DIY Knife Sharpening Jig

The jig clamped to the bench.

I do not have a lot of trouble Sharpening knives, bit I wanted something with a consistent and repeatable edge from knife to knife without spending a bunch of money. This seems to be doing the trick.

I made the sanding sticks from hardwood. They’re 1″ wide. Sandpaper is glued on. Note the leather strip is on a 1″ metal bar. I tried metal for the sanding sticks but liked the wood better. I found the metal to heavy and a bit unforgiving. I’ll probably remake the strop on wood to.

The knife clamps in the front slot.

I made the layout by clamping a knife and marking 17, 20, 25, and 30 degrees. I then drilled the holes so the top of the rod is at the bottom of the line.

I’m only using a spike. Almost any rod would work.

This back corner should have been rounded. If you make one round these back corners before assembly.

Using a down stoke seems work best. Pull down and to the left or right. It may take several strokes to get from one end of the blade to the other.

These can be two sided. Some I have with a different grit on each side

Overall the sanding sticks are about 18″

The area under the washer is tapered down to the floor of the holding area.

Just a wing nut underneath. Don’t mind the washers, I didn’t have a bolt the right length.

And stacked for storage.