When you purchase a knife, whether it be a kitchen knife or a pocketknife, the blade is at its optimal sharpness. However, after a few uses the blade becomes dull and can hinder your ability to cut objects. Because knives can become dull so easily it is important to keep your knives sharp and give them the sharpest edges possible without weakening them.
Instructions
1. Purchase a knife that is only made of stainless steel (if you haven't bought the knife yet). This will help prevent rust and the knife will hold up better for sharpening.
2. Cut only objects that are meant to be cut with the particular knife. Kitchen knives are to be used with food, while hunting knives are used for small branches and animals. Using the knife as a saw or to cut stronger objects will weaken and dull the knife quickly.
3. Sharpen your kitchen knives on a sharpener. These are long metal poles that typically come with a knife set. Hold the blade still and at a downward angle (keeping the blade facing the floor) and scrape the sharpener away from you along the edge of the blade. Do not rub back and forth because this will dull the blade further. Do this every few weeks to keep your kitchen knives in top shape.
4. Take your hunting or pocketknife to a professional. If you bought your knife from a knife store or Armour, they can typically sharpen the knife for you. If you would rather sharpen the knife yourself, use an Indian stone and scrape it across the blade at an angle to sharpen the blade. You should only have to sharpen a hunting or pocketknife every couple of years.
Tags: hunting pocketknife, keep your, knives used, sharpen knife, your kitchen, your kitchen knives