Congratulations! You just bought your first knife or tool and are super excited. So, you do what everyone does. You take it out and beat on it. You’re having fun chopping and cutting random things. Using the knife for work, yardwork, your garden, or just simple chores around the house. However, as time passes, you begin to notice that cutting your intended objects gets harder and harder. So, you do what everyone eventually does and test the edge (usually by feel or a paper cut) only to discover that your knife is dull.
Doh!
Now you’re in the same boat every knife owner has been in at least once. You have a dull knife and no way to sharpen it, leaving you with a few options.
Option 1: Buy a new knife.
While not the most economical option, it is certainly an option that is taken more than you think. Many people are not “knife people” and only buy a knife for work or to have it if needed. They don’t know or care about steel, nor about proper use vs abuse. They want a tool to keep in their pocket for cutting, prying, hammering, or to use as a screwdriver, and they use them until they wear out. So, they buy a new knife. This is a route you can take, but not one I recommend. You should learn how to properly use and maintain your tools so they can last you for years or even for your lifetime. This leads to option 2.
Option 2: Sharpen it yourself.
This is the best option, in my opinion, and certainly, the one I recommend to most people. It’s not a hard task to learn to sharpen. In fact, it’s not even hard to sharpen most knives. Most knives people buy don’t have super hard steel in them. So you don’t need to be a master sharpener. Get yourself a basic sharpening kit and sit down and start practicing. I hear everyday people discussing how someone in their family was /is a master sharpener. Well, how do you think they got there? They just started sharpening. I also hear people saying they can’t sharpen worth a crap, and I won’t lie, but some people can’t pick it up. However, I believe most people can learn to sharpen if they take the time to learn! So, get yourself a kit and start.
A basic sharpening kit should include the following to start it off.
1-3 stones, of course, medium and fine grit. If you choose whetstones, use water. Oil for oil stones and diamond doesn’t need any liquid medium but should be brushed off occasionally.
A stone base is a nice inclusion to help prevent the stone from moving, but you can use a towel in a pinch.
A leather strop or old leather belt. This is to help you polish out the edge and bring it to its final result. Also, you can use it in between sharpenings to maintain your edge.
An angle guide to help you learn and keep your angle while sharpening. The problem most people face while sharpening is keeping the proper angle. A guide will help you maintain your proper angle and help you build the muscle memory necessary for holding the angle for future sharpening without the guide.
This is just the very basics needed to get into sharpening. All you need to do with these is just to start practicing. If you don’t want to mess up your nicer knives, use a cheap kitchen knife as practice. But some people feel they don’t have the time to practice or are just impatient, to begin with. This leads to option three.
Option 3: Take it to a Professional
There are many, and I mean many, professional sharpeners out there. However, the good ones usually have a longer turnaround time, and most charge by the inch or half-inch of the blade. Sometimes this can also be on top of a base charge. Most professionals either travel from place to place or sharpen out of their homes. Some require you to ship to them, some have shops, and some are set up in trade shows or flea markets. You would have to look up knife sharpeners in your area. However, I recommend contacting them to determine their rates and turnaround times.
I don’t have an issue with pro sharpeners. They provide a service in a service-based society. They’re trying to earn a living or make extra money on the side. However, I don’t think it’s a good idea for people to rely on professional sharpening as an individual totally. Go wild if you’re a business owner and need a lot sharpened, but you are responsible for maintaining your own tools as an individual knife owner.
You can’t always rely on that a pro will be available, you have the funds, or that they won’t mess up the knife. Just learn to sharpen and take care of your own knife. If someone is going to mess it up, it should be you, the owner. Take responsibility for yourself and your property. Your tools are supposed to be an extension of yourself, and as such should be shown the proper respect of your taking care of them. Be like those master sharpeners you keep hearing about, and start sharpening.
It’s not hard.