What is the use of a knife that has lost its edge so much that it does not cut anything? Pocket knives are useful, but due to their accessibility, they tend to be used for many purposes. It is common to see a person use a pocketknife to carve wood, open boxes, cut food packages, even catch an unknown insect, and then wipe the blade off their pants and place it in their pocket. Many people tend to use a cordless blade - even if it requires more strength. Knives sharpen in minutes. Try these two methods to sharpen your favorite blade.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Sharpening a Knife with a Stone
Step 1. Choose the type of stone to use to sharpen your knife
It doesn't matter what type of stone you choose, however a 5 x 15 cm one will make your sharpening job easier. The different options available for purchase include diamond stones, ceramic stones and natural abrasive stones.
- Natural Abrasive Stones: These stones are generally considered the easiest to use and contain fine to coarse grain silica. You need to soak them in cold, clean water for ten minutes before using them to sharpen the blade. Keep in mind that when one of these stones is heavily used, it often has hollows and grooves in the areas where the knife is rubbed.
- Ceramic stones: these too must be immersed in water before use, but only for three to five minutes. They are harder than natural abrasive stones, which means they will sharpen the blade faster. Ceramic stones generally last longer, but are a little more challenging to use than natural abrasive stones.
- Diamond stones: these stones are available in different varieties including the harder ones, the fine ones and the superfine ones. Diamond stones are very hard and very porous. In many cases, diamond stones are actually metal plates with diamond dust attached to their surfaces. These stones are the hardest and fastest sharpening stones. Keep in mind, they are also by far the most expensive.
Step 2. Lubricate the whetstone
If you use a natural grinding stone or ceramic stone, you need to soak the stone in water for the right amount of time. Experts recommend using a lubricant such as mineral oil as well. You can buy this oil at a local hardware store. The purpose of the lubricant is to prevent the pores of the stone from becoming clogged with filings and sand. It also reduces the heat caused by the friction created by rubbing the knife. Too much heat can deform the blade.
Machine or sharpening oil can be used with an abrasive stone or ceramic stone, and diluted dish soap is useful for use with a diamond stone
Step 3. Find the bevel angle of the blade
This is also called the rough corner of the grind. The blade of each knife is sharpened at a particular angle according to the purpose of the knife. Most pocket knives have a 25-30 degree bevel edge.
If you are reluctant to sharpen the knife without knowing the exact angle, you can go to the shop where you bought the knife for help, or call the manufacturer. You can also find the specific bevel angle for your knife online
Step 4. Place the knife against the stone at the correct angle
Hold the position of the knife against the stone with the blade facing away from you with the set bevel angle when sharpening.
Holding the knife in the same position for a long time can be difficult. If this is your first time sharpening a knife, or you feel like your hands can't stay still for very long, you might want to buy a sharpening guide. Or based on the directions provided with the knife to hold it at the right angle. Keep in mind that guides don't help much with curved blades
Step 5. Swipe the knife along the stone
Quickly move the knife down and the end of the sanding stone. Repeat as necessary to produce a sharp edge, usually about 12 times. As you perfect your skills, the movement will tend to be a circular motion of the blade over the stone.
The curved blades and the longer ones of the abrasive stone must be passed over the entire stone, to evenly sharpen the entire blade
Step 6. Sharpen the other side of the blade
Flip the knife over and move the blade over the sanding stone, maintaining the angle. Do this between 6 and 8 times or until a sharp edge has formed.
Step 7. Turn the stone over so that the thinner side is facing up
Move the blade, with its proper bevel angle, along the finer side of the stone. This will smooth out any bumps or 'irregularities' formed along the edge of the blade during the sharpening process.
Instead of using the finer side of the stone, it is also possible to pass each side of the blade over a sharpener at a more open angle than the one used for sharpening. This removes irregularities and perfects the sharpness of the blade. Sanding with the sharpener is also a quick way to renew the line between one sharpening and the next
Step 8. Check the sharpness of the knife
Hold up a piece of paper and try to cut it down with the knife. A sharp blade will slide easily through the paper.
You can also check for any rounded parts of the blade or any imperfections by holding the knife against the light (you can also use the sun) and looking for a brighter reflection. Reflections are only noticeable when there is a rounded edge somewhere in the knife, or when a section of it is no longer sharp
Method 2 of 2: Using a Sharpener
Step 1. Know that sharpeners are best suited for 'smoothing' the edges of knives
Sharpeners are also known as sharpening steels. While sharpeners, in a sense, sharpen knives, what they really do is hone the blade - with the same result as when sharpening the blade on a stone.
There are several types of sharpeners. The most common is the steel rod for honing, which is also known as sharpening steel. It is a very effective and reliable tool for sharpening the knife. The sharpeners can also be made of ceramic or diamond dust. Both of these materials are reliable because they are two of the hardest materials that exist. Diamond sharpeners are known to make smoother blades, but they both sharpen knives very quickly
Step 2. Hold the sharpener by the handle, so that the tip rests on a flat surface
To be safe, place the tip on an old tea towel on top of a cutting board (so as not to damage other work surfaces). The sharpener should be held straight and down so that it is perfectly vertical.
Step 3. Find the bevel angle
Again, it is necessary to establish the angle at which the blade should be held against the sharpener. Knives should generally be held at a 25-30 degree angle.
Go to the shop where you bought the knife or to a hardware store and ask to determine the bevel angle of your knife if you are not sure you know the right angle
Step 4. Rub the edge of the knife along the sharpener
You have to scrub slowly and use a light touch - don't push the knife against the sharpener with a lot of pressure. Move the blade from the joint of the handle to the tip when you slide it along the sharpener.
Step 5. Switch sides so that both sides are sharpened
If your knife is sharp enough, you should only swipe the knife along the sharpener a couple of times on each side. If your knife has completely lost its edge, you will have to swipe it many more times.
