How to Sharpen a Knife

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By eHow Contributing Writer

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Knives have many uses, including preparing or eating food, hunting and skinning; building, general cutting and combat. In all of these cases, it's essential that your knife is sharp. There are several different ways to sharpen a knife, but with every method you must exercise care.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

A stone
A battery drill
A nail
A hammer

Using a Bog Man Stone

Step 1

Find a soft, flat, abrasive stone about the size of a fist. Dip the stone in water.
Step 2

Hammer a nail in to the center of the stone.
Step 3

Drill a hole through the center of the stone.
Step 4

Saw the stone in half.
Step 5

Lay one of the stone halves on its side and place the knife blade down in the indention made by the hole.
Step 6

Move the knife in quick, smooth strokes away from you. Don't push down too hard on the stone or you may damage the blade.

Using a Pre-made Sharpener

Step 1

Place knife in the appropriate plain, blade down, on the sharpening tool.
Step 2

Move the knife in quick, smooth strokes across the plain of the sharpening tool.
Step 3

Test the blade to make sure it is sharp enough.

Tips & Warnings

If you can't find a flat stone, flatten one manually by wetting it and rubbing it on cement or pavement.
Make sure your movements are consistent when sharpening. If they aren't, the knife's blade may become uneven.
Be careful not to cut yourself while sharpening.