A sharp blade is safer than a dull blade. Those who have dull blades use more force to cut, which can lead to the blade slipping from your hand and causing an injury.

Most knife owners have heard this advice many times over. However, keeping blades razor sharp is something not everyone takes the time to do.

Options to Keep Blades Razor Sharp

Fortunately, there are different ways to approach sharpening, some less time-consuming than others. Keep these in mind when considering how to keep your edge sharp – the last thing you want is to have a dull one.

Stone and Oil

This will get the job done and make your blade razor sharp. It certainly looks cool when you see someone doing in on TV or on an Internet video! The truth is, while using an oiled stone to sharpen the blade works well, it’s also messy. This isn’t an option for everyone. For those willing to work with stone and oil, more detail on preparing and sharpening the blade can be found here.

For Heavy Sharpening

This is worth a mention because many people think about sharpening when trying to repair an older or damaged blade. If there are very small, minute nicks, inconsistent edges or a dulled blade from neglect over a long period of time and if you’re sharpening by hand, you’ll want to use the coarse grit on your sharpener to start. Incrementally, increase the grit until the edge is restored to a cutting edge. In terms of angle, if the original edge is still visible, try to follow the same angle the knife had when it was brand new.  If the original edge is not visible, then you will have to create a new edge angle.

Sharpening Tools

There are many tools on the market, ranging anywhere from $50 to $300+. Options include tungsten carbide V-shaped sharpeners, diamond sharpeners, mini belt sharpeners and those that allow you to change stones from a heavy grit to super fine grit. Also, it is important to finish any sharpening with a ceramic hone stone. Many people prefer the above-mentioned sharpening tools because they can quickly get the job done. That’s a huge benefit in the hectic pace of today’s society, where finding time to put a good edge on your blade is hard to come by.

Portable Sharpening

One option that is increasingly popular is the smaller, credit-card-size sharpeners that are easy to carry in a bag, wallet, purse or EDC bag. That kind of convenience makes it easier to find a bit of time to sharpen your blade.

Testing the Blade

Is your blade sharp enough? One idea is to use it to cut paper, although that can depend on a number of factors. They include the width of the blade (single or double edge), thickness of blade and angle of the grind on the edge. For example, a blade with a width of three-fourths of an inch or under that also has a double edge will not shave paper. But it will cut your finger, so that is still a good edge!

Keep these issues in mind next time you want your blade razor sharp. While it will take a commitment of time and effort, getting blades razor sharp is worth it.