Sharpening up on the trail

If you are going to carry a knife on the trail then it might as well be a sharp knife. maintaining a sharp knife is very easy and takes seconds. Resharpening a really dulled knife is much more difficult. I am not trying to achieve a scalpel edge as this weakens the edge. I sharpen to achieve a useful edge only, which can cope easily with any task I am likely to put it to.

The fine sharpening stone is the item which looks like a stick of chalk

As new the Swiss army knife has a v shaped profile - a flat grind, gradually sloping down from the spine to the tip of the blade on both sides. A steepish secondary bevel is then placed right on the edge. After 10 years of use the primary blade on mine is pretty scratched up, and the scales no longer look new but even after so much use every tool still works perfectly! Irrespective of the fact that the knife looks pretty beat up all the blades need are a couple of minutes attention to retain the factory edge.

There are many ways of sharpening your knife, so I will highlight the main one I use first, using a fine Victorinox sharpening stone, which weighs almost nothing and is carried in mt EDC kit.

Brace the end of the stone against a solid object to prevent movement.
Pull the blade a few strokes from handle to tip slicing  along  the stone as you go ( watch fingers) then turn the knife and push the blade a few strokes. Again handle to tip as if slicing off the surface.

To maintain this secondary bevel takes just a few strokes on each side of the blade against a small Victorinox abrasive stone such as the one in the picture. If you do not have access to such a sharpening stone or ceramic rod, then wrap a small quantity of very fine wet and dry around a dowel or stick. In the field carrying a small piece of fine wet and dry instead of the stone would do the trick. Once you have decided on the angle repeat this every time you sharpen.

I sharpen with very light pressure and much more slowly than such as with a kitchen knife on a steel. The secret of sharpening this knife is to hold the knife at the same angle every time. I go for somewhere around 20 to 30 degrees. Go slowly, and apply only light pressure whilst drawing the blade across the stone, slightly lifting the handle as you approach the tip. Usually as few as 10 strokes per side will do it. I do not remove any burr that forms just as with the kitchen knives at home on the steel but if you wanted to do this you could use anything from your leather belt as a strop to the back of a leather bound note book which I carry to make my field notes. This method, even without the stropping will maintain your blade to the point where it will slice up paper edges by way of a test no problem. To slice hairs from your arms etc which many see as the ultimate test you will need to strop maybe up to 50 strokes per side, but to be frank if I can cut veg easily and cord and other such items with ease that is all I am trying to do. This level of sharpness can be achieved in seconds.

It is also possible by way of another option to file the stone against the blade, keeping the blade static and moving the stone or rod against the blade. Personally I prefer to move the blade over the stone as I find it easier to control the knife angle, and hold the stone steady.

Alternatively if you are carrying larger cuting tools, carry a slightly heavier diamond / ceramic stone for sharpening and honing in the field, such as this portable offering from Fallkniven called the DC3. The stone has the benefit of a fine ceramic honing side and coarser grit diamond side for serious sharpening.

One method of sharpening with such a stone is to use tiny small circular movements whilst holding the bevel against the stone, this works well on larger knives. Maintaining the angle throughout the length of the blade but lifting the handle slightly as you sharpen the tip.

Alternatively try to slice a microscopic layer from the surface as in the picture below, repeating both sides alternately. When you turn the Climber knife as in the picture below you will need to place the stone on the edge of something to give hand clearance. The blades are offset against the handle. Repeat the same number of strokes each side whichever method is used. The stone may slip around so it may need to be braced or held as I am doing in this picture. Watch fingers!

Personally I prefer the first method as shown above, but its personal choice.

try to slice a thin layer from the stone starting at the handle end and lifting off from the tip.
10 reps one side, 10 the other, then alternate a stroke each side for a few strokes. 

Victorinox also provide a number of portable ceramic sharpeners which simply require the blade to be pulled through them a few times. The problem with sharpening this way is that the blade develops a hollow in the middle over time.


To sharpen the scissors I simply cut through a sheet of tin foil once in a while. Do not try to fold the tin foil as you will sprain the scissors making them useless.

Concentrate at all times when sharpening, a serious injury could occur at a very difficult time once miles away from civilization. Carry a suitably well equipped first aid kit. Remember only light pressure and slow movement is required to sharpen a SAK, the steel is relatively soft.  Whichever method is deployed look at what you are doing, move methodically, pay attention to the angle between the blade and stone. Do NOT draw the blade upwards ( backwards ) across the stone so that the knife wants to fold onto fingers. You should always be pressing or pushing the blade open.

Take care and enjoy the process. Its all very relaxing. Any hints and tips on the subject of field sharpening in the field always greatly received.

Thank you for reading

Sean