BTW, I carry an old Case XX single blade in what I think is called “electricians” or “sheepsfoot” pattern — straight cutting edge, back curves down to meet the edge at the tip. Wooden scales in need of refurbishing (and, since I fool around with wood, I’ll probably give it a nice set of new scales someday). At the risk of igniting a controversy, this particular knife is marked “stainless”.

With good technique and a little practice, most men can quickly achieve a shaving edge. (given the blade being sharpened has this potential)

My area of inquiry is regarding the point at the tip of the blade. I have not been able to retain the very sharp point on my Kershaw “leek”. After successive sharpening sessions, the point gets “rounded” . Any recommendations?

He used some sort of wheel and hand held for the angle. He was really good and didn’t need a guide.

JoeG, yours was but the latest of great comments.

2). The angle given in the article is kind of misleading. The overall angle should be 30 degrees or so (15 degrees on each side). I only mention this because it is very common to be told to sharpen a knife to 30 degrees. This is the total angle, or 15 degrees on each side. The smaller the angle the “sharper” the knife will be, but it will also dull much quicker. A 30 degree edge will hold up to vigorous use, but be hair shaving sharp when fresh.

3). I’ve got a Benchmade 710 in my pocket that I have carried and used daily for more than 10 years, and it is still my favorite pocket knife. Spyderco makes good knives, as does Cold Steel. If you are going to abuse your knife, get a Cold Steel knife.
Their ‘Proof” video is not fake, these knives WILL stand up to whatever you want to do to them. I have a voyager series pocket knife that I abuse regularly (knife as a screwdriver anyone?), and though the edge may get dulled up at times, a quick session with a sharpmaker will get it back to razor sharp with a quickness.

The procedure described above is sharpening, and should not need to be done frequently.

Honing should be done regularly. Good kitchen knives should be honed after each use; pocket knives daily or weekly, depending on how and how often you use them.

When you use a knife, the thin, sharp edge warps and bends, making the knife cut poorly. This is not dulling — the sharp edge is still there, it’s just bent off to the side. Honing straightens the edge again, making your knife perform better and go longer without needing sharpening.

To hone a blade, acquire a honing steel (the rod that came with your knife set is a good example). The motion is the same as for sharpening: “slice” a bit of the honing rod while holding the blade at 10-15 degrees; be sure to slide the blade along the rod so that the entire blade is honed on each pass. Keep the rod as still as possible while doing this.

Each side should be done evenly. Make 4 passes on one side, then switch to the other and make 4 passes. Switch sides and repeat this pattern with 3 passes, then 2, then 1 on each side. Done!