A medium-grit flat sharpening stone

A fine-grit flat sharpening stone

5-20 minutes, depending on how dull the knife is

Bevel: A small V-shape created at the edge of the blade to strengthen the blade for everyday use.

Fine-grit stone: a stone that's used to create the final bevel on the knife. It creates a smoother metal surface than a medium-grit stone.

Medium-grit stone: a stone that's used to create the basic edge on a knife. It grinds away metal more quickly than a fine- grit stone.

You can find flat stones at hardware stores, hunting supply stores, sporting goods stores, and through mail order. A larger stone will make it easier to sharpen most knives, especially kitchen knives.

A polished edge cuts more easily. Polish the edge (this will also remove any tiny metal shavings that remain) by drawing the blade across a piece of roughened leather, a chamois cloth, or one of those steel rods that come with most kitchen knife sets. Be very careful if you use the steel rod--it's easy to be careless and ruin the edge that you've worked so hard to create. Keep the rod at a shallow angle, and don't jerk the blade--use smooth, full strokes.

Avoid using an electric sharpener of any kind. They remove too much metal from the blade, and have a tendency to create a wavy edge that will not cut with a clean, straight line.

Some knives are impossible to put an edge on. These types are generally made of stainless steel, which is too hard to grind easily and doesn't seem to cut very well, either. Don't make yourself crazy--just get rid of the knife.

2torial #0685: Learn2 Sharpen a Knife Look sharp! There are few tools more dangerous than a dull knife. It'll slide when you want it to cut, and it'll cut when it stops sliding--usually when it hits your hand. Ask ten different people how they sharpen their knives, however, and you may get ten different answers. Not only that, but each of these ten methods are all sworn to be the best by ten venerable trail guides from ten mountain towns (who've all been sharpening knives since they were knee-high to a carpenter ant and don't you forget it buddy). What's a poor soul with a dull knife to do? You can start with this 2torial, which will lead you out of the tangled thicket of knife-sharpening opinions. There are a number of commercial one-step sharpening utensils available at the local hardware store. They generally have some sort of ceramic or diamond-impregnated surfaces, and are used by drawing the knife through a narrow V-shape of some kind. Although they're certainly convenient, they can also cause problems by exerting uneven pressure on the blade--creating waves in the blade as it passes through the V-shape. The method below, while requiring a little more time and concentration, has a much greater chance of putting a good edge on a blade and not damaging it, provided it's done careful attention. A note on knives with a scalloped or serrated edge: these cannot be sharpened using this method. Scalloped knives (such as a bread knife) generally require professional attention when they become dulled. Serrated knives (the never-need-sharpening variety) are usually very low quality, and are meant to be thrown away when the edge becomes damaged or unusable. Choose your stone First, there's the question of whether or not to use a liquid on the sharpening stone. A fiery debate rages on this issue, and you'd better figure out which side you're on, so you're not mistaken for the enemy and accidentally shot. Some stones are marketed as specifically for wet and dry uses, so keep the following points in mind as you shop around. One school of thought insists that using oil, water or saliva helps "float" the tiny metal shavings away from the stone when the blade is being sharpened.   The other camp demands that using any type of liquid just clogs up the pores of the stone (which ruins the stone forever) and only polishes the blade, rather than grinding it.   The staff at Learn2.com respects the views of both camps, and suggests the method below--it works with both dry and wet stones. Recreate the basic edge If you were to peer at the point of a nicely sharpened, multi-purpose knife blade, it would look something like figure 1. You'll notice that the blade is actually beveled to form the final edge, but you won't create that bevel just yet. First, you'll form the basic edge, which is a little simpler in shape, as we see in figure 1a. One of the key points of knife-sharpening is maintaining constant angles between the blade and the stone. There are two: the angle between the blade and the edge of the stone, and between the blade and the surface of the stone. Place your flat, medium-grit stone on the table in front of you. Lay the blade flat on the stone at a 45 degree angle, as shown in Figure 2. This 45 degree angle is the first of two angles.   Grasp the knife by the handle. With your index finger along the back of the blade, raise the blade off the surface of the stone at a 20 degree angle, as shown in figure 3. This is the second angle. Keeping the edge of the blade in contact with the stone, firmly and carefully draw the knife towards you. This action will grind the blade from hilt to point. Maintain the 45 degree angle, and the angle that you've raised the blade off the stone.   Apply medium to light pressure as you're drawing the edge across the stone. (For the sake of comparison, zero pressure would have the knife blade resting on the stone without you touching it.) Apply a little pressure or a bit more, depending on how old the knife is, how many times you've sharpened it, and the current condition of the edge. A very dull edge will require more pressure.   Turn the knife over, and repeat the process. If you keep the knife in the same hand, you'll be pushing the blade away from you this time. It's important to maintain the same angles on both sides of the blade. Go slowly and alternate strokes on the stone until each side of the blade has been stroked several times. A very dull knife will need a few more strokes than a better kept one. Create the final bevel Now that you have a basic edge on the blade, it's a time to create the final bevel. This will strengthen the edge, so that it stays sharp longer and is less prone to be damaged by everyday use. You'll create the bevel simply by repeating Step 1, with two modifications: use a fine-grit stone, and raise the blade a bit higher off the stone (the second angle) when you draw it across. Place your flat, fine-grit stone on the table in front of you, and lay the blade flat on the stone at a 45 degree angle, as you did before.   Grasp the knife by the handle. With your index finger along the back of the blade, raise the blade off the surface of the stone at a slightly greater angle than before--maybe 25 to 30 degrees. See figure 4. Keeping the edge of the blade in contact with the stone, firmly and carefully draw the knife towards you. This action will grind the blade from hilt to point. Hold the 45 degree angle, and the angle that you've raised the blade off the stone, as constant as possible. Again, apply medium to light pressure as you're drawing the edge across the stone.   Turn the knife over, and repeat the process. Alternate strokes again until each side of the blade has been across the stone several times--about five strokes for each side should suffice. The pressure that you apply while drawing the blade across the stone should get progressively lighter with each stroke.   At this point you should have a pretty sharp knife. You can test it by holding a piece of paper vertically, and drawing the blade across the edge and down. A sharp knife will cut the paper. -end- Learn More!