Before purchasing, you normally consider the knife’s uses; whether you want fixed or folding, what handle type you prefer, the company’s reputation and more. Then, after you spend your hard-earned money on a quality knife, you obviously want to get the most use out of it as you can and having a dull knife won’t let you do that. That is where a quality knife sharpener comes into the picture.
The variety of sharpeners today are diverse, as are the questions you need to ask yourself before you make a purchase. Will the knife be needing sharpening in the field, or at home? Should it be pocket-size, or larger to handle bigger tasks? What are my overall sharpening needs? These questions and more will be answered as we hone our knowledge about the gritty world of knife sharpeners.
IT’S ALL ABOUT ANGLES
Before you start sharpening your knife, it is important to know what angle to sharpen it. Preferably, a knife should be sharpened at the same angle it originally displayed. If you don’t know what angle to sharpen it at, read the directions that came with your knife or contact the manufacturer for their recommendations.
However, if you are in the woods or off-grid and reaching the manufacturer is not a viable option, it’s wise to sharpen the knife at a 20-degree angle. A shallower angle such as 10 degrees the sharper the knife will be, but more prone to chips, while a steeper angle like 30 degrees will give it strength, but not be as sharp. Twenty degrees is a happy medium.
This story is from the January-February 2020 edition of Knives Illustrated.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the January-February 2020 edition of Knives Illustrated.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
TIP TALK
UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BLADE TIP SHAPES AND WHY IT MATTERS
HOLDING FIRM
GETTING A GRIP ON KNIFE HANDLE BENEFITS, MATERIALS, AND FUNCTIONALITY
EDGE UP
TIPS, TRICKS, AND TECHNIQUES TO SHARP WHEN ADVENTURING FAR FROM HOME
THE COMBAT KITCHEN
SLICE, DICE, CHOP, AND CUT: FOOD PREP WITH BLADES FROM POPULAR TACTICAL KNIFE COMPANIES
MORAKNIV Classics
THESE TIMELESS BUSHCRAFT KNIVES HAVE BEEN UPDATED AND ARE BETTER THAN EVER
ONE FOR THE ROAD
CHOOSING AN “EVERYWHERE KNIFE” CAN BE DIFFICULT DUE TO COMPLICATED KNIFE LAWS
TRAVELING LIGHT
SOMETIMES, INEXPENSIVE UTILITY BLADES YOU PICK UP AT YOUR DESTINATION CAN GET THE JOB DONE
MATCHED PAIR
JB KNIFE WORKS LAYMAN KNIFE AND GAMBIT HATCHET COMBO: ONE PICKS UP WHERE THE OTHER LEAVES OFF
WHEN BIGGER IS BETTER
THE CAS IBERIA CHOP HOUSE IS A MACHETE THAT PROVIDES BIG BLADE CUTTING POWER
KITCHEN KNIVES DON'T HAVE TO BE DULL
I have a confession to make. See if this sounds familiar. I take meticulous care of the knives I use for everyday carry, hunting, and general woods wandering. I wipe them down with an oily cloth after use and I never let them get too dull. Seldom do I have to restore a damaged edge. Most of the time I simply touch up the edges of my pocketknives with a few careful strokes across the rough bottom of a ceramic coffee cup. That’s usually all that’s needed. I don’t use my knives as screwdrivers or pry bars. As a matter of fact, I still have the very first knife I ever owned, an old Boy Scout knife that was handed down from my older brother. The blades have a deep patina that comes with using carbon steel over the years, but the knife is very usable still.
