WE CAN PULL THROUGH

Testing the V-Sharp Classic Il to See If It Holds an Edge Against Other Manual Sharpeners

- Patrick Vuong

As the saying goes, the most dangerous knife is a dull one. Why? Because when the edge doesn't do the cutting, most people try to muscle their way through a medium -which can lead to slippage and accidentally driving the blade into your hand or other body parts.

With a razor-sharp blade, you'll be able to slice or stab through hide, meat, rope, or packages with ease.

That's why we wanted to take a good look at the V-Sharp Classic II from Warthog Sharpeners. While it looks like some elaborate equipment stand for a kid's chemistry class, this is actually a manual controlled-angle sharpening system.

It's easy to use and helps return a mean cutting edge to almost any knife you throw at it - and quickly - but is the V-Sharp Classic II the right type of sharpener for a preparedness tool chest?

The History

Before we can dive into whether the V-Sharp Classic II is ideal, we have to talk about what makes it unique. And we can't talk about what makes it unique without first giving a brief history lesson.

Humans have been sharpening edged tools since at least 75,000 years ago, according to a study led by the University of Colorado Boulder. Of course, back then our prehistoric forebearers were using rocks, bones, and wood to create fine edges on stone tools.

Fast-forward thousands of years and we get the grindstone, a huge stone disk that spun quickly (usually by crank, pedal, or water power) to sharpen blades. But those were operated by trained tradesmen who often sat (or in some cases laid) close to the giant disks as they sharpened tools. (Hence the phrase "nose to the grindstone.")