Knife Sharpening Methods

Properly sharpened knives are essential tools for many applications. In fact, in Chinese culture, it's said that one cannot cook properly without a sharp knife. This wisdom rings true for most applications that call for a blade.

Knife Types

There are two basic edge profiles: serrated and non-serrated. Of the serrated type, there are straight serrations and scalloped/Spyderco-type serrations. Straight-serrated blades are most commonly found in kitchens, whereas scalloped/Spyderco blades are more common in utility, survival and fighting knives. Non-serrated blades can be found in all these areas as well.

Serrated Blades

To sharpen serrated blades, start with the file on the backside of the blade. Don't bevel the edge. Stroke the file from edge to top so as to not roll up a bur on the cutting edge. For scalloped/Spyderco blades, you can also use sharpening rods on the inside edge of the serrations. Hold the rods at 15 to 20 degrees and stroke from edge to top.

Non-serrated File Work

When using a file to sharpen non-serrated blades, start by roughing in the edge . Hold your file at 15 to 20 degrees and stroke from edge to back and from one end to the other, removing material through the whole stroke in a continuous motion. Stroke each side of the edge no more than a couple times before alternating sides. This helps to maintain the blade's symmetry. Once the basic shape is achieved, start with the rough stone.

Non-Serrated Stone Work

Use the roughest stone available to work out the file's tool-marks. Once the marks have been smoothed, move to the next finer stone grade. Hold the blade diagonally across the stone and at the far end from you. Draw the knife down the length of the stone while sliding the edge across the stone so the entire edge gets equal grinding down the length of the blade. Use each stone until the scratches from the previous stone are gone.When finished, make one final pass down each side of the blade with a slightly increased angle. This final micro-bevel is what makes the blade truly sharp.

Other Tools

Butcher steel, ceramic rods and ceramic V-type sharpeners are good for touching up a micro-bevel. Hold the blade at the proper angle (slightly more angle than you used on the stone) and draw/slide the edge down the length of the blade. Be careful to not let your blade contact anything except the sharpening surface. Do not allow the edge to contact any guards or support base because it will ruin your edge. These tools are only good when the blade is in fairly sharp condition and in need of a touch-up.

References

• A Primer on Knife Sharpening

Who Can HelpSponsored

• Tired of Being Tired? Fight Fatigue and Try FRS for FREE!