Razor Sharp, How To Hone An Edge

Whether you need to sharpen a stick, cut a bit of twine, slice open a Zombie, or perform an emergency appendectomy, you’ll need a well honed blade to do it… and sometimes those can be hard to come by… especially during a Zombie outbreak or attack.

The ability to hone an edge is a skill that every survivor should have, if they truly want to outlive the undead. From an axe head to a pocket knife and everything in between, this guide can help you get a good edge on your hackers, slashers, slicers, and stabbers.

Although there are hundreds of whetstones and sharpening devices available on the market today, they aren’t necessary for getting a good edge on your blade. In fact, there are plenty of alternatives out there that can use when honing a blade.

Alternatives To Whetstones and Sharpening Tools:

Red Brick - Smooth the surface of a red brick by rubbing it against a concrete surface to remove rough spots and debris.
Cinder Block – Brush away loose material and debris to ensure a smooth surface.
Sandpaper – Attach or wrap around an object with a firm flat surface, such as a piece of 2×4 or the arm of a chair.
Rough Ceramics – Found in most homes, the unfinished underside of ceramic dishes and fixtures works really well for fine tuning an edge to razor sharp.
Smooth Stone - Cleaned of debris, a smooth stone can remove burs, smooth chips, and fine tune an edge just as well as anything else can.
Leather – Attach or wrap leather around a firm flat surface, and use for fine tuning.

The smoother the surface and finer the grain of a sharpening tool, the better it will work for fine tuning the edge of a blade. But if your blade is damaged or extremely dull, you’ll need to start with rougher material like, course grit sandpaper or even a metal file, to re-establish a basic edge first.

Honing The Blade: Honing a blade isn’t just about dragging it across a whetstone or a grinder till you think you’ve got a good edge, it’s about patience, consistency, and skill.

1. Carefully wipe the blade clean with a soft cloth, and a bit of mineral oil if it’s available.

If you are working with folding knife, make sure to fully open it and clean the body inside and out as well.

2. Select a material to hone the blade on, and a stable surface to work on.Mark the edge of the blade with a colored marker (we prefer black for the contrast). The marked edge will act as a guide to help you keep a consistent angle while sharpening.

3. Hold the blade at an angle that allows full contact of the marked area with the surface of the honing material. Using a slow and steady stroke, gently drag the blade across the surface of the honing material. Check the grind on the marked area and adjust the angle of grind accordingly.

4. Once you’ve got the angle down it’s time to get to the real work. Hone the blade one side at a time, using 10-15 strokes (or more as needed) of gentle pressure against the honing material.

Fine tune the edge by repeating the process, alternating sides of the blade between each stroke. (tip: adding a bit of mineral oil to the sharpening surface can help achieve a finer edge and assist in cleaning the blade clean.)

5. Test the edge. There are many ways to test the edge of a blade. You can hold a sheet of paper in one hand and carefully slice it with the other, or shave a small amount of hair from your arm or the back of your hand. Test it against a soft wood like a pencil, or try it out in the kitchen. Just make sure to test the blade before calling it good and packing it away, because you’ll never know how sharp it really is until you see it for yourself.

For sharpening larger blades like hatchets, axes, machetes, and swords, hold the honing surface in your hand rather than the blade, but be extra careful while working the edge. With time and practice you can become an expert at honing an edge, and that will make you one step closer to surviving a Zombie outbreak or attack.

For more Zombease DIY projects, check out DIY Or Die Trying.