/2009/03/05/how-to-sharpen-a-pocket-knife/, http://www.lovetheoutdoors.com/how-to-sharpen-a-knife-with-a-whetstone/, http://www.steamykitchen.com/1709-how-to-sharpen-your-knives.html, The Weavers of Eternity Paracord Tutorials. Step 4: Stroke away from you, into the sandpaper, while using your other hand to hold the folded sandpaper or sandpaper block in place. Grind with the blade facing away from you, as if you're trying to slice into the mug or sandpaper. The main disadvantage of diamond stones is the cost. If you have any fine abrasive surface, you can figure out a way to use it to sharpen your pocket knife. If you don't have a knife sharpener, you can still sharpen your knife. You dont want to use them on brand-new expensive knives. 8 comments. There are several types of rods. Whetstones are the sharpening method that comes to mind when knife sharpening is mentioned. The knives production, their sharpening, and general care of knives are among our biggest hobbies. The key to this is finding a nice, relatively smooth, flat rock to do the job. Sharpening Supplies on Instagram: "Knife Care Tips You Should Follow The word whet is an old English word that means to sharpen.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'sharpyknives_com-netboard-2','ezslot_24',135,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-sharpyknives_com-netboard-2-0'); Since we have already covered diamond stones, which are also whetstones, our current topic will include other options such as water stones and oil stones. In the wilderness, you don't have a sharpener all the time around you to reshape your knife blade as a razor-sharp, which obviously makes you very annoying. What is the best blade shape for survival knives. You simply have to open your window halfway, and it makes a perfect tool to sharpen your blades! This website also participates in Google Adsense. Pass the blade over a piece of leather with a polishingcompoundto give the blade a final polish. I like to use a towel or cloth. Sandpaper has a similar roughness to sharpening stones, and is a good short-term solution if you dont have any handy sharpening equipment. You will need a range of grits of sandpaper and a solid backing for the sandpaper to effectively sharpen your pocketknife. By using our site, you agree to our. Now repeat on the other side of the blade. The costs of replacing diamond skin are much lower than the cost of buying a new diamond plate. The 5-Step Guide to Sharpening Your Knife (The Right Way), A Guide to Sharpening your Serrated Blade. This method will prove very useful when you have nothing else than a mug. Our experts test thousands of products each year using thoughtful test plans that bring out key performance differences between competing products. Step 4: Move the stroke so that you cover the full length of the blade. This thin strip is the old metal peeling away from the blade as you grind out a new edge. This removes the burrs and fine tunes the blade's sharpness. Step 4: Flip the knife over, and repeat a similar stroke for the other side of the blade, this time bringing the knife back towards you. 2. Nows a good time to make sure your knife is clean. However, if your knife is sharp and you want to keep it sharp but dont have anything else than your leather belt on you, I would suggest using that as your maintenance sharpening method. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. Step 6: Repeat, remembering to work each side of the blade equally. By Jason K. Salmons March 15, 2023 Using a dull knife not only causes danger but also makes slicing painful. TIP: Some pocket knives experience difficulties opening and closing, either when they are new or used over time. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. This week, Work Sharp introduces a manual knife sharpener that uses magnets to easily adjust the angle of the hones.