Build a Homemade Knife Sharpener

By The Mother Earth News Editors
Published on July 1, 1985
1 / 4

The tool is sturdy yet compact, which is a welcome combination in a work area where space is at a premium.
The tool is sturdy yet compact, which is a welcome combination in a work area where space is at a premium.
2 / 4

Diagram 1: Three-stone knife sharpener.
Diagram 1: Three-stone knife sharpener.
3 / 4

Its multiple-stone arbor provides coarse, medium, or fine honing surfaces at the turn of a handle and secures each one in position with a simple horseshoe pin clamp.
Its multiple-stone arbor provides coarse, medium, or fine honing surfaces at the turn of a handle and secures each one in position with a simple horseshoe pin clamp.
4 / 4

Diagram 2: Three-stone knife sharpener.
Diagram 2: Three-stone knife sharpener.

Maintenance is a must for your fine knives and tool blades; make it easy when you build a homemade knife sharpener. (See the knife sharpening diagrams and photos in the image gallery.)

Build a Homemade Knife Sharpener

To a person accustomed to working with cutting tools, a sharp edge is one of life’s little pleasures. And few whetstone wielders would deny that the triple-face sharpener shown here is a great new twist on an old grind.

To begin with, the tool is sturdy yet compact, which is a welcome combination in a work area where space is at a premium. In addition, its multiple-stone arbor provides coarse, medium, or fine honing surfaces at the turn of a handle and secures each one in position with a simple horseshoe pin clamp. Furthermore, the arbor rests in an oil- or water-filled pan that continually bathes the two unused stones in their appropriate lubricating medium. If you wish, you can also make a protective cover that doubles as a ramp for use with the roller-type chisel- and plane-blade sharpening guides popular with many woodworkers.

If you think you might like to give this inexpensive multiple-stone hone a try, you’ll need to gather up a 32 inch length of 1 by 4, a piece of 3/4 inch plywood or one-by that’s at least 4-1/4 inch wide and about 14 inch long, a block of hardwood measuring 2 inch by 2 inch by 3 inch , a 1/2 inch by 12 inch steel shaft, a 3/32 inch by 1-1/2 inch expansion pin, a 1/2 inch -bore, 3 inch -diameter pulley, a 3/16 inch by 13 inch steel rod, a 1/2 inch by 9-1/2 inch rubber hose with a 3/16 inch orifice, a 1/8 inch by 3/4 inch by 20-1/4 inch piece of aluminum flat stock, a 2-1/2 inch -deep, 5-1/4 inch by 9-1/4 inch bread pan, three 3/4 inch by 2 inch by 7 inch sharpening stones in your choice of composition and grade, and the assorted fastening hardware called for in our illustration.

The box is easily made by first ripping the 1 by 4 down to 2-3/4 inch in width, then cutting it into two 5-1/4 inch and two 10-3/4 inch pieces. Drill a 1/2 inch hole, centered and 3/8 inch below one edge of each of the shorter boards, then fasten the box sides to the ends using eight No. 6 by 1-1/4 inch flathead wood screws. (Take the time to countersink the heads and fill the holes, too.)

Comments (0) Join others in the discussion!
    Online Store Logo
    Need Help? Call 1-800-234-3368