How to sharpen the blade of a lead knife?

29th February 2020


	How to sharpen the blade of a lead knife?


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			It’s expected that lead knife blades will blunt with use over time. However, most lead knives can be resharpened – check the specifications of individual knives to make sure.

			If the cuts being made are not as clean as they should be, or it is more difficult to cut materials than it used to be, you might need to sharpen your blade. How often you need to sharpen the blade will depend on how often you use the knife.



			You can get sharpening stones designed to resharpen knives at home, although this may take some practice as you need to hold the knife at the correct angle. If you are not confident with sharpening your knife yourself you can get it professionally resharpened.

			Using a sharpening stone
			Sharpening stones are used to sharpen steel blades and other similar tools, such as chisels or scissors. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes and grades.

			The grades of sharpening stones relate to the size of grit particles on them; the finer the grade, the smaller the grit. Often, blades may be sharpened with a few different grades, starting with quite a coarse one and moving to a finer one, to produce a smooth, sharp edge. Extra fine stones are often called oilstones as they need to be lubricated with oil.

			Usually, some kind of lubricant will be used with all sharpening stones. This can be oil or water, depending on the type of stone being used. The lubricant means you will be able to move the blade easily and smoothly across the stone as you sharpen it.

			Step 1 – Angle blade against stone Hold the blade against the stone, with the sharp edge facing away from you, at an angle of about 20 degrees. The smaller the angle the blade is held at, the sharper the edge will be.

			20 degrees is an advisable angle for a lead knife to be sharpened at. This should create two 20-degree bevelled edges on each side, resulting in a 40-degree blade. A blade between 40 and 50 degrees should be sharp enough, and won’t become blunt as quickly as a sharper blade would.

			Step 2 – Move blade up and down Keep the blade at a constant angle and move it in a figure-of-eight motion up and down the stone. Do this about four or five times. Try to move your point of contact as you move up and down. You will get the best results if the length of the blade can run across the stone. This will be more difficult to do with a curved blade.

			Step 3 – Turn blade over Turn the blade over and angle it against the stone, as with the other side. Repeat the figure-of-eight motion, moving up and down the stone about four or five times.

			Step 4 – Oil blade Use some oil on a cloth to polish the blade. This should remove any tiny fragments of metal which may have come off during sharpening and could be stuck to the blade. Occasional oiling will also prevent rust.