instructables

DIY Knife Sharpening Jig (Guided Knife Sharpener)

by aaronjprice

This is a DIY guided knife sharpening jig made of wood. It is inspired by several commercial models, plus all the variations
that many other DIY enthusiasts have posted over the years.
This is my version 2 model. The goals for the update were:
Use magnets instead of a clamp to hold the blade. Clamping proved ddly on my version 1 jig.
Make the base larger (10" x 10") for stability, but still compact overall for use on a kitchen countertop, and
for storage.
Mostly wood - easy to make with ordinary woodworking tools.
Minimal hardware, minimal complexity. This is dedicated mostly to sharpening kitchen knives, so I
reduced it to the bare minimum for that purpose: an angled platform to hold the blade, and a tool rest to
maintain a consistent sharpening angle.

Supplies:

I used repurposed walnut from an old door jamb, which is 3/4" thick. I cut everything to size on my table saw, but you
could also use straight 1" x 4" and 1" x 2" boards of any available wood, and cut them to length with a hand saw.
The diamond sharpening plates are UltraSharp brand, 6" x 2", 300-grit and 1200-grit.
The rest of the hardware is simple:
Four neodymium magnets. These have a countersunk hole for a mounting screw, and are encased in a
nickel-plated steel cup for robustness (these types of magnets are brittle). They are about 5/8" in
diameter, and a bit under 1/4" thick. They come with small stainless steel screws to mount them.
Two 1/4" x 2" long brass bolts (one per tool rest).
One 1/4" wing nut.
Six 1-1/4" deck screws to assemble everything.
Four small rubber feet, as used for cutting boards.

Sources:
Diamond sharpeners: https://www.bestsharpeningstones.com/product_details.php?
category_name=Diamond%20Sharpening%20Stones&product_id=122
Neodymium magnets: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BJ1B8LFH
Rubber feet for cutting boards: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PMF77TW

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Step 1: Review of Version 1

First, a quick view of the version 1 jig. It uses a spring clamp to hold the blade on the platform. Small sections of bicycle
innertube were used on the blade platform and the tips of the clamp to keep things from slipping (perhaps even vinyl
electrical tape would have worked also).
It looked simple and elegant enough, and it worked just ne to maintain a consistent sharpening angle (my sister and my
daughter, both avid from-scratch cooks, used theirs for 2+ years to maintain their kitchen knives).
However, it had some aws:
1. The jig's stance on the countertop was too high and too narrow, and it would tip over sideways as you
sharpened the tip of a medium sized or longer knife, requiring you to support the jig with your other
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 hand.
2. It was a bit ddly to get the blade clamped: you needed one hand to hold the clamp, one to hold the
knife, and if the jig moved or tilted, you wished for a third hand to hold the jig.
3. With a narrow-bladed knife (e.g. paring or boning), there was usually *barely* enough room to clamp the
spine of the knife without the tip of the clamp interfering with the diamond sharpening plate. For small
pocket knives or llet knives, there was no hope of using the clamp, and you just had to manually hold
the knife in place with one hand.
4. It had no means of adjusting the sharpening angle.

It was my daughter mentioning that the jig would work even better if it had magnets to hold the knife that inspired me
to re-think the design.

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Step 2: Cutting Wood to Size

As mentioned previously, the wood stock is 3/4" thick.

The main center rail of the jig is cut to a size of 4" x 10".
The crossbars for the feet are cut to 1" x 10".
The blade platform block is 4" long to match the width of the center rail.
The top of the blade platform is cut to a 16 degree angle (discussion as to why is below). I did this on the
table saw, but you could carefully cut the angle with a hand plane, using a protractor for reference and a
straight edge.
I needed more thickness for this block of wood, so I glued up two layers of stock (i.e. it was 1-1/2" thick
until I cut the angle, leaving it about 1" thick at the higher edge). You can see the layers in the photo.

The tool rests are also 4" long to match the width of the center rail. I made them in two heights for two di erent
sharpening angles, but this is optional if you only want a single setup. See the next step for how I determined the heights
of the tool rests.
I forgot to take a photo of them unassembled, but the guide tails epoxied to the backs of the diamond sharpening plates

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are 1/2" x 3/4" x 13" long. This is because the sharpening plates are 6" long, and the distance between the blade edge and
the tool rest is 6-1/2". I glued a 1/8" strip of wood to the upper surface, slightly wider than the guide tail, in order to
improve the nger grip when holding it.

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Step 3: Assembly

To assemble the jig:

Clamp a crossbar in place, centered and ush with the end of the center rail. Drill, countersink, and install two 1-1/4" deck
screws from below to secure it. Repeat for the other crossbar.

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I used a carpenter's square and drew a line 1-1/4" back from the end of the center rail. I lined up the taller edge of the
angled blade platform with the line, then drilled and screwed from below.
At this point you can make a simplifying choice: If you don't need or want multiple sharpening angles (i.e. all your knives
are either German steel or Japanese steel), you can simply screw a single tool rest in place, drilling and screwing from
below just like the angled blade platform.
Space the tool rest so that there is a 6-1/2" distance to the blade edge (see the sketch in a later step for reference).
Since I am using two di erent heights of tool rests, mine are easily removable without tools:
I drilled a 1/4" diameter hole, 3/4" deep, in the bottom edge of each tool rest, then epoxied a 2" brass bolt
into the hole. After it cured, I cut o the bolt head with a hacksaw, which leaves it long enough to reach
the wing nut under the center rail.
After determining the 6-1/2" distance behind the blade edge, I added another 3/8" (half the thickness of
the tool rest), and drilled a 1/4" hole in the center rail for mounting the tool rest.
I used a drill press when drilling these holes so they are perpendicular to the boards. If you only have a
handheld drill, then use a drill guide if possible.

Epoxy the guide tails to the backs of the diamond sharpening plates.
Screw the rubber feet under the ends of the crossbars.
Screw the magnets onto the blade platform. IMPORTANT: as I mentioned, neodymium magnets are brittle. Even
being encased in the steel cup, I cracked one magnet by over-tightening the screw. Just snug the screws gently.
Once assembled, I rubbed it down with mineral oil (butcher block oil) as a simple renewable nish. If you use a drying
nish (e.g. tung oil or varnish), you should apply the nish before installing the magnets.

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Step 4: How the Jig Controls Sharpening Angle

Here is a side view of the jig, with the shorter tool rest in place, and a knife on the blade platform. You can see that with
the guide tail in contact with the tool rest, the sharpening plate's angle with the blade is xed, allowing you to sharpen it
to a crisp and consistent angle.
This view also demonstrates why I chose to make the blade platform angled on my jigs: as you work, the sharpening
plate moves in a roughly horizontal plane, and there are no interference problems with the countertop. Also, it keeps the
vertical dimensions of the jig small enough to store in a small kitchen drawer even without disassembly.

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Step 5: Determining Sharpening Angle

Here is a sketch and my reasoning for setting the angle of the blade platform to 16 degrees, and how I then determined
the heights of the tool rests:
Notice in the sketch that the centerline of the blade's cross-section is actually tilted up a bit from the face
of the magnet, to a degree that depends on the angle of the grind.
Some knives are at ground (full width of the blade), and for some the grind area is only a portion of the
blade width.
I took careful thickness and grind width measurements from several knives: a couple Henckels knives (an
8" chef's knife and a 7" Santoku) which are typical of forged German kitchen knives, and a couple
Japanese knives (a 210mm Gyuto and a 180mm Santoku).
I could then calculate the angle of the grind faces (i.e. what will be held against the magnets). The thin
Gyuto and at-ground Henckels Santoku are tilted up about 1.5 degrees on the magnets. The at-ground
but thicker Henckels chef's knife is tilted up about 2 degrees. And the Japanese Santoku, despite being
thin, has a grind area less than half the width of the blade, tilting the blade up about 2.5 degrees on the
magnet.

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When the diamond sharpening plate is perfectly horizontal (i.e. parallel to the center rail), the actual e ective sharpening
angle therefore becomes roughly 14 degrees per side (i.e. 16 degrees for the blade platform, minus the tilt from the
angled blade face). This is a good angle for the harder steel of Japanese knives.
To get this set up as precisely as possible, I did the nal sizing of the tool rests last, after assembling the rest of the jig:
1. I installed the angled blade platform block on the center rail, and screwed the magnets on top.
2. I then placed a thin blade on top of the magnets, and measured the height of the blade edge (I align it
with the edge of the platform block), which was 1-1/4".
3. The lower tool rest (which holds the sharpener horizontal) is 1-1/2" high instead of also 1-1/4", because of
the added 1/4" thickness of the diamond sharpening plates.

The higher tool rest is 1/2" taller, at 2" tall. The distance between the tool rest and the blade edge is 6-1/2", so the 1/2"
increase in height increases the sharpening angle by 4.5 degrees, to 20.5 degrees nominal. With the reduction due to the
angle of the blade face discussed above, the e ective sharpening angle becomes approximately 18.5 degrees per side,
appropriate for a softer steel (20 degrees per side has been common for forged German knives, but I prefer to sharpen
them a bit keener than that).

Step 6: Usage

In this example I am sharpening a Henckels Santoku (German steel, hardness about 56 HRC), so I installed the taller tool
rest by inserting its bolt in the hole, and tightened the wing nut underneath. It takes very little pressure to secure the tool
rest in place.
To place the knife on the magnets, hold the knife at about a 45 degree angle, place its edge along the higher edge of the
angled knife platform, then roll the knife back into full contact with the magnets.
NOTE: if you drag the knife around on the magnets to align it to the jig, it can scratch the face of the blade. If this is
important to you, cover the magnets with a short strip of Scotch tape to prevent scratching.

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Step 7: Usage

Hold the sharpening plate from behind by the guide tail, so your ngers are protected from the sharp edge of the knife. I
ended up gluing a slightly wider strip on the top edge of the guide tail to improve the nger grip. It would also work to
glue a short strip of sandpaper in the nger hold locations on both sides.
The guide tail is kept in contact with the top of the tool rest to maintain a consistent sharpening angle, and the diamond
plate is stroked over the edge of the blade. You can either work towards the edge, or away from the edge - both
directions sharpen just ne.
The rst time you sharpen a knife on the jig, you need to establish the new bevel on the edge. I use the 300-grit plate for
this, which cuts aggressively, and only takes a few minutes at most. Then I use the 1200-grit plate for the nish
sharpening. It only takes perhaps 6 or 8 strokes to polish out the coarser scratches from the 300-grit plate.

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For any subsequent sharpening sessions, you already have the bevel at an angle that matches the jig, so generally you
can just take a few strokes with the 1200-grit plate on each side to re-sharpen.
Once the knife is fully sharp, polish o the burr by taking VERY light strokes (supporting much of the weight of the
sharpening plate) on each side of the blade. You will probably have to ip the knife over several times, taking one light
stroke per side, until the burr is polished o and you can't detect it any longer. You can follow this with a few strokes on a
leather strop to give the edge a nal polish.
There are LOTS of good descriptions of knife sharpening online that cover this in more detail. The same general
technique applies whether you are sharpening freehand on a bench stone, or have ipped the process upside down by
using this type of guided sharpening jig.

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Step 8: Version 2.1

Here is another variation. If the walnut example above is the Craftsman / Mission Style version, this is the Mid-Century
Modern / Danish Furniture version :-)
Exactly the same geometry, but the base is simpli ed to a single 10" x 10" piece of plywood. The other pieces are from a
scrap of white oak oor board. Rather than gluing up two layers for the blade platform, at rst I cut it from a single layer.
Then I second-guessed myself (concerned about it being stable enough) and glued the second block to its base. I needn't
have bothered... the tool rest is rock solid, and the blade platform would have been also without the complication. Oh
well, live and learn.
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With the wide plywood baseplate, I could make the tool rest much wider. Note that it is a single xed-height tool rest this
time.

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Step 9: Version 2.1 Guide Tails

Rather than epoxying the guide tails onto the diamond sharpening plates, this time I used magnets.
This then gave me the opportunity to use di erent o sets of the guide tail to adjust the sharpening angle, despite the
xed-height tool rest. This pair of guide tails has a di erence in o set (relative to the face of the plate) of 3/8", which
changes the sharpening angle by about 3 degrees.

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Step 10: Version 2.1 Sharpening

Here are side views, where you can easily see how the di erent o sets of the guide tails changes the sharpening angle.
Also, the last photo shows the advantage of the wider tool rest - you don't have to pay as much attention to keeping the
tail from falling o the edge of the tool rest as you work.

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Step 11: Another Variation

Andsetinn suggested eliminating the angled blade platform and simply putting the magnets at the end of the baseplate,
which would certainly simplify construction. This is an option I had considered, and many other DIY variants posted
online use an arrangement very similar to this.
While making the angled blade platform is the most complicated part of the construction, I personally prefer that it
keeps the sharpening plates roughly horizontal in use. Nonetheless, I decided to make at least a scale sketch of the side
view without an angled platform, so people can decide whether this option works for their situation. This would only

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work with the version using the 4" wide center rail, so that the handle of the knife hangs o to the side. With the plywood
baseplate version, the knife handle would strike the baseplate, and the blade could not sit at on the magnets.
As you can see, at a 20 degree angle the sharpening plate would just about hit the countertop at the end of its stroke. If
the jig was set up for a 16 degree angle, there would be roughly 1/2" of counter clearance. To be certain to avoid marring
the countertop (diamond abrasives will scratch anything), you would want to work at the edge of the counter, on top of a
cutting board, or at least on top of a dish towel (dampened to prevent slipping).
Note that the tool rest must be considerably taller in this arrangement, and that the guide tail bears on a sharp corner.
You'd actually have to make the tool rest about 3-1/8" tall and round the corner to a generous radius so it doesn't wear
quickly.
SergiiZ4 suggested a moveable tool rest as an alternate way to adjust the sharpening angle for this arrangement. I've
added a sketch showing the tool rest moving 1-3/4" to change the sharpening angle from 20 degrees to 16 degrees. You
could either use a slot as SergiiZ4 suggested, or two or three holes for a few discrete settings (e.g. 20, 18, and 16 degrees).
It does require that the baseplate and guide tails be about 2" longer to accommodate the change in distance.

A very cool idea!

But if you make "Step 11: Another Variation" with a long hole instead of a round one, you can
move the support and adjust the sharpening angle.

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I spaced the blade platform and the tool rest based on the 6" length of the diamond sharpening
plates I am using. You really can't move the tool rest closer to this, but you could move it further,
which would require longer guide tails.

You marked up the sketch where the sharpener is parallel to the baseplate, and moving the tool
rest closer or farther in that arrangement does not change the angle, which might create some
confusion.

But you did reference Step 11, the last version that I sketched, with the magnets flat on the
baseplate and the sharpener sharply canted upwards. In this arrangement a moveable tool rest
would work well. If at 20 degrees at the 6.5" distance, it would only need to move back to 8.25"
(a distance increase of 1.75") to drop the angle by 4 degrees. This change in distance keeps the
necessary lengths of the baseplate and the guide tails to reasonable sizes. I think it is a very
good idea if someone is building this last version. Even short of an infinitely adjustable slot, even
two or three separate holes for discrete angles would be useful.

I'll add a sketch to Step 11 to highlight your suggestion.

Like all good ideas it's genius is in its simplicity. welldone moved to the top of my Todo list.

Nice! My mother bought a rolling knife sharpener sometime in the 1950s. (see pic). I still have it
and it still sharpens knives very well.

I found those sharpeners were easy to use, but didn't really sharpen - just burnish and usually
were at too wide an angle. They'd allow knives to get sharp for a bit, but would need sharpening
more often as the edges would easily wear.
Well, they were from the 1950s, but they work fine for my knives, most of which I got from local
thrift stores. Now for some of the more recent knives, I use the old fashioned long handled,
round, metal knife sharpener.
I like the first two ideas - the last one - um, I can see that being harder to control if one is not too
careful with the grinding stone.

I'd often heard that 10 degrees was usually what professional knives are sharpened to - maybe
that's from the center of the blade and hence, on both sides would be 20 degrees? But that would
be too wide an angle for good cutting. Narrow would be better.
Hi, the angle depends on the usage and the steel.
20° is general purpose and keeps a little less sharp for a longer time and pardons some abusing.
10° is very sharp and needs constant stropping. I also wouldn't want a "soft" steel blade
sharpened to 10°.
I use 10° on very few blades. I rather go to 15°
I used different ways of sharpening in the past.
I have used a commercial version of this instructables setup with success.
But since i have to sharpen many blades, i love my "work sharp, ken onion edition".(I'm no
influencer... and get no money from them.)

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And i have to teach the users of the knives correct honing.
Blades can be kept razor sharp for a very long time by honing/stropping, until they need
sharpening again.
I really like this idea. Simple and effective like all good ideas. I have ceramic knives that can only
be sharpened using a diamond grit. I think a strip of double sided tape could secure a non-
metallic knife to the angle surface where magnets would not work!
I've read that ceramic knives can't be sharpened at home.

Challenge accepted

That’s a good point - I had not considered non-magnetic ceramic blades. My version 1 jig with the
spring clamp would handle that scenario better - guess I’ll keep it and just modify it with a wider
base.

Your idea of double sided tape on the v2 jig would also work, but I’d suggest that the blade
platform be made 1-1/2” wide so the tape could adhere to the full width of the blade for stability.
Great job!

Great idea and design! I'll definitely make this one of these days! Thank you.

Nice job on the design :)

Thank you!
It's not as pretty as this walnut version, but I am working on yet another version, a further
simplification to the construction - I'll add that to the post when it is finished.

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