Make: Tips and Tales from the Workshop

16 Sharpening

Years ago, a friend of mine, who is a knife and edged-weapons collector, told me, “A really good knife wants to cut you. That’s its job.” So there I was, with a very good knife—a Sebenza 21 from renowned knifemaker Chris Reeve. I was writing a column for National Geographic Adventure magazine on outdoor tech and Chris had sent me the knife for review. Minutes after taking it out of the box, while trying to work a one-flick opening on this brand-new knife, I cut the devil out of my thumb. I bled. I guess it was a good knife. By the way, sebenza is a Zulu word that means “work.” So, as I had been warned, it was just doing its job.

Sharpening at the Right Angle

Chefs and other knife enthusiasts have a world of opinions on sharpening ...