Pocket Knife pictures

Steps

1. Clean your folding knife's blade and your whetstone. With a clean rag, carefully wipe off the blade of the knife and the surface of the sharpening whetstone. Be sure to remove not only dirt and particles but all grime and debris. Dampen the rag if desired.
   • It's important to clean your knife for safety reasons as well as efficiency and effectiveness reasons. Dirt and other particles can get in the way of sharpening, possibly even damaging your blade.
2. Apply a little bit of oil to the whetstone. Two or 3 drops should be enough. Rub it into the stone with your hand.
3. Angle your knife against the whetstone. An angle between 25 and 30 degrees against the stone is recommended.
4. Sharpen 1 side of the blade. Start with the base of the blade against the stone and push the blade away from you across the stone with a little bit of downward force while you slide the blade, ending with the tip of the blade. One forward motion should move from the base to the tip of the blade. Repeat this motion between 8 and 10 times.
5. Flip and sharpen the other side of the blade. Repeat the same forward motion between 4 and 6 times.
6. Clean the blade of the knife. The act of sharpening actually grinds away tiny flakes of metal from the blade and you will end up with grit. Wipe the grit away with the clean rag.
7. Oil the blade. Adding 1 or 2 drops of oil onto the blade will help protect it and keep it sharp for a bit. Rub it across the entire length of the blade with a clean rag.

Community Q&A

Ask a Question

If this question (or a similar one) is answered twice in this section, please click here to let us know.

Tips

• Whetstones come in a number of varieties, ranging from coarse grit to fine grit. If you're sharpening a really dull knife, use a whetstone that has a coarser grit. If you're sharpening a knife that still has some sharpness, use a whetstone with a finer grit.
• Make sure you sharpen and hone your knives on a regular basis. Accidents with knives are more likely to occur with a dull blade because a dull blade requires more effort and force than a sharp blade to cut through any material.
• If you are not confident enough to sharpen one, then it is better to sharpen a knife by a professional as the sharp blades can harm you.

Loading...