If freehand sharpening is causing you frustration, consider a sharpening guide. More specifically, you should sweep the knife such that you are contacting the entire surface of the blade in one arcing motion down the sharpening tool (therefore sharpening evenly). Simply clip the guide over the spine of the knife. Types of sharpening abrasive materials include Diamond, Carbides, Ceramics, Arkansas Stones, and Synthetics. It works! This is one of the ‘quick’ sharpeners that I have:Smith’s Adjustable Manual Knife Sharpener(view on amzn). From a starting point 90° to the length of the stone, a blade with a slight curve will rotate only a few degrees, but a sharply curving blade may be close to parallel with the stone by the end of the stroke. Unlike other sharpening abrasives, Ceramic removes very little metal. Double Sided Diafold Sharpener(view on amzn). About While not as common, a few sharpeners employ a tip to heel motion. And an accessory Skew Registration Jig accommodates skew ended chisels and plane blades. Whether freehand or with a guide, it is possible to maintain an angle while sharpening. The secret how to sharpen a knife are the following three things: A consistent knife sharpening angle during the process on a stone. RSS feed As the blade curves, if the motion is kept the same the effective angle at which the edge meets the stone changes, lowering the angle of the bevel. Then slide the knife blade along the length of the sharpening stone. Then adjust the knife’s angle until you see that the sharpened edge sits ‘flat’ against the knife sharpener tool’s surface. Premium diamond sharpening surfaces are characterized by a (interrupted) surface that collects and hold the metal filings that ordinarily build-up. One quick-and-easy way to restore a sharp cutting edge is to use an adjustable knife sharpener and set it to the same angle as your knife edge. There is no shame in using guides when sharpening. Excellent for use on very hard tools or stainless steel. They also allow for back and forth movement on the stone with no rocking, speeding up sharpening time. And finished with a strop. Advertise As with knife sharpening, some people are able to use back and forth, circular or figure eight motions. Then push it forward across the sharpening tool while maintaining that same angle. The key when sharpening by hand (without a jig) is to hold and maintain the knife blade at the proper angle. I use the following knife sharpening rods: Lansky Diamond Carbide Tactical Sharpening Rod(view on amzn). Then lay the knife on the stone and use the same technique as freehand sharpening, but keep the guide in contact with the stone at all times. Try moving your whole body instead of just your arms.This will keep the blade more stable. This article looks at some effective ways of maintaining the angle when sharpening. A great value, it has two clamping positions to accommodate narrow or wide blades. Stropping is a motion which pulls the cutting edge away from a substrate. However, it is worth mentioning here as one of the biggest benefits of powered sharpening systems like Work Sharp and Tormek are the guides that they offer. A knife sharpening rod works great due to the fact that every blade has a different degree of bevel or angle. Guides for sharpening knives come in two forms. Start by placing the heel of the knife on the stone at your desired angle. Chef’s knife:Global – 17Shun – 16Wusthof – 14Zwilling Henckel / Cronidur – 12.5All other Zwilling Henckel – 15, Serrated Knife:All Brands – Manual Sharpening; Serrated Slot ONLY, Santoku Knife:Global – 17Shun – 16Wusthof – 11Zwilling Henckel / Cronidur – 12.5All other Zwilling Henckel – 15, Paring Knife:Global – 17Shun – 16Wusthof – 14Zwilling Henckel / Cronidur – 12.5All other Zwilling Henckel – 15, Utility knife:Global – 17Shun – 16Wusthof – 14Zwilling Henckel / Cronidur – 12.5All other Zwilling Henckel – 15, Boning Knife:Global – 17Shun – 16Wusthof – 18Zwilling Henckel / Cronidur – 12.5All other Zwilling Henckel – 15, Everyday Pocket Knives/Multi-Tools:Al Mar – 20Benchmade – 18-20Blade-Tech – 20-22Boker USA – 20-22Buck – 13-16Camillus – 23Case – 19-22Cold Steel – 23-25Columbia River (CRKT) – 17-22.5(depending on designer)KA-BAR – Listed on their website on a per knife basis, but generally 15 degrees per sideKershaw – 20-22Knives of Alaska – 18-20Outdoor Edge – 20SOG knife sharpening angle – 22 for flat grinds; 18-20 for hollow grindsSpyderco – 20Victorinox – 15-20Winchester – Suggest using Smith’s recommended angle for knife type, Hunting/Outdoor – Fixed Blade:Al Mar – 20Benchmade – 18-20Blade-Tech – 20-22Boker USA – 20-22Buck – 13-16Camillus – 23Case – 19-22Cold Steel – 23-25Columbia River (CRKT) – 17-22.5(depending on designer)KA-BAR – Listed on their website on a per knife basis, but generally 20 degrees per sideKershaw – 20-22Knives of Alaska – 18-20Outdoor Edge – 20SOG – 22 for flat grinds; 18-20 for hollow grindsSpyderco – 20Winchester – Suggest using Smith’s recommended angle for knife type, Hunting knives / Folders: Al Mar – 20Benchmade – 18-20Blade-Tech – 20-22Boker USA – 20-22Buck – 13-16Camillus – 23Case – 19-22Cold Steel – 23-25Columbia River (CRKT) – 17-22.5(depending on designer)KA-BAR – Listed on their website on a per knife basis, but generally 15 degrees per sideKershaw – 20-22Knives of Alaska – 18-20Outdoor Edge – 20SOG – 22 for flat grinds; 18-20 for hollow grindsSpyderco – 20Winchester – Suggest using Smith’s recommended angle for knife type, Tactical Knives:Al Mar – 20Benchmade – 18-20Blade-Tech – 20-22Boker USA – 20-22Buck – 13-16Camillus – 23Case – 19-22Cold Steel – 23-25Columbia River (CRKT) – 17-22.5(depending on designer)KA-BAR – Listed on their website on a per knife basis, but generally 15 degrees per sideKershaw – 20-22Mil-Tac – Generally 25 for Folders and 30 for Fixed BladesSOG – 22 for flat grinds; 18-20 for hollow grindsSpyderco – 20Surefire – 28, Custom Knives:A.G. Russell – 15Chris Reeves – 18-20William Henry – 17-22.