How to Sharpen a Pocket Knife

If you’re a first-time pocket knife owner, it can be confusing if your knife’s blade
starts to lose its sharpness. But since you’re here, it means you’re seriously
considering sharpening your knife.

Good on you! A common misconception about knife-sharpening is that it may

actually damage the knife’s blade. While that’s certainly a possibility, it’s only true
if you’re doing it wrong.

“But how to sharpen a pocket knife the right way?” you say. Don’t worry—we’ve
got the answer to that question!

Keep in mind that there’s more than one right way. Below, we’ve only covered one
method. You’re welcome to look elsewhere for other methods, of course, but in
our opinion, this is the easiest.

So let’s find out how it’s done!

What You’ll Need

When it comes down to it, the business of sharpening your knife can be both
difficult and easy at the same time. How easy it will be, though, depends on the
quality of the materials you are using.

So keeping that in mind, here’s a detailed guide to what tools you’ll be needing,
and precisely why you need each of them.

Sharpening Stone / Whetstone

In the same way that there are so many different kinds of knives out there, there are
also a variety of different sharpening stones that you can pick from. Ultimately,
what stone you end up choosing depends on personal preference and, more
importantly, functionality.

So what kind of stone should you get? Well, like we said, it’s up to you! But as a
general rule, the more expensive or valuable your knife is, the higher the quality of
the sharpening stone should be. Especially for the best folding knife, you should be
careful.
On the flip side, if you’re a beginner with a low- to mid-range knife, or if it’s a
pocket knife you’re using that doesn’t require high maintenance, then you can get
away with a cheaper stone. In fact, most hardware stores sell them at about $10 a
pop. Cheap, right?

It can be difficult to settle on just one kind of sharpening stone, but for most knife
owners, it takes a bit of experimentation and trial runs to figure out the best fit.

Now for a couple of basic facts about sharpening stones that you should know.

First of all, most sharpening stones typically have two sides. On one side is a rough
grit, and on the other, a fine grit. The finer the grit, the sharper your blade will
come out; however, the operation is usually started by sharpening on the rough
side first!

Secondly, a coarser stone (or one with a rougher grit) is preferred for knives whose
blades have a lot of burrs and flat spots. The coarseness helps to even out any
problem areas before you flip to a finer grit.

Strop
If you haven’t heard of a leather strop before, it looks like a long, narrow piece of
something soft, but it’s also quite thick. Strops can be made from a number of
different materials, such as canvas, leather, denim fabric or even very soft types of
wood. Generally, leather strops are preferred, but they are relatively more
expensive.

The point of using a strop is basically to sharpen the edge of your knife's blade.
Furthermore, once your knife has been sharpened, there's a possibility that it will
retain some burrs and flat spots. The strop helps to do away with those.

Lubricant
Although this item is mentioned in our list of required materials, it’s mostly an
optional addition, especially if you’re using a basic sharpening stone. However, it’s
also true that the biggest experts in knife-sharpening swear by the importance of
using a lubricant.
Why is it required? Well, the primary purpose of the lube is to lessen the frictional
heat that occurs as a result of sharpening the knife on a stone. This is important
because, if there’s too much heat, your blade might actually end up getting warped.

Furthermore, lubrication facilitates the removal of “swarf,” or knife debris, which

results from grinding. This will appeal especially to those who are used to using
the best folding knife, which can gather grit more easily on the stone.

Lubricants for knife sharpening can come in the form of water or oil. Mineral oil is
thought to be the best option for the purposes of sharpening your knife. A regular
bottle of lubricating oil will set you back around $5 from the majority of hardware
stores.

How to Sharpen Your Knife

After much ado, now it’s finally time to learn how your knife is meant to be
sharpened. We hope you have everything you need. Remember to carry out your
sharpening activities in a secure area where pets or children can’t access you. This
is also important for your concentration!

Step 1: Figure Out the Rough Side

You should always start sharpening your knife on the rough grit. This is especially
true for those who are trying to sharpen a dull blade, which will require much more
friction to gain back some of its sharpness.

You’ll usually be able to tell which side of the stone is rougher just by looking at
it: it’ll have a bumpier, more porous and more abrasive surface. Otherwise, you
can opt to test it out with your thumbnail, by scratching the surface with it. Another
method is to pour some water on both sides and see which side absorbs it faster—
that’s the rough grit.

Step 2: Prepare the Stone

This is where your lubricant comes in! As we mentioned, mineral oil is the best
option. Pour it liberally over the stone’s surface. This doesn’t mean you should
flood or drench the thing, but be generous with how much you pour.

If you’re not using a stone, skip this step, of course.

Step 3: Set Up the Angle
Maybe you already know this, but your knife has to be held at an angle while
sharpening. And you heard it here first: the best angle to sharpen your knife at is
22.5 degrees (pro tip: that’s half of 45 degrees, which is half of 90 degrees, which
is a right angle. Quick maths!).

“But why does my knife have to be sharpened at an angle at all?” you’re

wondering. Because, silly, unless it’s at an angle, you will most likely end up
damaging the blade’s edge.

But fear not! You don’t have to get a perfect 22.5 degrees each time. As long as
you’re between 17 and 20 degrees, you’ll be good to go. And if you’re using a
pocket knife, your best bet is to use a 15 degree angle.

It might be difficult to get used to figuring out the angle. That’s normal, because
it’s a process that takes a lot of practice. However, you don’t have to wait for that
day to come—you can opt to buy a sharpening guide, which will cut your work our
for you in a jiffy. You can get them at around $10 a piece.

Step 4: Begin Sharpening Your Knife

Yes, it’s finally time! After ensuring that you have the required angle, you can
begin sharpening—on the rough side! To imagine what the motion feels like,
imagine that you’re slicing off a little, surface-level piece of the stone. Apply just a
small amount of pressure, not too much.

An important note for those whose knives have longer or curved blades: you
should remember to sweep the blade sideways. This ensures that the entire edge of
the blade receives even sharpening.

Keep sharpening until you’ve done it anywhere between 6 to 12 times. Then, flip
the blade over and sharpen the other side as well using the same number of strokes.

Once you’ve completed an equal number of strokes, now you should start taking
alternating strokes. After one side has been sharpened, flip it over and do it on the
other side, and so on and so forth.

Step 5: Sharpen Using the Fine Grit

Yes! You’ve successfully completed the sharpening of your stone on the rough grit
of your stone. Now, of course, it’s time to do the same thing on the fine grit, so as
to even out any burrs your knife’s blade may have been afflicted by.

Use the exact same process as when you were sharpening on the rough side.

Step 6: Lay Out the Strop

Now this is where your strop comes in. No matter what material it’s made of, your
job is to ensure that it lays flat on whatever surface you’re putting it on. Basically,
the strop will be used in the same way as your stone.

Once you’ve laid it down, test the angle with your knife, once again. Remember,
just the edge of the blade should be touching the strop at a tilted angle.

Step 7: Polish Your Knife on the Strop

Now it’s time to get your knife looking brand spanking new! Grind the knife
slowly over the surface of the strop in much the same way that you did when
sharpening it; however, it should be done much more deliberately and slowly, if
you really want to get rid of serrations and flat spots.

One important factor to remember is that if your knife begins curving upwards
while you’re polishing it, that’s a sign that you’re doing it too fast. Remember, the
process has to be very cautious. This is especially true if your strop has a
somewhat abrasive surface—so check before you buy.

Step 8: Check for Irregularities

Once you’re done sharpening and polishing your knife, now it’s time to re-check
and make sure that you’ve done the job properly. Ensure that there are no micro-
serrations, flat spots or other problem areas on the knife.

If you notice any issues, you might want to consider using replacing your stone
with one whose rough side is much rougher—that’s usually the root of the
problem. If you’re going shopping for a new whetstone, do some research first;
there are so many options on the market!
Final Words
No matter how good your pocket knife is, you will one day have to sharpen it.
Hopefully, now you have a clearer idea of how that is done.

Remember, though, that there are other methods of doing it. The steps we have
shared above might be for one of the simpler methods, but it’s definitely an
effective one.

Good luck, and we hope that your knives are always as sharp as you like them!