Knife How-To's

Stropping helps refine your blade by cleaning up tiny burrs, and by thinning out the apex. But what, exactly, what is stropping? How does it work? Here’s a review backed by microscopic photography and knife science.

Sharpening stones can get confusing. Which grit do you use for repairing a chipped blade? Which grit is best for standard sharpening? What about honing, and polishing? Use this chart as a guide for which stones to use, and their grit ratings.

Free-hand sharpening with a whetstone isn't as easy as it looks. Use this detailed guide to work through the steps and best practices of sharpening and honing an edge by hand.