Sharpening 101

This is how I sharpen all my sickles, pruners, machetes, axes, weeding hoes, bill hooks, and straight razors with my $30 sharpening stone, a piece of newspaper and a leather belt.

Step 1: Establish primary edge with coarse side of stone (grey):

• Check edge with three finger method to establish baseline
• Apply oil or saliva to stone
• Determine correct angle with the angle dividing tip below
• Begin sharpening in circles or back and forth, ensuring the entire length of blade is covered.
• Use 10-20lbs of force and switch sides at even intervals every 5-10 seconds
• Check edge with fingers regularly to make sure edge is even and force is correct
• Once a noticeably sharp, even edge can be felt proceed to next step

 
Step 2: Refine primary edge with fine side of stone (red):

• Apply oil or saliva to stone
• Strop backwards 5-10 times each side (motion is away from your stone not cutting into it.)
• Check edge with fingers. If satisfactory proceed to next step

 
Step 3: Remove bur:

• Draw edge lightly through a clean piece of wood 1-2 times to remove bur

• Feel edge, if clean and sharp proceed to next step

 
Step 4: Strop with newspaper:

• With two layers of newspaper on the fine side of your stone or a smooth surface (glass or granite counter top, strop backwards carefully 5-10 times each side.
• If newspaper tears you still have a bur. Repeat steps 2 and 3 and try again.
• Proceed to Step 5 only if using a razor for shaving.

 
Step 5: Strop with leather and chromium oxide or shaving compound:

• With leather on fine side of your stone or smooth surface, strop backwards 5-10 times each side.

Remember the acronym SHARPEN:
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Shape

• Style of blade: single bevel, double bevel, scalloped, serrated convex?
• Check for damage to the edge and its condition. Does it need reshaping or just honing?

Hardness

• Consider the hardness of your blade and grit of your stone or steel
• Both will affect the amount of pressure and time spent sharpening
• If stones become dirty or slow to grind rub the surface in oil and wipe clean several times

Angle

• Keep a consistence angle while grinding, stropping and honing
• Divide angles in half to find 90, 45, 22, 11, and 5. The angle 22˙ is the most common

Rotation

• When grinding to shape your blade rotation is not important
• For grinding, stropping and honing always go in the opposite direction you would cut in

Pressure

• Apply constant, firm pressure while grinding sharpening and stropping
• The hardness for your blade and the grit of your stone, strop and steel will affect this
• Use 10-20lbs of force

ENough

• Switch sides every 5-10 seconds and check the your progress often after each cycle.
• Your applied pressure, the hardness for your blade and the grit of your stone, strop and steel will affect this
• Setting the stone on a damp rag on a table to use both hands while sharpening can help get the right rotation, angle and pressure
• Not all tools need to be sharpened to Step 7. Step 3 is fine for tools like axes and machete
• Edges on sharper tools can be maintained with regular newspaper stropping
• For carbon tools that rust, coat blade with a permanent lubricant like Fluid Film. Not WD 40