Knife Sharpening for a Novice

[dustoffer]

Here's the best one I've ever used in terms of good work and little time invested.

https://shop.gohunt.com/products/g5-sportsman-sharpener?variant=39701698248898&scid=scbplpshopify_US_6648690802882_39701698248898&sc_intid=shopify_US_6648690802882_39701698248898&campaignid=407335996&adgroupid=1363394992075566&adid=&msclkid=20b46f72759d13888e090eac344e20db&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=SC-%20Shopping%20Branded%2FNumbered%20Desktop&utm_term=4588811781401533&utm_content=All%20Products

[S-3 Ranch]

Here's the best one I've ever used in terms of good work and little time invested.

https://shop.gohunt.com/products/g5-...All%20Products

I have used those tungsten carbide grove sharpening tool, but only on a filet knife or kitchen, scared to remove that much steel on a more complex steel like M4 or k390 , s60vn

[Bryan11]

This is something I posted several years ago.

Learn to do it without gimmicks, it's a good skill to have. The edge of a car window, edge of coffee cup, all kinds of things can become sharpeners. All that is required is a consistent angle on each side. You already can do it, you just don't know how. Every time you roll your wrist, left to right, your wrist articulates on the same path everytime. You don't even need to hold the blade at the same angle, left to right. If the right side is at angle x the left doesn't have to be at angle x also. It can be at angle y for example. Meaning if you hold the right side at 30° but the left side at 34° it doesn't matter. What matters is that the right is at 30° on every stroke and the left is at 34° on every stroke. Your body does this naturally. This is YOUR angle. A new knife or the knife your buddy gave you is NOT at your angle. So, you may sharpen a knife for hours and never put a edge on it. Why, the knife is at angle whatever, we'll say angle z. So the knife edge is at z angle but your laying the edge to the stone at x angle, and never getting anywhere. Now your mind is messing with you, your trying different things, really concentrating, all to no avail. You have to put your angle on the knife. This requires you to sharpen it until angle z is no longer there. Once you get the knife to this point, anytime you lay the edge to anything, it's at your angle. Every stroke is now sharpening the knife. It really is that simple, no rocket science involved. This was explained to me by an uncle, the Christmas I turned 11. He gave me an Old Timer muskrat, and a Smith 4" Arkansas stone. On my first attempt I put a razor edge on that knife and there was nothing to it. To pick up any knife, lay it to a stone at the exact edge it already has, and put a razor edge on it, is a skill that takes time. And really it's just feel, and not too difficult. I hope this makes sense and not to hard to understand. Try it, it will work for anyone. I would suggest a course stone at first because you will need to remove some metal.

Makes total sense about having to set your angle vs matching the factory edge exactly. I've got a coarse, medium, and fine arkansas stone. Sounds like i just need to put more time in on an old buck skinner i have and set my own edge.

[MadHatter]

Makes total sense about having to set your angle vs matching the factory edge exactly. I've got a coarse, medium, and fine arkansas stone. Sounds like i just need to put more time in on an old buck skinner i have and set my own edge.

Yes sir .
You'll find it's not the least bit complicated and really doesn't require any skill, just a bit of understanding as to what it is you are doing.