HOW TO SHARPEN A KNIFE

General Knife Sharpening Instructions

Sharpening a knife is sometimes perceived as the most difficult knife care task; and it probably is. Modern stainless steel is very hard and, when sharpened properly, will hold a good edge for a very long time. When sharpening a knife you must have a high quality sharpener that features a rough stock removal surface (preferably diamond abrasive) and a finishing surface of hard stone or ceramic abrasive. The diamond and ceramic materials will cut away the steel on the blade's cutting surface easily as these materials are harder than steel. A hard stone will also perform this task, but the stone is only slightly harder than the steel and so this requires more effort on your part.

Most times, simply using a kitchen steel on your cutlery will be sufficient. See instructions below.

Remember, Keep your knife sharpened -- a dull blade can be more dangerous than a properly maintained one.

Sharpening with a Steel

When a knife is used, the edge eventually becomes dull. The edge will turn either to the left or right side depending on how you hold your knife when cutting. Quality knives with high carbon/molybdenum/vanadium alloy have elasticity and can easily be re-aligned by a sharpening steel. Do not use a diamond-coated steel or a pull-through manual or electric sharpening device for maintaining the edge. These devices will destroy your turned edge. They can be used to sharpen, but not for maintenance.

Place the knife blade against the tip of the sharpening steel at an angle of approximately 20 degrees. Pull the knife down and across the steel, describing a slight arc. Repeat this action on the back of the steel to sharpen the other side of the blade. Repeat steps 2 and 3 five to ten times, alternating the left and right side of the blade. It is very important to maintain the angle of 20 degrees and to run the full length of the cutting edge along the steel from the hilt to the tip of the knife. Speed of movement plays no part in this process.

Sharpening with a Stone

When grinding your knife on a stone, it may be useful to use a three-way oil stone, Fine-Medium-Coarse. Use the stone only when your edge does not re-align with a steel. That means your edge has dulled from constant use or steeling. Make sure you use the exact angle at 30 to 40 strokes before your new edge is formed. Use more strokes if needed. The angle used it determined by how sharp you want the knife. The smaller the angle the sharper the edge. However be aware that the sharper the edge the sooner it will fade, and need to be re-sharpened. If it is too difficult for you to maintain the correct angle, throughout your re-grinding procedure, take your knife to a reputable knife grinding service in your area.

Sharpening With A DMT (Diamond Machining Technology) Diamond Whetstone

Instructions For Use

Apply a sprinkle of water to the diamond surface. With cutting edge away from you, hold blade at a 20 degree angle to the whetstone surface. The blade should be pushed across the surface, edge first. Sharpening the blade into the edge forms the best edge. Stroke one side of the blade from edge tip to edge heel in long strokes. Sharpen other side of blade from heel to tip. Alternating directions in this manner will sharpen both sides evenly. Most dull blades will resharpen with several strokes depending on knife dullness, knife material and pressure used.

Pocket sharpeners should be held at one edge and the blade stroked safely away from the fingers holding the sharpener. Maintain the 20 degree angle to the surface, sharpen into the blade edge and alternate sides as with larger Diamond Whetstone sharpener. You can also use a small circular motion with an attached spring clip, to give you the correct angle as in the diagram below.

Test sharpness by cutting paper, food, wood, etc. Wash and wipe after use for appearance and sanitation. The small particles removed in the sharpening process may rust if left on the sharpener.

These instructions were furnished by DMT

Sharpening Serrated Blades

First, obtain the correct sharpening tools to perform the task. Many of the sharpening kits on the market offer serration hones as options.  Second, have the proper technique to use.

Most factory ground serrations will have the same angle as the plain edge portion (assuming the blade is partially serrated), which means in the neighborhood of 20 to 25 degrees.

Once everything is set up, you can begin the process. Using firm pressure, work the hone in a back-and-forth motion, perpendicular to the cutting edge. Every so often, stop and feel for a raised burr on the backside of the blade. Only move on to the next tooth when you see or feel a raised burr. Once you have completed sharpening the ground side of the blade, flip the knife over. With the hone, LIGHTLY grind the burr off. The operative word here is lightly, as only the ground side of the serrations should be sharpened. After the burrs have been eliminated from the back side, what you have should be a revived serration pattern that is ready for more aggressive cutting action.

Types of Sharpeners

There are many good sharpeners on the market today. The main factor in sharpening is the device you use to remove the material from the blade must maintain a uniform angle for you and not allow your efforts from stroke to stroke to change the angle of pressure you are putting on the cutting surface of the blade. If this angle relationship is changing from stroke to stroke, you will end up with a rounded edge that will feel sharp for a short period of time and dull rapidly.

KNIFE DEALS PLUS offers a wide variety of sharpening tools including a wide variety of Smith's Arkansas stones as well as DMT Diamond Whetstones. These are very effective but may take some patience to learn and get good at using. The Lansky system kits which are highly recommended as easy to learn and very effective to use. We offer a variety of ceramic and diamond rod systems from manufacturers including Spyderco which are probably the easiest method of all to learn and use

KNIFE CARE

Modern knife steel is very high quality material, but all metal will corrode through time. Occasionally oil the joints and springs of a pocket knife with a drop or two of oil. This will assure easier opening and closing and will prevent rust and lessen wear. Wipe the blades now and then with an oil-moistened cloth to prevent rust- especially if you live in a damp climate or close to the ocean. If your blade should get wet, dry it thoroughly. If your knife comes into contact with salt water or any substance you are not certain about, you should rinse it immediately with tap water, dry it and apply a light coat of oil.Do not store knives in their sheaths. The leather collects moisture and creates pits on the blade.

Check the locking notch of lockbacks regularly to ensure that it will work properly. Keep all sand and grit out of the knife. Keep the mechanisms clean. Remember to never rely on a folding knife to be permanently locked in position.

Do not use the cutting blade as a can opener, chisel, pry bar, screwdriver or for any heavy work for which your knife was not designed. Also, don't use the back of your knife as a hammer. It may break the springs, handles or pin.

Handles made of wood can be occasionally rubbed with furniture polish or oil. Brass can be polished with household brass polish. Remember to keep your knife sharpened -- a dull blade can be more dangerous than a properly maintained one. Perhaps the worst enemy of any knife is rust. Do not be fooled, even though the manufacturer or maker uses stainless steel. Given the correct conditions, even stainless steel can rust. If one lives and/or works in a marine environment, please pay close attention. Since the air in places like coastal regions has a higher than normal moisture content, with some salt mixed in, it is important to keep the surface of the blade lightly coated with a film of oil. The oil will prevent the salt-tinged moist air from coming into contact with the blade steel. Any household grade lubricating oil will suffice. A particular brand that I use is 3-In-One. It is available at your local hardware stores or home centers. 3-In-One is also good for lubricating folding knives, but before you do so I suggest you read my upcoming section on Folding Knife Lubrication. This particular oil does not have an odor, unlike WD-40. Do not get me wrong. WD-40 is great for this purpose, but I prefer not to use it because the odor may come off on your hand as you handle the knife. If the knife were to come in direct contact with salt water, wash it off as soon as possible with tap water and apply the coating of oil.

FOLDING KNIFE LUBRICATION: A Pivot-al Issue

Another good use for oil in maintaining your knives - as pivot lubrication. Again, 3-In-One oil is good to use for this purpose. A few drops into the pivot area would suffice.After a while of experimenting with different lubricants, I am happy to report that I have finally discovered the perfect folding knife lube. It is called "Dri-Lube" and is manufactured by one of America's premier gun brand, Remington. This is an aerosol spray (contains no CFC's for worry free use!) that contains Teflon. I have been using this particular lube for a while, and it is great! This stuff is quite slippery too. Dri-Lube is best suited for folding knives for several reasons: 1) it dries on contact, leaving a thin film. No runs, no drips. Best of all, no mess, 2) thin film does not attract lint or dirt (Somehow, folding knives are lint magnets!), and finally 3) it will not wash away, therefore minimizing the number of repeat applications. This is one of those "a little goes a long way" things - just a couple of spritzes it all it takes. About $6 US will get you a 4 ounce can of this lube and it will last indefinitely (that is, if you only use it for folders. I guarantee that you will be tempted to use this lube on other moving parts as well!). A straw is included for pinpoint applications, which is what lubricating folders is. One word of caution: be careful of overspray, especially on tactical folders with black blades - once the lube dries on the black finish, a light residue can be seen. Simply use soap and water to wash this away. Remington Dri-Lube can be purchased anywhere that firearms and firearm care supplies are sold. Having the desired lube to use is one thing, knowing where to apply it on the knife is another. It is best to use a spray lube, such as Dri-Lube, for locking liner knives. Using the included spray straw, aim directly at the pivot area to apply. Cycle (repeated opening and closing) the blade to work the lube in. If needed, spray a little more. For lockbacks and slip joints, the technique is a bit different. The area to aim for is the tang of the blade, where the backspring has constant contact with the tang during opening and closing. For best results, open the blade (or blades) perpendicular to the handle and apply the lube directly to the tang. Cycle the blade a few times to work the lube in. For consistent smooth operation, repeated applications at regular intervals will help your folding knife function properly.

IN CLOSING...Knives are tools that are indispensable companions in our daily living and they also are investments. These reasons are why they should be cared for properly. Well-maintained knives will perform better, last longer, and provide the owner years and years of satisfaction. The above tips are based on my years of experience collecting and using knives - always consult the warranty documentation that comes with your knife on the manufacturer's recommendations for care.