Every kitchen needs a high-quality set of ultra-sharp knives. This could include a set of knives for chopping and cutting. Also, it could have a set of cutlery knives for mealtime use. We can’t forget a set of steak knives too! Whatever the type or use, knives must be sharp to be effective. Over time, the cutting edge of a knife can dull and reduce its utility. As a result, it is important to know how to sharpen a knife without a knife sharpener.
We know that not everyone has access to a sharpening rod or sharpening stone, which are pieces of equipment used by specialists to hone their knives perfectly. But this doesn’t matter! Did you know that a host of everyday household objects can substitute for a sharpening stone? This guide looks at some common methods and provides various tips for knife maintenance.
7 Ways to Sharpen Your Knife Without a Knife Sharpener
The sharpening process is relatively simple – this is why you can use various household items instead of a honing rod or sharpener. All you need is the right material with a suitable edge and consistency.
To sharpen a knife, you effectively fill material from the blade’s side of the blade teeth. Providing that the item you are using is durable and can file the blade, it should work! We have listed seven specific examples below for your benefit.
1. The Bottom of a Coffee Mug
One of the best substitutes for a traditional sharpening surface is a coffee mug! Everyone has at least one mug in their kitchen, right? In most instances, people have multiple mugs and ones they don’t use. If so, this is perfect.
Pick out a ceramic mug you don’t use, as this will cause some discolouration to the underside. Place the mug upside down on a flat surface. Find the slightly rough part of the mug, which is usually the rim. Run the dull blade along this rough surface for a few passes until it is sharp.
If the process worked, you should notice some discolouration on the mug – this shows that the steel is depositing on the mug.
2. Sandpaper
We understand that not everyone will have sandpaper readily available in the comfort of their homes. However, sandpaper is easy to buy from a DIY store, and many people may have sandpaper in their toolbox or garage.
Sandpaper is a brilliant tool for sharpening steel, but it is also great for knives. It is important to get sandpaper with a coarser grit to avoid oversharpening. As you get used to how it sharpened, you can always get sandpaper with a finer grit.
3. A Nail File
Nail files are the perfect sharpening device for your knives too! After all, nail files are used to hone our nails! Most people have a nail file in their homes, and in the case of dull knives, you can use it apart from your fingernails. Technically, sandpaper would be nice, but you can easily use a nail file instead if you don’t have any.
The process is also incredibly simple, and you can sharpen your knives to a high quality. Hold the nail file in one hand and your dull knife in the other (with the pointed edge facing away from you). Run the knife’s blade against the nail file and repeat this process multiple times.
You should notice the colour of the emery board changing – much in the same way as if you were filling your nails.
4. A Broken Glass Bottle / Empty Jam Jar
For this method, we do NOT recommend purposefully smashing a glass bottle! However, if you do have any used bottles, you could break them to get a piece of broken glass. Alternatively, you can use any glass edge to sharpen a knife.
This is another incredibly easy way to sharpen a knife, but it can be dangerous. Hold your broken glass bottle carefully with an edge exposed. Angle the blade and then glide it along the broken glass edge in the same direction several times. This should effectively sharpen the knife.
5. A Second Knife
What’s better than one knife? Two knives, such as a pocket knife, of course! This method is pretty simple, but it is one of the most dangerous since you will handle two knives. Knives are made from harder steel and, thus, can be used to sharpen each other.
Do not rub the knife blade on the other because this is a surefire way to dull your second knife. Instead, run the blade of one knife against the smooth back surface of the other knife.
6. A Leather Belt
Stropping is a different process that improves the effectiveness of dull knives. Stropping can be completed using a leather belt. This process effectively realigns the blade’s edge, which can improve its usage.
Ideally, the belt shouldn’t have any stitching. You can run your knife away from the cutting edge along the edge of the leather belt.
7. Smooth, Flat Stones
Perhaps you have stones in your garden? Maybe you walk regularly or live near the coast? Regardless, if you have access to smooth, flat natural stones, you can use these for sharpening.
Natural stones are made from durable materials and make for excellent sharpeners. Ideally, the stone should be smooth and relatively flat. You can then use the stone in the same manner as a sharpening stone.
Why Using a Knife Sharpener Is the Preferable Option
Although these methods are acceptable, there is no real substitute for a knife sharpener. A tool like a ceramic rod, ceramic plate, or sharpening stone is always the best option because they are manufactured specifically for this process. As a result, you will always get superior results when using random objects in your house. What’s great is that you can easily get a sharpening tool from a hardware store or buy one online, so all in all, it’s not hard to pick up a knife sharpener.
Tips for Knife Maintenance and Sharpening
As you can see, you can use various household items for sharpening knives. To help further, we have also provided a host of valuable tips for knife maintenance and sharpening. These tips should help improve your efficiency and safety when completing this task.
1. Only Sharpen When Necessary, and Don’t Over-Sharpen
The key to getting the perfect sharpened knife is to find a balance. You must keep the knife sharp; however, you must also refrain from over-sharpening.
Generally, it would help if you did not sharpen your knives more than once every three months. This is only a rough guideline, however. If you use the knives infrequently, you may not need to sharpen your knife that often.
If you over-sharpen your knives, you will eventually render them useless. This is because you are removing material from the knife blade. At some point, the blade will degrade into nothingness, and the knife will be unusable.
2. Always Hold the Knife With the Pointed End of the Blade Away From You
This should be common sense. However, it is surprising how many people have poor safety skills when handling sharp objects!
A sharp knife can be deadly and incredibly dangerous! Therefore, you must handle them properly and take care when sharpening knives.
The simplest safety measure you can take when handling a sharp knife is to hold the blade away from your body. Point it downwards with the handle pointing towards you. This should prevent any injury if you slip while holding the knife.
3. Use a Vice to Secure the Knife Where Possible
Building on the above point, you should avoid holding the knife completely. If you can secure the knife instead of holding it, this will improve your safety greatly. Also, it will provide a more stable base for the sharpening process.
A simple metal vice is the best option for this. You can quickly clamp your knife handle into the vice jaws without causing any damage to the blade itself.
4. Store Your Knives Properly to Reduce Wear and Tear
Lastly, proper knife storage is essential to help reduce dullness and damage. Many people store their steak knives and carving knives in a kitchen drawer. This is not a great idea. When stored with other cutlery, the knife steel will contact other metals. This can dull the knives quicker and also cause scratches.
Therefore, you should store your high-quality knives separately. A knife block is a simple and effective storage method. Alternatively, you could buy a knife magnet. This is a sheet of metal that you can attach to your kitchen wall. It contains magnets, and you can stick your knives to it to prevent damage.
Knife Sharpening FAQs
How Often Should You Sharpen Your Knives?
This depends primarily on how often you use them and the quality of the knives. High-quality knives should not need sharpening, whereas lower-quality knives may dull more quicker. As a rule of thumb, you should sharpen knives that are regularly used every three months. However, always check for dullness – this should be the primary deciding factor.
Can You Over-Sharpen a Knife?
Yes! When using a sharpening tool, you effectively reduce the metal material on the blade. Eventually, there will be no material left to sharpen. At this point, you will have rendered the knife useless. As a result, always sharpen with care and consider if it is necessary.
Is Manually Sharpening a Knife Dangerous?
Yes, it can be! When working with and handling any sharp metal objects, there is the potential for injury. So to reduce the chance of cuts or scratches, always handle your knives carefully. Also, it would be best to use a vice or something to hold the knife instead of holding it while sharpening.
Is It Better to Have Your Knives Professionally Sharpened?
Yes, but it is far quicker and cheaper to sharpen knives yourself. Note that sending your knives to a professional sharpener can be incredibly expensive. Also, it takes time to send the knives, wait for them to be sharpened, and have the knives returned to you. This is why it is still best to hone your knives at home instead, and you can sharpen them even without a knife sharpener.
Don’t Worry if You Don’t Have a Sharpening Rod!
We hope you have found this article about sharpening a knife with other basic household items. While sharpening stones and things like ceramic rods are useful, it is possible to sharpen a dull knife without these objects. There are tons of different objects you can use in your home that make the perfect substitute, such as nail files, survival knives, flat rocks, etc. Hence, if you find that your knives are beginning to dull, fear not! You can easily sharpen them and keep them fit for purpose.
