How To Sharpen Damn Near Anything

French knife grinders in 1902, working prone to save their backs.

If you own property in New England two chores you never get to finish are cutting brush and picking up sticks. And nothing adds to the monotony of the former like a dull tool. Loppers or pruners crush instead of cutting clean. Axes bounce off of green wood instead of biting and chainsaws bog down. A sharp tool cuts cleaner and with less effort which is safer too. Trying to muscle through with a dull blade increases the risk of slips and mishandling. Which is when you get hurt. A well-maintained edge makes a tool last longer too. But people with a disposable mindset do not know how to sharpen things anymore. They go buy new ones. Well, with an understanding of blade geometry and basic techniques you can sharpen damn near anything.