Difficulty in shapening a pen knife

[DadsJackknife48]

I have a penknife that I cannot get an edge on either blade . I use sharpening stones and crock sticks ,any suggestions ?

[C-WADE7]

Welcome! Do you have any previous sharpening experience? With a coarse to medium stone you should be able to achieve an edge pretty quick I’ve had issue with some cheap Chinese knives not wanting to take an edge, what knife ar you trying to sharpen?

[Mumbleypeg]

There are about a hundred different threads here attempting to help folks having your problem. Here’s one of them, that has a YouTube video. https://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kn ... 8#p1009868 Try watching the video, then read through the many posts giving advice.

Summary - get the right angle of blade in relation to the surface of the sharpening medium. Typically between 15 to 20 degrees works for most pocket knife blades. Repeatability of the angle is paramount. The video will give you an idea what that angle looks like. Use a “Sharpie” to coat the edge with ink, then after a few strokes on the sharpener examine the edge (a magnifying glass is recommended) to see if you’re removing the ink consistently/evenly - evenly is good. Count the number of strokes across the sharpening surface, then repeat the same number of strokes on the other side. Five to ten strokes per side is good. Don’t press too hard. A light stroke is all that’s needed - let the sharpening surface do the work! Repeat until you get the desired results. Practice.

Good luck.

Ken

[OLDE CUTLER]

As an aid to getting a consistent angle, I think of it as in the diagram below. The line at bottom is the surface of the sharpening stone. Put the knife with the cutting edge square to the stone, then tilt the blade over to divide this angle in half. That will be 45 degrees. Then take that angle and tilt the blade further to divide that angle in half. That is 22 and 1/2 degrees. That is what I use for all around blades that I sharpen on a stone, and seems to work for me. One can also cut out a diagram like this to make a gauge for any angle desired and use until your eye has become "calibrated".

[doglegg]

As an aid to getting a consistent angle, I think of it as in the diagram below. The line at bottom is the surface of the sharpening stone. Put the knife with the cutting edge square to the stone, then tilt the blade over to divide this angle in half. That will be 45 degrees. Then take that angle and tilt the blade further to divide that angle in half. That is 22 and 1/2 degrees. That is what I use for all around blades that I sharpen on a stone, and seems to work for me. One can also cut out a diagram like this to make a gauge for any angle desired and use until your eye has become "calibrated".

IMG_5915.JPG

Very helpful OC.