How to Sharpen a Knife: 10 Everyday Items You Could Use as Sharpener

How to sharpen a knife is something we ought to do if we prepare our daily meals. 

Not everyone thinks of buying a knife sharpener as a tool in their kitchens. However, if you use your knife daily, there will come a point in time where you will be needing a sharpener as the sharpness of your knives would soon wear out. 

While the ten items listed below will not guarantee you with a sharpened knife that is good as new, at least, they could help realign the edges of your knives. Here are 10 everyday items that you could use as a sharpener in times of need. 

Coffee mug

One of the items that you would most likely see in every house is a ceramic coffee mug. All you have to do is to turn the mug upside down then look for that rougher part of the cup. Run the knife across that part until you get the desired edge. 

(Photo: unsplash/Scott Warman)

Leather belt

You could use a leather belt that does not have any stitching to realign the edge of your knife. Many professionals strop their knives using leather straps. 

Nail file 

Get the nail file from your cosmetics tool kit and use it to sharpen your knife. You could also use an emery board if you do not have a nail file. 

Nylon strap

Stropping using a nylon strap will make a difference after using your nail file. It works well if you do not have a leather belt. The nylon strap from a backpack is enough to make your knife sharper. 

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The spine of another knife

Using the unsharpened spine of another knife, you could sharpen the one knife that you want to hone. This would be best if your two knives have a different steel hardness level. 

Sandpaper

Even though not all households have sandpapers on hand, they could easily have the item around because it is inexpensive. If you plan to use sandpaper, start by using a coarser grit then finish with a finer grit to get the maximum sharpness that you desire. 

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Cardboard

If sandpaper is not around, you could use cardboard boxes from your previous online shopping that has been collecting dust. Although cardboards do not sharpen better than leather belts or nylon straps, they could strop a blade as needed. 

(Photo: unsplash/Tania Melnyczuk)

Smooth stone

A smooth and flat stone works perfectly as knife sharpeners. You could find them along or in rivers, but if they are not available, you could make one by grinding two rocks together. 

Concrete

What is good about concrete is that it is found everywhere. However, you have to make sure that the conditions are just right because if not, it could damage your knife. Find an extremely smooth one, then run your knife just like how you would on a stone. Strop it afterward to make it smoother. 

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Car window

Car lovers would not recommend this one, but in times of emergencies like when zombies do come around, there would be a lot of abandoned cars on the streets. Just slide your knife about eight to ten times on both sides along the car windows.