Not everyone is lucky enough to have a perfectly equipped kitchen, but ending up with knives that can’t cut butter is no help to anyone! You can often find yourself with blunt blades when you go camping, counting on your trusty Swiss army knife to come to your aid. But no knife stays sharp forever! However, even if you don’t have a sharpening stone to hand, you are sure to have one of the alternatives we are about to present you with in this article. Find the solution that best suits you, depending on your circumstances.
Note that it is recommended that you rinse the knife after completing any of these tips, to remove any little metal shavings that may not be visible to the naked eye. Focus the sharpening on the cutting edge of the blade.
1) Turn a plate or a cup upside down and use the rough part to sharpen your knife
2) Rub the blade of your knife to the frosted part of your car window
Three times on each side of the knife for best results.
3) If you are outdoors, use a stone with a smooth flat surface
You can often find such stones near bodies of water.
4) If you have a nail file to hand, this is the perfect sharpening substitute!
Some people also find that sandpaper is effective -just be sure not to rub too hard, so as not to strip the blade.
5) You can also sharpen a knife using the blade of another knife
Rub the knife edge with the back of the other knife. Very handy!
6) A leather belt, or better again, the nylon straps from your backpack can sharpen the blade.
Hold the end of the strap firmly in place with your foot. Hold the other side with your hand and sharpen the knife on the strap.
Video showing some of the above techniques in action: