How to Sharpen a Knife

The knife is the top outdoor survival tool

2008-03-18T15:18:00.001-07:00

While not directly related to learning how to sharpen a knife, I wanted to follow up on an article that appeared on Wired today that listed the Top 10 Outdoor Survival Tools. Being someone who enjoys the outdoors I clicked on the article and wasn't surprised in the least that a good knife was at the top of the list.

Why is a knife at the top of the list? Wired listed a couple-preparing food and helping to build a shelter. There are many more though. Here's some:

Starting a fire. You bet. If the knife is razor sharp (as it should be), then it will be easy to shave some small wood chips to aid in starting a fire. If the knife is made of carbon steel, the back edge can be used to strike matches on. Another advantage of the carbon steel blade is that it can be kept very sharp with a river rock.
Hunting/Fishing. In addition to preparing food as Wired stated above, you can also use the same knife to hunt for that food. Lash it to the end of a good stick (which you cut and trimmed using...you guessed it...your knife) and it's now either a spear for small game or fish.
Make tent pegs. This goes along with building shelter but making a tent peg serves as a good example.
Make a cooking spit. Use your knife to make a thin spit that you can hang food on and turn over your fire.

Those are just a few examples of what a knife can be used for outdoors. Here are a couple of examples of good outdoor/hunting knives. Click on either knife for more information.

Now, these knives don't do you any good unless you know how to sharpen a knife. Here are a couple of links to other articles that can help.

5 factors to consider when choosing a knife

A good guide on how to sharpen a knife

Five Types of Knife Sharpeners

2008-03-16T12:25:00.000-07:00

Essential to learning how to sharpen a knife you have to become educated on the types of knife sharpeners that are available and what they should be used for. This article will walk you through that process.

Why is it important to know what types of knife sharpeners are out there? There are a couple of reasons. First, if you own a knife you're going to want to keep it sharp so that it's safe to use and, secondly, you want to get the correct sharpener for your needs and experience. Here's a quick rundown of the types of sharpeners and what they should be used for.

1. Bench Stones. Bench stones are by far the most common sharpener. A bench stone is basically a rectangular stone that the blade is drawn across to achieve an edge. They can come as a loose stone or mounted in some kind of case to make them easier to handle. The popular stones are India, Arkansas, Japanese water, ceramic, and Diamond. The India and Arkansas stones are typically used with some type of honing oil while the Japanese water stones use water. Diamond stones require no lubrication. The key point to using a bench stone is that it's critical that you maintain a proper angle between the blade and stone in order to achieve a good edge. It takes practice in order to achieve this.

2. Butcher's Steel. Butcher's Steel is a steel rod mounted to a handle and is used in the kitchen for kitchen knives. The steel won't grind a bevel so they are mainly used to keep the knife sharp between grindings. Besides steel, the rods can also be ceramic or diamond coated.

3. V-Sharpener. The V-sharpener is two rods that are crossed, forming a V, and mounted in a base. The rods can be made of either steel or ceramics and are useful for re-sharpening between grindings or touchups. The knife is sharpened by placing the edge in the V where the rods cross and pulling the blade towards the user. The V-sharpener is very easy to use.

4. Clamping Systems. Clamping systems are just like they sound. A clamp is used to hold the blade in position while a stone is moved across the blade in order to sharpen it. These systems are slower than others because you have to take the time to set it up but they are perfect for beginners because, with the knife clamped, and with the use of stone guides, the angle between the knife and stone is constant.

5. Electrical Grinders. With the electrical grinder, a motor turns the sharpening material (stone, paper, etc.) while the user applies the knife to the sharpening material. These electrical grinders come in many varieties and can produce a razor sharp edge in no time. In the hands of an inexperienced user, though, an electrical grinder can quickly ruin a knife. Because of that, I would only recommend these to experienced sharpeners.

There you have it. Five types of knife sharpeners to help you keep your knives or cutlery in top condition. Used properly, a knife sharpening system will last you for years and is essential in learning how to sharpen a knife.

Factors To Consider When Choosing a Knife

2008-03-15T15:31:00.000-07:00

Before you can learn how to sharpen a knife, you have to have a knife. Choosing a knife can be very confusing when you take a look at all the possibilities out there. How many kinds of knives are there? How many stars are there in the sky at night? While there aren't that many knives out there I think you get my point. The uneducated buyer faces a daunting task to find the knife they're looking for. I've put together a short guide below to help you make that decision.

1. Purpose. It all starts with the purpose of the knife. What are you going to use it for? There's a knife for every job and getting the wrong knife can be disastrous. The question you have to ask yourself is, "What will I use it for?" Once you can answer that question you can begin to narrow down your choices. There are two broad categories for the purpose:

-General Purpose - this is typically your knife you use to carry around for everyday tasks. This can be your common pocket knife. These knives come in many different styles and make a good all around knife.

-Specialized - this type of knife is generally built for a specific purpose in mind such as diving, hunting, multi-purpose, or military use.

2. Design. Very closely linked to the purpose of a knife is its design. Because these knives can be specialized, they generally have a specialized use. Probably the two biggest categories of design are folded and fixed blade. A fixed blade knife must be stored in a sheath of some type when not in use. On the other hand, a folding blade knife is designed so that the blade, when not in use, folds back into the body. There are a couple of optional features for folding knives that need to be pointed out:

-Easy Opening - these folding knives have easy opening mechanisms that allow the user to open them with one hand. This can come in very handy if your other hand is in use or you need to open it quickly.

-Lock Blade - these folding knives have a mechanism that locks the blade open. This essentially turns the knife into a fixed blade as the locking mechanism prevents the knife from folding up.

3. Materials. Knives can be made from many different materials ranging from steel to titanium for the blade and plastic to wood for the handle. There are literally thousands of combinations to choose from. The type of material used is usually closely linked to the purpose of the knife.

4. Warranty. A good knife should come with a good warranty. Be sure to check to see if the knife you want comes with one. The types of warranties available range from a few months to lifetime.

5. Cost. Cost is usually the biggest determining factor when purchasing a knife. Like the old saying goes, though, "you get what you pay for." If you buy a knife for $5 then you're going to get a $5 knife. Likewise, a custom-made specialty knife can cost you hundreds. All of the factors above-purpose, design, materials, and warranty-go into determining the final cost of a knife.

There you have it. Purpose, design, materials, warranty, and cost. The 5 factors to consider when choosing a knife.

Do you have recommendations for other factors to consider? If so, leave a comment.

How to Sharpen a Knife with a Diamond Stone

2008-03-10T08:43:00.000-07:00

How to Sharpen a Knife with a diamond stone is today's topic. A diamond stone is one of many different mediums that you can use to sharpen your knife. We'll explore them individually but today we'll focusing on how to sharpen a knife with a diamond stone.

A diamond is one of the most durable materials known to man so it's natural that it has become a tool to help keep our knives sharp. Diamond stones come in many different shapes, styles, grips, textures, and qualities. Finding the one that satisfies your application, and experience, will help in your mission to keep your knives sharp.

I ran across this great, simple video that shows one method of how to sharpen a knife with a diamond stone. Check it out.

http://www.buzly.com/watch/How_To_Sharpen_A_Knife_With_A_Diamond_Stone/205151/

A good guide on How to Sharpen A Knife

2008-03-09T19:10:00.001-07:00

Learning How to Sharpen A Knife is essential if you want your knives working properly. A properly working knife not only saves time by making quick work of the task but it's safer as well. Safer you ask? Absolutely! Imagine yourself trying to cut a steak with a butter knife and the force/effort required to do so. Now imagine the same task with a well-sharpened knife. Do you think you're more likely to loose control of the knife with the dull butter knife or with the sharp knife? You're right-the dull butter knife. Keeping that blade sharp requires less effort on your part and makes it safer for you. And for whomever is sitting on your left or right!

I did some quick research and here's a quick guide on How to Sharpen A Knife.

How to sharpen a knife

Do you have some sharpening tips? If so, post a comment and let us know!

Welcome to How To Sharpen A Knife!

2008-03-09T18:56:00.000-07:00

Welcome to How To Sharpen a Knife! Here we'll be posting news on knives and knife sharpening. Please leave comments to provide us feedback on how we're doing.