The angle lines, maker by maker
- Buck, how-to page (per side): "We tend to grind to 13-16 degrees per side."
- Buck, 2021 Journal post (not stated): "An angle of 22.5 degrees works well."
- Case, knowledge base (not stated): approximately a 10° to 15° angle against the sharpening stone.
- Case, Mini Pocket Sharpener page (inclusive, double edge): "The 40 degree inclusive angle maintains a consistent 20 degree double edge on most knives."
- Kershaw, FAQ (not stated): generally between 20° and 22°, fillet knives usually 18°, and a recommended consistent angle of 18° to 22°.
- Gerber, how-to article (not stated): "Generally speaking, we recommend sharpening any Gerber knife between 20 and 30 degrees."
- Böker USA, steel guide (not stated): a recommended edge angle per steel, such as C75 "from 20 degrees" and D2 at "40 degrees and above, at least for hard applications," given by steel rather than by Böker knife.
- CIVIVI and Hogue: Hogue's care insert says to keep the edge sharp but gives no angle, and no angle could be found on CIVIVI's FAQ or knife-knowledge blog.
Per side, total, or not stated
Böker USA's post on sharpness says makers state a grinding angle either between the two sides of the blade (its example is 40°) or as half of it (its example is 20°). Buck's how-to page writes "per side" and Case's pocket sharpener page writes "inclusive angle"; the angle figures from Buck's Journal, Case's knowledge base, Kershaw, Gerber and Böker USA's steel guide are bare, naming neither convention, so none is converted here. Inclusive angle defines the term.
Matching the angle already on the knife
Buck's how-to page, Kershaw, Case and Böker USA all say to keep one angle. Buck's how-to follows, ideally, the grind and edge angle the blade had when new; Kershaw's care page holds the original sharpened angle; Case's knowledge base keeps one angle through the whole stroke; Böker USA keeps it uniform along the blade. By Buck's how-to and Kershaw's care page, the angle to match is the one already on your knife's edge. Choosing a first angle on a stone is argued in a good sharpening angle for a beginner.
Frequently asked questions
- Why does Buck give two different numbers?
- Buck's how-to page says Buck tends to grind to 13-16 degrees per side, while Buck's 2021 Journal post says 22.5 degrees works well and does not say per side or total. Neither page mentions the other's figure.
- Are Böker's steel angles the angles on Böker knives?
- Böker USA's steel guide does not say so: it recommends an edge angle per steel, such as "from 20 degrees" for C75, and names no Böker model or factory edge.
- Is twenty degrees per side the factory norm?
- None of the maker lines here says so. Buck's how-to says Buck tends to grind to 13-16 degrees per side, and the lines with a 20 in them, from Kershaw, Gerber, Case's pocket sharpener page and Böker's C75 entry, do not say per side.
