hey there my friends, john here, and as theold saying goes, "a sharp knife is a safe knife." so what to do if you find yourselfwith a dull knife and the realization that you don't have a sharpener with you? well,not to worry, because i'm going to show you 5 common items that you can use to put a greatedge back on your blade. if you're out car camping, or otherwise have immediate accessto your vehicle, the window can actually make
woodworking files rasps, an excellent sharpener. simply place yourknife on the top, un-coated edge of the window, tilt the blade up until it matches the angleof the grind on your knife. now make three passes along the full length of the blade.flip your knife over and make 3 more passes on the other side. repeat this process a fewtimes and soon enough, you'll have a nice
sharp edge on your blade. another item thatworks equally well is a ceramic mug. take that empty mug, flip it upside down, and placeit on a stable surface. you'll notice that the underside has a portion that's un-glazedand exposes that nice ceramic surface. now using the same technique that we employedwith the window, use the bottom of that mug to achieve the same result that we did withthe window...a nice sharp edge on your knife. not near a vehicle or a coffee cup, well,no problem, because there's still a few things that you might be able to use to get a greatedge back on your knife. one item that you just might have along with you in your firstaid kit or personal hygiene kit is a small emery board. these can make an excellent improvisedsharpener. just place that small board on
a nice, flat, stable surface and begin sharpeningyour knife until you get the results that you're after. a method that's incredibly coolis that you can actually one knife to sharpen another knife. take the duller of the twoknives and run it along the spine of the other. repeat this process until you have a niceworkable edge on that previously dull blade. and finally, if you're near a water source,you can use a river rock. they make for an excellent makeshift sharpening stone. lookfor the smoothest one you can find and one that has the flattest surface possible. utilizingyour basic sharpening technique, use that river rock in the same way that you'd useyour sharpening stone at home, until you achieve a nice sharp edge on your knife. now thatyou've got that blade back in shape, you can
fine-tune it just a little bit more with alittle stropping. leather belts are great for this, but the nylon straps on your packcan work equally well. simply hold it taut and make a few passes with your blade, removingall the burs and getting an ultra-sharp edge back on your knife. well, i hope one or twoof these tips comes in handy for you if the need ever arises. in fact, if you have anystories to share on ways that you've had to improvise using common items for uses otherthan they were intended, please share those down there in the comments below. i alwaysenjoy hearing about that kind of stuff. not to mention i always like to hear from youguys as well. and for more outdoor-related content, tips and tricks, i've included acouple links here that you may enjoy. and
until next time, i'd just like to say, "thanksa bunch for watching, and take the best of care."
