How to Sharpen a Pocket Knife with an Arkansa Stone

An old adage " a dull knife is dangerous" can remedied a lot easier than you might think.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• fine oil
• Arkansas stone

1. Clean the knife, use soap and water, but be sure you dry it completely.

2. The stone is really a minimum of two stones. One for course sharpening which removes metal from the blade and grinds the edge down. The second stone is a finer grade used to hone the edge until the blade reaches the degree of sharpness you desire.

3. The action is a repetitive swiping of the blade as if you are cutting off a thin slice of stone. The motion starts with the edge of the blade closest to the handle on the stone and you pull the blade toward the tip or point. The process is to keep the angle the same with each stroke and to utilize the same number of strokes per side. You must place a few drops of oil on the stone at the location where you are honing.

4. Once the preliminary edge is honed, switch to the finer stone an repeat the process until the final edge is satisfactory. Place a few drops of oil on the knife blade and clean the blade with a soft cloth.

Tips & Warnings

• Good Arkansas stones can be found in most sporting goods catalogs.
• Take your time as the blade sharpens the opportunity to cut yourself goes up!