A sharp knife can be the difference between clean rooms in game bags and a trip to the ER to sew up your slip. The simplest step to protect yourself from injury when cutting in the field or cooking your crop in the kitchen is to make sure your blade is as sharp as possible.
While this may seem counterintuitive to some, a sharp blade will cut easily, while a dull edge requires more force to make a cut. That force might be enough to drive that blade into your thigh instead of the hindquarter you’re working on.
Here at MeatEater, we’ve partnered with Work Sharp because we believe they provide the best in the business to keep your blades sharp, from high-flying hunts to home-cooked meals.
Jump to: Knife sharpeners we use
What to look for in a good knife sharpener
A good knife sharpener should (obviously) sharpen your blades, but it should also get the job done without much fuss and fuss. It is important to consider where you plan to use this sharpener, how long you plan to use it, as well as your experience with sharpening. Here are some key things to consider when shopping for a knife sharpener:
- Sand
- Guided angle
- Country or Kitchen
You don’t want to carry the weight of the Whetstone sharpener on a hunt, but the Field Guided Sharpener is lightweight and portable for such instances. If you’re sharpening your entire arsenal of kitchen knives, it would be difficult to do it in a timely manner with a field tool, so a strap sharpener will get the job done faster.
If you’ve never sharpened a blade with a belt sharpener, the E5 kitchen sharpener is a more accessible product to learn than the Ken Onion Edition knife and tool sharpener. And if you’re looking for something you can use indoors and outdoors, the Pivot Response Guided Sharpening System is a sharpener for your home that comes with a sharpening tool in the field.
Work Sharp includes angle guides on all of its sharpeners so you can have a consistent degree of sharpness throughout the blade. Most people agree that 20° is a suitable angle for most knives, but be sure to research your knife before sharpening it to learn more about which angle is most appropriate.
Jump to: What makes a good knife sharpener
Knife sharpeners we use
Pivot guided sharpening system Steve’s Choice |
Guided Field Sharpener Janis’s Choice |
whetstone sharpener Danielle’s Choice |
Ken Onion Edition Knife and Tool Sharpener Kevin’s Choice |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Sand |
320 coarse, 600 fine, fine ceramic rod |
320 coarse, 600 fine, fine ceramic rod, leather strap |
1000 fine, 6000 super fine |
120 extra coarse, 220 coarse, 1000 medium, 3000 fine |
|
Guided angle |
17°, 20° |
20°, 25° |
15°, 17° |
15°, 20°, 25°, 30° |
|
Country or Kitchen |
Both |
Countryside |
Kitchen |
Kitchen |
|
Weight |
1.8 pounds |
4.6 ounces |
2.25 pounds |
3.1 pounds |
|
Price |
$60* |
$35* |
$30* |
$140* |
|
field notes |
field notes |
field notes |
field notes |
*Price on 7/12/22
What makes a good knife sharpener
Proper abrasion, stability, and consistency make it a very good knife sharpener. You don’t want the blade to wobble and it should follow a consistent angle to get the sharpest knife possible. Work Sharp builds sharpeners with you in mind with angle guides, a secure base, and a frame built to last.
Sharpen like a Samurai
The infamously deadly katana was not made this way by accident. And since the days of feudal Japan, not much has changed when it comes to sharpening. The samurai used a two-step process to sharpen their blades.
First, they polished the edge with a low-grit emery stone, working to a fine grain. A coarser grit will remove more metal from the blade, creating a burr and angled edge. Then the finer grit will refine the edge into a sharper blade. After grinding, they would finish sharpening the sword on water stones. Now we call these whetstones. Essentially, it is a superfine grit stone that uses water to lubricate the surface and create an ultrafine finish.
You don’t have to be a samurai or wield a katana to have the sharpest knives on the butcher block. To read more about how to properly sharpen a knife, click here.
A note on abrasive materials
Ultimately, which abrasive material you would like to use is a personal preference. The motorized knife and tool sharpener will certainly get the job done faster than the zen art of whetstone, but you will need to replace the abrasive belts periodically as they wear.
A ceramic rod or leather strap is used more to remove micro-abrasions on the blade than to create burrs, so don’t go into the field with a dull knife and a ceramic rod expecting to sit on a hill and sharpen the blade to quarter. condition. But if you’re in the middle of a moose breakdown and find your knife needs a quick shape, it’s a great option.
MeatEater Crew Field Notes
Steve’s Choice
Guided Sharpening System with Pivot Response
Price: $60
“I don’t see anyone driving innovation in the world of knife sharpening as well as Worksharp.”
As someone who has butchered and cooked everything from massive Alaskan elk to soggy muskrats to freshly speared fish, Steve Rinella knows the importance of a sharp knife. “Work Sharp changed the game with their original motorized knife and tool sharpener, and has since produced some amazing hand sharpening tools,” said Steve. “By putting their emphasis on helping customers identify and maintain the proper angles for their cutlery, they’ve helped thousands upon thousands of hunters and anglers get a better edge on their gear.”
specs
- Sand: 320 coarse, 600 fine, fine ceramic rod
- Guided angle: 17°, 20°
- Field or Kitchen: Both
- Weight: 1.8 pounds
- Price: $60
Janis’s Choice
Guided Field Sharpener
Price: $35
“Makes sharpening easier.”
As a hunter looking for big hunts in the west, Janis Putelis needs a portable way to keep her blades sharp away from home. “I like the Work Sharp Guided Field Sharpener. It’s light enough that I don’t mind lugging it around, and the four different sharpening surfaces can make a blade super sharp,” Janis said. “The built-in ramps keep the blade at the right angle so you don’t have to think too hard about everything.”
specs
- Sand: 320 coarse, 600 fine, fine ceramic rod, leather strap
- Guided angle: 20°, 25°
- Field or Kitchen: Countryside
- Weight: 4.6 ounces
- Price: $35
Danielle’s Choice
whetstone sharpener
Price: $30
“Sharpens my knives like shit, and the edge holds a lot longer.”
When Danielle Prewett isn’t out in the field or garden, she’s cooking a delicious meal with her harvest in the kitchen. “I started using Work Sharp’s whetstone for my chef’s knives about a year ago,” said Danielle. “The ceramic stone gives a really fine finish to my blades and its guides make it very easy to use.”
specs
- Sand: 1000 fine, 6000 super fine
- Guided angle: 15°, 17°
- Field or Kitchen: Kitchen
- Weight: 2.25 pounds
- Price: $30
Kevin’s Choice
Ken Onion Edition Knife and Tool Sharpener
Price: $140
“Broken knife tips or chipped blades are no longer a death sentence as long as you have this thing in your arsenal.”
Renowned chef and lifelong hunter Kevin Gillespie knows how to put miles on knives. “There comes a time in the life of a knife, whether through use or abuse, when you need to pull something a little more serious,” Kevin said. “That tool for me is the Work Sharp x Ken Onion Knife and Tool Sharpener. This thing has enough power to completely rebuild a damaged blade while also having enough control over the speed and grit of the sharpener that you don’t destroy your knives.”
specs
- Sand: 120 extra coarse, 220 coarse, 1000 medium, 3000 fine
- Guided angle: 15°, 20°, 25°, 30°
- Field or Kitchen: Kitchen
- Weight: 3.1 pounds
- Price: $140