Knife Sharpening Basics: Find the Angle, Raise a Burr, Refine the Edge

Outdoor Life has published a knife sharpening guide by Drew Conover, who runs a sharpening business. It covers stones, a homemade sandpaper block, honing rods, a belt sharpener and stropping.

Key points

• Stone method: Using a wet medium natural Arkansas stone, he colors the bevel with a marker, holds the spine about 20 degrees off the stone, and adjusts until the marker wears off evenly.
• Burr, then refine: Work one side until a burr forms along the whole edge, repeat on the other side, then alternate passes with the edge trailing: ten per side, then five, three, two and one.
• DIY block: A mousepad glued to a wood scrap, topped with automotive wet/dry paper from 320 to at least 1000 grit and used at 15 to 20 degrees, yields a convex edge.
• Belt sharpener angles: He suggests 15 to 18 degrees for kitchen and fillet knives, 20 for pocket and general-use blades, and 22 to 25 for heavy chopping.
• Maintenance: He treats a honing rod as a way to keep an edge, not repair a damaged one, and strops his knives once or twice a week.

Quick take

Conover says holding a consistent angle is the hardest part. He recommends angle guides, practicing on a cheap knife, and lifting the blade straight up at the end of a pass rather than rolling the wrist. He argues the same steps of setting the angle, raising a burr and refining apply to nearly any system.

Read the full story at Outdoor Life.