How To Sharpen a Pocket Knife With Sandpaper

There are strategies to sharpen the blade of your pocket knife using basic items such as sandpaper if you are on the defensive or are seeking an affordable DIY plan to enhance the blade of your pocket knife. These strategies are difficult to master and use, but they may come in handy in an emergency and are valuable to know.

Sandpaper may be used to sharpen a pocket knife in different ways, and some of them are:

  • Method using sandpaper blocks
  • The method with a 22-degree angle
  • Sandpaper used in a stationary position
  • Method of rubbing and pulling

Sharpening a knife is risky, and the last thing you want to do in an emergency or survival situation is hurt yourself with your own knife. When using these procedures, exercise utmost care. Continue reading to learn how to sharpen your pocket knife using sandpaper and what precautions to take.

What Kind of Sandpaper Should You Use?

You should utilize a variety of sandpaper kinds while sharpening a pocket knife using sandpaper for the best results.

For the best and sharpest results, start with bigger grit sandpapers, such as 80 or 100 grit, then progressively go to 120, 140, or 200-grain sandpaper with finer sanding. You might wish to start with a grit lower than 80 for extremely pitted and chopped pocket knives.

How To Use Sandpaper To Sharpen a Pocket Knife

Sharpen a knife using sandpaper by holding it at a 22-degree angle and stroking it across the sandpaper, making sure the tip is also sharpened. Put the knife edge against the sandpaper at a 90-degree angle, then a 45-degree angle, and finally half that angle to produce an approximate 22-degree angle. When sharpening the knife, don’t use too much pressure and drag the knife away from you as you sand it.

The Blocks of Sandpaper Technique

Sharpening your pocket knife on a hard surface is the best way to get a good, clean edge. Because you’ll be supporting the sandpaper surface with a sturdy surface like a brick or a board, the sandpaper block approach is ideal for maintaining a constant edge.

With a few resources, the sandpaper block approach may also be done. Its easy-to-replicate method ensures constant sharpness throughout time.

  • Choose wood or brickwork that is six inches long and three to four inches wide. Make sure the bottom of the brick or piece of wood you’re sharpening is smooth and straight.
  • Sandpaper: keep a variety of grits available for sanding.

How To Go About It

  • Sand the block or bricks with sandpaper. Whether you have sufficient sandpaper, you can choose whether to wrap it around the block or brick to support it throughout the sharpening procedure.
  • Sharpen in circles by laying the knife blade flatly against the sandpaper and slowly rubbing it against it in a circular motion. Along both surfaces of the pocket knife blade, do the same thing.
  • Improve the quality of your sandpaper: If you already have different types of sandpaper, commence with both the lowest grit sandpaper and gradually build-up to the finest grit sandpaper you have.
  • This holds true for all of the strategies we’ll be discussing. Slicing a sheet of paper is a good way to assess the sharpness of a pocket knife. If the knife slices neatly through the material without snagging or ripping, chances are it’s sharp enough!

Sandpaper with a Fixed Position

Sharpening a pocket knife with sandpaper in a stationary sharpening station is a more permanent solution that may be made portable. On the other hand, this procedure necessitates the use of multiple instruments and is slightly more costly.

Bathroom tiles or any other tiny tile surface with a smooth, glossy finish…

  • Acetone
  • Glue spray
  • Sandpaper of a high grit
  • Fabric: cotton
  • Bump stops made of rubber
  • Workspace with natural light

How To Go About It

  • Tile placement: Arrange the gleaming bathroom tiles in a row. At the same time, you’ll be making a variety of sandpaper grit varieties of pocket knife sharpening stones. Allow for a slight space between each. Place a clean towel or paper below the tiles to catch any acetone or glue.
  • Clean tiles with acetone: Apply a tiny amount of acetone on a clean cloth and massage it over the bathroom tiles to eliminate dust or dirt particles. Allow the acetone to evaporate before proceeding.
  • Install sandpaper on tiles: Apply an even application of spray adhesive to the tops of the tiles you recently cleaned with acetone. Place the sandpaper squares over the tile and push them down firmly and evenly. Under the sandpaper, no air bubbles should occur. To guarantee a solid and even fit, keep pressing for several seconds to a minute.
  • Allow for drying time after applying the adhesive spray: Spray adhesive has a different dry time depending on the product. You may rest comfortably that the glue will be ready to hold the sandpaper in place in an hour or two.
  • The grit number of the sandpaper should be written on the reverse of the tile with a sharpie marker.
  • Rubber barrier configuration: Place rubber bumpers on the four edges of the washroom tiles’ bottom. Whenever you sharpen your pocket knife and pick up your tile from the table or surface, this will protect the tile from shifting.
  • Sharpen your pocket knife using either the twenty-two-degree approach or the circular motion method. Initiate sharpening with the coarser sandpaper and work your way up to the finer and higher-numbered sandpaper.

Conclusion

Sharpening your knife using sandpaper will not only save you money, but it will also be a lot more accessible than using standard sharpening stones. Sharpening a knife is a valuable skill to have in a survival or emergency situation. This ability also equips you with the knowledge of how to keep the blade of your pocket knife clean and sharp.

The procedures described in this article are inexpensive to reproduce. They’re also less costly and easier to maintain than a whetstone for sharpening.

Finally, in a survival or emergency situation, these solutions are lower in weight and may be more readily carried or located. Use the methods outlined in this article.