Sharpening Basics

Sharpening is a simple process, but it takes practice to execute successfully. Sharpening consists of rubbing a piece of metal against an abrasive to create a wedge shape. It takes practice to consistently hold the metal against the abrasive at the correct angle. You can use anything from simple sandpaper to elaborate power sharpeners. With any method, the basic process is the same. You use a coarse abrasive to wear away the metal of the blade until the blade is the shape you want. Then, use progressively finer grits of abrasive to remove the scratches from the previous grit until you have a polished edge.