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The best sharpening machine for sharpening knives. DIY knife sharpening device: drawing. How to make a homemade knife sharpener

How to make a knife sharpening machine

There are two main reasons why buying a factory sharpener is not an option. Firstly, the purchase of an inexpensive device made in China, in further operation, will not provide the product with the required quality.

Branded copies can be a solution to this problem, but significant drawback- price. If you don’t have the opportunity or just the desire to pay a tidy sum for a device, you can make a machine for sharpening knives with your own hands. There is no need to develop new designs; create your own creation based on existing models. DIY knife sharpening machine, different types with detailed instructions.

We imitate a sharpener model from Lansky

This knife sharpening machine is presented in the form of two metal corners, connected to each other. The sharpening angle is determined by the hole in which the knitting needle with the nozzle at the end will be inserted.

Of the options being considered, this one is the least convenient to use, but not easy to manufacture. We will improve the device and try to make a device for sharpening knives with a wider range of pressing angle degrees.

We take ordinary metal plates,

whose dimensions are 4x11 cm. Or more, all the same, during operation, the parts will be filed and adjusted to the required parameters.

Using a grinder, sharp corners are removed at the ends of the parts (the sides that act as clamps). Using a file, we grind down the edges of the clamps; you should get a smooth bevel from the middle of the base to the edges of the plates.

According to the drawing, we make markings for future holes. We drill them and cut the threads. We round off all sharp edges and corners on the plates with a file (not only for the sake of nobleness appearance, but also for the sake of comfortable use, so that nothing gets into your hands).

We purchase a standard aluminum corner and make holes in it in accordance with the drawing above. We cut threads in the holes intended for the entry of the pin. And the hole that is intended to support the knitting needles must be widened using a needle file.

Next you will need two pieces of metal rod

approximately 15 cm long. We insert them into the outer holes and fix the insertion depth with two nuts of the corresponding diameter. In our case, these elements are equal to size M6. We screw a bolt (about 14 cm long) size M8 into a hole of a larger diameter, onto which a wing nut is already screwed, and on top of it a pair of ordinary, but larger diameter than the bolt itself. It will be used as support post designs. The remaining holes are for bolts that will be used to adjust the clamping force of the blade.

Nuts are threaded onto the ends of the rods, then corners are put on, which are again pressed with the help of nuts. By lowering them up or down, we can adjust the required sharpening angle.

The element that will hold the blade for sharpening is assembled from a thin metal rod (shaped like the letter “L”), two holders (the outer one with a through hole for a knitting needle), a wing nut and a rod with an M6 thread.

We imitate a sharpener model from Spyderco

This knife sharpening machine is presented in the form of a plastic horizontal holder with several holes. And each nest has its own angle of inclination.

Of all the options that will be considered, this one has the lowest level of sharpening quality. The problem is that the blade will be pressed manually, unlike the first option, without additional fixation on the support. But, despite this, this device for sharpening knives is quite suitable for use for domestic purposes, and the plus is that it is very simple to manufacture.

In the process of work, we will need two wooden blocks with dimensions 6x4x30 cm, two bolts and wing nuts of sizes M6 or M8, two thin knitting needles (curved in the shape of the letter “L”).

The tools you need are a hacksaw blade, a chisel and a hammer, a file with sandpaper, a school protractor and a drill.


Using a regular protractor

apply markings with required angle tilt We take the canvas and file the first mark on one of the parts. There is no need to go deeper than the width of the canvas itself.

Turn the hacksaw over and insert its blunt side into the cut slot. We place the second part on top and make sure that both the edges of the elements themselves and the markings on them match. Next, we saw through all the remaining lines in the same way.


Apply the chisel to the excess wood that needs to be removed. Lightly tap the top of the chisel with a hammer and knock out small chips. When the bulk of the wood has been removed, we bring the area to the required level using a file.

We drill holes for the bolts and spokes to fit in as shown in the figure. Using fine-grit sandpaper, we smooth the edges of the holes, the corners of the parts and their entire surface.

We thread the bolts through the larger holes, then thread regular nuts and tighten them tighter. The smaller ones contain knitting needles (necessary to prevent the blades from sliding down during operation). We insert the canvases themselves into the grooves and press them against the second half of the product. At the end we fix everything with a pair of wing nuts.

We imitate a sharpener model from Apex

This machine for sharpening knives is presented in the form of a fairly massive device with a stand and a platform placed on it at an angle; a rod is mounted on the side, on which the end of the nozzle rests. This type of sharpening device, despite its dimensions, is the most successful in comparison with the previous ones.

It is easy to use and its sharpening quality is high. In addition, making such a knife sharpener with your own hands is very simple.

To work we will need the following:

  • (not a whole one, even a quarter is enough);
  • magnet (with slots for bolts, if it is not possible to drill them yourself);
  • metal rod M6 or M8;
  • Not large sizes wooden block;
  • a small piece of plexiglass;
  • two bolts and three wing nuts;
  • 10 screws;
  • 4 rubber feet;
  • saw;
  • drill;
  • ceramic clamps (or wood blanks).

First you need to cut three small blanks from chipboard sheet. Dimensions of the first: 37x12 cm. Dimensions of the second: 30x8 cm, measuring 6 cm from the edge on the longer side, drill a hole. Dimensions of the third: 7x8 cm. We saw off an 8 cm long element from the block (section 4x2 cm).

We drill two through holes perpendicular to each other in the segment. The first is at a distance of 3 cm from one edge, the second is at the same distance from the other. Starting from the edge of the block and right up to the hole, we cut out a pile of wood 1 cm thick. The plexiglass cut has the following parameters: 6x12 cm. A slot is drilled along the middle of the blade.

We take the first largest workpiece

from chipboard and drill holes in the corners for future legs of the product. At a distance of 4 cm from its edge, we place the smallest workpiece perpendicularly and connect them together using 2 self-tapping screws.

We place the edge of a medium-sized part on the top of the small workpiece and again connect them using 2 self-tapping screws. The hole in the middle piece should be closer to the top of the smaller one. The free edge of a medium-sized workpiece is rigidly attached to the platform of a large part, again using 2 self-tapping screws.

Using a drill, drill a shallow cavity into medium-sized parts. It should be almost at the very edge of it highest point, and the dimensions correspond to the parameters of the magnet.

We mount a magnet inside (so that it does not rise above the level of the surface of the board) and fix it with small self-tapping screws.

We place a piece of plexiglass on a medium-sized board so that its hole and slot coincide with each other. We pass a bolt with a washer on it through them and screw the nut from below.

A hole with a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the iron rod is drilled on the free edge of the largest chipboard part. The rod itself is fixed using two nuts: a regular one and a wing nut. To prevent them from cutting into the surface of the board, we separate them using washers.

A blank from a block is screwed onto a fixed rod.

A bolt is inserted into the hole to which the cut was made, screwed on the outside with a nut. By tightening the knob, we fix the part at a certain height of the rod; when we release it, we move it up and down freely. The sharpening angle is adjusted using this bar (raise or lower along the rod).

The element for clamping the sharpening blade is assembled from a cut of a metal rod, two ceramic or wooden blanks and 4 nuts with washers. They are strung in the same order as in the photo. At the very end, rubber feet are screwed on for greater stability of the product.

We looked at three various options sharpening devices. And each of them has its pros and cons. You should choose a specific option based on your needs, as well as your skills in a similar work plan.

Information to note : , .

A device for sharpening knives with your own hands is required device for any work in the kitchen or workshop. Usage is perfect sharp knives makes cooking much easier, allowing you to use less force to cut meat, slice vegetables or bread. Working with a dull knife is not only inconvenient, but also dangerous, because such a tool can fall off the material being cut at any moment and cause injury to you.

Using a homemade knife sharpener, you can sharpen a knife at any angle, since the sharpening angle is independently adjustable.

In order to bring any knife to a sharp state, you should know optimal angle his sharpening. This parameter depends on the grade of steel and the purpose of the knife. Homemade tools will help you set the knife at the right angle to sharpen it quickly and efficiently.

How to sharpen knives correctly

Figure 1. Device for sharpening knives “Domik”.

Some types kitchen knives impossible to sharpen yourself. These include specially shaped tools (for example, a bread knife or other types of knives with a raised edge). Also cannot be sharpened Ceramic knives. However, the advantage of the listed tools is that manufacturers try to make them from especially hard grades of steel, so they do not become dull for a long time.

For proper sharpening, you should select good abrasives of different grain sizes. Store-bought versions of such bars are quite expensive, but you can always make a block yourself from a piece of wood covered with fine sandpaper. It is important to have devices of different grain sizes: large ones for preliminary “grinding”, and small ones for grinding.

The optimal sharpening angle for a knife edge is from 20 to 30 degrees, depending on functional purpose tool. Produce manual sharpening at this angle it is quite difficult, so simple homemade mechanisms are used for this purpose.

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Assembling a knife sharpening device

Among the many tools for sharpening knives with your own hands, you should choose the one that will best suit your goals. All devices have a fairly simple structure and consist of two main parts:

  • stop for securely fastening the knife;
  • a movable block of abrasive material.

Figure 2. Wooden body in the form of a right triangle to accommodate the whetstone.

The simplest tool for creating a sharp edge on a blade is called a “house” (Fig. 1). It looks like wooden block rectangular or square shape, the upper edge of which is processed in the form of a gable “roof”. The angle of inclination of the edges of such a block is 20-25°. The knife to be sharpened is placed with its edge close to the ridge of the “roof”. By moving the abrasive bar in a horizontal plane along the blade, we will ensure that the sharpening angle remains constant.

There are also quite complex devices. To create them you will need some materials, tools and a little time, but you will provide yourself with a convenient sharpening tool for a long time. The device is assembled from the following materials:

  • wooden board, dimensions 500x150x20 mm;
  • metal studs, 8 mm in diameter with thread;
  • several M8 bolts and nuts, wood screws;
  • wing-type clamping screws;
  • textolite or piece of steel for the pressure plate;
  • optional neodymium magnet for securely fastening the knife during the sharpening process.

From wooden board you need to make the body in the form of a right triangle, and the lower leg should be slightly longer, since a stand for the grindstone will be placed on it (Fig. 2). The inclined board is attached at an angle of 20° to the base. A hole is made in it for attaching the pressure plate, through which a screw with a wing nut will pass.

Figure 3. It is necessary to drill a hole for a vertical pin, which will serve as a holder for the abrasive device.

Near the acute corner of the structure, you need to drill a hole for a vertical pin, which will serve as a holder for a movable abrasive structure (Fig. 3). A small wooden block is placed on the stud, which is clamped with a screw and a clamping nut.

The last element of the device is another pin with a clamp holder for an abrasive bar (Fig. 4). Clamps can be made independently from wood, metal, ebonite or other material, or you can use a disassembled clamp for this. For better stability, you can glue rubber feet to the bottom of the instrument (video 1).

In order to sharpen a knife using such a device, it is placed on a magnet, and if there is no magnet, it is pressed against the stop, holding it with your hand. The angle that occurs between the surface of the knife blade and the horizon provides optimal sharpness for kitchen knives. By making longitudinal movements with the holder with an abrasive stone, you need to achieve a sharp edge of the knife, then turn it over to the other side and repeat the steps.

As abrasive bars, you can use ready-made products that you can purchase at a hardware store or make them yourself. For this, small rectangular glass plates, 4-5 mm thick, are used. Using double-sided tape, stick to their surface sandpaper different grain sizes. The cost of such bars is very low, and the sandpaper can be replaced with new sandpaper at any time. The only caution is to tighten the clamp nuts carefully, otherwise the glass may easily break.

One of the problems that arises when using such a device is rapid wear of the abrasive, since water is not used during operation. For the same reason, you should avoid too fast movements, which lead to overheating of the metal and loss of the properties of the cutting edge.

There are many ways to sharpen knives. Modern industry, promptly responding to the requests of professionals and just private craftsmen who want to use quality tool, has developed and is introducing into production special sharpening devices.

Using a homemade knife sharpener, you can sharpen a knife at any angle, since the sharpening angle is independently adjustable.

But it happens that the factory device for one reason or another does not suit the customer. In this case, you can make a device for sharpening knives with your own hands. This will most likely be much cheaper and, possibly, much more convenient for its creator.

A necessary condition for proper sharpening of knives

The purpose of any sharpening of a dull tool is, at first glance, simple and understandable. But making a knife sharp is only part of the solution to the whole problem. The most important factor for long-term and efficient operation of the product is the sharpening angle.

Figure 1. Cross section of the blade: 1 - cutting edge (RK), 2 - approach, 3 - sharpening angle, 4 - descent, 5 - butt.

The significance of this factor can be assessed in practice. It would seem that the smaller we make the angle between the edges of the blade, the sharper the knife becomes. But such an action leads to the fact that our object will not be able to demonstrate its improved cutting qualities for very long. Moreover, the sharper the knife turns out to be, the faster it will become dull, since a direct pattern appears here - the smaller the sharpening angle, the less strength the cutting edge of the blade has.

Thus, the task of high-quality sharpening of knives comes down to restoring the sharpness of the blade while maintaining correct angle sharpening. In a sense, sharpening is the process of restoring a previously set angle. And it can be considered correct in the case when it fully complies with certain technological standards and cuts the material for which the knife is intended as efficiently, freely and quickly as possible.

Therefore, each blade is sharpened at its own optimal angle.

However, doing this without a special device is generally difficult. The fact is that, holding the knife with your hands, it is difficult to ensure uniform sharpening with the given angles of inclination of the cutting edges.

To eliminate this problem, there are special devices for sharpening knives that you can make yourself. It is worth noting that usually their designs, despite the wide variety, do not differ in any increased complexity, and the manufacture of such devices takes relatively little time.

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Materials and tools needed for sharpening knives

The following preparations and tools will help you make simple and quite good devices:

  • wooden blocks;
  • a set of abrasive whetstones (musats);
  • hacksaws (for metal and wood);
  • electric drill;
  • chisel;
  • files;
  • plane;
  • clamp;
  • a set of various sandpapers;
  • marking devices;
  • screws, nuts.

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What types of sharpening devices are there: a few examples

It is quite difficult to describe in detail all the sharpening devices that exist today. Let's look at some of the most typical and common ones.

The first device is made from two wooden and two abrasive bars of the same size. All burrs must be carefully removed from wooden workpieces using sandpaper. Then, depending on the required sharpening angle of the knives, preliminary marking of wooden blocks is made. To do this, a corresponding line is drawn on the block.

Techniques for sharpening knife saws: a - jointing the saw teeth (1 - file, 2 - block, 3 - saw blade), b - sawed the sinuses with a hacksaw to a shallow depth, c - setting the saw teeth, d - sharpening the saw teeth (1 - rubber pipe , 2 — rubber safety cover, 3 — wooden clamp, 4 — vice).

Next, a sharpening stone is applied to the marked line to fix its width on the wood. On opposite side wooden block, according to the principle of mirror reflection, the corresponding lines are applied.

Along the marked lines on both wooden beams cuts are made with a depth of 1 cm to 1.5 cm. Bars of abrasive material are inserted into the recesses thus obtained. When performing these operations, you need to make sure that all the grooves coincide with the sharpening stones. After this, the abrasive elements are secured with bolts. To ensure that the resulting sharpening device is stable and does not slide on the work table, a piece of rubber can be attached to its lower surface.

The second device is based on the principle of vertical arrangement of the knife blade. In this case, the blade being sharpened will move along the abrasive bar, which is fixed at a certain angle to the horizontal and vertical surfaces. As shown practical experience, keeping the blade in a vertical position is much easier and more functional than moving the blade along the horizontal plane of an abrasive stone, while simultaneously trying to maintain a given sharpening angle.

This device is very simple to make. To do this, you need to take a pair of ready-made wooden squares of the same size. You can also make such corner blanks yourself, ensuring that they have strictly right angles. In several places of both angles, holes are drilled symmetrically into which clamping screws are inserted.

Then you need to mark the horizontal and vertical bars with a centimeter scale. The angle of inclination of the abrasive bar will subsequently be set using it. After setting the desired angle, the sharpener is rigidly fixed in the device using clamping screws.

Using this type of device in his practice, the grinder will have to become familiar with trigonometry. Using its formulas, it will be possible to accurately determine at which points of the horizontal and vertical bases of the square the edges of the abrasive bar should be secured. So, for example, with a sharpening angle of x=30°, the horizontal extension of the bar should be 4 cm, and vertically - 15 cm.

The third version of the knife sharpening device considered here is somewhat similar to the previous one. In this case, it is made wooden base, on which two side and one central pads are then placed. They are also made of wood to make it easier to cut their side edges at the angle that will be needed for high-quality sharpening.

This option involves rigidly securing two side pads to the base and a removable (with a screw) central pad. This pad will act as a clamp for the bars. The mating inclined edges of the side and central elements must have the same cut angles.

Thanks to this, it will be possible to clamp the bars at the angle required for sharpening. But, unlike the previous version with angle clamps, this method does not imply smooth adjustment of the angle of inclination of the sharpening stone. Therefore, sharpening a knife blade here can only be done in two rigidly fixed positions.

The next device is based on the principle that is exactly the opposite of the two previous options. In this case, it is not the abrasive bar that is rigidly fixed, but the product being sharpened. The sharpening element is mounted on a fairly long rod.

With its supporting side, the rod is attached to the vertical stand through hinge joints. In this case, the connection of the rod with the stand must ensure free horizontal movement of the bar together with the rod in different directions. A certain one is set by the height at which the movable rod is fixed on a vertical stand.

IN household There are always cutting, sawing and planing tools. During the work, the sharpness is lost, and the blades have to be restored. You can give knives and planes to a workshop, but this costs money and takes up extra time. Therefore, home craftsmen prefer to sharpen the tool.

Important! Only blades with a certain degree of hardening can be sharpened. If the cutting part has a hardness above 55 HRC, it cannot be sharpened with improvised tools.

You can buy a device for sharpening knives or other household utensils at the store. Save time, but spend a considerable amount of money - good sharpening is expensive.

By the way, there are different opinions about what the knife sharpening device is called. Emery, whetstone, whetstone, sharpener, musat...

These definitions may refer to the same thing, or various products? We will talk about this and how to make such a device yourself in the article.

Since the advent of cutting objects (weapons, knives, axes), man has been looking for a way to restore the sharpness of the edge. In the Bronze and Copper Ages it was easy.

How to make a machine for sharpening knives with your own hands at home and what materials/tools will help in this matter?

Knives in everyday life should always be sharp enough to comfortably perform their functions. When cooking and cutting food, they constantly become dull, and as a result, they need to be sharpened.

To carry out this work, many different machines and devices have been invented, ranging from a simple sharpening stone to complex electric sharpening machines. Using a simple beam is quite inconvenient and takes a long period of time. Exist manual machines to carry out this work.

Manual knife sharpeners

Sharpening machines from the American company Lansky have slightly improved the usual sharpening with a bar. Using such a device, you can quite accurately adjust the angle of work with the blade, from 17 to 30 degrees.

Lansky sharpening device during operation

Any craftsman can make a similar machine for sharpening knives with his own hands due to the simplicity of its design, as demonstrated in the video below.

Locking blade machines

These devices allow you to sharpen a knife much faster because they allow you to apply more effort. Moreover, due to the presence of a rigid stop in the form of a table, the efficiency also increases several times.

SpitJack knife sharpening machine

As can be seen in the figure, in the machines of this type the sharpening bar moves along the fixed blade at a set angle. The sharpening angle is adjusted by changing the height of the bar attachment. Among the domestic analogues of such machines, we can mention the machine produced by the Ermak company.

Ermak sharpening device

Machines with fixed sharpening surfaces

In devices of this type, there is no way to adjust the sharpening angle yourself. Most often, such a device already has several different angles for operation. When using such machines, you simply need to move the blade along the sharpening recess.

This recess consists of two planes, one or two of which are the sharpening beam. So, in order to sharpen a kitchen appliance, you just need to run the knife along the sharpening surface several times.

Mechanical sharpener Chief's Choice

Electrical devices for pointing knives

We can also mention professional cutlery, which is used by most chefs and requires only a few seconds for the knife to become as sharp as possible again. These devices have an electric motor that rotates the sharpening blades.


Such blades are often made from diamond abrasives, and the engine power does not exceed 100-150 kW. Although, of course, there are more powerful machines for sharpening blades that are used in production.

Making a sharpening device with your own hands

To make a machine for sharpening knives with your own hands, you will need: a piece of laminate, wooden slats, sandpaper, and two bots with lambs. Instead of laminate, you can use chipboard or plywood.

To make a knife holder, you need to cut off part of the laminate. To prevent the block from touching the holder when sharpening, you need to clean off its edge at an angle using sandpaper.

  1. Mark and cut top part a vertical stand on which the block will rest when sharpening. We choose an angle half as large as the one at which the knife will be sharpened; in our case it is 30°. For kitchen appliances it is better to use 10–15°. A total of 2 such parts will be needed.
  2. To correctly calculate the length of the base and the height of the racks, you need to roughly draw up the structure and make markings. It should be taken into account that the height will be affected by further installation of the transverse support. After that, we cut off all the parts and clean their edges.
  3. Now we mark and simultaneously drill holes in the base and the pressure plate for the bolts that secure the knife blade. When marking, it is important to maintain the distance of the holes from the edge of the base. This is necessary to ensure installation versatility since the knives have different blade widths. We fasten the pressure plate with bolts.
  4. Vertical posts can be secured with screws, but given that the load on them is small, it is better to use hot glue. In the same way we attach the horizontal crossbar. At this stage, the sharpener is already ready, all that remains is to make the block.
  5. To make a bar, cut a strip of suitable length. On one edge we glue sandpaper with required size abrasive, in our case it is P1200. To improve the result, you can make several bars with different grain sizes. The range P600 – P2000 is considered more optimal. To protect your hands from cuts, it is advisable to screw the handle on the top side of the rail.
  6. As a result, we get a functional and practical machine for sharpening kitchen knives. When working, it rests with bolts on the edge of the table, which increases the comfort of use.

Video: how to make a knife sharpener from a piece of laminate?

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