This article will give you your much-needed guide on how to sharpen a Swiss Army Knife. It will also include when you should do it and what tools you can use.
A dull blade is even more hazardous than a sharp one due to the greater chance of slippage. Therefore, sharpening knives is necessary while working with them to maintain them properly and limit the possibility of an accident.
This article will help you determine when and how to sharpen your knife and which sharpening equipment is best for you.
The essential thing is to continue with prudence: sharpening knives may be dangerous. Therefore even expert sharpeners should approach with caution.
Let’s jump in and learn the proper maintenance for your swiss army knife.
In This Article
Do You Need to Sharpen Your Knife Now?
There are a few methods to tell if it’s time for you to sharpen your blade. One way to know this is through the paper test. It involves holding a piece of paper in one hand while cutting it with the knife in the other.
A sharp blade will cut through the paper with ease. Another way is to slice a tomato – if your knives struggle to cut through the thin skin and delicate flesh of the tomato, they are undoubtedly dull.
Otherwise, follow the rule of frequency. I recommend sharpening your knife after 30-40 uses for everyday home cooking. Before each new culinary undertaking, some professionals prefer to sharpen their knives.
Honing Vs. Sharpening
Sharpening and honing are the two operations involved in knife maintenance. Most people often refer to honing as sharpening. Any blade may get dull, which means its fine edge has curved due to wear and must be sharpened regularly.
Honing brings the knife’s edge back into alignment, restoring the full impact of its razor’s edge. With honing steel, you can do it yourself at home.
If you want to learn how to sharpen a tanto blade, click here.
How to Sharpen a Swiss Army Knife?
Now that you know when you need to sharpen your swiss army knife and the difference between honing and sharpening it, we can dive into how you can bring the sharpness back to your blade.
1. Blade and Sharpener
Get your blade into your knife sharpener and then pull the knife towards you five times with pressure and five times without pressure.
2. Get Your Honing Steel
Use the honing steel after that. If you’re new to honing steels, it’s good to rest the tip on a folded tea towel or moist dishcloth for more stability. Users that have used the steel before will be used to holding it in mid-air.
3. The 20° Angle Trick
Maintain a 20° angle in between the blade and the sharpening steel (on Amazon).
4. Sharpening Up
From the heel to the blade’s tip, pull the knife downwards and towards you.
5. Repetition
Do steps one to four at least five times on each blade side.
Tools You May Use
How do you determine which sharpening and the honing tool is suitable for you when we have so many options?
To begin, you must first grasp the difference between honing and sharpening so that you can select the appropriate instruments. Even if you only use the sharpening tools two or three times a year, you should have a mix of honing and sharpening tools in your kitchen.
You should also select the appropriate sharpening tool for your knife. Stamped knives are composed of steel with a bit of reduced hardness, making honing easier and allowing for the use of domestic honing steel.
A forged knife’s more rigid steel means you won’t have to sharpen it as often, but you’ll need a diamond or ceramic honing steel to accomplish the job since its hardness must be much greater than the blades.
Sharpening smaller kitchen knives using a sharpy tool is also simple. I recommend you do professional sharpening for larger wavy edge blades like bread knives. Still, if you’re an experienced sharpener, you may use the sharpy tool for smaller wavy-edged blades.
However, professional knife service could better maintain all wavy-edged blades for most individuals.
Last Words
Knives are used for chopping, slicing, and mincing in the kitchen and in practically every survival circumstance, and they are sure to get dirty with regular usage.
The longer they last, the better you clean and maintain them. This knife care may seem self-evident, yet it makes a significant impact.
You can look at these articles, which you will find as exciting and informative as this one:
- How to Use a Knife for Self Defense (Ultimate Guide)
- 5 Simple Survival Knife Hacks Everyone Should Know
- How to Choose a Survival Knife
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This one is incredible, Defiel! Thank you for giving this important information—a well-written article with straightforward advice on how to keep your blade in good repair. I appreciated how concisely you presented facts.