3 Easy Ways to Sharpen a Pocket Knife at Home

How to choose and use the best whetstone or guided system for your favorite blade

Co-authored by Ollie George Cigliano and Sophie Burkholder, BA

Last Updated: September 8, 2024 Fact Checked

• Sharpening a Knife with a Stone
|
• With a Guided System
|
• With a Honing Rod
|
• Video
|
• Q&A
|
• Tips
|
• Warnings

|Show more |Show less

What good is a knife that’s so dull it won’t cut anything? Pocket knives are handy and can be used for all types of things—carving wood, cutting up boxes, opening food packages, and more. With such frequent use, it’s no wonder that folding knives need extra sharpening. Thankfully, it’s easy to do at home. Just wet a sharpening stone and sweep your blade across the surface away from you, matching the angle or bevel of the blade. About 5–10 swipes per side usually does the trick! Read on to learn more about this and other methods to sharpen your pocket knife.

Sharpening Folding Knives with Stone

1. Place the knife on a sharpening stone with the blade facing away from you.
2. Sweep the knife down and off the end of the stone.
3. Repeat this movement about 12 times, or until there’s a sharp edge.
4. Sharpen the other side of the blade with about 6-8 sweeping motions.
5. Repeat the entire process on a finer-grit stone to refine and polish the blade.

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

How to Sharpen a Pocket Knife with a Stone

Download Article

1. 1
   Choose your preferred style of sharpening stone. Select a stone that has dimensions of at least 2 by 6 inches (5.1 cm × 15.2 cm) to make your sharpening job easier. Some of the most common commercial options for sharpening stones include diamond stones, ceramic stones, and whetstones.

   • Diamond stones: These stones are the hardest, longest-lasting, and will sharpen your blade the quickest, but they’re the most expensive.
   • Ceramic stones: These stones last longer and will sharpen your blade faster than a whetstone, but they’re more challenging to use. They must be soaked in water for 3-5 minutes before use.
   • Whetstone: These stones are generally considered the easiest to use and are made from fine to coarse grit stone. You must soak your whetstone in cold, clean water for ten minutes before you sharpen your blade on it.
2. 
   2
   Lubricate the sharpening stone according to manufacturer instructions. Some stones require lots of water while others only need a trickle and many require no lubrication at all. Follow the package instructions for whatever specific sharpening stone you purchased.

   • Some knife sharpening experts also recommend using a lubricant such as mineral oil, which can be found at most hardware stores.
   Advertisement
3. 3
   Clean your pocket knife. Use soap and water to wipe the blade clean and remove any residual dirt or grease. Dry it completely with a clean cloth. While cleaning the knife, check for any nicks in the blade that might require more gently handling when being sharpened.
4. 
   4
   Identify the edge angle (or edge bevel) of the blade. The blade of every knife is honed at a particular angle to suit the purpose of the knife—when sharpening, you want to match that angle. Contact your pocket knife’s manufacturer or look for the information in your owner’s manual.

   • Alternatively, you can go into your local knife shop for help or search online for the bevel angle of your specific knife.
   • Victorinox, one of the most popular pocket knife manufacturers, recommends sharpening their Swiss Army knife blades at a 15-20 degree angle on both sides.
5. 
   5
   Position the knife at its edge angle and glide it along the stone. With the blade facing away from you, place the knife at the proper edge angle against the stone. Sweep the knife down and off the end of the stone. Repeat as many times as necessary to produce a sharp edge, usually about 5-10 times.

   • Blades that are curved or longer than your whetstone will need to be swept down and across the stone to evenly sharpen the entire blade.
   • Keep your hand steady and maintain the angle throughout the entire sharpening stroke. If not, you may end up putting a rounded edge on the blade instead of a sharp edge.
   • Use the same angle each time you sharpen the knife. Keeping the angle consistent is more important than the actual angle itself.
   • Some pocket knife users recommend tracing the entire edge of the blade with a Sharpie. When sharpening, you’ll be able to see if your angle is correct and know to stop when the ink has all been removed.
6. 
   6
   Sharpen the other side of the blade. Flip the knife over and draw the blade across and off the stone. Repeat this step 6-8 times or until a sharp edge is achieved.
7. 
   7
   Refine your blade along the finer side of the stone. Flip the stone over so that the finer side is facing up. Run your blade, at its proper bevel angle, along the finer side of the stone. Doing this will remove any bumps or 'burrs' that may have formed along the edge of the blade during the sharpening process.

   • Instead of using the finer side of the stone, you can also run each side of the blade down a honing rod at an angle more open than the one you held the blade at to sharpen it.
   • The honing rod removes the burrs and fine tunes the blade's sharpness. Honing is also a quick way to refresh an edge in between sharpenings.
8. 
   8
   Test the sharpness of your knife. Hold up a piece of paper and try to slice down through the paper with your knife. A sharp blade will easily slide through the paper.

   • You can also test for any rounded part of the blade or imperfections by holding your knife up to a light and looking for a bright reflection of light.
   • Reflections exist only when there is a rounded edge somewhere along your knife, or a section of a knife that is no longer sharp.
9. 9
   Clean the sharpening stone. Follow the manufacturer instructions to wipe down and dry your sharpening stone. Steel particles left on your sharpening stone will eventually rust and make it impossible to effectively use the stone.
Advertisement

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

How to Sharpen a Pocket Knife with a Guided System

Download Article

1. 1
   Select a bevel angle that matches your pocket knife. Set your guided sharpening system to sharpen at the same angle as your knife’s bevel edge. If you’re not sure what your knife’s bevel angle is, check the owner’s manual or contact the manufacturer.

   • For a professionally-sharp blade, try an angle between 15-17 degrees. For a tougher edge, set the system to a more obtuse angle like 22-25 degrees.
   • Make sure your guided system will hold the knife in a fixed position where the angle won’t change during the sharpening process.
2. 2
   Profile the edge of the blade using the guided system. Trace your knife’s blade with a permanent marker and clamp it into the system. Select the lowest-grit stone to sharpen the blade against. Use a back-and-forth motion to slide your blade from heel-to-tip along the stone.

   • Repeat this process on both sides of the blade. Make sure there’s no trace of the marker left before deciding your blade is sufficiently sharpened.
3. 3
   Refine the edge on the next-highest grit level. Change the stone to the next-highest grit and re-sharpen the stone until the scratch patterns have disappeared. Repeat this step on both sides and on each level of stone until your blade has a smooth, mirror-like finish.

   • Unclamp the knife from the guided system—it’s ready for immediate use.
Advertisement

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

How to Sharpen a Pocket Knife with a Honing Rod

Download Article

1. 1
   Hold the honing rod by the handle so that its tip is on the counter. For safety, place the tip on an old tea towel on top of your chopping block or cutting board. The rod should be held straight up and down so that it is perfectly vertical.

   • The most common type of rod is a steel honing rod, which is also known as sharpening steel. It is a very effective and reliable way to sharpen your knife.
   • Rods can also be made out of ceramic and diamond. Both of these materials are reliable because they are two of the hardest materials in existence.
   • Diamond rods are known to create smoother blades than ceramic ones, but both will sharpen knives very quickly.
2. 
   2
   Determine the angle at which you should hold the blade against the rod. Go to your local knife shop or hardware store and ask them to determine the angle of your knife if you don't feel confident that you have the right angle. Pocket knives should generally be held at a 15 to 20 degree angle.
3. 
   3
   Swipe the knife's edge along the rod. Swipe slowly and use a light touch—avoid using a lot of pressure to press the knife against the rod. Move the knife from heel to tip as you swipe it down along the rod, maintaining the same angle throughout the stroke.
4. 
   4
   Switch sides so that you hone both sides of the knife. If your knife is relatively sharp, you should only have to swipe the knife along the rod a couple of times on each side. If your knife is very dull, you will have to swipe the knife several more times.

   • Keep in mind that honing rods are not really meant for sharpening a blade—their main purpose is to hone the blade, which can have a similar effect that suits most people’s purposes.
Advertisement

Community Q&A

Search

Add New Question

• Question

  Do I need to strop the knife after honing?

  

  Community Answer

  It's not required, but it will clean up any burs and make your knife sharper.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

  Yes No

  Not Helpful 7 Helpful 19
• Question

  How do I know when to sharpen my knife?

  

  Community Answer

  When you look at the edge against the light and the sharp edge looks round and shiny.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

  Yes No

  Not Helpful 6 Helpful 13
• Question

  How do I sharpen the top of the knife?

  

  Community Answer

  Use a rock that isn't mostly chalk. Slate rock are usually the most effective. Put the knife at an angle pointing away from you body and push down until you get to the point of the knife. Make sure to do this one both sides to ensure a good sharp edge.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

  Yes No

  Not Helpful 19 Helpful 13

See more answers

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Advertisement

Video

Tips

• You should sharpen your pocket knife approximately every 2-3 months depending on how much you use it. Sharpening your folding knife regularly helps to avoid any cuts or other accidents caused by dull knives.
  Thanks

  Helpful 0 Not Helpful 1
• As an extra step, you can use a leather strop to make your pocket knife even sharper. Place your knife on the strop at the desired angle and slowly draw your knife in a backward motion from heel to tip. Repeat this step seven times on each side of the blade.
  Thanks

  Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• The maximum suggested angle for sharpening a pocket knife is 30-45º. If you go beyond this range, you may never get your knife sharpened the way you want it.
  Thanks

  Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

Show More Tips

Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

• While you're still a beginner, practice your sharpening techniques with your least favorite knife. If you mess it up, you won't be too sad!
• You can also strop the knife with a piece of cardboard. Just glue a piece of cardboard and glue it to a wooden block and there you have it!

Submit a Tip

All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

Name

Please provide your name and last initial

Submit

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

Advertisement

Warnings

• As you may have guessed, sharpening a knife can be dangerous. Use utmost caution when sharpening your knife, regardless of the method you use.
  Thanks

  Helpful 45 Not Helpful 18

Advertisement