Knife sharpening has been way over complicated in this day and age. Maintaining your knives’ edge is extremely important if you use it a lot. A dull knife can actually be dangerous to use. With a dull edge you tend to push harder when carving or cutting, which could cause your hand to slip and possibly cut yourself. If this happens when you’re in a remote area it could turn into a serious problem. Prevent that from happening in the first place by having some basic tools to maintain your blades with.

If you own a knife and use it regularly then you should have a basic set of tools to maintain them with. I’ve used several different types of table top sharpening systems and compact systems. What I have found works best is a basic sharpening stone, diamond rod, and leather strop (no fancy systems with numerous adjustments). You shouldn’t have to “sharpen” your blade all of the time, but you should “hone” your blade after each use (that is the key to keeping a knife sharp). By using this simple process my time spent sharpening my blades has been reduced greatly.

Tools:

• Japanese Wet Stone – available on Amazon for around $18
• Sharpening stone holder – available on Amazon for around $18
• Diamond Sharpening Rod – available on Amazon for around $20
• Homemade Leather Strop – available on Amazon for around $10
• Green Stropping Compound – available on Amazon for around $8