Spoon Tool Sharpening

Get a razor edge on tools that are tricky to sharpen.

- By Elizabeth Weber

A dull tool is a dangerous tool. A lot of people struggle with sharpening their tools, but it is important to keep your tools sharp. A sharp tool requires less effort to use, and offers more control.

With that said, it's helpful when you're first learning to sharpen an edge to take a marker and highlight the bevel of your tool. This can help you better identify if you have hit your knife's edge or if you have missed any spots.

Sharpening Your Hook Knife

Once the bevel of your hook knife has been colored with the marker, place the knife in a holding device. I am using my pattern maker's vise for this step. When sharpening my hook knife, I like to use wet-dry sandpaper wrapped around a 5/8" scrap block and a 5/8" round dowel. Start with 400 grit sandpaper and work up to 1500 grit.

Working the outside bevel of the hook knife first, take the scrap block and gently push it from the center of the hook knife towards the outside cutting edge. Repeat this motion across the entire bevel of the hook knife until all of the marker color has disappeared. Check on the other side of the hook knife to see if you have raised a burr. If you have not raised a burr, color your bevel again, and repeat the steps until you can feel a burr. When you feel a burr, flip the hook knife around. You want to knock off the burr you just created and nothing more. To do this, take the round dowel and gently glide it along the inside of your hook knife. Feel the edge. Once the burr has disappeared, flip the hook knife around and continue the same steps through your remaining grits.