How to Sharpen a Knife Without a Sharpener

Published Dec 10, 2024 By Elle Ann

Image Credit: Matt Moxley Archaic Bushcraft via YouTube

Have you got yourself in a situation where you badly needed a knife to help you cut or open something, but are stuck with only a dull one? Well, most of us have been there once or maybe a few times, and it can be a very frustrating thing, especially if you don’t have the right tool to sharpen your knife.

But, this kind of problem has a very quick solution that you can try and you don’t have to purchase a knife sharpener because you can just use any item that you can find around your house. This video tutorial by Matt Moxley Archaic Bushcraft on YouTube will show you how to use certain items to sharpen your knife quickly and easily.

Materials for Sharpening a Knife:

Ceramic coffee mug
Sandpaper
Nail file
Leather belt or gloves
Car window

How to Sharpen a Knife:

Materials for Sharpening a Knife — Image Credit: Matt Moxley Archaic Bushcraft via YouTube

Tip #1: Ceramic Coffee Mug

Ceramic coffee mugs have the perfect texture to sharpen a knife, to use this, simply place the mug upside down, then angle the blade of the knife to the bottom of the mug which is now facing up, and slide the knife gently following the directions of the blade.

Tip #2: Sandpaper and Nail File

You can grab a small piece of sandpaper, then set it down on a flat surface, and sharpen your knife with it. It has the perfect texture to sharpen a dull knife, but if you can’t find the sandpaper, then nail files would work just as well.

Tip #3: Leather Belt or Gloves

If you have a leather belt or gloves then you would be surprised to know that this can also be very handy. This process is called stropping; it actually polishes and shines your knife but also helps sharpen it a bit.

Tip #4

If you can’t find any of the above and you really need your knife to be sharpened ASAP, then this is the time when your car window could be of help. Just angle your knife on the edges of your car window, then slide it off back and forth to sharpen it.