By learning how to sharpen a pocket knife, you can extend its life and preserve its function and beauty.
Pocket knife sharpening is more than just maintenance and care, knife sharpening is an art that requires patience, experience and skill to perfect. Once you get the hang of it, with every deliberate movement, it turns from a chore into a labor of love. Using a hand tool for sharpening requires fine skill and balance, but mastery is attainable with practice. Electric sharpeners sharpen your blades faster thanks to the beauty of technology.
From maintaining a constant angle while sharpening to buying a mineral oil lubricant for the whetstone, there are several things to consider when sharpening a pocket knife. Our pocket knife sharpening guide covers the tools you need, the sharpening process and expert advice on how to keep your blades sharp.
Collect sharpening tools
Sharpening tools come in all shapes and sizes. Pay attention to the material and quality of the blade to choose the right type of tool to sharpen your pocket knife. Sharpeners range from electric to manual, each capable of sharpening your blade. No matter what type of tool you choose, getting a razor-sharp blade will take some practice.
Electric vs manual
High-tech electric sharpeners offer quick and convenient restoration, but require an experienced hand and an ultra-precise blade angle. For the uninitiated, the speed of the grinding wheels or belts on an electric sharpener can remove more metal than necessary if you're not careful. Manual sharpeners can offer unparalleled sharpening precision if you master the nimble movements and sharpening process. Affordable, these hand tools are typically compact and portable for small spaces and quick repairs on the go. There are super cheap miniature manual sharpeners to electric sharpeners for a few hundred dollars, depending on your needs.
Electric rolling pin
Electric sharpeners are fast, relatively easy to use, and are preferred by people who have many tools to sharpen. Electric options may have features such as pre-programmed control guides, non-slip grips and a retractable power cord. With an electric sharpener, you often stick the knife right in and it does the work for you, creating a nice sharp edge. They can be a little loud, and sometimes they can sound a little like elementary school pencil sharpeners, the loud metal ones that grind.
Hand rolling pin
Sometimes you want to do it yourself. You want to feel the tool and be able to maneuver it at least a little, rather than relying on something electric to do it for you. You want to master the skills and feel accomplished at the end of the day. There are many manual knife sharpeners to choose from. Many are extremely affordable, making them an exciting choice for knife sharpening experts and novices alike. You have to rely on your own strength and power to sharpen the blades.
Knife sharpener
The knife sharpener is a bit more modern and looks like a tool version of Wolverine's claw. They are great for sharpening pocket knives or any non-serrated blade. All you have to do is insert the side of the pocket knife blade into the hole to restore dull knives. Carefully pull the knife through several times. It often comes with a handle for a better grip, a non-slip base to keep it in place with every movement as you slide the blade.
Whetstone
Coarse or fine grain on the grindstone? There are many options. Using a whetstone is another manual way to sharpen a knife blade. Also known as a whetstone, a whetstone is a popular and fairly traditional method of sharpening knives and steel tool edges. To sharpen means to sharpen, therefore a whetstone is a whetstone. There are many different types of stones to choose from depending on material, cost and care needs. There are many materials for whetstones, with diamond and ceramic being some of the most popular. Some grindstones will also require some type of lubricant, such as mineral oil or water-based lubricant. Keep in mind that you should choose a lubricant that does not harden or rot.
A grain of sand
Grinding stones, as a rule, have two sides: coarse and fine. Just turn over the stone to turn over the grain of sand. There are several levels of grit that you can purchase in addition to the basic ones. Stone grit options will help you determine how much to sharpen your pocket knife. You can find finishing stones with grits as low as 1000 to 8000. Start sharpening with a coarse grit and then use a finer grit for the finest finish. Is the edge of the blade particularly dull? Is the knife blade rougher or jagged? The condition of the blade can help you determine what grit to use.
Ceramic
You grind one side at a time on the side of the stone. Simply switch sides of the blade on the stone to sharpen all the edges, then finish with alternating strokes. The durability of ceramic whetstones makes them a popular choice for sharpening blunt knives. Cleaning shouldn't be too difficult, depending on your brand and instructions. Cleaning can vary by brand, so it's best to read their exact instructions. Cleaning methods can range from soap and water to a plastic abrasive pad and powdered abrasive cleaner. Some ceramic stones must be used dry, without oil or water.
Diamond
Like the ceramic version, you sharpen one side of the blade at a time. Diamond whetstones typically have very fine, fine, coarse, and very coarse grits and bases. Sharpen a dull or damaged blade with the extra coarse side of a diamond whetstone. If needed, add an extra fine grit that gives knives and tools a sharp edge. It's a really great way to sharpen your pocket knife, but taking proper care of your diamond whetstone is an important step in ensuring it lasts a long time.
Tips for consideration
You have purchased sharpening tools and are ready to get to work. Now you don't want to sharpen your blade on a tiny bump, so here are some quick and easy tips you won't want to miss. We want to help you make your blade the sharpest tool in the shed.
Clean your pocket knife
One of the first steps to sharpening a pocket knife is to clean it. You want to make sure that you remove any debris, dirt, goo or anything that is attached to your precious pocket knives. Start with soap and water and check out these tips for cleaning your blade. It's impossible to accurately sharpen your knife, measure the bevel, or correct the sharpening angle if you can't even see your knife because it's covered in the slush of past adventures.
Define your chamfer
Regardless of what you use to sharpen a dull blade, how to sharpen a pocket knife starts with determining where the knife bevels. A bevel is a small angle or small edge that runs across the knife. Usually there is only one bevel, but there are double bevel knife options, so check which one you have. The bevel angles of hunting and pocket knives usually range from 22 to 30 degrees. Some people like to mark the edge of the bevel with a marker so they can tell if they are hitting a right angle when hitting the blade.
Sharpening angles
If you watch enough YouTube videos on how to sharpen a pocket knife, the experts often talk about finding the right angle. What exactly is this? How do you find it? The constant angle and pressure on the stone or sharpening device allows you to sharpen at the right angle without any accidents. Because of the angle, speed and direction you sharpen, the slide can act like a guillotine.
Be careful during the process because there is a chance of getting seriously injured by the sharp blade while going back and forth. You want to make sure you're sharpening the right point so that doesn't happen. Some knives recommend sharpening at a precise angle, be it 15 or 20 degrees, other tools are already set at certain angles. You need to sharpen both sides of the pocket knife, so flip to the opposite side and repeat the process. Once you get to the tip, you can lift the knife up a bit, sharpening it back and forth.
Sharpening frequency
Now that you have purchased your equipment and even have some experience, you realize that another question arises. How often should the blade be sharpened? This will certainly depend on how often you use the knife. If it is of little use, it is not necessary. But if it feels rough around the edges, it might be time to upgrade.
Like any tool, it all depends on how you use it. Some sharpeners are legitimately of a higher quality and cost several hundred dollars. If you don't feel inspired to spend that much to get a sharp knife, there are more affordable options that will do the trick. If in doubt, trust the sharpener's instructions. Your stone and brand will usually have instructions on how to clean it, whether you need a lubricant such as mineral oil or water, and will guide you through the first steps. Sharpening a pocket knife is not as difficult as a larger knife, but still requires a fair amount of lube. Be sharp!