How to Sharpen a Swiss Army Knife

All images and illustrations by Daniel Ray

Although Swiss Army knives are used for many purposes other than cutting, all of them have knife blades and it is important to keep that blade sharp. Having a dull blade is the cause of many knife-cutting accidents. Keeping the edge on your Swiss Army knife sharp will ensure that you will be ready for any task that might arise. Once your knife blade is sharp, touch it up on a regular basis and you will never have to worry about having a dull blade.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Honing kit Honing oil Rag Sheet of paper
Honing kit
Honing oil
Rag
Sheet of paper

Step 1

Determine what stone needs to be used on your knife blade. Start with the coarse stone if the blade is extremely dull. Use the medium stone if the blade is between sharp and dull.

Step 2

Place the appropriate stone on a bench or tabletop. Lubricate the stone with honing oil. While keeping a 20- to 25-degree angle between the blade and the stone, push the blade away from you the length of the stone. Make sure the blade stays in contact with the stone during the entire process.

Step 3

Flip the knife's edge over and pull it back towards you. Repeat this process 5 or 6 times. Make sure that the stone always has oil on its surface. Work your way through all of the stones until the knife is sharp.

Step 4

Test the edge's sharpness by attempting to cut a sheet of paper. The blade should slice cleanly through the paper without snagging or ripping the paper. Routinely touch up the edge with 5 or 6 full strokes on the fine stone.

Step 5

When finished, wipe the knife blade with a cloth to remove any oil or debris. Wash the stone or stones to remove any oil. Make sure the stones are thoroughly dry and store them in a cool dry place.

Tips & Warnings

See the Resources section for a link on where to purchase honing kits.

Use caution when working with knives.

Resources

Source for honing kits

Article Written By Daniel Ray

Daniel Ray has been writing for over 15 years. He has been published in "Florida Sportsman" magazine. He holds an FAA airframe and powerplant license and FCC radiotelephone license, and is also a licensed private pilot. He attended the University of South Florida.

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