Sandpaper can really come in handy if you're looking for a way to sharpen a knife in a pinch. Keep reading to learn what kind of sandpaper to use, how to hold the knife against the paper, and more!

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  • Question
    I don't want to put the sandpaper on a table or surface. What other options are there?
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    wikiHow Staff Editor
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    This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    wikiHow Staff Editor
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    You could make a sanding block instead. This would have the benefit of being moveable to any suitable surface and reusable. To make it, choose a block of wood in a suitable size. Wrap the sandpaper around the block of wood and secure with tacks or other suitable fasteners. Once made, you can run the blades over the side, untacked side of the block to sharpen them.
  • Question
    My Pops used to sharpen knives on a mug. Is that a good idea?
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    wikiHow Staff Editor
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    It is certainly possible to use a mug for sharpening knives. Choose a mug you don't mind using for this purpose and make sure it's unglazed. Turn the mug upside down so the base faces upward. Run the blade across the blade at an angle to sharpen it. Always run the knife in the same direction and repeat several times for the best effect.
  • Question
    How do I sharpen serrated knives?
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    wikiHow Staff Editor
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    It is possible to sharpen serrated knives but it must be done with extreme care to avoid breaking or ruining the knife's serrations. For help with doing this, check out the wikiHow How to Sharpen Serrated Knives.
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Tips

  • Put a few drops of water on the sandpaper before you start. This keeps the edge cool and makes the blade slide more easily. Rinse the paper and blade when done.
  • #180 and #240 grits work fast and give the best edge for kitchen knives that are used to cut vegetables and meat. Higher numbers (finer grit), and lower numbers (coarser grit) do not work nearly as well.
  • This will work on any type of blade, straight, curved, serrated (steak knife), or scalloped (ham or bread knife), even electric knives.
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wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 12 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 54,244 times.
108 votes - 83%
Co-authors: 12
Updated: October 8, 2024
Views: 54,244
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