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Sharpening

Knife Sharpening Do's and Don’ts

A sharp knife is a safe knife – or at least a safer knife. Attempting to cut with a dull knife requires additional force to compensate for the lack of sharpness. Too often, the knife slips from the surface that was intended to be cut – and onto a hand, arm, or other parts of the body, potentially causing serious injury.

Never sharpen your knives using power sharpeners. Using a machine not intended for knife sharpening can damage the blade, leaving it brittle and prone to cracks – along with voiding the warranty. Use a proper knife sharpener and follow the instructions included in the downloadable PDF instructions.

Buck Family Inside Tip!

Al Buck (1910-1991) had a great tip using a felt pen for people struggling to master sharpening by hand. He would tell people there were only three things to remember when sharpening:

"Always cut into the stone, never drag your knife edge back over the stone, and always maintain your angle."

To use Al’s method, take a black felt pen and shade in the bevel of the knife. Then take two strokes on the stone and examine the edge. If you have maintained the proper angle then all the black will be gone. If you see black on the top of the edge it means you are holding the back of the knife too far from the stone. If there is black on the bottom of the edge but the top is clean then you are laying the knife too flat on the stone and you need to raise it a bit. Repaint the edge and try it again. Once you discover what the right angle looks like then just maintain that.

Stay Sharp with Copper & Clad Buck Knives

Shop for your next blade with Copper & Clad. We can help you select the right knife for your needs – and help you keep it sharp!
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