How to Sharpen a Convex Knife - The Quick and Easy Way

In recent months, one consistent question I have received has been "how do you sharpen or maintain your convexed edge knives?" Here I go over the system that I have found to work best for me. It's quick and simple and requires very few tools.
For help on finding the exact angle at which to sharpen or strop your knife, click here: • How to Sharpen a Knife
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[@pjculbertson55]

I agree completely. A well maintained edge is key to success. Strop the blade daily at least when knife is in use or more often if really being used a lot. Using a little compound and a strop works wonders. It is a lot easier to keep a blade sharp than to get a blade sharp.

[@feralwoodcraft]

+pjculbertson55 " It is a lot easier to keep a blade sharp than to get a blade sharp." That is an excellent quote. I concur with everything you said here. Thanks!

[@markeggleston6946]

Bloody brilliant thanks for the tip, convex edges are now being sharpened in Australia your way.

[@BearHartOutdoorsChannel]

the crayon bit cracked me up! AMD the pun with you drawing "I just want to make my point!" love it!

[@BearHartOutdoorsChannel]

and not AMD...

[@feralwoodcraft]

+BearHart Outdoors lol I wanted to take a sharpie out there but couldn't find one. So I stole one of my son's crayons...

[@csh6220]

If you don't have a strop, dampen a piece of cardboard box and use it like a strop. Cardboard is very abrasive and will sharpen a convex grind (on the cheap). That tip came from a knife dealer.

[@sirdanielsmalley9657]

I've never heard of the "mouse pad" thing and I think that will perfectly do the trick. Thank you!

[@AdvancedKnifeBro]

Great video man! You go over all the pertinent... I need to get a strop, as my collection is starting to grow.

[@feralwoodcraft]

+mhanlen1 I went for a long time without a strop and didn't think I needed one. When I was gifted one 2 or 3 years ago, and started to use it, I realized how wrong I was. It is my main method of keeping a razors edge at this point.

[@MegaWoodswalker]

I am a sandpaper on mouse pad or leather kinda guy. A ceramic rod works but I really like to touch up the entire edge including the profile with the sandpaper. It's all good and sharp is sharp. I enjoyed the video! Thumbs up.

[@feralwoodcraft]

+MegaWoodswalker Thanks man! That means a lot! I get that, and I've done it. Like I said, I just don't have the patience, and often times the actual time (4 kids and all). So in the end, I let the strop do the profile work as well. 9.9 times out of 10, the strop is all I use anyway. Thanks!!

[@MichaelTravis12c27]

Great video Joe! You have an excellent sharpening system.

[@feralwoodcraft]

+Blue Mountain Bushcraft and Outdoors Thanks Mike!

[@poppopscarvinshop]

Great Video Joe! I too believe in "Strop Early, Strop Often"! Thanks Much!

[@feralwoodcraft]

+James White Exactly. That is my goal anyway. I did have to spend about 20 minutes undoing some abuse I laid out on my EDC CRKT today though. But that's what it's there for....abuse. Thanks James!

[@bushcraftcambridge5086]

Perfectly simple and easy. Happens to be my routine as well. Except I use stones for touch ups and I enjoy the therapeutic and relaxing zen state of stropping. I am a big believer in sharpen once and touch up and hone/strop forever. Great demo this is something that's hard to show effectively on film as this is a "feel" skill. Also full disclosure, I happen to have a man crush on the bark river Aurora. Thanks. Chris.

[@feralwoodcraft]

+Bushcraftcambridge Me too! I had an Aurora years ago and got gave it away. I have been looking for one since. Almost snagged one a time or two but she's always gotten away. I don't know if it is just nostalgia or what but the Aurora is still my favorite BRKT. Thanks!!

[@TheBootyWrangler]

So if my ceramic rod was labeled as a honing rod will it sharpen or hone my blades? I bought it to hone with but I’m finding that my SS rod is better at actually HONING the blade however my ceramic rod seems to be taking a good bit of steel off of my knives. I can get them RAZOR sharp with the ceramic rod but I think it’s actually sharpening the knives instead of honing

[@stalwart263]

Thanks very much. Great video. I just bought a Bark River Bravo Vortex and suddenly realised I did not know how to sharpen it!

[@LetoAt77]

Great vid Joe, thank for sharing brother!

[@feralwoodcraft]

+Christian Cork Thanks Christian!

[@adityafirdaus3881]

Sir, I thank you for you making this video.

[@TurtleBushcraft]

Nice demo some good points and tips thanks for sharing atb John

[@feralwoodcraft]

+Turtle Bushcraft Thanks John I appreciate that, thanks for chiming in bud.

[@lorisb1513]

Thanks for the important info! I always strop my knife after using.Greetings from Switzerland -Loris

[@WeApoNut]

Nice review of the topic, I use basically the same system. I have a Wicked Edge system and some rods for free hand, but I strop on a regular basis and do not need to resort to traditional "sharpening". The Wicked Edge has strop capability but I use Stropman "Billy" most of the time. Using four different grits on the Billy handles most situations that I run into unless I have really dinged the blade.

[@feralwoodcraft]

+WeApoNut That is my goal right there. To never need anything more then a strop. If I ever do, then to only use the finest grit as possible to bring it back to a stropable edge. Do you like the Wicked Edge? I really like the looks of it but price has me wary. Thanks!

[@NorwegianWoods]

Nice and easy. Thanks for sharing :) - Martin

[@feralwoodcraft]

+NorwegianWoods Thank you for watching bud!

[@matthewjeffres1289]

very cool! I will have to try the method out.

[@feralwoodcraft]

+Matthew Jeffres I hope it works for you as well as it does for me. Thanks Matthew!

[@knifesharpeningnorway]

great video as always brother 😊

[@feralwoodcraft]

+Modernbushcraft Thank ye Sir!

[@deanoboland]

Great job on the video

[@drewlucero3916]

Nice one Joe thanks and take care 👍🐾🐾

[@feralwoodcraft]

+Drew Lucero Thanks Drew, I am grateful!

[@alex_123more]

Thank you!

[@EatCarbs]

Very cool.. Most of my blades are scandi ground so sharpening isn't so tough for me. Thanks for the video

[@feralwoodcraft]

+Eat Carbs Yeah, those do tend to be simple. And knowing what knives you own, you chose well too ;) Thanks Mark!

[@edgybob1]

Good. And what works best for you, go with it.

[@feralwoodcraft]

Agreed. That is all that matters. Thanks!

[@volcanowb]

I like that method because I like leather honing. I'm assuming the rods work for all edge shapes? Depending on the angle of the stroke?

[@kenkl5204]

Very helpful. You said no secondary edge? Do you make your stropes?

[@rios4175]

Thanks Joe I only have a ceramic rod the white one i have leather but no compound does it work without compound

[@feralwoodcraft]

Yes it does but it takes considerably longer. Traditionally, leather was all that was used I believe. Just remember, just a swipe or two on the ceramic. KSF and DLT carry Bark River brand compound at a rather inexpensive price. Thanks bud!

[@joshnd1978]

stropping only? no stones? i have a lot to learn. i hear the worksharp makes a convex edge. can you use one of those?

[@chadbarton9631]

I use Japanese watertones and I strop too I like the bark river cbn love that stuff

[@feralwoodcraft]

One day I would like to get some Japanese water stones and learn how to use them properly. Thanks Chad!

[@redbeard6606]

Nice job.

[@feralwoodcraft]

Thanks!

[@sirdanielsmalley9657]

Me who is making a convex knife and need to put an edge on it: "Oh no, I need more than a strop!" Great video, thanks!

[@jimterry548]

Did you say LT Wright -The Overland Machete? I need one of those. The topps machete is oos everywhere I have looked and I need me a big machete for some brush work.

[@thehonfleur]

Great vid

[@feralwoodcraft]

+AaronBushcraft Thanks Aaron!

[@chadbarton9631]

How do you like the adventure 2 and how hard is the 20cv to sharpen I know it's like m390

[@feralwoodcraft]

I've never used the 2 but judging by the performance of the 1, I bet I'd love it. I've never used 20cv or m390 either. Sorry, wish I could help more Chad.

[@draganpastrovic2157]

Waterstones! Nothing more satisfying.

[@snakemonkey555]

Great tutorial Joe! I am in the beginning stages of where you were when you started. My question is, is there a difference between the green or white compound you apply to your strop? What is it called? Which do you recommend? Most of my knives are ESEE, a few Falkniven and bench made folders. Thanks, Aaron.

[@bushcraftcambridge5086]

Great knives. Those are some of my favourite brands myself.

[@feralwoodcraft]

+snakemonkey555 Green is a fine grit compound and white is even finer mostly used for polishing. These are the ones that I recommend: www.knivesshipfree.com/bark-river-knives/sharpening-supplies/bark-river-sharpening-compound-with-instructions/ I hope you find the system that works for you a lot faster then I did Aaron. I ruined a couple of knives back in the day trying to figure it out. The nice part about it now is, it's second nature and it was pretty satisfying to pull those ruined knives out the box and fix them. Good luck and if there is anything I can do to help, just let me know.

[@snakemonkey555]

+Feral Woodcraft Thanks Joe. I guess it's a lot of its trial and error.

[@MrTatts64]

Nice one Joe. Little n often seems to work for me mate :)

[@feralwoodcraft]

+MrTatts64 I am so stealing that phrase! lol Exactly the point I was trying to convey. Thanks!

[@mateiros_carijos]

I found it very beautiful that knife !! What brand or cutler?

[@bushcraftcambridge5086]

Bark river knives. Found on Dlt trading Very nice knives.

[@feralwoodcraft]

+Mateiros Carijós Bark River Knives. They are on Knives Ship Free and DLT Trading. Thanks!

[@feralwoodcraft]

+Bushcraftcambridge Thanks for chiming in in my absence bud! My internet was out for 4 days so catching up on comments has been rather hectic lol

[@dekkero709]

How do you make sure you have the correct angle on the strop?

[@feralwoodcraft]

It's in this video (I am thinking 2/3rds of the way through but it's been a while since I made it). The short of it is, in a well light area, hold the knife on the strop and angle edge down until the shadow beneath the edge goes away. Lightly and slowly pull back away from the edge. If you can barely feel the grain of the leather sliding against the edge then you've got it right or really close to right. Practice a some and you'll get the hang of it. Another way is to tell, is to mark the edge and about a 1/4 inch of the bevel with a marker. Get it where you think it's right and strop it a time or two. Look at the marked part and see where the marker is being removed and adjust from there. Make sense? Thanks!

[@mistersmith3986]

Hey Joe. Have you seen the new Bark River Bushcrafter II yet?

[@feralwoodcraft]

+mister smith Yep, I sure have. I keep a close watch on what BRKT is up to lol. Wednesdays are my favorite KZbin days. BTW, I notice you've asked this a couple times. Sorry bud, the internet at my house was down for 5 days so I am playing catchup here on comments. Thanks!

[@chrismrozowski9988]

this is the way

[@highplains7777]

Subscribed. I've used this method, but instead of a rod I used a diamond stone. Same ideas, though.

[@feralwoodcraft]

+Dick Tracy Yep, pretty much the exact same thing. Thanks for the support and welcome!

[@Rprecision]

Anyone freehand sharpening a FFG will eventually end up with some degree of a convex, which led me to them in the first place. I used a strop and fine 3m wet dry paper to sharpen them ALL.I like the idea od the ceramic rod!

[@feralwoodcraft]

+Rprecision Yep, exactly. I agree totally. I have 2 knives I wish to maintain a true scandi. On those I use stones and a hard leather strop.

[@paulie4x1]

Thanx, ,, ,

[@csh6220]

No No No, you are doin' it all wrong! LOL If your way works, run with it. A lot of old timer's use wet cardboard to sharpen convex blades. The key, IMO, is to not let the blade get fully dull in the first place, then stropping is all you will probably need to do. For nicks and dings, you have it right using ceramic rods, or sandpaper and a mouse pad for gouges. As much as you use knives Joe, I pretty much take what you say as Gospel. You are a teacher, and I am just a student. Thanks for what you do!

[@feralwoodcraft]

Oh no man, I am but a dude who plays with knives...no expert here. I'll say this...if you make a habit of getting it dull and it needs serious work, go the mouse pad and sandpaper route. If it is close to being ready for a strop, a swipe or two on the ceramic won't hurt it as the strop will soften any minor angle created by the ceramic. Thank you for the encouragement, I am grateful man!

[@Airik1111bibles]

Nice to see you've moved up to big boy crayons instead of those giant sized ones ;)

[@feralwoodcraft]

+Airik1111 LOL! It's been a rough transition but my mommy said it was time to move on.

[@paulie4x1]

Say Hear Joe, Yup, Your way works great for me too, Again, Thanx You. ,, .

[@feralwoodcraft]

Thanks Paulie.

[@paulie4x1]

No Thanx You, heh heh heh. ,, .

[@JesseAdams]

Wet dry sand paper on the strop or worksharp without the guide seems to work well for me. Or take them to Mike and have them fixed when I really screw them up:) There's an advantage to living so close to BRKT.

[@feralwoodcraft]

+Jesse Adams Take them to Mike would be an awesome option to have!! I don't think I'd leave. I swear, every time I speak to that man I learn more about blade history then I knew cumulatively beforehand. Thanks!

[@JesseAdams]

He's great, sometimes I just stop to chat and usually get to see sweet 3d prototypes:)

[@danielbrown1632]

Very confusing.

[@SwitchedOn01]

Nice video! It didnt help my obsession with boobs though..

[@jeremylong6229]

Nobody is good enough to hold a perfect angle all the time so any freehand sharpened edge is going to be convex regardless

[@feralwoodcraft]

Jeremy Long Exactly Jeremy, right on.

[@jeremylong6229]

+Feral Woodcraft I've got a wicked edge sharpener as well and have been able to use it to make convex edges simply by adjusting the angle a little narrower when switching to the strop paddles. it would round the "shoulders" of the edge out. don't use the wicked edge any more but i guess it's evidence that a strop can and will do what you claimed In this video.

[@jasonerickson1033]

If u use your knives you will never ever be able to just use a strop to keep your knife sharp period eventually it will have to be put to a stone or something that cuts steel.Thanks for the video though.