How To Sharpen A Pocket Knife 2019 – Knife Sharpening Guide

Those who use a pocket knife do so for many reasons. They either use pocket knives for work, they're outdoor sportsmen, or they're kitchen connoisseurs. They're eager how to sharpen a pocket knife before and after using it. If it's a dull blade and it wouldn't be able to cut into anything effectively.

Prepare the whetstone

The whetstone is the most popular for sharpening pocket knives (or knives). But, before  you go into the sharpening, you must prepare the whetstone beforehand.  Don't worry, it's quite easy. The majority used can be done by dipping the stone in water for about 15 minutes. Regardless of what type of whetstone you use, never use it while it's dry. It's important for a clean sharpening. Using mineral oil is another way to prepare a whetstone. It'll absorb into it once you begin putting the right amount on the surface. How you will determine how much to put is to ensure a "thick film" is lathered across the entire surface. This is critical when you learn how to sharpen a pocket knife.

Position The Knife at The Proper Angle Against The Stone

You must put the knife blade's position at the perfect angle which is called "against the stone." What's important is the blade should be facing opposite from you. Where you've determined where the bevel angle is located, then this is what you will position against the stone. It's a good idea to know the differences between various angles for certain blade uses. There's a certain height of the blade that it should be from the stone. You'll be able to find various charts on height of the blade online. Normally, for a pocket knife or kitchen knife , it'll be 17° - 22° angle against the stone. The "Rule of thumb" is the smaller the angle, the sharper the knife. Most makers will have it in the instruction or on their official website.

Finding The Angle of Your Bevel When You Learn How To Sharpen a Pocket Knife

Identify the bevel angle of the blade, better known as the "rough grind angle." Every knife is at a particular angle to suit all your needs and purposes. The majority of the pocket knives have a bevel edge is 25 to 30 degrees. Call the manufacturer of the knife if you are "weary" of this. Or go online and find a specific bevel angle chart. Nevertheless, when you find the bevel, you'll see the blade is honed into it for obvious purposes. How to sharpen a pocket knife begins with learning angles.

Best Sharpening Stones Details

The Premium Whetstone Sharpener, 2-sided Grit 400/1000 Knife Sharpener

This flattening stone has a rubber base for a firm grip while sharpening your pocket knife. Sharpening and smoothing your knives' edges are done on the Grit 1000 side. Use the Grit 400 side, your blades will be back to it's fine glory of it's original shape. Both sides of this premium whetstone are perfectly ideal for those short blades like the pocket knives. The benefits are in the precise sharpened blade you'll get from using this premium whetstone with patience. The details are the result of it. You may want to get some mesh gloves too. It's a good idea to use gloves while sharpening your pocket knives as many reviewers of it have recommended.

PROs - There's an ebook guide with for better instruction on how to use it.

- Doesn't need sharpening oil. Has a non-slip base.

CONs -  Sharpen pocket knives with many strokes, patience is needed.
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Japanese Sharpening Stone Whetstone ​​​​Combination

The Japanese sharpening stone whetstone combo is about 9.1 in. in length. It's  multi-sided and actually looks like a block of wood. When you use the dark side or the medium grit side (#1000), soak it for about 2-3 minutes.  When finished, the ridge on the base which surrounds the stone will fit snugged into it. Even if the base wasn't there the stones friction will stay. Some of the good features of the base is actually the rubber stoppers to hold it on a dry surface. When you learn how to sharpen a pocket knife, doing it on one of these will help.

PRO - All you do is flip it since it's dual sided.

CON - Base isn't fastened down relying on water or the suction from it to hold the stone down.
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Victorinox Pocket Knife Sharpener (Clam Pack), Black

The pen-type knife sharpener is easy to carry around. This is equipped for two types of sharpening made of ceramic. One of the stick-type or V-type that are both mobile. The ceramic sharpener and the stone.
it's ideal for soft-steel. The V shape sharpener can be used after sharpening it with the rod to "de-burr" your pocket-knife. This one will help when you learn how to sharpen a pocket knife.

PROs  - You can sharpen a perforated side of a pocket knife with the Victorinox.

- Some reviewers have said they can use the oval side as a dry sharpener, but using it while wet is okay too.

CONs - Not advised to use with oil .

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Priority Chef Sharpener Straight Serrated Sharpens

It looks like it can be a Sci-Fi film prop. This is a 2 stage type of sharpening system. You'll get a non slip cushion with it which is at the bottom offering stability for the user. It's ergonomic handle provides a comfortable and easy grip. This cushion offers the stability needed when sharpening and polishing your pocket knife to it's absolute razor sharpness. The sharpener does the work as you hold down the grip and simply place your pocket knife to get sharpened by the motions of the ceramic and diamond sharpener wheels. Simply run your dull knives through the device and you'll get the results you've been looking for. This one will definitely help you when you learn how to sharpen a pocket knife on the Priority Chef.

PROs - Ergonomic handle for comfort and ease.

- Comes with video. Award winning design by the brand, Priority Chef.

CONs - Coarse side is said by 1-star reviewer: "leaves nicks"... (although it depends on the quality of the knife you use).
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Presto 08810 Professional Electric Knife Sharpener

This particular silver / black sharpener is a guided sharpening tool for any professional. When using it, you'll be able to get all your pocket knives and kitchen knives to it's sharpest. There's 3 stages to it and is easily accessible to use at home . - These are the sharpening processes: coarse-grinding, medium grinding, and the extra-fine grit ceramic wheel grinder. The last one is the polisher. The blade gets polished to it's finest point. Additionally, the blade guides are interchangeable with the some of the best angles without having to guess at all those technical angles. The blade will be guided by the automatic mechanism once you lay it in the grooves. How to sharpen a pocket knife on a Presto electric knife sharpener will be effortless.

PROs - The guide is perfect for those busy bodies.

- Using the manual for steps in troubleshooting helps when you get in a bind.

CONs - The cord is in not in a good place.
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How Many Sharpening Techniques Are There?

It's safe to say that there's more than 50 sharpening techniques according to more than 50 sharpening stone experts on " KnifePlanet ". Here's six of the top techniques with that are the most common.

1. When you color the bevel with a marker, such as red or highlighter yellow, you'll have a guide as to where to stop so you don't over-sharpen. This also helps when you do the other side of the pocket-knife blade. (See #5.)

2. Learn the basic angles. With various makers on the market making whetstones , honing rods , and such, there's various types of angles that are going to help your blade on your pocket-knife get sharpened. The angle should be consistent throughout the entire length of the blade of the pocket-knife.

3. There's videos which are on social media showing how to sharpen knives. The videos are saturated with various techniques and methods that you'll begin to feel "which is the right way?" Therefore, don't watch too many videos on "how to sharpen your blades or knives."

4. Sharpening is not only about the skill and it's more about the knowledge of sharpening knives, prepping whetstones, and the dealing with the honing rods.

5. Utilizing other tools such as a magnifying glass while you observe the edge of the blade of the pocket-knife would be wise since you can't rely on "eye-balling" as you sharpen the blade.

6. Buying yourself a quality stone from a manufacturer who deals with sharpening stones is common sense. For example, most Japanese whetstones are quality and durable, therefore they last long.

Sharpening: Sharpen It On A Stone

When you want to learn how to sharpen a pocket-knife on a sharpening stone, your pocket knife isn't going to get sharp in one stroke. You have to have at least a stone bar that's the minimum of 2x6 inches in measurement. In general, it'll help make the sharpening of the blade easier. When you sharpen it on a stone, you have the three main options: ceramic stones, whetstones, and diamond stones.

Clean your knife - Keeping your knife rust-free and bacteria-free is how you'll keep your knife clean. It'll also damage the blades if you don't. Running water on the blade and a good swipe over it will begin the process.

Get sharp - Sharpening you blade regularly helps with the durability and the usage of your pocket-knife when you use it. If you have a survival tip to give anyone regarding knives, having your pocket-knife at all times is a must!

Clean up - After you have your sharpening done on your pocket-knife, it's wise to clean up after yourself because the steel shavings you leave behind will not go anywhere unless you clean it up.

Hone it on steel

- Keeping the honing angle in a succession while properly pressuring down on the blade, but not too much, is one skill you should learn if you want to keep your pocket-knives sharp.

- Grip the steel down on the stone with the proper pressure and apply it firmly against the honing rod. Learning this technique will save you time.

- Grasp the blade is when you put your forefinger and your thumb on the blade. It's a tactic in which most chefs use. The preferred grip is restint it on the bolster of your pocket-knife in this case. It's directly on the blade, it offers more control and balance. Better leverage is what this is all about.

- Sharpening with a honing rod should be done carefully. In fact, make sure you get a .20 degree angle against the rod and firmly stroke across the entire rod.

Tips for Sharpening Knives when you learn how to sharpen a pocket knife

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    The trick to sharpening a knife is how to keep the back of the blade high enough when sharpening. Keep the position of the blade when sharpening at the right angle and  constant. Don't alter the blade. Achieve the grinding angle by height of the back of the blade against the stone.
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    Let the stone do the work so don't over pressure it with that "constant angle" or too much pressure.
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    Use a rough stone that has a low grit density for a "first passing." Then a medium stone for the next passing; then, you'll go to the fine and ultra fine stone grit being the last; until you see the best edge appearing.
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    Know how the stone works with what. With oil or with water, it can break. Therefore, knowing the stone's grit and if it can be used with oil or water is what you should learn when owning a whetstone.

Conclusion

Finally, when you learn how to sharpen a pocket knife becomes reality, you'll ultimately see the difference in your blade. Every sportsman and kitchen guru should learn how to sharpen a pocket-knife the proper way without "nicking it" or "shaving the edges" off too much you end up with a short and stout blade. Consequently, selecting the proper pocket-knife sharpener is important so learning the in's and out's of how to sharpen a pocket-knife before and after using it is all in the practice as well as in the sharpener itself.

Relevant Resources:
Michael Ethan

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