How To Sharpen a Pocket Knife(Simple And Quick)

How to sharpen a pocket knife? Sharpening a pocket knife is an essential skill every hiker and camper should master. Besides irritating, these worn-out pocket knives are also very dangerous to use. On the other hand, sharp blades can easily cut ropes, branches, or anything that has come your way while strolling in the wilderness. 

Related: Best Camping Knife

We have also reviewed the camping axe, camping saw, camping cookware and various other gear for all the hiking and camping needs.

However, sharpening a camping knife with some knowledge is complex. Here are various ways to sharpen your pocket and camping knives.

Using a Sharpening Stone

First, select the sharpening stone that you can easily access. To be a good picker of the type of stone, you must know the different types and their qualities. 

A common type is a whetstone. It’s the easiest to use. 

Then there is the ceramic stone, which is harder but sharpens quickly. 

Lastly is the diamond stone. 

Of all three stones, the diamond is the hardest and finest. However, it is pricey. You can also jump to the video directly for demonstration.

• Now, lubricate whatever stone you have picked with mineral or sharpening oil. 
• This will prevent the stone’s pores from clogging with debris and reduce friction and heat while sharpening.
• Next, determine the bevel angle of the blade. Most pocket knives have a bevel angle of 25 to 30 degrees.
• Position the knife at the proper angle against the stone. 
• Hold the knife with the blade facing you at the determined bevel angle. Then, glide the knife along the stone. 
• Sweep the knife down and off the end of the stone. 
• And repeat this at least 12 times.
• After that, sharpen the other side of the blade. 
• Flip the knife over and repeat step 5. 

In addition, you can use the finer side of the stone or a honing rod to remove any burrs that may have formed along the blade’s edge during the sharpening process.

At last, test the knife for sharpness. To test, position a piece of paper by holding it up and try to cut through it. If the paper is smoothly sliced, your knife is ready.

Using a File

To process using a file:

• First, find a flat surface. This could be a countertop or any old table. 
• Now, place the pocket knife on a flat surface. 
• Next, angle the file on the verge of the knife. 
• Press down on the file until it touches the edge of your blade. 
• Repeat this process on different areas of the blade. 
• Continue doing this until you feel that the entire edge of your blade is sharpened to perfection.

A hand file is another great way to sharpen knives. It works by eradicating extra build-up and unevenness that makes the blade uneven. Hand files come in different sizes and shapes.

Moreover, they are crafted from wood, plastic, and metal materials. Out of all these hand files, aluminum or stainless steel is the most common choice. To initiate the sharpening process using this tool:

1. Position the hand file at an angle of 10 to 20 degrees against the blade’s edge.
2. Move the hand file along the blade while maintaining the angle.
3. Continue with the same consistency until both sides of the blade are even.

 A nail file is something that we always have. So, if you don’t have a regular filer, then go for a nail file. It also does the refining job great. Angle the nail file at about 10 degrees and place the knife blade down on the flat side of the nail file. Angle it away from you, and use small, quick strokes to remove any sticking metal.

Another type of file is a round file. It’s a tool used to sharpen the knife. Simply place the blade against the round file and give it small strikes in your opposite direction.

Make sure you use small, quick strokes with each pass to remove any metal sticking from the blade. Follow a few simple steps to sharpen a knife with a round file. You can use a round file to remove the burrs and sharpen marks from the blade of your knife. The burrs and the scratches on edge are called file marks. You can also use a small, fine-toothed saw file to remove the burrs and the scratches from the blade.

A bastard file is an intense-grinding file that removes metal from the worn-out pocket knife. Sometimes, it’s paired with a whetstone. The most critical part of using a bastard file is always using the right size for the knife you are sharpening. To sharpen a knife with a bastard file:

1. Array the blade on the file while applying a small amount of force against the file’s edge.
2. Use long, smooth strokes to remove any metal from the blade.
3. Be correct in choosing the appropriate size of the bastard file.

Otherwise, you will only be left with an uneven edge.

Sandpaper

You can also sharpen a knife with either a wet-or-dry silicon carbide sandpaper.

To begin, you will need a sheet of #180 grit or #240 grit “Wet-or-Dry” silicon carbide sandpaper. These can be found at any home improvement store or even Walmart in the Paint-Wallpaper section. Sometimes these are sold in “Variety Packs” with several grits for about $3. One sheet will last for months. A great advantage!

• First, position the sandpaper grit at the side of a table. 
• Use an old table, countertop, or cutting board. 
• If you don’t have extra table tops to serve this purpose, no problem. You can make your own in an instant. 
• So, choose a block of wood in a suitable size. 
• Wrap the sandpaper around the wood block and secure it with tacks or other suitable fasteners. 
• You can find a big stone and wrap the sandpaper if you are hiking. 
• You can run the blades over the side, untacked side of the block or gravel to sharpen the pocketknife. 
• This will allow you to hold the handle firmly and sharpen the entire edge.
• Next, firmly hold the knife by the handle and slide the edge across the sandpaper-like you are slicing thin layers off the sandpaper. 
• Always move the knife in that direction, onto the sandpaper, never backward, in circles, or straight along the edge. An angle of about 20° is best. 
• Also, don’t use a lot of pressure, just steady, even strokes—about like slicing a raw potato.

Be cautious when applying pressure because the pressure should be the same on both sides of the blade to get evenness. In this regard, here are some tips

Take three strokes on a side, then change. This will ensure that you sharpen the blade evenly on both sides.

Furthermore, to test the knife’s sharpness, just run it through a piece of paper that is held up. If the knife glides through and cuts the paper effortlessly, it’s pretty sharp.

In addition, for knives with curved blades, raise the handle slightly while sliding the edge across the sandpaper so that you sharpen the entire length. A special warning is not to swap the angles at which you point each side of the blade. This error can lead to an uneven and spiky surface.

Once you have sharpened the knife, you can use a honing steel to keep the edge in top condition. Run the blade across the honing steel at a 20-degree angle, keeping the angle consistent because this will help realign the blade by keeping it sharp.

Knife Sharpener

The usage of this tool starts by choosing the right type of sharpener. Knife sharpeners come in different forms—honing rods, electric sharpeners, and manual sharpeners.

For pocket knives, manual sharpeners are the most recommended. A handy manual sharpener is two-staged as it has a coarse grit for sharpening and a fine grit for honing. Now, secure the sharpener on an oblate surface. 

However, you can skip the securing process if your sharpener has a suction cup at the bottom to prevent it from moving around.

Before you jump into the sharpening procedure, maintain the cleanliness of the knife. Cleaning it with a damp cloth or mild soap makes it squeaky clean. Then, dry it very well. After that, consider the angle at which you will sharpen the knife. This angle will depend on the type of knife.

Most pocket knives have a blade angle between 10 and 30 degrees. But you can consult the manufacturer’s instructions if you still need clarification about the correct angle.

Now, you can start sharpening. 

• So, hold the knife by the handle. The blade should be facing away from you. 
• Place the blade’s heel in the coarse grit section of the sharpener and gently pull the knife through the slot, applying light pressure. 
• The pressure should be soft enough. 
• This process should give off an audible grinding sound. 
• Keep the edge at the same angle throughout the process. 
• Iterate this process until you can achieve the desired sharpness. 
• This can be 3 to 5 takes. 
• Once you have sharpened the blade, go for its honing. 
• For this, move to the fine-grit section of the sharpener and repeat the same process. 
• But this time, use a lighter pressure and pull the blade through the slot 3-5 times. 
• After your satisfaction regarding the sharp blade, remove any metal shavings with a wet cloth. 
• At last, dry it with a lint cloth.

Sharpen Using a Stone

Sharpening a pocket knife using a stone is a skill that can be learned with practice. Before starting this practice, you should acknowledge the different types of sharpening stones.

Whetstones are considered the easiest ones to use. Next, ceramic stones are more complex than whetstones and last longer but are more challenging. Other than these stones, there is another one, the diamond stone. It delivers exquisite results instantly and is the hardest of all.

Further, this stone comes in several levels of coarseness, including hard, fine, and superfine. In many cases, diamond stones are metal plates with small diamonds attached to their surfaces. Some of the substrates have holes to capture sharpening debris.

But as a matter of fact, these are a lot pricey.

For the procedure:

•  Initiate sharpening by lubricating your stone with water or oil. This will prevent the stone’s pores from clogging up with debris, filings, and grit. Moreover, it will also reduce the heat caused by friction and avoid warping.
• Subsequently, identify the bevel angle of your blade. This angle is the target angle where the edge will be honed. 
• The bevel angle will also help you place the stone in the correct spot throughout the process. 
• Next, position the knife at the proper angle against the stone. 
• Keep your hand steady and maintain the angle throughout the entire sharpening stroke. 
• Consider using a sharpening guide if you are new to sharpening or have difficulty holding a steady angle. 
• Glide the knife along the stone in a circular motion. 
• Then sweep the knife down and off the end of the whetstone and repeat as necessary to produce a sharp edge.
• Sharpen the other side of the blade. 
• Flip the knife over and draw the blade across and off the stone, guaranteeing the desired angle. 
• Repeat this step until a sharp edge is achieved.

Honing Rod

Another prime and easy way to sharpen a knife is using a honing rod. This is also known as sharpening steel. Honing rods help keep your knives sharp and in good condition. While rods are not technically sharpening your knife, they are honing the blade to give it the same result as sharpening your knife on a stone.

Honing rods are of different types, but for pocket knives, the best one is the steel honing rod. Additionally, honing rods is better for maintaining the sharpness of an already sharp blade.

Plus, the steel honing rod is reliable and effective for sharpening knives. Honing rods can also be made of ceramic or diamond, which is reliable because they are two of the most rigid materials. Diamond rods are known to create smoother blades, but both ceramic and diamond rods will sharpen knives quickly.

To use this tool: 

• Position the rod’s tip on the counter by grabbing it from the handle. 
• Place an old tea towel on top of your chopping block or cutting board to prevent any damage to your counter. 
• The rod should be kept perfectly vertical. 
• Next, pinpoint the rod’s bevel angle. Knives should generally be held at a 25 to 30-degree angle when using a honing rod. 
• Once you have determined the bevel angle of your knife, swipe the knife’s edge along the rod. 
• You should swipe slowly and use a light touch; do not push the knife against the rod with much pressure. 
• Then, move the knife from heel to tip as you swipe it down along the rod, maintaining the same angle throughout the stroke. 
• After swiping one side of the knife, switch sides, so you hone both sides. If your knife is relatively sharp, you should only have to swipe the knife along the rod a couple of times on each side. But, if your knife is dull, you must use several strokes.

It’s important to note that honing a knife with a rod does not sharpen the blade. Instead, it straightens out any microscopic teeth along the blade’s edge. In conclusion, honing your knife with a rod is essential in maintaining its sharpness and ensuring it performs well.

Without a Sharpener

The ceramic coffee mug is one of the ways to sharpen a knife. So, invert an unglazed cup and run your pocket knife on the rougher bottom until the desired sharpness is attained.

A leather belt can also be used for honing a blade. Ensure the belt has no stitching, and run the blade away from the cutting edge to realign the blade.

Sandpaper is another versatile item that can be used to sharpen a knife. For this, start using a rougher textured grit and then work your way up using a finer grit. This will give you a smooth effect.

When the sandpaper isn’t readily available, a nail file or emery board can be used similarly. Run the blade’s cutting edge against the file or board to realign the edge.

A nylon strap, such as the strap on a backpack, can also be used for honing a blade. Run the blade against the nylon strap away from the cutting edge.

Cardboard may not be as effective as leather or nylon, but it can still be used for stropping a blade.

A car window can be used in a pinch for honing a blade. A car window’s rough, rounded edge is perfect for softer steel. Slide the blade toward the edge 8 to 10 times on both sides for a sharper blade.

Another honing device that’s easy to find is the thick spine of a second knife. Run the blade along the unsharpened spine of the second knife to realign the edge.

Other than that, you can also use a smooth and flat stone. You can easily find one lying near the rivers. Also, these spots can easily be located on hiking or camping trips. For this purpose, you need a porcelain mug. The rough texture on the bottom of the mug can be used to sharpen your knife and restore its cutting edge. To sharpen your knife using a porcelain mug:

1. Flip the mug over and find the rough spot on the bottom.
2. Draw your blade across the rough surface several times in quick succession.
3. Do this on both sides of the blade. 

It’s important to note that this hack works best for smaller blades like paring or steak knives. Although this article is about pocket knives, here is a caution regarding porcelain mugs. This method won’t give the desired results for a big knife. No doubt this is a great hack to refine your knives. However, it won’t play the expected role of restoring the ultimate sharpness in the long run. This is mainly because the rough surface on the bottom of the mug will wear down. Which in turn will make the sharpening process less effective.

Be Careful While Using Sharpeners

While razor sharps are extremely easy to find, they can also be dangerous. Thus, you should be careful using them because some razor sharps don’t have a good grip or handle.

Firstly, wrap your fingers with a bandage to prevent any cuts. Secondly, choose the right angle. Pocket knives usually have a bevel angle between 15-20 degrees. The bevel angle of the blade and the razor-sharp should be the same. 

Now, have a firm grip on this sharpening tool, and make sure your fingers are not in the way. Then while maintaining the angle, apply pressure on the blade and pull it towards you, moving it across the sharpener. Keep the pressure constant as well.

As usual, repeat the sharpening process until the pocket knife is ready. Lastly, test the edge of your knife by cutting a piece of paper or shaving the hair on your arm. If the knife cuts easily and smoothly, it’s sharpened correctly.

Conclusion

Sharpening pockets and camping knives using mugs, belts, sandpapers, honing rods, etc., are much more accessible and affordable than electric sharpeners. Lastly, remember that sharpening a pocket knife takes practice and patience. You will gain the expertise of sharpening your knife quickly and easily.