On the edge

If you own any kind of knife, whether it be a toy or tool, weapon or eating utensil, you will need to keep it sharp. Otherwise, it won't do its job. Now I realize that the "art" of knife edge sharpening, to the average person, is a terrifying concept, or a process that gets neglected in its entirety. Truth is, it's not that hard nowadays, with all the great sharpening systems out there.
I'm not going to get into all the whiz-bang super duper high-tech multi-edge sharpening systems that are out there, not for this article. Instead, I want to keep it simple for you, since some of you have never tried to sharpen any of your knives before at all. If you fall into this category, especially if you don't know how to do it, read on.

Quick Fix pocket sharpener.

A small pocket sharpener, such as the Lansky Quick Fix pocket sharpener, is a great tool for quickly and easily putting a good edge back on your blade. Like the name implies, it is a a quick fix. It won't put a razor edge back on your knife, but if you spend a minute or two with the blade, you will get it back into usable condition. I should make clear here that this sharpener is not intended for use on serrated blades.

The Quick Fix features two sides for sharpening. The tungsten carbide side will give you a fast, noticeable blade tune up with only 3 or 4 pulls through it. I prefer to give it about 8 or 10 pulls if the blade is nicked up pretty well, or is severely dull. Just keep an eye on the edge to make sure you do not take off too much material. The second side features ceramic Crock Stick rods to put that finishing polish on the edge, giving it finer detail. Again, I prefer to use more than 3 or 4 pulls here if my blade is in bad shape. Just keep an eye on things, and try it out on a folded up paper towel or some such to gauge how the sharpening is going. 

Very small, but capable.

As small and efficient as this little gizmo is, along with a price tag of $6, you can easily justify having a few lying around. One in the kitchen drawer for utensils, one in your range or gear bag, one in your hunting stash, etc. There are several brands of basic sharpeners out there, so you should have no trouble finding one that fits the bill. Remember: always exercise the utmost caution when handling or sharpening knives. Please be careful, and don't cut anyone. If you do, don't let me know about it. Plausible deniability and all. 

Owen McGoogie does not claim or accept any liability from any injuries sustained by individuals upon reading this article. Use product at your own risk. Exercise caution. Safety is your own responsibility.

-Owen