"Knife Depot delivered exactly as promised. A custom engraved Buck Knife (110) was on its way to me within the day that I ordered it. It arrived in a couple of days, an identical match to the product described on the website. My grandson loves it."
"I was hesitant on getting the Launch 13 but so glad i did. The release is simple and powerful. If you don’t have a good hold on it, it will fly out of your hand. The blade is perfect and handle is perfect."
"I was expecting a knife that just looked great, but made cheaply. Well, this knife looks great AND feels like a much more expensive knife AND is most functional too! I'm super happy with this badass knife! Thanks again, Knife Depot!"
"Knife Depot is awesome in my book. I was informed about expected delivery date every step of the way. Received my order in 5 days which is really good since i live in Hawaii. The heavy set of throwing stars are sweet. They stick every time. "
"This is one helluva knife! I use it to chop vines as thick as your forearm, and it does that with no problem. The weight of the blade is great, the black coating is NOT paint, it's baked on. This my go to all-around knife, and I wouldn't want to be without it when SHTF or bugout scenarios, seriously. I've broken all the Chinese knives to last a lifetime, but I know I can't break this one!!"
"It does everything i wanted it to gardening branch trimming stubborn plants. I'm an 81 y/o lady living in Florida and have woods all around my house and do my own gardening and seldom use pruning shears anymore."
"Knife Depot delivered exactly as promised. A custom engraved Buck Knife (110) was on its way to me within the day that I ordered it. It arrived in a couple of days, an identical match to the product described on the website. My grandson loves it."
"I absolutely love this product. It is good for all pocket knives and even my dullest hunting knives. I love the fact you don't have to use the oil and even water which I thought was a good plus."
"Awesome deal. Just received my set of knives Very satisfied. The price and quality is amazing. So easy to throw I even got my wife interested in throwing ( not sure if that's a good idea or not)."
"Knife Depot delivered exactly as promised. A custom engraved Buck Knife (110) was on its way to me within the day that I ordered it. It arrived in a couple of days, an identical match to the product described on the website. My grandson loves it."
"Knife Depot delivered exactly as promised. A custom engraved Buck Knife (110) was on its way to me within the day that I ordered it. It arrived in a couple of days, an identical match to the product described on the website. My grandson loves it."
"I was hesitant on getting the Launch 13 but so glad i did. The release is simple and powerful. If you don’t have a good hold on it, it will fly out of your hand. The blade is perfect and handle is perfect."
"I was expecting a knife that just looked great, but made cheaply. Well, this knife looks great AND feels like a much more expensive knife AND is most functional too! I'm super happy with this badass knife! Thanks again, Knife Depot!"
"Knife Depot is awesome in my book. I was informed about expected delivery date every step of the way. Received my order in 5 days which is really good since i live in Hawaii. The heavy set of throwing stars are sweet. They stick every time. "
"This is one helluva knife! I use it to chop vines as thick as your forearm, and it does that with no problem. The weight of the blade is great, the black coating is NOT paint, it's baked on. This my go to all-around knife, and I wouldn't want to be without it when SHTF or bugout scenarios, seriously. I've broken all the Chinese knives to last a lifetime, but I know I can't break this one!!"
"It does everything i wanted it to gardening branch trimming stubborn plants. I'm an 81 y/o lady living in Florida and have woods all around my house and do my own gardening and seldom use pruning shears anymore."
"I absolutely love this product. It is good for all pocket knives and even my dullest hunting knives. I love the fact you don't have to use the oil and even water which I thought was a good plus."
"Awesome deal. Just received my set of knives Very satisfied. The price and quality is amazing. So easy to throw I even got my wife interested in throwing ( not sure if that's a good idea or not)."
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How Do You Sharpen a Knife Without a Sharpener? Using These 10 Everyday Items
Whether you're out in the wilderness with only a few pieces of gear or can't find a sharp knife to save your life, a knife sharpener isn't always there when you need it the most. Fortunately, knowing the basics of how to sharpen a knife and using a little quick thinking and ingenuity, you can use a variety of household tools to sharpen your knives. Before we delve into things, we must make it clear what we're talking about when we say sharpening. The general term for "sharpen" is to give something a keen edge. The knife term for "sharpen" is a bit more specific. It means making a knife sharp by actually removing metal from the blade to form an edge. Not all of these objects will sharpen a knife in the truest sense of the word like a traditional knife sharpener. Some of them will merely hone or strop the edge. While honing and stropping will indeed sharpen a knife by realigning an edge, it's not what knife experts typically deem as sharpen. With all that being said, here are 10 everyday items you can use to sharpen your knife.
Coffee Mug
We'll start off with something that actually sharpens a knife by removing material from the blade. Ceramic coffee cups are readily available in most houses. Simply turn the mug upside down, search for the raw part of the cup (which is the rougher part of the bottom that prevents the cup from sliding around), and run the knife across the mug until you get your desired edge. If it's working well, you'll see some discoloration on the mug, which indicates the ceramic is removing steel and sharpening the blade.
Leather Belt
Although stropping does not technically sharpen a blade, it does make a blade keener by realigning the edge. A leather belt, which is something you might be wearing right now, is a quick and easy item for stropping a blade. In fact, many professionals use leather straps for stropping. Make sure the belt doesn't have any stitching. Run the knife away from the cutting edge to realign the blade.
Sandpaper
Sandpaper is not necessarily an everyday item, but it's so inexpensive and versatile that it's an easy item to have around. The best grit will depend on the knife and how much you want to sharpen. If possible, start with a coarser grit and work your way up to a finer grit for maximum sharpness.
Nail File
When sandpaper isn't readily available, the next best thing is a nail file or emery board. These usually come in survival kits. They're basically used the same way as sandpaper. Run the cutting edge of the blade against the emery board.
Nylon Strap
After using something like a nail file, stropping will take a blade to the next level. If you don't have a belt, a nylon strap will also do the trick. Something like the strap on a backpack is more than enough to take your knife from sharp to sharper. Run the knife against the nylon strap away from the cutting edge.
Cardboard
Don't even have nylon straps? If you're anything like me, you've got cardboard boxes from Amazon and Knife Depot lying around the house. Cardboard isn't as effective as leather belts or nylon straps, but it will work for stropping a blade.
Car Window
If The Walking Dead is anything like reality, there'll be a lot of abandoned cars with windows halfway open when things hit the fan. That's perfect for the knife wielders out there. Car windows make surprisingly great honing devices. The rough, rounded edge of a car window is fantastic for softer steel. Slide it along toward the blade 8 to 10 times on both sides, and your knife will become even sharper.
Spine of Another Knife
A honing device that's easy to find is the thick spine of a second knife. (Yet another reason why you should carry two knives.) The same way you run the knife along honing steel is the same way you'd run it along the unsharpened spine of a blade. This works best when the knife you're sharpening the steel on has a different hardness level.
Smooth Stone
When you don't have a sharpening stone, use a smooth and flat stone. Rocks in or along rivers work perfectly, but you could also make one by grinding two rocks together. You would use the stone you find exactly the same way you'd use your sharpening stone at home.
Concrete
In a pinch, a knife can be sharpened on concrete. The good thing about concrete is that it's everywhere. The bad thing is that it can damage your knife and the conditions have to be just right. Find a piece of concrete that's extremely smooth and run the knife the same way you would a sharpening stone. Stropping afterward will help make things a little smoother. Not sure if your prized knife can be salvaged? Knife Depot has over 10,000 knives for sale in our store catalog so you won't have any issues finding a replacement.
Whether you're out in the wilderness with only a few pieces of gear or can't find a sharp knife to save your life, a knife sharpener isn't always there when you need it the most. Fortunately, knowing the basics of how to sharpen a knife and using a little quick thinking and ingenuity, you can use a variety of household tools to sharpen your knives. Before we delve into things, we must make it clear what we're talking about when we say sharpening. The general term for "sharpen" is to give something a keen edge. The knife term for "sharpen" is a bit more specific. It means making a knife sharp by actually removing metal from the blade to form an edge. Not all of these objects will sharpen a knife in the truest sense of the word like a traditional knife sharpener. Some of them will merely hone or strop the edge. While honing and stropping will indeed sharpen a knife by realigning an edge, it's not what knife experts typically deem as sharpen. With all that being said, here are 10 everyday items you can use to sharpen your knife.
We'll start off with something that actually sharpens a knife by removing material from the blade. Ceramic coffee cups are readily available in most houses. Simply turn the mug upside down, search for the raw part of the cup (which is the rougher part of the bottom that prevents the cup from sliding around), and run the knife across the mug until you get your desired edge. If it's working well, you'll see some discoloration on the mug, which indicates the ceramic is removing steel and sharpening the blade.
Although stropping does not technically sharpen a blade, it does make a blade keener by realigning the edge. A leather belt, which is something you might be wearing right now, is a quick and easy item for stropping a blade. In fact, many professionals use leather straps for stropping. Make sure the belt doesn't have any stitching. Run the knife away from the cutting edge to realign the blade.
Sandpaper is not necessarily an everyday item, but it's so inexpensive and versatile that it's an easy item to have around. The best grit will depend on the knife and how much you want to sharpen. If possible, start with a coarser grit and work your way up to a finer grit for maximum sharpness.
When sandpaper isn't readily available, the next best thing is a nail file or emery board. These usually come in survival kits. They're basically used the same way as sandpaper. Run the cutting edge of the blade against the emery board.
After using something like a nail file, stropping will take a blade to the next level. If you don't have a belt, a nylon strap will also do the trick. Something like the strap on a backpack is more than enough to take your knife from sharp to sharper. Run the knife against the nylon strap away from the cutting edge.
Don't even have nylon straps? If you're anything like me, you've got cardboard boxes from Amazon and Knife Depot lying around the house. Cardboard isn't as effective as leather belts or nylon straps, but it will work for stropping a blade.
If The Walking Dead is anything like reality, there'll be a lot of abandoned cars with windows halfway open when things hit the fan. That's perfect for the knife wielders out there. Car windows make surprisingly great honing devices. The rough, rounded edge of a car window is fantastic for softer steel. Slide it along toward the blade 8 to 10 times on both sides, and your knife will become even sharper.
A honing device that's easy to find is the thick spine of a second knife. (Yet another reason why you should carry two knives.) The same way you run the knife along honing steel is the same way you'd run it along the unsharpened spine of a blade. This works best when the knife you're sharpening the steel on has a different hardness level.
When you don't have a sharpening stone, use a smooth and flat stone. Rocks in or along rivers work perfectly, but you could also make one by grinding two rocks together. You would use the stone you find exactly the same way you'd use your sharpening stone at home.
In a pinch, a knife can be sharpened on concrete. The good thing about concrete is that it's everywhere. The bad thing is that it can damage your knife and the conditions have to be just right. Find a piece of concrete that's extremely smooth and run the knife the same way you would a sharpening stone. Stropping afterward will help make things a little smoother. Not sure if your prized knife can be salvaged? Knife Depot has over 10,000 knives for sale in our store catalog so you won't have any issues finding a replacement.