There are numerous articles covering field sharpening with pocket sharpener, portable whetstone or even a pocket grinder, but is there any way to actually sharpen the blade in the field without added equipment?
Bushcraft-level: no-tools field sharpening options
“Now, take out your Field Sharpener 9000 and its dedicated portable diesel engine to provide electricity.” — honestly, why does every other field sharpening guide sound like that? Let’s fix it and dig out every known method to sharpen a knife in the fields.
First and foremost, let’s recall the basic principles behind sharpening:
- “Hardest sharpens softest”. To sharpen, is to use the harder material that’s being sharpened.
- Hold the angle. In order to sharpen the blade, you’re going to keep the same angle between the edge and sharpening tool all the time. Over time you learn how to do it, for now — you only need to hold the blade in a somewhat fixed fashion.
- Keep equal pressure. Blade should not be over-stressed, nor the edge should receive any unequal pressure.
- Rince and repeat.
Let’s explore various ways you can try to sharpen your knife in the field.
Stropping
Ever saw a scene from a movie where a barber is using his belt to kind of «sharpen» the edge of the razor? This is called stropping and it is an actuall way to sharpen a knife in the field. To do so, you need a leather belt or some stiff material lying around. The stiffer — the better, but not «rock solid».
How to sharpen your knife by stropping it against the leather surface?
- Place a piece of fabric or leather on top of a flat & solid surface; Wood trunk, natural rock formation or even your thigns will do.
- Gently «Pull» your knife along surface away from the edge;
- Maintain same angle — hold the blade and don’t move your hand, that’s enough;
- Repeat this for 10 times per side, and you’re going to have a decently sharp blade.
Photo from pinterest.com
Stropping is actually “finisher move” in outdoor sharpening, so you’re going to repeat this process once you find any suitable grinding medium. Why does it even work? Because you are bending away the smallest imperfections of the edge, straightening it out.
River Stone
The most «neuron activation» method out there, 9 out of 10 that our long-gone ancestors sharpened their tools with river rocks.
- First, you are going to tap into your natural instincts and find a riverside with smooth rocks lying around;
- Then you only need to locate the flattest stone around and use it as a whetstone;
- Afterwards, do a Stropping of the blade to achieve better sharpness.
Photo from triceas.top
How to pick a good stone? Tap its surface, the smoother it feels — the better grinding results would be. Don’t forget to moisten the stone surface in order to increase the grinding ability. If the stone is too small — hold it while doing circular moves on the edge’s surface.
Same principle goes for any flat stone surface, but river rocks are much better suited for this task, since water grinds away their own imperfections, making the surface as flat as possible.
Make your own whetstone
This is the “Bear Grylls” level of bushcraft tool making. Essentially, you are going to need two stones and a relatively flat piece of wood.
- Take two stones and grind some rock dust out of them;
- Take a piece of wood and make it as flat as possible;
- Pour some water over the wood and cover it with the dust;
- Use this improvised whetstone to sharpen your knife.
Not a perfect solution, but might work for you.
Blade to blade field sharpening
This one assumes you have at least 1 more knife, which is at least two bits harder than the knife you’re going to sharpen.
- To sharpen the softer knife, you’re going to use any flat part of the harder knife;
- Press blade against the flat surface and repeatedly “sharpen” the edge;
- Spend at least 10 minutes doing this in order to achieve better sharpness.
Photo from gotta-eat.com
You also can use ceramic minerals, such as calcite, porous natural stones, and in some rare cases skin covered in sand. Best mineral choice is fired clay, mixed with stone dust and poured onto the clay block.
Belt holder
There’s an option to use a belt holder as a sharpening surface, since the rule of “hardest sharpens the softest” applied. You can use the corner of the belt holder, given it is made of something better than copper, preferable duralumin. To do this properly, you need to press the blade exactly by the edge surface towards the surface of the belt.
Checklist of methods to sharpen a knife in the field
Here’s a brief summary of means to sharpen your knife in almost any conditions:
- Stropping.
- River Stones.
- Bushcraft Whetstone.
- Belt Holders.
- Sand-infused, baked clay bricks.
Sharpening your knife in the wilderness like a pro!