Sharpening your pocket knives? You can do it yourself!

A sharp pocket knife makes your life easier, while a blunt knife does the opposite: you end up pushing harder, the knife slips away more easily, and that is anything but pleasant or safe. By regularly sharpening your pocket knife with a good sharpening stone, a quick pull-through sharpener or a high-quality sharpening system, the blade will continue to cut smoothly and you will have a tool you can always rely on without having to replace it quickly.

Fast sharpening or razor-sharp results

When sharpening, it is important to realise that you can go in two directions. You can do it quickly and easily, and get pretty good results. Ideal when you don't have much time or don't feel like really delving into the subject matter. On the other hand, you can go for ultimate sharpness: you put in a little more time and effort, but you get a much sharper cut in return. Quite quickly, sharper than the knife ever was when new. The choice is yours!

Which sharpening method suits your pocket knife?

Please note that you should choose a sharpening method that is suitable for sharpening your pocket knife. A standard V-edge works with almost any sharpening product, but with other sharpening shapes, it's slightly different. A Scandi grind is very easy to sharpen on a sharpening stone, but often produces less satisfactory results on a sharpening system. A convex grind requires a great deal of experience on a sharpening stone and special adapters on a sharpening system; a strop or belt sharpening system usually gives the best results here. Does your knife have a recurve or serrated edge? Then a sharpening steel is the easiest tool to use. Want to learn more? Check out the article about the different types of knife grinds.

Sharpening a pocket knife on a sharpening stone

A sharpening stone is an affordable way to get your pocket knife sharp and ready to use again. It takes some time and practice, but the results are worth it. It's great that you can choose from different grain sizes: a coarse grain for tackling a blunt blade or minor damage, and a fine grain for real sharpening. Many combination sharpening stones offer both grains in one stone, so with a single purchase you have everything you need to keep your knife in good condition.

Pull-through sharpener for pocket knives: quick and easy

A pull-through sharpener is perfect if you want to sharpen your pocket knife quickly and easily. A few strokes and the blade will cut smoothly and reliably again. No razor-sharp finish, but a fine working sharpness that is ideal when you use your knife frequently. You don't need to master any techniques and it hardly takes any time. For those who are mainly looking for convenience, a pull-through sharpener is a compact, practical solution for in between uses.

Sharpening systems for pocket knives: ultimate precision

Sharpening your pocket knife on a sharpening system is easy and gives a razor-sharp result. Want your pocket knife to be sharper than sharp? And are you willing to put in the effort to achieve that? Great! We have the best sharpening systems to get your pocket knives super sharp. Factory sharp? We laugh at that. You turn those knives razor-sharp!

Stropping your pocket knife

Stropping your pocket knife is a quick way to restore the blade's cutting edge without removing any material. With a large strop at home, you can effortlessly remove the last burrs and restore your knife to a fine, sharp edge. For travelling, there are compact or flexible strops that take up little space yet are surprisingly effective. Great for giving your EDC knife that extra bit of sharpness in between uses. This will keep your pocket knife in top condition for longer, without having to reach for a sharpening stone straight away.

Pocket knife maintenance

Besides sharpening, proper maintenance plays an equally important role. Regular cleaning, lubricating and oiling of your pocket knife will keep it running smoothly and reliably. In some cases, it is necessary to take the pocket knife apart, but this is by no means always the case. In this topic, read all about maintaining your pocket knife.

Sharpening your pocket knife on the go

During a trip through the mountains or a camping trip in the woods, you often don't have a whole collection of Japanese water stones with you. Too heavy, too much hassle. That's why we're happy to explain how you can sharpen your knives on the go with minimal resources and smart solutions. Read more about sharpening your knife on the go here.