How to Use Hone Stone for Sharpening Tools

A hone is an abrasive stone used to sharpen or polish tools. Use a fine-grained hone stone to refinish the edge of most cutting tools sharpened with a grinder or chisel. Learn how to position your tool to the stone to reestablish the original shape and cutting edge.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Determine the angle of the blade or cutting edge and file the tool on this angle. If the edge is at a 22-degree angle, place it at a 45-degree angle and then cut the angle by half.

2. Purchase a honing guide to get a precise angle. Clamp the blade to the guide by the sides and the tool automatically aligns.

3. Inspect the cutting edge of the tool for chips and nicks and remove them with a grinder or file. Sharpen the entire cutting edge to preserve the tool's shape.

4. Put your hone stone in your hand or set it on the surface of your work area. If you're working on a sharp blade, it's safer to set the hone stone on a hard surface to sharpen tools.

5. Match the angle of the tool to the hone stone as you did in the sharpening process.

6. Polish one side of the tool by sliding the cutting edge across the hone stone. Use a side-to-side motion or move in the direction that you normally cut.

7. Switch to the other side of the cutting edge and repeat the process. Continue to use the hone stone until you sharpen and polish both sides of the cutting edge.